For all of the posts in this series, visit the 2018-19 Non-Conference Scheduling Hub.

Warning: Graphics and tables may not appear optimally when viewing on a mobile device.

Ranking The Teams

With TCU improving its four-year ranking by 24 spots between this season and last and Texas Tech jumping up by 28 places, each member of the Big 12 ranks in the top 50 nationally. However, not all of the news is rosy, as not only did Kansas drop out of the top five, but the conference saw its number of top 25 teams decline from five to three. That’s thanks to Iowa State’s bad year and Oklahoma’s late season swoon.

While KenPom’s preseason projections are close to the four-year rankings of the middle four teams in the table above, Kansas State, Texas, and to a lesser extent, TCU are forecast to outperform their recent histories this season. However, a trio of bubble teams from last season—Baylor, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State—are poised to struggle. But with the strength of this league, all three could find themselves in a similar position during the season’s final weeks.

Ranking The Schedules

Texas Tech is the outlier here, though a weak non-conference schedule didn’t really affect the Red Raiders’ selection or seeding a season ago—when they made it to the Elite Eight. Kansas, seen by many as a national title favorite, has a non-league schedule to match. Oklahoma’s slate also rates highly, even though the Sooners’ expectations are more modest this season. Based on these non-league slates, it could be another season where the overwhelming majority of the Big 12’s 10 teams remain in the hunt for an at-large until the final moments of Selection Sunday.

Note: The number of asterisks (*) represent the number of pending games on a team’s schedule.

Who Over- And Under-Scheduled?

As you’d expect based on the table above, Texas Tech has the biggest scheduling gap in the Big 12, and one of the largest in the entire country, and it’s not particularly close. The majority of the conference under-scheduled this season, except for Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas teams known for building strong November and December slates on a consistent basis.

While the Big 12 ranks last among the Power 7 in terms of total road games scheduled, the conference averages nearly two per member—thanks to an increase of seven such contests scheduled in 2018-19. Last season, the conference played just a single road game at a non-power foe. That total’s been quadrupled this season; however, one of them will come against a Division II opponent. TCU is playing at Hawai’i Pacific before heading back from O’ahu after the Diamond Head Classic.

As you’d expect, the Big 12’s current conference challenge partner, the SEC, leads this table for the second season in a row. But with news that the Big East will be a second power conference challenge partner next season, that league’s total will at least double in 2019-20. Note that the Summit dropped out of the top five above despite only playing one fewer game against the Big 12 this season. Their replacement, the Pac-12, jumped into a tie for third despite adding only two Big 12 contests. Five conferences don’t have a single set contest against a Big 12 member, an increase of three from a season ago.

Just two teams, USC and Florida, appear on three Big 12 schedules this season. Texas Tech, meanwhile, has four Southland teams on its slate, while Baylor has three from both that conference and the SWAC. Iowa State also managed to schedule the SWAC thrice. (The Red Raiders only scheduled two SWAC games.) Meanwhile, Oklahoma State will play a trio of American Athletic Conference members.

Despite the presence of 19 home games against teams ranked in the top 100 of the four-year ranking, just 12 of these qualify for Quad 1 (5) or 2 (7) status. Interestingly, the Big 12 has an equal number of top 75 home and road games scheduled, with 12 each, but all 12 road games qualify under Quad 1 because of how the divisions are drawn.

Big 12 members play more neutral-site games than most conferences, thanks in no small part to the tendency of league members to play semi-home and semi-road games regularly (Kansas, Kansas State, and Oklahoma, in particular). While conference teams have 11 top 50 neutral-site games set and 19 total against the top 100, there’s a bit more variance in their pending matchups in exempt events than found in most other power conferences—14 games apiece possible against the top 50, next 50, and next 100.

Team-By-Team Breakdown

Teams are listed in order of their Super Average Schedule Ranking. The number in front of an opponent name is its Four-Year Ranking. Logos via SportsLogos.net.

2. Kansas Jayhawks

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: (KU) 2 wins (Kentucky (N), Stanford (N)) and 2 losses (Arizona State, Villanova (N))

With 151st-ranked Wofford the only opponent on this schedule ranked outside of the four-year ranking’s top 150, it’s not a surprise that the Jayhawks have the second-ranked non-conference schedule in the country (and the top one when considering only at-large prospects...sorry, Texas Southern). Then you look at the names—Villanova in a National Semifinal rematch at the Phog, Michigan State to start the season at the Champions Classic, two potentially brutal tests in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving, a revenge showdown with Arizona State in the desert, and Kentucky in the SEC Challenge—and the ranking becomes even more clear.

5. Oklahoma Sooners

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 5 wins (North Texas, UTSA, USC (N), @Wichita State, Northwestern)

Not only will the Sooners play just three true non-conference home games before Big 12 play tips off, they’ll play a pair of non-Power 7 road games, as Lon Kruger will pay visits to former assistants Lew Hill (UTRGV) and Steve Henson (UTSA). Despite that, this slate features a minimum of eight power conference contests, and while both Creighton and Vanderbilt visit Norman, the other six will all come away from home. With that in mind, if Oklahoma struggles without Trae Young, it could be a very long season for fans of the crimson and cream.

23. Texas Longhorns

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 1 win (@VCU) and 0 losses

Shaka Smart’s Longhorns are another Big 12 squad that put up a strong non-conference record (10-3) which helped bolster its at-large case after a Big 12 finish that was either at or below .500. And even though there’s just one true road game on this slate, which comes well after Big 12 play has started, the neutral-site games against Arkansas, North Carolina, and either Michigan State or UCLA, along with a decent home lineup, highlighted by visits from Purdue and Providence, should get Texas into a similar position this time around—at a minimum.

57. Baylor Bears

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 2 wins (Texas Southern, Southern) and 1 loss (Wichita State)

Had the Bears not dropped four of their last five games, they probably would have advanced to the NCAAs for a fifth straight season. Of course, picking up early season wins at Xavier and over Wichita State in Waco might have also made a difference for Scott Drew’s squad. This time around, Baylor will visit the Shockers, who may be a bit down this season, and Arizona, who might also find themselves needing quality wins for March. With the home schedule featuring trios of opponents from the SWAC and Southland (including favorite Stephen F. Austin, to be fair), Baylor has a lot riding on its questionable road trips, the pair of games at the Emerald Coast Classic, and handy home contests against a likely-resurgent Oregon and SEC bid threat Alabama. Even with five possible Power 7 games, this schedule might not allow for another late Baylor swoon.

79. West Virginia Mountaineers

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 2 wins (UCF (N), @Pittsburgh) and 0 losses

Like Texas, the Mountaineers are another squad that won’t play a non-conference road game until after Big 12 play tips off. But Bob Huggins’ team, a Sweet Sixteen qualifier a season ago, will play five neutral-site contests—with the Jimmy V Classic showdown against Florida likely to be more difficult than any of the three games at the Myrtle Beach Invitational or the one against Rhode Island in the Naismith Hall of Fame’s holiday event at the Mohegan Sun. With Pittsburgh struggling, the most difficult home game should be the opener against Buffalo—not the team you want to play to start a season—though the contest against MAAC favorite Rider should also test WVU.

97. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 3 wins (Charlotte, Florida State (N), Tulsa) and 0 losses

In his first season in charge, Mike Boynton nearly got the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament, thanks in no small part to a pair of wins over Kansas and a victory over Florida State in South Florida. But Oklahoma State is widely projected to take a step back this season, which means the Pokes have to improve upon last season’s 10-3 non-league mark to have a shot at a bid. And looking at this slate, that’s going to be tough ask. Three of the home games—College of Charleston, Houston, and South Carolina—are doozies, as is the AdvoCare Invitational, where Villanova could await the Cowboys in the semifinals. And while games at Charlotte and Tulsa are winnable, the matchup with Minnesota at this season’s Final Four site looks like both a unique honor and challenge.

101. Iowa State Cyclones

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 1 win (Iowa) and 1 loss (@Missouri)

While the Cyclones won the final Puerto Rico Tip-Off/first Myrtle Beach Invitational and went 9-3 in non-league play, a 4-14 Big 12 mark doomed them to their first losing record since 2009-10. Steve Prohm’s team is expected to rebound this season, and they’ll be challenged on a somewhat irregular basis before Big 12 play begins. While an early November rematch with Missouri and trips to Maui and Iowa City will be daunting, there’s little else to fear here. Even the SEC Challenge contest at Ole Miss might not be much of a worry for Iowa State, if the Cyclones are as improved as expected.

141. Kansas State Wildcats

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 1 win (@Vanderbilt) and 1 loss (Tulsa (N))

The Wildcats surprisingly reached the Elite Eight last spring and are expected to build upon that run in 2018-19. This schedule should give Bruce Weber a good idea of what his squad is capable of, even if the biggest challenges will come away from Manhattan. Frankly, it will be a slight disappointment if the Wildcats don’t win the Paradise Jam this season, as the annual Kansas City contest, this time featuring improving Vanderbilt, and road games at Big East contender Marquette and SEC Challenge assignment (and former league foe) Texas A&M , are the biggest tests here by some margin.

142. TCU Horned Frogs

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: 1 win (SMU) and 0 losses

The Horned Frogs’ 12-1 non-conference mark helped push Jamie Dixon’s squad into the NCAAs, despite a 9-9 Big 12 record. And with seven pre-Big 12 non-league home games and four winnable contests in Hawai’i, TCU should find itself able to equal that mark this season. The biggest challenge will come from SMU (at Moody Coliseum) and USC (the Horned Frogs’ second consecutive appearance in the Naismith Hall of Fame’s L.A. event) early and SEC Challenge foe Florida late.

315. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Record against returning opponents from 2017-18: (TTU) 1 win (Abilene Christian) and 0 losses

The Red Raiders join Duke, a team they’ll coincidentally meet in New York in December, as the lone Power 7 teams to not play a true non-conference road game this season. And when you look at the home slate, you realize a Tech team that reached the Elite Eight last season won’t face a quality opponent at home until Big 12 play—Arkansas doesn’t visit until late January. That means Red Raider fans who want to see Chris Beard’s squad testes will have to travel, be it to Kansas City in November or Miami or the Big Apple in December. If Tech stumbles in Big 12 play, it certainly will need to sweep its neutral-site games to have an at-large chance come March.

Be sure to follow @ChrisDobbertean on Twitter and to like Blogging the Bracket on Facebook .