Tramel's ScissorTales: Which Big 12 football team has best nonconference schedule in 2022?

Two things save Big 12 football’s nonconference schedule in 2022.

West Virginia and Alabama.

The Mountaineers continue their upgraded schedule, playing both Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech on the road, and Bama plays at Texas in a game dripping with storylines.

Otherwise, it’s a humdrum nonconference slate for the Big 12.

The Monday ScissorTales check in on former OSU quarterback Taylor Cornelius and analyze how Candlestick Park affected Willie Mays’ career home run totals. But we start with the Big 12’s nonconference schedules.

Houston and Brigham Young, both of which enter the league in 2023, play a combined three games against future conference foes, so that will be fun.

OU plays at Nebraska for the first time since 2009; stay tuned on how big or good that game proves to be. Iowa State-Iowa is a nice rivalry. Kansas State resumes a rivalry with an old Big Eight foe. And Texas Christian coach Sonny Dykes returns to Southern Methodist, where he was head coach a mere eight months ago.

More:Spencer Sanders in 'teacher phase' as freshmen battle for Oklahoma State football's backup QB job

But Alabama at Texas, and West Virginia’s resumption of the Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh, are the best parts of a Big 12 September.

“It’s an important rivalry,” WVU coach Neal Brown said of the Backyard Brawl, which was suspended after the Mountaineers left the Big East for the Big 12 in 2012 and the Panthers soon left the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This is the first meeting since, in a rivalry that has been played 104 times, including 69 straight years from 1943-2011. The current contract calls for four games, 2022-25, then another four-game contract kicks in from 2029-32.

“Shane Lyons, our athletic director, asked me about the continuation of the series, which we'll do later in the decade, and I was all for it,” Brown said. “It's really important for us to play regional rivalries.

“The Backyard Brawl will be my first opportunity to be a part of it. Our fan base is extremely passionate about that game. So it's a game that I would be in favor of playing each year. I think it's a great kickoff for college football.”

Bama at Texas is a showdown of two storied programs, though their stories since 2009 are vastly different. Since Alabama beat the Longhorns in the 2009 national championship game, the Crimson Tide have won five more titles under Nick Saban, while Texas has slipped into mediocrity.

But UT is banking on a rebound under coach Steve Sarkisian, hired away from Saban’s Alabama staff in January 2021. And a rebound is needed, since the ‘Horns are headed to the Southeastern Conference, which is ruled by Alabama.

Here’s how I rank the Big 12 nonconference schedules:

Tramel: BYU hopes it's more alike than different from new Big 12 schoolmates

1. West Virginia: at Pittsburgh, Towson, at Virginia Tech.Two nonconference road games against Power Five opponents, both of them traditional rivals in series that have been mostly interrupted. Wow.

2. Texas: Louisiana-Monroe, Alabama, Texas-San Antonio.Any schedule with Bama coming to town is extraordinary. Plus UTSA was a mid-major force last year, only 80 miles down the road from Austin.

3. Texas Tech: Murray State, Houston, at North Carolina State.Good schedule, Red Raiders. A future Big 12 foe in Houston, plus a road game at Raleigh, where the Wolfpack could be an ACC contender.

4. Kansas: Tennessee Tech, at Houston, Duke. Shame on the Big 12, when the Jayhawks have a better schedule than more half the conference members. Duke is an ACC also-ran, but Houston figures to be tough.

5. Baylor: Albany, at Brigham Young, Texas State.In a typical year, the Baylor-BYU game wouldn’t carry so much intrigue. But the Cougars come into the conference next year.

6. Oklahoma: Texas-El Paso, Kent State, at Nebraska. The Huskers are at least an historic rival, and the Sooners didn’t schedule a Division I-AA opponent. So give OU a little credit.

7. Iowa State: Southeast Missouri State, at Iowa, Ohio.Typical Cyclone schedule. About the same as OU’s, except the Cyclones play a I-AA foe in SEMO.

8. Texas Christian: at Colorado, Tarleton State, at Southern Methodist. Colorado is a Power Five team but not much of one. SMU was wiped out by Sonny Dykes’ move over to TCU, but that makes the Iron Skillet game somewhat interesting, and the Mustangs typically give the Frog fits.

9. Kansas State: South Dakota, Missouri, Tulane.Resumption of the old Big Eight rivalry with Mizzou is at least interesting.

10. Oklahoma State: Central Michigan, Arizona State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. This would rank higher if the Sun Devils weren’t in such disarray.

Games against Power Five opponents: 10 of 30; 33 percent (43.3 percent if you count games against future Big 12 foes Houston and BYU).

Home games: 21 of 30; 70 percent.

Games against Division I-AA opponents: eight of 30, 26.7 percent.

Percentage of guarantee games (no home-and-home): 16 of 30, 53.3 percent.

More:Why new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is an 'absolute perfect fit' to follow Bob Bowlsby

OU defense now has a defensive head coach

Lincoln Riley was an offensive coach. He went from OU’s offensive coordinator to its head coach, without relinquishing the coordinator duties.

The results were extraordinary: Riley was 55-10 as a head coach.

But OU’s defense did not make significant strides in the Riley regime. Riley fired Mike Stoops as coordinator midway through the 2018 season, and though Alex Grinch’s defense showed some promise, it was up and down.

Grinch’s defense ranked fifth (2019), sixth (2020) and fifth in (2021) in Big 12 efficiency his three years. Not good by OU standards.

Now the Sooners have a head coach who came from defense. Does that matter? Will that help?

“It’s definitely better for the defense, obviously,” said OU cornerback Woodi Washington. “We haven't had that in the past, so for Venables to come in is definitely going to be great for the defense.

“I think more people will talk about that rather than us giving up points. It’ll be an emphasis on how many points we’re not giving up.”

Of course, you never know. Baylor had a superb defense last season, with a head coach (Dave Aranda) who came through the defensive ranks. But OSU had an even better defense in 2021, with a head coach (Mike Gundy) whose roots are in offense.

So who knows?

OU defensive end Ethan Downs said the changes have been profound. Staff change. Roster makeover (40 newcomers). Style differences.

But Downs said Venables seems capable with the role and remaking the defense, though Ted Roof is serving as Venables’ defensive coordinator.

“I think he was more than prepared to take on a head coaching role,” Downs said. “And I think he's able to apply his standard in all aspects and not just on the defensive side. On all aspects of the field and off the field.

“He doesn't just hold players accountable. He holds every coach accountable. He holds academics accountable. He holds the tutors, the GAs, he holds the strength staff accountable. Our chefs. Everybody, he holds to the highest standard.”

For the longest time, big-time defense was OU’s standard. Those standards have slipped. We’ll see if Venables revives them, without it costing the offense.

More:Looking for an OU football breakout star? Ethan Downs 'feels more dangerous' in 2022

Corndog starting for CFL’s Edmonton Elks

The Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League have the week off. But on August 6, a Saturday, the Elks play the B.C. Lions at 9 p.m. in a game televised by ESPN2.

If you need a summer football fix, the CFL always comes through. And here’s an even better reason to watch.

Taylor Cornelius is the Edmonton quarterback.

Cornelius is one of the more underrated OSU football players of recent vintage. The Cowboys’ 2018 quarterback was a good player as a senior, after coming to Stillwater without a scholarship and backing up classmate Mason Rudolph in 2016 and 2017.

Corndog – Mike Gundy’s nickname for the 6-foot-5, Bushland, Texas, native – got a look in the Green Bay Packers’ 2019 training camp, played in the XFL for the Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020 and landed in Edmonton for the 2021 season. His XFL offensive coordinator, Jaime Elizondo, became the Elks’ head coach and brought Cornelius to Canada.

Corndog made eight starts for Edmonton a year ago but started off this season as a fourth-teamer. But the Elks struggled, an injury or two happened, and Cornelius was elevated to starter two games ago.

Corndog led Edmonton to a 32-31 victory over the Montreal Alouettes two weeks ago, then quarterbacked a 24-10 loss to Winnipeg last week.

“He throws the football, makes every throw,” Elks coach Chris Jones, who replaced Elizondo after last season, told the Edmonton Sun. “When they do take throws away, he’s a little bit better athlete than what people realize.

“He can run a little bit better than people think. And then, on the run, he’s probably just as accurate as he is in the pocket.

“So the thing he’s got to do is he’s got to protect the ball. Don’t try to make every throw. If it’s a tight window and they’ve got opportunistic DBs, just pull it down and run for seven (yards) and we live to see another day. If he does that type of thing, we’ve got a chance to have good success.”

Tramel: BYU excited about Big 12 adventure, and feeling should be mutual

The Elks, who until 2020 were known as the Edmonton Eskimos, are one of the CFL’s landmark franchises. They traditionally have Canada’s biggest football fanbase.

The great Warren Moon quarterbacked Edmonton to five straight Grey Cup titles, 1978-82. Former OU star Pop Ivy left Bud Wilkinson’s staff and coached Edmonton to three straight CFL championships, 1954-56.

Among Edmonton’s other coaches were Darrell Royal and Neill Armstrong. The former left Edmonton for the Mississippi State coaching job, before going to Washington and then to Texas. The latter was an OSU star in the 1940s who later became head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Edmonton won the Grey Cup as recently as 2009.

But the Elks have fallen on hard times – 3-11 in 2021, 2-7 this year.

Last year, Cornelius went 1-7 as the starter, completing 143 and of 247 passes for 1,795 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He rushed for 149 yards.

This season, in two starts, Corndog has completed 44 of 73 passes for 500 yards, one TD and two interceptions. He’s rushed for 79 yards.

Tramel's ScissorTales: Why a Big 12 festival should kick off 2023 college football season

Mailbag: Ballpark effects on Willie Mays

I casually mentioned on The Sports Animal something about ballpark effects, and it drew an interesting question.

Dave: “You were talking about MLB home run hitters and those that were hampered by their ballpark or environment. I would bet none were more affected than ‘Say Hey’ -- Willie Mays having to fight the wind at Candlestick Park all of those years. He may have no less than 100 more homers if he had not played there. I remember a story of him hitting a for- sure home run, only to have it caught by the shortstop as the wind brought the ball back to the infield. I choose that his totals would have been at the top if he had played elsewhere.”

Tramel: Interesting point. And it makes sense, right? Candlestick Park – the most gloriously-named stadium in American history – was a notorious baseball venue. The mythical story of pitcher Stu Miller being blown off the mound in the 1961 All-Star Game stands as the seminal moment in Candlestick history.

But Miller always said the story wasn’t true. That he actually just momentarily halted and even continued to throw the pitch.

And while Candlestick was not in any way a hitter’s park, the data doesn’t support the idea that the stadium took home runs away from Mays.

In his career, Mays played in three home parks. The kooky Polo Grounds in New York, Seals Stadium the first two years the Giants were in San Francisco, Candlestick for 12-plus years and finally Shea Stadium, the latter with the Metropolitans, with whom he hit 14 home runs in two years.

In his career, Mays hit more home runs at home (335) than on the road (325). And Mays hit a home run more frequently at Candlestick (every 15 at-bats) than in the Polo Grounds (15.4). In his two years at Seals Stadium, Mays hit 32 homers at home, 31 on the road.

And in those 12 years at Candlestick, Mays hit 202 home runs at home and 194 on the road.

Why is that important? The best indicator of a hitter’s true slugging prowess is to double his road homer total. Parks are hitter’s or pitcher’s parks, only in comparison with other parks. A half-season of road games accounts for every park in the league except your home park. A fairly stable way to measure, don’t you think?

Mays’ numbers show he wasn’t much impacted one way or the other. If Candlestick was taking away home runs from Mays, he would have significantly more homers on the road. And that didn’t happen.

It got me to thinking about all of baseball’s great home run hitters. Who was helped and hurt most by their home parks.

I looked at all 28 hitters in Major League history with at least 500 career home runs, complete with home and road home runs.

2022 MLB Draft tracker: Where players with Oklahoma connections are headed

Hurt by home parks: David Ortiz 241/300; Eddie Mathews 238/274; Albert Pujols 326/359; Ted Williams 248/273; Babe Ruth 347/367; Eddie Murray 242/262; Mike Schmidt 265/283; Mark McGwire 285/298.

Hip-hip hurray, for Ortiz. He went into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and many, including me, thought he was a dubious candidate. But Fenway Park isn’t a bandbox for left-handed hitters, and Ortiz’s 541 homers were legitimate. Double his road homers and he has 600.

Mathews is a long-time favorite of mine. He ranks with Schmidt as the greatest third basemen in baseball history.

Double Pujols’ home runs, and he’s at 718. More than Ruth. Who, by the way, is on this list, too and for my money remains the greatest slugger in history.

No effect: Reggie Jackson 280/283; Miguel Cabrera 251/254; Mickey Mantle 266/270; Barry Bonds 379/383; Willie McCovey 264/257; Manny Ramirez 282/273; Willie Mays 335/325; Harmon Killebrew 291/282.

McCovey played almost all of his career in Candlestick Park, and he had more home homers than road homers.

Bonds played seven seasons with the Giants when they still were in Candlestick. During those years, 1993-99, Bonds hit 136 homers at home and 133 on the road.

Helped by home parks: Mel Ott 323/188; Frank Thomas 312/209; Ernie Banks 290/222; Jimmie Foxx 299/235; Jim Thome 339/273; Frank Robinson 321/265; Rafael Palmeiro 311/258; Junior Griffey 332/298; Sammy Sosa 321/288; Gary Sheffield 262/247; Hank Aaron 385/370; Alex Rodriguez 354/342.

The most interesting numbers in this discussion. This list is topped by dubious Hall of Famers.

No one in baseball history was helped by their home park more than Ott, who played mostly with the Giants, whose home park was the Polo Grounds. Double Ott’s road homers, and the total is 376, in a home-run era. That’s not a Hall of Fame total.

Does Thomas make Cooperstown without the effects of the White Sox’ New Comiskey Park? Maybe not.

Banks’ home run totals were inflated by Wrigley Field, but at least Banks was a big-time shortstop through much of his career.

More:Where OKC Thunder's home, Paycom Center, ranks among all 29 NBA arenas

The List: Best NBA contracts of 2022 offseason

Keith Smith of spotrac.com has produce two interesting lists – the 10 best-value and the 10 worst-value contracts of the NBA offseason. Free-agent contracts and contract extensions. Spotrac.com is a much-helpful website dedicated to athletes’ contracts and team payrolls. Spotrac is invaluable in covering the NBA.

Friday, we listed Smith’s 10 worst-value contract. Today, we’ll list Smith’s 10 best-value contracts, which he says are much easier to find than 10 bad contracts. Check out his explanations. They are grounded in great insight.

1. James Harden: Two years, $68 million: Harden’s second year will be a player option. Harden had a player option for this coming season, at $47.4 million, so the Sixers saved a bunch of money and added P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. Harden took one for the team.

2. Keldon Johnson: Four years, $80 million. Smith likes Johnson. A lot. Smith points out that Johnson averaged 17 points a game on 13.5 field-goal attempts a game, with shooting splits of 47 (field goal), 40 (3-point) and 76 (foul shots) percent.

3. Kevon Looney: Three years, $25.5 million. The starting center on a championship team. And the guaranteed money is just $19.5 million.

4. Jae’Sean Tate, Houston: Three years, $20.6 million: Excellent defender gives the Rockets great value – and the team has a Year 3 option.

5. Cody Martin, Charlotte & Caleb Martin, Miami: Cody four years, $31.4 million; Caleb three years, $20.4 million. The twins’ deals are very similar – Cody's contract is for three years, $22.7 million, with a non-guaranteed fourth season. Caleb has a player option in Year 3, which means Charlotte has the better contract over Miami. Both are good wings who can defend and make 3-pointers.

6. Gary Payton II, Portland: Three years, $26.1 million. The Warriors let Payton go, and the Blazers got a strong perimeter defender for a team woefully short of perimeter defense.

7. Ricky Rubio, Cleveland: Three years, $18.4 million. Rubio is a savvy veteran who still can play – or could, until his massive knee injury last winter. And if Rubio is nearing the end, the third year is only partially guaranteed, so not a big risk for the Cavaliers.

8. Ivica Zubac, Clippers: Three years, $32.8 million extension. A starting center on what figures to be a title contender, Zubac puts up solid numbers and plays solid defense.

9. Malik Monk, Sacramento: Two years, $19.4 million. A quality player picked the Kings. What a world. And not even a player option in Year 2.

10. Isaiah Hartenstein, New York: Two years, $16 million. Smith figures Hartenstein might even be a better player than starting Knickerbocker center Mitchell Robinson, who appeared on Smith’s worst-value contract list.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ranking Big 12 nonconference schedules in 2022 college football season