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The BYU football team takes the field before a game against Utah State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Thursday, September 29, 2022 © BYU PHOTO 2022 All Rights Reserved photo@byu.edu (801)422-7322

Christi Norris/BYU Photo

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Oklahoma defensive players Kip Lewis  (10), Ashton Sanders (55), Kelvin Gilliam (44), and Danny Stutsman (28) celebrate as they sing the alma mater following the team's spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy shares a laugh before speaking at the NCAA college football Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers tries to avoid TCU cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Oklahoma coach Brent Venables answers questions from reporters during the Big 12 college football media days in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, July 13, 2023.(AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe)

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Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell speaks at the NCAA college football Big 12 Media Days in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

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One of the toughest aspects of independence for BYU football was the challenge of getting marquee games at the end of the season, particularly at home.

Since 2011 when the Cougars made the move, although there were some big-name road games there really isn’t a single noteworthy opponent who came to Provo in November.

That changes in 2023 with the move to the Big 12.

This year BYU will be hosting a pair of league games in November that the Cougars hope will be both meaningful and well-attended as they try to finish strong.

Their opponents, however, would love to get a big road win at LaVell Edwards Stadium as well.

Here’s the final installment of the three-part series looking at what this year’s BYU conference foes talked about last week during Big 12 media days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The conclusion of 2023 conference slate for the Cougars features a home game against Iowa State, a home game against Oklahoma and a road game at Oklahoma State:

Iowa State

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Nov. 11

While the Cyclones have been through some ups and downs on the field in recent seasons, the first question for Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was about the off-the-field gambling investigation which includes some football players.

“Right now for us, that investigation is ongoing,” Campbell said. “We don’t have a lot of clarity to it, but I think we’re getting closer to getting clarity. The appreciation that I have is they’ve kind of given me the opportunity to be removed from that process and just give me the results once the results come our way.

He explained that instead of viewing the situation as a distraction, he sees it a chance to instruct his athletes.

“I think what I would just say for any of our young men that either are or aren’t involved in this is it’s a great learning lesson,” Campbell said. “Part of what I love about coaching is you’re teaching 18-to-22-year-old young men. There are rules and regulations.”

Eventually Campbell and Iowa State hope to put the off-field issues behind them and focus on having a great season, something that eluded them last year.

“The one thing that I’ve always said about our program is we’ve been worthy to suffer sometimes,” Campbell said. “I think our ability and hopefully our humility to understand why there have been setbacks, and whatever has impeded us has been will allow us to be able to dissect that and then come together as one to empower us forward.”

Oklahoma

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Nov. 18

The Sooners have an impressive tradition in college football, including seven national championships, seven Heisman Trophy winners and four trips to the College Football Playoffs.

Oklahoma’s 2022 campaign, however, didn’t meet those lofty standards as the Sooners ended up 6-7.

Now the program looks to turn things around in its final year in the Big 12.

“We learned and grew a lot as a football program,” Oklahoma head coach Brett Venables said. “In five of the seven losses, it came down to the last minute or two minutes of the game in the fourth quarter where we had a chance to win.

“We’ve looked long and hard in the off-season, since January, of what we need to do to become a more efficient football team, and we’ve looked at every single part of our program, how we can improve and get better. Nothing ever stays the same.”

The Sooner roster certainly hasn’t stayed the same, as Venables pointed out.

“We’ve got 123 players on team, and out of those 123 players, 97 of them will be in either their first or their second year at the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “That’s tremendous turnover, but I couldn’t be more excited about the group of guys.”

He also hopes that he improved as a coach after his first year on the job, something that could make a big difference.

“Looking at overall efficiency I think is probably the biggest thing for me,” Venables said. “You have to be willing to listen sometimes, to your players, certainly listen to your staff, and take it all in. Ultimately you have to make decisions on all of it.”

Oklahoma State

Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.

Nov. 25

Cowboy head coach Mike Gundy is famous for saying what he thinks, which is why it wasn’t surprising to hear him criticize rival Oklahoma and the move to the SEC that will end the annual “Bedlam” rivalry matchup between the Sooners and Oklahoma State.

“I’m a very traditionalist when it comes to conference rivalry games,” Gundy said. “The Bedlam game is over because Oklahoma chose to leave the Big 12, period. It’s not nothing to do with Oklahoma State. Do I like that? No.

“Do I like that conferences have broken up in the past? No, I don’t. But I also know that we have to control what we can control, which is conference realignment is there. It’s probably still going on. Wherever we all end up and whatever schedule they give us to play, we all play it and do the best we can.”

At the other end of the spectrum was the topics of name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, which Gundy said he thought was “interesting” for a while but doesn’t see it that way any more.

“I’m almost considering the NIL and the portal like religion and politics where it’s not even worth discussing because we don’t necessarily have a rhyme or reason for what’s happening,” Gundy said.

The Cowboys had a number of players elect to leave, which in turn left opening for others to come to Oklahoma State.

“We’re very excited about the players that we brought in,” Gundy said. “I guess when you have 10 or 12 go out, you bring 10 or 12 in, and you get your roster set and try to have a good spring ball, good summer, and get ready to play in September.”