A showdown of Big 12 rivals that ultimately could shape the conference championship game come December in Dallas will take place on Saturday, more than 4,700 miles away at Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road in Dublin,

The Bengals won five games last year. Their highest-profile matchup came against Oregon State, and Idaho State lost 38-15 (not awful). In the last two games of the season, the Bengals allowed 117 combined points (pretty awful).

Arizona State returns 17 starters, but not all media experts like the Sun Devils' chances of a Big 12 repeat. Particularly CBS Sports.

No. 22 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State open the college football season Saturday when the Big 12 rivals meet in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

See inside Dublin's Aviva Stadium, where Iowa State will play Aer Lingus College Football Classic vs. Kansas State

Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland will host Saturday's game. KCCI's Scott Reister got an early look at the field Thursday, two days before the college football season will get underway. Aviva Stadium holds 51,711, according to the stadium's website. For its college football configuration, the venue holds 47,000.

Whether in a crowd or walking to his car in a grocery store parking lot, Avery Johnson is hard to miss. The Kansas State quarterback has worn his signature curly golden locks since kindergarten. On the field,