While several teams can get into a postseason tournament to compete for a conference title in basketball, baseball, and softball, only two teams will get the chance to play for the Big 12 Football Championship in December.
Heading into Week 10, we will assess what we’ve seen through nine weeks of the 2024 season and start to separate the contenders from the pretenders in the Big 12 race and, ultimately, the College Football Playoff.
Unlike Power Rankings, which are more prone to changing on a weekly basis, my intent with this weekly feature is to determine who the best five teams in the league are, regardless of their most recent result. Here are the top five teams in the Big 12 and a few squads on the bubble looking in.
1. BYU (8-0) – Last Week: 1
BYU went across the country and took care of business against a reeling UCF team that was somehow favored over the undefeated Cougars. While the score indicates this game was somewhat competitive, it was 34-10 entering the fourth quarter and the game was controlled by BYU throughout. Kalani Sitake’s group is playing like the best team in the conference, and their wins over SMU and Kansas State continue to get more and more impressive.
2. Iowa State (7-0) – Last Week: 2
Iowa State had the week off but remains one of two undefeated teams remaining in the Big 12. There doesn’t appear to be a glaring weakness on this team so far, and if the offense continues to improve, this group will be tough to beat down the stretch.
3. Kansas State (7-1) – Last Week: 3
Week 9: Kansas State 29, Kansas 27
K-State played with fire this week against their in-state rivals, but hit a game-winning field goal to escape with their 16th-straight victory over Kansas. Avery Johnson continues to play like one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country and appears to be capable of carrying this team a long, long way. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to do it alone, as DJ Giddens has been special and the Wildcats’ defense continues to take strides.
4. Colorado (6-2) – Last Week: 4
Week 9: Colorado 34, Cincinnati 23
It took a little while for me to come around, but I’m fully on board with Colorado being a legit Big 12 contender in 2024. They might need some help from the teams ranked ahead of them to get to Arlington, but there’s not a team in the Big 12 that can stand athlete-for-athlete with the Buffaloes. The combination of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter gives CU a chance against anyone in the league, and their win over a good Cincinnati team this past weekend is a perfect example of how far this team has come in Year 2 of the Deion Sanders era.
5. Arizona State (5-2) – Last Week: Bubble
I fully believe that if Sam Leavitt had been able to play against Cincinnati, Arizona State would be sitting at 6-1 and 3-1 in Big 12 play. That’s not how this works, but with Leavitt likely to come back this week, I’d be hard-pressed to give the No. 5 spot to another team without feeling like the Sun Devils were being disrespected. Kenny Dillingham has a tough-nosed and gritty football team, and there’s little doubt in my mind that they’re headed toward a postseason berth in his second season.
On The Bubble
TCU (5-3): TCU had an argument for the No. 5 spot after picking up a 35-34 win over Texas Tech this weekend, but I still need to see that the Horned Frogs can find some semblance of a defense. I’m not sure how high the ceiling is without that, even if Josh Hoover is one of the best passers in the conference.
Cincinnati (5-3): The loss to Colorado in Boulder is disappointing, but there is still plenty of reason to be excited about where the Cincinnati football program is right now. Expectations were low coming into the year, but the Bearcats are holding their own in Scott Satterfield’s second season.
