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 12, we will assess what we’ve seen through the first 11 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 (9-0) – Last Week: 1
A win is a win, and in a rivalry game like BYU-Utah, that point holds even more weight. There’s not much of an argument against BYU being the best team in the Big 12 at this point, as the Cougars are the only team that has avoided not just one loss, but two losses on the season. Jake Retzlaff has found a game that fits him offensively, while the BYU defense is stingy and opportunistic. Heading into the final stages of the Big 12 race, Kalani Sitake’s group is the clear team to beat.
2. Kansas State (7-2) – Last Week: 3
Kansas State’s rise is only a byproduct of Iowa State plummeting after their second straight loss. Right now, the Wildcats are a game behind Colorado and two games back from BYU in the Big 12 race. This week, they’ll face a surging Arizona State team that would love nothing more than to come into Manhattan and end their Big 12 title chances. Can Avery Johnson and company figure out the turnover issues and stay in the hunt?
3. Colorado (7-2) – Last Week: 4
Week 11: Colorado 41, Texas Tech 27
While the rest of the Big 12 was busy falling to pieces over the last few weekends, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have been building toward something special. After inheriting a 1-11 team two seasons ago, Sanders has CU rocking and in control of its own destiny heading into Week 12. With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter playing some of the best ball in the country, this is a team most would like to avoid right now. If Colorado wins its final three games, the Buffaloes will secure a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game. A win there, and the Buffs are headed to the College Football Playoff. Talk about a quick turnaround.
4. Arizona State (7-2) – Last Week: Bubble
Week 11: Arizona State 35, UCF 31
While Colorado is the team that’s going to get all of the publicity, the story at Arizona State in 2024 has been just as, if not more impressive. The Buffs have brought in all kinds of talent through the transfer portal, while the Sun Devils were gutted in the last cycle. However, Kenny Dillingham has shown why he’s one of the best young coaches in college football, and Cam Skattebo has been the most under-appreciated players in the country. ASU’s game with Kansas State this week has a lot on the line, and a win on the road wouldn’t just move them to 8-2, it would put them in a great spot to sneak into the Big 12 title game should Colorado falter.
5. Iowa State (7-2) – Last Week: 2
Week 11: Kansas 45, Iowa State 36
November has not been kind to Iowa State, and after a 7-0 start, the Cyclones are all but out of the Big 12 race after dropping each of their last two games. Their latest blunder, a 45-36 loss to Kansas, revealed some serious issues on defense as ISU deals with attrition. KU racked up 532 yards of offense and Devin Neal went for 116 yards and two scores on 18 carries. Games against Cincinnati and Utah still look winnable for this team, but the season finale against Kansas State is starting to look pretty daunting. A 9-3 season isn’t usually something to hang your head about, but after a 7-0 start, it is quite the bummer.
On The Bubble
West Virginia (5-4): Neil Brown and the mountaineers went to Cincinnati and found a way to pick up a much-needed win despite being vastly outplayed offensively. With three games left on the schedule West Virginia is well within reach of a ball game and could end up salvaging the season if they can win out.
Cincinnati (5-4): turnovers cost the bearcat in winnable game this weekend and knock them out of any hope of making the big 12 title game. Scott Satterfield still has a better than expected team, but they’re just outside of the contenders this year.
UCF (4-6): The record doesn’t suggest it, but UCF appears to be heading in the right direction after making the switch to Dylan Rizk at quarterback. They’ll have to win their final two games of the season to get to a bowl, but it looks more likely after how they’ve played the last two weeks.
