The final week of the regular season is officially in the books, and it was another monumental weekend for the Big 12. The action started in Boulder on Friday and ended late Saturday night in Provo.
Here are the good, bad, and ugly from Week 14 in the Big 12.
The Good
Arizona State
What a weekend for the Sun Devils. They crushed their in-state rival 49-7, won the Territorial Cup, and a few hours later clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. It doesn’t get any better than that if you are head coach Kenny Dillingham. Arizona State put their foot on the gas pedal on Saturday and completely ran over anyone and anything that stood in their way. The defense was lights out and the offense between Sam Leavitt and Cam Skattebo could not be stopped. See you in Jerry World!
Iowa State
Much like Arizona State, what a weekend for Iowa State. They beat their rival in Farmageddon and won their tenth game of the season for the first time in school history. And just a few hours later, they clinched a spot in the Big 12 title game thanks to BYU beating Houston. This is the second time the Cyclones will be playing for a Big 12 championship under Matt Campbell and the job he has done in Ames has been incredible. What a season it has been for Iowa State and their work isn’t finished yet. I will see you in Arlington!
Related: Early Big 12 Championship Odds Released Between Arizona State and Iowa State
BYU
While it was disappointing for BYU not to play for a Big 12 title after a 9-0 start, a ten-win season is nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody gave this team a fighting chance and here they are finishing with a 10-2 record. Jake Retzlaff proved a lot of people wrong and that defense of theirs is excellent. I didn’t think Kalani Sitake would make it past this season because I didn’t have them even making a bowl game. Well, he ended up proving me and a whole lot of other people wrong. When this team was rolling earlier in the season, they were the best team in the Big 12. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t keep that momentum going when it mattered most.
Colorado
The Buffaloes opened up a can of whoop ass on the Cowboys in their dominant 52-0 win on Friday. Shedeur Sanders lit up the Oklahoma State defense with 438 passing yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Travis Hunter continued his Heisman campaign as well with another impressive performance. It was a nice win for Colorado as they finished the regular season with a 9-3 record. I know this team had a chance to play for a Big 12 title, but it was still one hell of a season in Boulder that nobody saw coming.
Related: Three Thoughts on Colorado’s 52-0 Win Over Oklahoma State
Utah
I don’t have much to say here on the Utes. It was a nice win against a bad football team but the big picture here is that this season was a total disappointment. They went from being the favorites to win the Big 12 to not even making a bowl game. The one thing I do like is Kyle Whittingham’s attitude towards NIL. During a recent press conference, he talked about having a plan in place for the future. I wish more coaches would talk about that.
Texas Tech
Not being in the Big 12 title hunt late in the season was certainly disappointing for some Texas Tech fans but I would like to take a look at where this program is right now under Joey McGuire. He just capped off an eight-win season for the second time in three years and is the first head coach since Spike Dykes to have three straight seasons with an above .500 record in conference play. You can say whatever you want about this season, but Joey McGuire has this thing going in the right direction. Just give the man some time.
Baylor
What a win for Baylor as they take down the hottest team in the Big 12, 45-17. Coming into the weekend, both Baylor and Kansas were labeled as the hottest teams in the Big 12 and the Bears completely blew them out. So, does that make Baylor the best team in the conference right now? One could certainly make an argument for it. Sawyer Robertson had a big day with 310 yards and four touchdowns and Bryson Washington ran wild for 192 yards and two scores. And the defense had one of their best performances of the season. Kudos to Baylor for keeping Dave Aranda because he definitely turned things around as the Bears end the year on a six-game winning streak.
TCU
While it may not have been the prettiest win, it was still a win for the Horned Frogs in Cincinnati on Saturday night. The offense got off to a nice start but couldn’t do anything in the second half. Luckily for them, their defense came up big in some key moments and were able to force some turnovers. I know some people thought Sonny Dykes was going to be on the hot seat going into 2025 but after posting an 8-win season, I think it’s safe to say that his seat has cooled down quite a bit. It was a great bounce back season for TCU after a disappointing 5-7 season last year.
The Bad
Cincinnati
It wasn’t an ugly loss for the Bearcats on Saturday, but it was a disappointing one for many reasons. For starters, Cincinnati had a chance to get to a bowl game. This team was 5-2 at one point and they managed to lose five straight to end the year with a 5-7 record. That is completely unacceptable, and Scott Satterfield should start feeling some heat. Satterfield is now 8-16 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play in his first two season as the head coach.
Houston
I am going to give the Cougars a pass here because I thought they battled hard on Saturday night in Provo. While it didn’t end the way they wanted it to, they did a great job hanging in there against a good BYU team. Their defense has played really well at times this season and offensively they are a work in progress, but I liked what I saw from interim offensive coordinator Shawn Bell. He should be their play caller next season, and I will say this about Willie Fritz. That man was born to coach and once he gets settled down in Houston, they aren’t going to be someone you want to face.
Kansas State
Saturday night felt like a how this season has gone for Kansas State in a nutshell. The Wildcats had a few costly turnovers and the special teams wasn’t really all that special. It is very unlike a Kansas State team to shoot themselves in the foot but time and time again this season we have seen it happen. I knew there would be some growing pains with a young quarterback in Avery Johnson but what I didn’t see coming was the inconsistency from everyone else. I felt like this team was good enough to win a Big 12 title and instead they were on the outside looking in for most of the year.
The Ugly
Oklahoma State
I have seen some bad Mike Gundy losses in my day, but I don’t think I have ever seen one as bad as the one I saw on Friday. The Cowboys lost 52-0 to the Buffaloes and it was one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Oklahoma State had just 157 yards of offense and had no answer for Colorado’s passing attack. To be honest, it was pathetic to watch. This team finishes 3-9 on the year and winless in conference play for the first time in over 30 years. Mike Gundy needs to look in the mirror and make some staff changes immediately.
Gus Malzahn
As bad as UCF’s loss to Utah was, the bigger news came the day after the game. It has been reported that head coach Gus Malzahn has resigned and will become the new offensive coordinator at Florida State. This season had been frustrating for UCF as they ended the year with a 4-8 record and now have lost their head coach. Well, I say good riddance. UCF is a sleeping giant and has all the resources to compete for Big 12 championships. It’s time to find the right man who can get this program where it belongs.
West Virginia
Another bad loss for the Mountaineers after their ugly 52-15 embarrassment in Lubbock. This team looked like they didn’t even bother to show up and completely quit on their head coach. And now, Neal Brown has been fired. It was time. Six years in and this program has nothing to show for. In fact, at no point under Neal Brown was this team a serious Big 12 title contender.
Kansas
I was caught a bit off guard with the way the Jayhawks played in Waco. The defense had a meltdown and had no answer for Baylor’s offense. Meanwhile, Jalon Daniels played his worst game in weeks completing just 50% of his passes along with two interceptions. It was a frustrating way to cap off a frustrating season for Kansas. While it was great to see this team play their best football late in the season, it just took them two months too long and now they will not be going to a bowl game.
Arizona
The Wildcats have been on the ugly side of my column many times this season, and to be honest, I am tired of talking about how bad they are. This team has wasted talents like Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan because they don’t have anyone else they can count on. Fifita spent all year running for his life and McMillan faced double coverage countless times because defenses could key in on him. With their ugly 49-7 loss to Arizona State, this team ends the year with a 4-8 record and Brent Brennan has a ton of work to do this offseason.
