As the Big 12 regular season nears its conclusion, several teams remain in contention for the conference championship game. Texas Tech and BYU control their own destiny, while Utah, Houston, Arizona State, and Cincinnati still have mathematical paths to the title game. Here’s a closer look at what each team needs to do to advance.
Texas Tech: Control Their Own Destiny
Texas Tech, currently off this week, has one game remaining against West Virginia (11/29). They can clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game this week with two possible scenarios. The first scenario is BYU defeating Cincinnati and Colorado beating Arizona State. The second scenario requires Kansas State to upset Utah, Colorado to win over Arizona State, and Cincinnati to beat BYU. With multiple outcomes favoring Texas Tech, the Red Raiders hold a strong position as they approach their final game.
BYU: Two Paths to the Title Game
BYU faces Cincinnati this week at 8 p.m. ET on Fox and has two main clinching scenarios. In the first, BYU beats Cincinnati, TCU defeats Houston, and Colorado beats Arizona State. The second scenario requires BYU to win at Cincinnati, Utah to defeat Kansas State, and Colorado to beat Arizona State. Even if BYU loses to Cincinnati, they can still reach the championship by winning their final game against UCF, hoping Cincinnati loses at TCU, and Arizona State drops at least one game.
Utah: The Simplest Path
Utah must win its remaining games against Kansas State at 4 p.m. ET and Kansas (11/28). Additionally, Cincinnati needs to win both of its remaining games, and Arizona State must secure at least one victory in their final two matchups.
Arizona State: Win Out and Hope
Arizona State’s path to the title requires winning their final two games — at Colorado (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2) and against Arizona (11/28). They also need BYU to lose to Cincinnati this week and Cincinnati to lose to TCU next week.
Cincinnati: Win and Watch Others
Cincinnati needs to win both of its remaining games against BYU (8p.m ET on FOX) and TCU (11/29). On top of that, they require at least one loss each by Utah, Arizona State, and Houston to keep their hopes alive.
Houston: Win and Wait
Houston can make the championship game by winning their remaining games versus TCU (4 p.m ET FOX) and Baylor (11/29). They also need Utah, Arizona State, and BYU to each lose at least once down the stretch.
The Final Stretch
With so many teams still alive and several head-to-head matchups pending, the Big 12 Championship race promises a thrilling conclusion. Every game matters as teams battle not only on the field but also for favorable results across the conference to secure a spot in the title game.
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