Loaded title race puts Big 12 in College Football Playoff danger again
- Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark challenged the conference to get more than one team into the College Football Playoff.
- Despite its depth, the Big 12 may struggle to secure multiple playoff spots.
- November will be critical as many of the top conference contenders are scheduled to play each other.
Ahead of the 2025 college football season, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark put the pressure on his members to improve.
Last season, the Big 12 was the only Power Four conference to send just one team to the College Football Playoff. Conference champion Arizona State was the lone representative and was one-and-done after a thrilling loss to Texas in the quarterfinals.
Yormark wanted more, spending the offseason touting how deep his conference is and his belief it should get more than its conference champion in the 12-team field.
So far, the Big 12 has delivered one part: it remains a deep and unpredictable league. Several expected and surprising contenders are in the hunt for the coveted playoff spot.
But getting more than one participant? It’s not looking likely, making it a critical final month of the regular season for a conference still trying to prove itself among its peers.
Big 12 teams in the hunt
It’s too early to clearly see who will be playing for the automatic bid in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 6. However, there are emerging leaders.
Brigham Young continues to fly, one of six undefeated teams left in the country. Texas Tech has looked strong behind its loaded roster with its only defeat at Arizona State coming without starting quarterback Behren Morton. With a revamped roster, Utah has gotten back into a familiar position under Kyle Whittingham but already has league losses to the Cougars and Red Raiders.
Then there’s the surprises. Scott Satterfield started the season on the hot seat, but after losing its season opener against Nebraska, Cincinnati has won seven in a row and joins BYU as the only teams without a Big 12 loss. Then there’s Houston, where Willie Fritz has worked his magic to turn last season’s 4-8 team to one with a 7-1 record.
While these five teams lead the conference, you can’t forget the ones behind it.
When the 2024 season entered November, the Sun Devils were 2-2 in Big 12 play – bottom half of the conference – and coming off a loss to Cincinnati. They then won their next six games en route to the conference title.
That’s why you can’t eliminate Arizona State at 3-2 in the Big 12 once again. The same can be said for Kansas State and TCU, which have the same mark at 3-2.
All of the teams in the mix will play multiple games against one another, including the Nov. 8 showdown between BYU and Texas Tech.
Entering the last week of the 2024 season, nine teams theoretically still had a chance to make the conference title game. That same scenario is very much in play in 2025, which makes picking a champion like trying to go through a hat shuffle.
Can more Big 12 teams make CFP?
A deep conference is what Yormark got this season, but it may be what again prevents the league from having multiple playoff teams.
It starts with the national perception of the Big 12; while it has several contenders, none are positioned in favorable spots. BYU is the lowest-ranked undefeated Power Four team in the US LBM Coaches Poll at No. 10.
Texas Tech is at No. 13, and when those two meet next month, the loser is bound to fall down the College Football Playoff rankings.
Then there’s No. 16 Cincinnati and No. 22 Houston. Despite just one loss each, both squads are behind multiple teams with two defeats. The losses weren’t bad, with the Bearcats falling just short against Nebraska on a not-so neutral field, and the Cougars beaten by Texas Tech.
Is the Big 12 not getting enough respect? For all the talk about how deep the SEC is, the same could be said for the Big 12. The only difference seems to be the punishment for losing is bigger in the Big 12.
That’s what makes it so challenging for the Big 12 to get multiple teams in the playoff. The conference did away with a preseason poll because it believed it played a role in teams being undervalued. Even without, the same story persists.
It’s hard to argue for the other possible contenders’ resumes. Arizona State did itself no favors losing at SEC cellar-dweller Mississippi State. Four losses badly hurt Kansas State, especially when one came against Army. TCU is in decent shape at 6-2, but getting BYU, Houston and Cincinnati to close the season will be a mighty test.
There are eight games in November matching the aforementioned contenders. With each result and week, teams will either rise or fall out of the race. But they could also stay alive like last year, an exciting yet nightmarish scenario.
All of this coincides with the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings coming out on Nov. 4. That initial release will tell how the selection committee views the conference.
Entering championship week last year, the two teams in the Big 12 title game were ranked No. 15 and No. 16 with BYU at No. 18. They’ll need teams much higher this time around.
The lack of respect the committee has given the Big 12 has disappointed Yormark once. It might happen again.
