The Big 12 has exhibited strong parity across the board, particularly at the top. As the final week of the season approaches, BYU, Colorado, Arizona State, and Iowa State are all tied for first place.
Let’s take a closer look at the standings for these contenders, their respective paths to the Big 12 Championship, and the tie-breaker rules if two teams—or even three or more—finish with the same record in the conference at the end of the regular season.
In the 2024 Big 12 football standings, there are four teams with two or fewer losses in conference play as the regular season winds down. Here’s a breakdown of those teams.
| SCHOOL | BIG 12 | OVERALL | PF | PA |
| BYU | 6-2 | 9-2 | 339 | 223 |
| Colorado | 6-2 | 8-3 | 362 | 264 |
| Arizona State | 6-2 | 9-2 | 336 | 251 |
| Iowa State | 6-2 | 9-2 | 345 | 214 |
Big 12 tiebreaker rules for 2024 season
The Big 12 will implement six tie-breakers for the 2024 season, applied in the following order until the tie is resolved:
- Head-to-head results among the tied teams.
- Win percentage against all common conference opponents among those teams.
- Win percentage against the next highest common opponents in the standings, moving through the rankings based on overall conference records.
- Combined win percentage in conference games against all conference opponents, also known as strength of schedule.
- Total number of wins in the 12-game season.
- Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (using the team Rating Score metric) after the last weekend of regular-season games.
- Coin toss.
Path to the Big 12 Championship Game
BYU (9-2, 6-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Houston
BYU lost to Arizona State 28-23, marking its second consecutive defeat. To reach the Big 12 championship game, BYU needs to win against Houston and for two of the other three teams to lose. If BYU, Arizona State, and Colorado all finish 7-2, it will set up a championship game between Arizona State and BYU. A tie between BYU, Colorado, and Iowa State would result in a matchup between BYU and Iowa State. The unfavorable three-way tie for BYU would involve BYU, Arizona State, and Iowa State finishing 7-2, leading to a championship game between Arizona State and Iowa State.
Colorado (8-3, 6-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Oklahoma State
Colorado missed a chance to secure a strong position after losing 37-21 to Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium. To qualify for the championship game, Colorado must win next week. If they do and end up in a three-way tie at 7-2 with Arizona State and Iowa State, they will secure a spot in the title game against Arizona State. Therefore, Colorado needs to either be one of the two teams with a 7-2 record or be part of a three-way tie with Arizona State and Iowa State for that outcome.
Arizona State (9-2, 6-2)
Remaining schedule: at Arizona
Arizona State’s victory over BYU (28-23) allowed them to share first place. The Sun Devils have several scenarios to qualify for the Big 12 championship even if they lose next week. If all four teams fall to 6-3, the championship will feature Arizona State against BYU. Arizona State also wins in any three-way ties for second place at 6-3, and they excel in every tie-breaking situation for first place. The only scenario that prevents Arizona State from making the championship game is if they lose and two other teams finish 7-2.
Iowa State (9-2, 6-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Kansas State
Iowa State edged out Utah with a 31-28 win thanks to a missed 54-yard field goal in the final seconds. If there’s a four-way tie for first at 7-2, the Cyclones will qualify for their first Big 12 championship game. Iowa State loses in a three-way tie with Colorado and Arizona State but wins in a three-way tie with BYU and Arizona State and also with BYU and Colorado.
Common Opponents Tracker for 2024
Here is a summary of the common opponents among the four contending teams. This chart will be useful over the final three weeks of the season.
| TEAM | BYU | COLO. | ISU | ASU |
| Arizona | W 41-19 | W 34-7 | – | Nov. 30 |
| Arizona State | W 28-23 | – | – | – |
| Baylor | W 34-28 | W 38-31 | W 43-21 | – |
| BYU | – | – | – | L 28-23 |
| UCF | W 37-24 | W 48-21 | W 38-35 | W 35-31 |
| Cincinnati | – | W 34-23 | W 34-17 | L 24-14 |
| Colorado | – | – | – | – |
| Houston | Nov. 30 | – | W 20-0 | – |
| Iowa State | – | – | – | – |
| Kansas | L 17-13 | W 37-21 | L 45-36 | W 35-31 |
| Kansas State | W 38-9 | L 31-28 | Nov. 30 | W 24-14 |
| Oklahoma State | W 38-35 | Nov. 29 | – | W 42-21 |
| TCU | – | – | – | – |
| Texas Tech | – | W 41-27 | L 23-22 | L 30-22 |
| Utah | W 22-21 | W 49-24 | Nov. 23 | W 27-19 |
| West Virginia | – | – | W 28-16 | – |
Most likely Big 12 championship game scenario
Arizona State is in the strongest position among the four contending teams, as it holds the advantage in all tie-breaker scenarios. They are expected to be solid favorites against Arizona in their season finale.
If all four teams win—which they are likely to do—Arizona State will compete against Iowa State for the conference title in Arlington.
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