Updated Big 12 Championship Game scenarios: Colorado win makes paths clearer

Updated Big 12 Championship Game scenarios: Colorado win makes paths clearer

The Big 12 Championship game is still undecided heading into the final week of the regular season. However, Colorado‘s win against Oklahoma State on Friday afternoon helped paint a clearer picture of Saturday’s main event.

Currently, four teams have two losses in conference play: the Buffaloes, Arizona State, Iowa State And BYU. Five teams – Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech And West Virginia – have three losses per game in the Big 12.

Losses to the Sun Devils, Cyclones and Cougars could make the conference title game even more interesting later Saturday. For now, here are the most likely scenarios for the Big 12 title game before the day’s games begin, courtesy of Bill Bender of The Sports News.

Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12)

After Friday’s win, the Buffaloes have three chances to reach the conference title game. The most direct route – Arizona State, Iowa State and BYU all lose. If this is the case, Colorado would be the clear top team in the conference for a record.

The second scenario may be a little easier, as Colorado would be in the championship game if two of those three teams lost. The two remaining two-loss teams would meet in the Big 12 title game.

If Arizona State and Iowa State win, BYU would have to lose while Texas Tech beats West Virginia. Baylor also has to beat Kansas State and Cincinnati beats TCU. That would lead to a Big 12 championship game between Colorado and Iowa State.

The Sun Devils will secure their spot in the championship game if they win on Saturday and Iowa State and BYU lose. They also come into play if there is a four-way tie between Colorado, ASU, Iowa State and BYU.

However, if Arizona State, Colorado and Iowa State all win and BYU loses and Texas Tech beats West Virginia, Baylor would have to beat Kansas State while Cincinnati beats TCU. If all of this happens, the championship game will be Colorado vs. Iowa State, and Arizona State is eliminated from the championship.

If all that happens, but West Virginia beats Texas Tech, it would be Arizona State vs. Iowa State instead.

Just like Arizona State, if Iowa State wins on Saturday and the Sun Devils and Cougars lose, it will be Colorado vs. Iowa State in the conference championship game. However, if Iowa State, BYU and Colorado win and Arizona State loses, the championship game will be Iowa State vs. BYU.

If Arizona State, Colorado and Iowa State all win this week, Texas Tech would have to beat West Virginia and Baylor would have to beat Kansas State and Cincinnati TCU – Colorado vs. Iowa State would be the championship game.

The WVU-Texas Tech game will again be a big factor in the race in this scenario, because if the Mountaineers beat the Red Raiders, that would upset the Arizona State vs. Iowa State title game.

BYU (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)

Iowa State and Arizona State’s losses push BYU into the conference title game against Colorado, which is the easiest path.

If BYU and Arizona State win and Iowa State loses, the Big 12 championship game will be Arizona State vs. BYU.

What if Arizona State, Iowa State and BYU all lost?

If Arizona State, Iowa State and BYU all lose, the door opens for one of the five teams with three losses — which would grow to eight in this scenario — to face Colorado in the conference championship game.

The game would most likely feature Colorado versus Kansas State or Baylor, depending on how the rest of the Big 12 lines up on Saturday. These include TCU vs. Cincinnati, Kansas vs. Baylor, Utah vs. UCF and WVU vs. Texas Tech.

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