No. 9 BYU Football is the Only Undefeated Team Remaining in the Big 12

Casey Lundquist | Nov 2, 2024

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff against UCF / BYU Photo

On Saturday afternoon, no. 11 Iowa State lost to Texas Tech after giving up a go-ahead touchdown with 20 seconds remaining. With the loss, the Cyclones drop to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play. Now that Iowa State has lost, BYU is the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12 and one of only six unbeaten teams in the country. The Cougars stand alone at first place in the Big 12 standings.

Earlier on Saturday, no. 3 Penn State lost at home to no. 4 Ohio State - that was the first loss of the season for the Nittany Lions. The six remaining undefeated teams in the FBS are Oregon, BYU, Miami, Indiana, Army, and Pitt. Pitt is scheduled to face SMU on the road on Saturday night - the Mustangs are favored by a touchdown in that game.

Iowa State's loss is not great for the Big 12's hopes of getting two teams in the College Football Playoff, but it is good for BYU's chances to make the conference championship game. BYU could lose a game in November and still be in a very good position to play in Arlington.

There is still hope for two Big 12 teams to make the College Football Playoff. If Kansas State beats Iowa State to end the regular season, the Big 12 would still have a chance to get two teams into the field.

Now that Iowa State has suffered a loss, it's guaranteed that BYU will be the highest-ranked Big 12 team when the College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday.

Most importantly for BYU, they control their own destiny to the Big 12 championship. If BYU wins out, there is nothing anyone can do to keep them out. Not only does BYU control its own destiny to the conference championship, they also control their own destiny to the College Football Playoff.