Oklahoma State's Big 12 Title Path, Tiebreakers Complicated After Utah Loss
Oklahoma State is still well within reach of the Big 12 Championship, but losing the conference opener complicated its path.
After losing to Utah 22-19 on Saturday, the Cowboys fell to 0-1 in conference play. Considering OSU still made it to Arlington despite dropping 2023’s Big 12 opener, every goal is still within reach.
However, in a new 16-team league, the Cowboys have little room for error, particularly if they want to control their destiny late in the season. Last season, the Cowboys needed games to fall their way in the final two weeks to advance to the Big 12 Championship. While the Cowboys’ path was easier than others, getting a win-and-in scenario in the regular season finale was a luxury.
However, an early loss to Utah, the Big 12’s preseason favorite, could put the Cowboys on the wrong side of tiebreakers in 2024. With 14 teams last season, the largest obstacle in conference tiebreakers was the lack of head-to-head matchups between potential contenders.
Being without the tiebreaker over a likely contender in Utah complicates OSU’s path, and beating Kansas State this week likely takes the Wildcats out of the race, nullifying the need for that tiebreaker.
Still, with other potential contenders such as BYU on the schedule, winning out will put OSU in the best position. While the easier schedule for OSU aids Mike Gundy and his team’s chances of going 11-1, it could also burn the Cowboys in the end.
Including Utah, there are six Big 12 teams that are undefeated in conference play and made a bowl game last season. Of the remaining five, OSU has only West Virginia and Texas Tech on the schedule. The other three are Arizona, Iowa State and UCF, which all look destined to be in conference title contention in November.
OSU’s path to the Big 12 Championship is still open, but any errors over the next two months and this season could quickly go down as a failure.
READ MORE: How to Watch Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State: Kickoff Time, Streaming and Odds
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.