Big 12 Football Week 12: It’s Still A Tight Race For A Championship Berth

With one week left in the regular season, no team has yet clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.

The top of the Big 12 standings still has a log jam, even after Week 12’s games. Texas, at 7-1 in conference play, is most likely to be one of the teams in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship game, but even that has some uncertainty.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers got his team one step closer to an appearance in the Big 12 Championship with a win over Iowa State on Saturday night.  :: © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, all at 6-2 in conference play, also hope wins in the last games of the regular season will lead them to a spot in the championship game.

All four teams won on Saturday, but all had close games to overcome to stay in contention. Oklahoma and BYU went back and forth for three quarters. The Sooners would score. The Cougars would match it. Four times BYU would tie the game. Finally, in the 4th quarter, Oklahoma got the touchdown that went unmatched by BYU, giving the Sooners a 31-24 victory.

Oklahoma State was once again down on the road early in the game. The Pokes were down 14-3 after the 1st quarter and 23-19 at halftime. But OSU dominated the second half and got the 43-30 win over the Coogs.

Both night games were very entertaining and not decided until late in the game. Texas traveled to Ames to take on Iowa State. The Cyclones had won three of the last four times the Longhorns were in town. ISU scored first with a field goal. Texas matched that and then added another to have a 6-3 lead at the half. In the second half, Texas would never surrender the lead and got the 26-16 win.

The Sunflower Showdown in Lawrence was a tense affair. The Cats would score a touchdown in the game's first two minutes. But the Jayhawks would get into the game and had a 20-16 lead at the half. K-State would not regain the lead until 10:28 in the 4th and then just held on to pull off the 31-27 win.

The closest game of the night was in Lubbock. It was a game with multiple lead changes. UCF would score a late touchdown but missed the game-tying extra point. Texas Tech would get the ball back with 5:30 left and was able to run out the clock and win the game 24-23.

The other two games in the league were blowout wins by West Virginia and TCU. Both teams scored 42 points. The Mountaineers beat Cincinnati 42-21, and the Horned Frogs beat rival Baylor 42-17.

Jared Wiley set a TCU program record for reception yards by a tight end with 178 yards in the win over Baylor :: Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs

With its win, Texas Tech became the 8th team in the conference to become bowl eligible. With its loss, Houston became the third team not eligible for a bowl game. Three other teams are sitting at 5-6 and could become bowl eligible in Week 13.

Big 12 Week 12 Results

BYU (5-6, 2-6) vs. #14 Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2)

Oklahoma won 31-24

Next week: BYU plays at Oklahoma State. Oklahoma hosts TCU.

West Virginia (7-4, 5-3) vs. Cincinnati (3-8, 1-7

West Virginia won 42-21

Next week: West Virginia plays at Baylor. Cincinnati hosts Kansas.

TCU (5-6, 3-5) vs. Baylor (3-8, 2-6)

TCU won 42-17

• For a complete recap of this game, read our article here.
• Watch a Game summary with postgame interviews here.

Next week: TCU plays at Oklahoma. Baylor hosts West Virginia

Houston (4-7, 2-6) vs. #23 Oklahoma State (8-3, 6-2)

Oklahoma State won 43-30

Next week: Oklahoma State hosts BYU. Houston plays at UCF.

Texas Tech (6-5, 5-3) vs. UCF (5-6, 2-6)

Texas Tech won 24-23

Next week: Texas Tech plays at Texas. UCF hosts Houston.

#25 Kansas (7-4, 4-4) vs. #21 Kansas State (8-3, 6-2)

Kansas State won 31-27

Next week: Kansas plays at Cincinnati. Kansas State hosts Iowa State in the Farmageddon game.

Iowa State (6-5, 5-3) vs. #7 Texas (10-1, 7-1)

Texas won 26-16

Next week: Texas hosts Texas Tech. Iowa State travels to Manhattan for the Farmageddon game against Kansas State.

Big 12 Teams Bowl Eligibility Status

Bowl Eligible (8)

• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State
• Texas
• Texas Tech
• West Virginia

Still Seeking Bowl Eligibility (3)

All three teams sit at 5-6 and must win the last game to become bowl eligible:

• BYU
• TCU
• UCF

Not Bowl Eligible (3)

• Baylor
• Cincinnati
• Houston

Noteworthy Top 25 Games:

#1 Georgia (11-0) at #18 Tennessee (7-4)

Georgia won 38-10

#5 Washington (11-0) at #11 Oregon State (8-3)

Washington won 22-20

#9 Missouri (9-2) vs. Florida (5-6)

Missouri won 33-31

#17 Arizona (8-3) vs. #22 Utah (7-4)

Arizona won 42-18

#20 North Carolina (8-3) at Clemson (7-4)

North Carolina lost 31-20

TCU Wins First Bluebonnet Battle 42-17 Over Baylor

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