Predicting Which Bowl Games Big 12 Teams Will Play In

Several teams have locked up a spot in the postseason, while a few others are fighting to get to six wins.

Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Taje McCoy (40) and safety Carter Stoutmire (23) tackle Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Big 12 has a long list of teams who may qualify for the postseason in the 2024.

Aside from the Big 12 champion getting a spot in the College Football Playoff, there are a lot of teams in the conference who will be playing in bowl games this season. Here is a look at each team that is bowl-eligible and where they could end up playing in December or January.

BYU: The Cougars are currently in first place in the Big 12 and control their own destiny to make the playoffs. As the No. 4 seed, the Cougars would be playing in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl after getting a first-round bye.

Iowa State: The Cyclones just lost their first game of the season. While they are still in contention for the conference championship and a spot in the playoffs, they would not get into the playoff field with two losses. They will likely be playing in the Valero Alamo Bowl or the Pop-Tarts Bowl if they miss the playoffs.

Colorado: The Buffaloes are enjoying a bounce-back season under head coach Deion Sanders. They currently sit at 6-2 with a likely destination of the DirecTV Holiday Bowl in San Diego. That would be a nice trip for Colorado to escape the cold weather in Boulder.

Kansas State: The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss to Houston. The are on the outside, looking in for the conference championship race. Similar to Iowa State. They could find themselves in the Pop-Tarts Bowl or the Alamo Bowl. The Cyclones and Wildcats’ match-up at the end of the regular season will be a big deciding factor in where each team plays.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are 6-3 and are positioned to return to the postseason again. It is very likely that the Red Raiders could be staying close to home and play in the Texas Bowl in Houston. 

Arizona State: The Sun Devils are bowl-eligible after picking up their sixth win on Saturday over Oklahoma State. ASU fans could be in for a fun trip to the Las Vegas Bowl, one of the most entertaining host cities for any bowl game. It also means playing in the beautiful and new Allegiant Stadium.

Now let’s take a look at some teams who are not yet bowl-eligible but are on the brink of earning their sixth win.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are currently 4–4, they have to win at least two of their remaining four games to qualify for a bowl. If they can pick up that sixth win, they could find themselves playing in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. 

Cincinnati: The Bearcats are only one victory away from reaching a bowl game.  Once they pick up their final victory needed for bowl eligibility, they could find themselves playing in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee agaisnt an SEC opponent.

Baylor: The Bears might be traveling west for their bowl game. The Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona is a strong possibility for Baylor once they pick up one more victory.

Houston: For a while, it did not look like the Cougars would be going to a bowl game. But they have turned their season around and could be on their way to an in-state bowl appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.

TCU: The Frogs are also fighting hard to get to six wins. If they can reach that number, they may not even have to leave their home stadium. The Frogs may play in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Amon G Carter Stadium.

UCF: It has been a very disappointing season for the Knights, but they could still find their way into a lower-level bowl game. The Birmingham Bowl is a possibility for the Knights if they can get to six wins.

Utah:  The Utes also have four wins like a couple of these other teams do, but they have lost four games in a row. It is probably a safer bet at this point that Utah misses out on a bowl game entirely.

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well.