How BYU, Iowa State, Colorado do it against ASU

Arizona State avoided even a hint of drama in Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game race. Although the Sun Devils entered rivalry week anticipating the Territorial Cup against rival Arizona, they appeared fully ready for the moment. With a confident 49:7 away win in Tuscson they left no doubt.

With this win, Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State punched their ticket to the Big 12 Championship Game and will finish No. 1 in the conference standings. It’s a remarkable achievement for the Sun Devils team to win ten games and find themselves in this spot, but it’s more than deserved.

However, it remains to be seen which team Arizona State will face in the Big 12 Championship Game as there are three teams still alive heading into the night windows on Saturday. So let’s take a look at how BYU, Iowa State and Colorado can still make it to the conference championship game.

BYU has the easiest path to the Big 12 title game of the remaining teams still alive heading into the final week of the regular season. If the Cougars can continue to rebound and pick up a win over the Houston Cougars at home in Provo (10:15 p.m. ET on Saturday), then Kalani Sitake’s team will be in contention for the conference championship.

Unfortunately for BYU, the results of rivalry week have put the program in a win-and-in situation, but also a loser-and-out situation. With Colorado already owning a win in Week 14, the Cougars can’t afford a third loss or they’ll be eliminated from the Big 12 Championship Game.

The first thing Matt Cambell and Iowa State need to do to give themselves a chance to reach the Big 12 Championship Game is win Farmageddon against the rival Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET). A loss in the rivalry matchup the Cyclones are hosting this year would eliminate them from contention.

However, Iowa State also needs a little help. The Cyclones need a win AND a BYU loss to advance to Arlington for the conference championship game against the Sun Devils. They are still in a good position, but not in a position where they can control their own destiny.

Speaking of not being in control of their own destiny, that’s the situation Colorado finds itself in. The good news for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes is that they have already gotten the role out of their control. Beating Oklahoma State 52-0 on Friday is the first part of the equation they needed to get likely Heisman winner Travis Hunter into the Big 12 title game.

However, they need the most help from their surviving competitors. Colorado would need both BYU and Iowa State to lose to Houston and Kansas State, respectively. While that’s unlikely, given the chaos that has surrounded the Big 12 all season, even crazier things have happened.