Big 12 enters final month of topsy-turvy season following expansion to 16 teams

The Big 12 football season is winding toward its final stretch and has turned out just as everyone expected.

OK, maybe not.

As a wild first year in the expanded Big 12 enters its final month, teams expected to finish in the middle or near the bottom of the conference are on top and many of the expected frontrunners have fallen off.

No. 17 Kansas State is in the mix for a spot in the conference title game, but is the only team picked among the top half of the preseason poll to be near the top. No. 9 BYU, No. 11 Iowa State and No. 23 Colorado are in the best positions to earn a spot in the Dec. 7 title game in Arlington, Texas, with several teams holding out slight hopes.

Utah, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Arizona, among the favorites to start the season, are in the bottom half of the standings.

The chaos has made for an interesting first season since the Big 12 added four teams to make it a 16-team league.

A look at the teams still in contention for the Big 12 title game:

BYU

Picked to finish 13th, the Cougars (8-0, 5-0) are one of eight remaining unbeaten teams.

BYU has passed every test so far, winning close games against SMU, Baylor and Oklahoma State while beating the rest of its opponents by at least 13 points.

The Cougars have a physical defense and quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been superb, throwing for nearly 1,900 yards and 18 TDs, adding 303 yards and three more scores rushing.

Win out and BYU will have a spot in the title game.

Remaining schedule: at Utah, Kansas, at Arizona State and Houston.

Iowa State

The Cyclones (7-0, 4-0) are another team that’s exceeded expectations.

Iowa State held off rival Iowa by a point and outlasted UCF 38-35 in its last game to match the best start in school history (tied with 1938).

The Cyclones’ defense is ninth nationally, allowing 14 points per game, and the pass defense is second, giving up an average of 133 yards. Quarterback Rocco Becht has been solid, throwing for 1,712 yards and 11 TDs.

Like BYU, Iowa State controls its own destiny.

Remaining schedule: Texas Tech, Kansas (in Kansas City), Cincinnati, at Utah, Kansas State.

Kansas State

The Wildcats (7-1, 4-1) are one of the few Big 12 teams to live up to expectations.

Picked to finish second, Kansas State is third heading into this weekend’s games, a game behind BYU. The Wildcats lost 38-9 to BYU, but have passed every other test so far behind a balanced offense and a defense that’s 20th nationally in points allowed per game (21.3).

Quarterback Avery Johnson has accounted for 2,027 yards and 20 TDs, while running back DJ Giddens is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing. The season finale at Iowa State could be critical for the Wildcats.

Remaining schedule: at Houston, Arizona State, Cincinnati, at Iowa State.

Colorado

Coming off an uneven first season under coach Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1) have a shot at playing for a conference title in their first season back in the Big 12.

Two-way player Travis Hunter is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and quarterback Shedeur Sanders is sixth nationally with 2,591 yards passing and 21 TDs.

Not bad for a team picked to finish 11th.

Remaining schedule: at Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas (in Kansas City), Oklahoma State.

Holding out hope

Cincinnati, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Arizona State are all still technically in the mix for the Big 12 championship, but will need to go on a late run and get some help from above.

Four of the teams are at 3-2 in the conference with the Sun Devils 2-2. None were picked to finish higher than seventh in the league, with Cincinnati and Arizona State among the bottom three.

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