While the Big 12 has been chaotic, particularly in recent weeks, there is a clear path to the league championship game for both BYU and Colorado if they can win out over the final three weeks of the regular season.
The Cougars will host Kansas, play at Arizona State, and end the year at home against Houston over the next three weekends.
Only the Sun Devils currently have a winning record among those three teams, though the Jayhawks and Cougars are playing arguably their best in recent weeks and beaten ranked teams in their last contests.
The Buffaloes, meanwhile, will host Utah, play at Kansas and finish the regular season at home against Oklahoma State in the next three weeks.
All three of those opponents have losing records, though the Utes still have the most realistic shot of the three to make the postseason. Utah is 4-5 and on a five-game losing streak, but two wins would get them bowl eligible.
ESPN’s Football Power Index has both BYU and Colorado as the favorite in each of their final three games, though both programs are only slight favorites in their remaining road contest.
If the Cougars and Buffaloes don’t suffer an upset, they would meet in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas, with the winner earning an automatic spot in the College Football Playoff.
Heading into Week 12 of the 2024 season, BYU and Colorado are receiving the lion’s share of projections from national pundits to represent the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff.
Of eight bowl projections used for this article, six of them have BYU making the CFP, while two others favor Colorado.
Of note: one projection, from CBS Sports, actually has BYU earning the No. 2 overall seed in the playoff.
What does the bowl season outlook for the Big 12 look like at this point in the season?
Currently, there are seven Big 12 teams that are already bowl eligible, while three more teams just need one more victory.
Here’s the latest on what national analysts are predicting will happen for BYU, Colorado and the rest of the Big 12 come the postseason.
ESPN, Kyle Bonagura
- BYU’s bowl projection — Peach Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed Penn State
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Holiday Bowl, vs. SMU
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Missouri
- Baylor — Rate Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Cincinnati — Liberty Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Kansas State — Alamo Bowl, vs. Washington State
- TCU — First Responder Bowl, vs. Memphis
- Texas Tech — Texas Bowl, vs. Texas A&M
- West Virginia — Gasparilla Bowl, vs. Virginia Tech
ESPN, Mark Schlabach
- BYU’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 3 seed vs. No. 11 seed Georgia
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Holiday Bowl, vs. Clemson
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Missouri
- Baylor — Rate Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Cincinnati — Independence Bowl, vs. Washington
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Notre Dame
- Kansas State — Alamo Bowl, vs. Washington State
- TCU — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Army
- Texas Tech — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- West Virginia — Liberty Bowl, vs. UConn
CBS Sports, Jerry Palm
- BYU’s bowl projection — Sugar Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 2 seed vs. TBD
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Alamo Bowl, vs. Iowa State
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Holiday Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Baylor — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Charlotte
- Cincinnati — Gasparilla Bowl, vs. Virginia Tech
- Iowa State — Alamo Bowl, vs. Colorado
- Kansas State — Texas Bowl, vs. South Carolina
- TCU — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
- Texas Tech — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. SMU
- West Virginia — Rate Bowl, vs. Nebraska
Action Network, Brett McMurphy
- BYU’s bowl projection — Alamo Bowl vs. Washington State
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 Ohio State
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Holiday Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Baylor — Rate Bowl, vs. Rutgers
- Cincinnati — Independence Bowl, vs. Army
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. SMU
- Kansas State — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- TCU — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
- Texas Tech — Birmingham Bowl, vs. NC State
- West Virginia — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Minnesota
The Athletic, Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel
- BYU’s bowl projection — Alamo Bowl, vs. Washington State
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 Boise State winner
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Tennessee
- Baylor — First Responder Bowl, vs. North Texas
- Cincinnati — Independence Bowl, vs. Army
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Kansas State — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- TCU — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Rutgers
- Texas Tech — Rate Bowl, vs. Michigan State
- West Virginia — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
247 Sports, Brad Crawford
- BYU’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed Tennessee
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Holiday Bowl, vs. Clemson
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Missouri
- Baylor — Rate Bowl, vs. Nebraska
- Cincinnati — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. California
- Iowa State — Alamo Bowl, vs. Washington State
- Kansas State — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- TCU — Independence Bowl, vs. Army
- Texas Tech — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Miami
- West Virginia — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
USA Today, Erick Smith
- BYU’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), vs. Ohio State (no seeds designated)
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Holiday Bowl, vs. Louisville
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Sun Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Baylor — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- Cincinnati — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Kansas State — Alamo Bowl, vs. Washington State
- TCU — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Army
- Texas Tech — Rate Bowl, vs. Michigan State
- West Virginia — First Responder Bowl, vs. Boston College
Athlon Sports, Steve Lassan
- BYU’s bowl projection — Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinals), No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed Ohio State
- Colorado’s bowl projection — Las Vegas Bowl, vs. Missouri
Other Big 12 bowl projections:
- Arizona State — Holiday Bowl, vs. Pittsburgh
- Baylor — Rate Bowl, vs. Wisconsin
- Cincinnati — Armed Forces Bowl, vs. Texas State
- Iowa State — Pop-Tarts Bowl, vs. Clemson
- Kansas State — Alamo Bow, vs. Washington State
- TCU — First Responder Bowl, vs. UTSA
- Texas Tech — Texas Bowl, vs. Arkansas
- UCF — Birmingham Bowl, vs. Virginia Tech
- West Virginia — Liberty Bowl, vs. Vanderbilt