There’s a scenario in which Colorado can punch its ticket to the Big 12 championship game this weekend
Heading into Week 13 of the college football season, the Colorado Buffaloes are tied with the BYU Cougars for first place in the Big 12 standings. Both teams are 6-1 in conference play, and if the right cards fall into place, these two teams could punch their tickets to the Big 12 championship game on Saturday.
For the Buffs, step one is to defeat the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend. From there, CU would need BYU to beat Arizona State and Utah to beat Iowa State to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game.
BYU can also punch its ticket this weekend. The Cougars, who are coming off a loss to Kansas, will take on Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday. ASU is tied with Iowa State for third place in the Big 12 standings, with the Sun Devils and Cyclones each sitting at 5-2 in conference play. The Sun Devils could make things interesting in Week 14 if they beat the Cougars. But if BYU prevails and Utah beats Iowa State, the Cougars are headed to the championship game.
The Big 12 football championship game will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Dec. 7.
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Two Colorado players were honored with weekly Big 12 awards
Following stellar performances in Colorado football’s Week 12 win over Utah, defensive tackle Amari McNeill and wide receiver/punt returner LaJohntay Wester each earned a weekly Big 12 award.
McNeill was named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith and West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico. A former Tennessee Volunteers transfer, McNeill finished with three total tackles, one TFL, one sack and a forced fumble in the Buffs’ eighth win.
After recording a 76-yard punt return touchdown on Saturday, Wester earned the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week. The Florida Atlantic transfer also snagged a season-high 10 catches for 77 yards.
Wester’s brother, Colorado linebacker Jaylen Wester, also created a big special teams play when he partially blocked a Utah punt in the first quarter.
For McNeill, his showing at Texas Tech in Week 11 was arguably even more impressive. There, he recorded season-highs in total tackles (nine), TFLs (three) and sacks (1.5).
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Two other Big 12 football teams also made considerable leaps. Previously unranked Arizona State now sits at No. 22 after upsetting then-No. 19 Kansas State on Saturday, and Iowa State rose four spots to No. 21 following a Week 12 win over Cincinnati.
Conversely, Kansas State dropped seven spots to No. 25 after falling to the surging Sun Devils. BYU also fell from No. 8 to No. 15 following its first defeat of the season, a 17-13 home loss to Kansas.
Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) will face those Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4 Big 12) next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Take a complete look at the post-Week 12 US LBM Coaches Poll:
Washington State 65; Illinois 56; Missouri 44; Syracuse 18; James Madison 11; Duke 9; Pittsburgh 7; Louisiana 5; Louisville 2; Vanderbilt 1; Sam Houston 1; LSU 1; Colorado State 1;
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How the Big 12 will figure out who’s in the conference title game if there are ties in the standings.
The Big 12 Conference looks a bit different this year 16 total teams, following chaotic conference realignment nationwide with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah this year.
But obviously, teams can’t play everyone in the conference in a single season, and that opens the door for possible ties in the Big 12 standings at the end of the regular season, complicating how the two teams in the conference championship game are determined. While conference titles alone are important, there are also College Football Playoff implications on the line because the four highest-ranked conference champs get top seeds and first-round byes.
Here’s a look at the Big 12 football tiebreaker rules in 2024, should we need them.
Big 12 football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 Big 12 football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at noon ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the conference’s top-2 teams will play. But if there’s a tie, how will the Big 12 break it to determine which teams will play for a conference title?
If there is a two-team tie in the Big 12 standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will look at these factors to break it, per Big 12 tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition among the two tied teams
2. Win percentage against all common conference opponents among the tied teams
3. Win percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the Conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., the strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
7. Coin toss
If there’s a two-way tie for first and the tied teams previously played each other, the winner of that game is the top seed. If the tied teams didn’t previously play each other, the two-way tiebreaker rules apply.
If there is a multi-team tie in the Big 12 at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider the following factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. But if there is still a multi-way tie after the first team is selected from the tiebreak, the Big 12 will use these factors to break the tie, and when two teams are left tied, the two-team tiebreaker rules apply.
1. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage in games among the tied teams:
1A. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other, but one team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, the team that defeated all other teams in the tie is removed from the tiebreaker, and the remaining teams revert to the beginning of the applicable tiebreaker process (i.e., two team or three or more team tie)
1B. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other and no team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, move to the next step in tiebreaker
2. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against all common conference opponents played by all other teams involved in the tie
3. Record of the three (or more) tied teams against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Record of the three (or more) tied teams based on combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
How the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC will figure out who plays in their respective conference title games if there are ties at the top of the standings.
Some FBS conferences eliminated divisions as they added or lost teams, and now the Sun Belt Conference is the lone one with two divisions. So that means, for example, determining who plays in the SEC championship game no longer boils down to who wins the East or West divisions. Instead, it’s all about the top-2 finishers in the regular-season standings.
So who gets to play in their respective conference title games when the four highest-ranked conference champs get a top College Football Playoff seed and first-round bye? What are the tiebreaker rules for the Power Four conferences in 2024?
It’s a lot to keep track of, so we’re here to help.
ACC football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The 2024 ACC football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and the top-2 teams will face off. But without the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the ACC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to break it, per ACC tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition between the two tied teams
2. Win-percentage versus all common opponents
3. Win-percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win-percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
4. Combined win-percentage of conference opponents
5. The tied team with the higher ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
6. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
In a two-way tie for first, the team with the highest win percentage (outright or via tiebreaker rules) will be the top seed.
Kevin Ruinard/USA TODAY Network
If there is at least a multi-team tie in the ACC at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. After the first team is selected from the multi-way tiebreak, the tiebreaker process resets:
1. Combined head-to-head win-percentage among the tied teams if all tied teams are common opponents
2. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, the tied team that defeated each of the other tied teams. If all the tied teams are not common opponents, no tied team defeated each of the other tied teams, but a tied team lost to each of the other tied teams, such team shall be eliminated and removed from the tie
3. Win-percentage versus all common opponents
4. Win-percentage versus common opponents based upon their order of finish (overall conference win-percentage, with ties broken) and proceeding through other common opponents based upon their order of finish
5. Combined win-percentage of conference opponents
6. The tied team with the highest ranking by the Team Rating Score metric provided by SportSource Analytics following the conclusion of regular season games
7. The representative shall be chosen by a draw as administered by the commissioner or commissioner’s designee
Big Ten football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The 2024 Big Ten football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the top-2 teams will face off. But without the East and West divisions (RIP Legends and Leaders), how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the Big Ten standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will use these considerations to break it, per Big Ten tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head game winner
2. Win percentage among common conference opponents
3. The records of the two tied teams will be compared based on record against common opponents with the best conference record and proceeding through the common conference opponents based on their order of finish within the conference standings
4. The records of the two tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents
5. The representative will be chosen by the by the highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the regular season
6. Random draw among the tied teams conducted by commissioner or designee
If there’s a two-way tie for first in the Big Ten and the tied teams previously played each other, the winner of that game is the top seed. If the tied teams didn’t previously play each other, the two-way tiebreaker rules apply.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
If there is at least a multi-team tie in the Big Ten at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. But if it’s a tie after the single tiebreak winner is selected, the Big Ten will use these factors to break it. And if the tie is reduced to two teams, the two-team tiebreaker rules apply.
1. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage in games among the tied teams:
1A. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other, but one team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, the team that defeated all other teams in the tie is removed from the tiebreaker, and the remaining teams revert to the beginning of the applicable tiebreaker process (i.e., two team or three or more team tie)
1B. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other and no team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, move to the next step in tiebreaker
2. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against all common conference opponents played by all other teams involved in the tie
3. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings in order of finish
4. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents:
4A. In the event of an unbalanced schedule (i.e., less than nine conference games are played), the records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on the best cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents, regardless of how many conference opponents each team played. If winning percentage is equal for all conference opponents, move to next step in tiebreaker
5. The representative will be chosen by the by the highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the regular season
6. Random draw among the tied teams conducted by commissioner or designee
Big 12 football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 Big 12 football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at noon ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the conference’s top-2 teams will play. But if there’s a tie, how will the Big 12 break it to determine which teams will play for a conference title?
If there is a two-team tie in the Big 12 standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will look at these factors to break it, per Big 12 tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition among the two tied teams
2. Win percentage against all common conference opponents among the tied teams
3. Win percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the Conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., the strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
7. Coin toss
If there’s a two-way tie for first and the tied teams previously played each other, the winner of that game is the top seed. If the tied teams didn’t previously play each other, the two-way tiebreaker rules apply.
Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman
If there is a multi-team tie in the Big 12 at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider the following factors to figure out the single winner of the tiebreak. But if there is still a multi-way tie after the first team is selected from the tiebreak, the Big 12 will use these factors to break the tie, and when two teams are left tied, the two-team tiebreaker rules apply.
1. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage in games among the tied teams:
1A. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other, but one team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, the team that defeated all other teams in the tie is removed from the tiebreaker, and the remaining teams revert to the beginning of the applicable tiebreaker process (i.e., two team or three or more team tie)
1B. If all teams involved in the tie did not play each other and no team defeated all other teams involved in the tie, move to the next step in tiebreaker
2. The records of the three (or more) tied teams will be compared based on winning percentage against all common conference opponents played by all other teams involved in the tie
3. Record of the three (or more) tied teams against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the conference), proceeding through the standings. When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams
4. Record of the three (or more) tied teams based on combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (i.e., strength of conference schedule)
5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins: Only one win against a team from the NCAA FCS or lower division will be counted annually. Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules
6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games
7. Coin toss
SEC football championship game tiebreaker rules in 2024
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 SEC football championship game is set for Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the conference’s top two teams will face off. But without the East and West divisions, how will the conference determine which teams play for a title if there is a tie?
If there is a two-team tie in the SEC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will consider these factors to break it, per SEC tiebreaker rules:
1. Head-to-head competition among the tied teams
2. Record versus all common conference opponents among tied teams
3. Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent in the conference standings, and proceeding through the conference standings among the tied teams
4. Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
5. Higher relative total scoring margin per SportSource Analytics versus all conference opponents among tied teams
6. Random draw of the tied teams
If two teams are tied for first in the SEC standings, they’ll play in the title game, and the tiebreaker steps above will decide seeding.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
If there is a multi-team tie in the SEC standings at the end of the regular season, the conference will look at these considerations to identify the first team in the title game. After the first team is identified, the process reverts back to the two-team tiebreaker rules.
1. Head-to-head competition among tied teams
2. Record versus all common conference opponents among tied teams
3. Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent, proceeding through the conference standings among tied teams
4. Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents among the tied teams
5. Higher relative total scoring margin per SportSource Analytics versus all conference opponents among the tied teams
Time and television for Colorado’s upcoming trip to Arrowhead Stadium have been announced
All 12 of Colorado football’s regular season games have been selected for national television, as the Buffs’ Week 13 game against the Kansas Jayhawks on Nov. 23 will be broadcast on Fox.
Kickoff from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is set for 1:30 p.m. MT (2:30 p.m. local time), the Big 12 Conference announced Monday.
Colorado’s Saturday game against the Utah Utes and its Week 14 clash with the Oklahoma State Cowboys are both set for 10:00 a.m. MT, so fans will no longer have to worry about late kickoff times.
The Buffaloes are the only team in all of college football to have every one of their games televised on a national network this season. CU will finish its regular season with six games on Fox, three games on ESPN and one game each on NBC, CBS and ABC.
All eyes have been on head coach Deion Sanders’ Buffs, and Week 13 against the Jayhawks will be no exception.
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Shedeur Sanders earned a weekly award following his massive game at Texas Tech
Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday following his stellar performance in the Buffs’ 41-27 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders over the weekend.
Sanders completed 30 of his 43 throws for 291 yards and three passing touchdowns. After a shaky start for Colorado’s offense in Lubbock, the projected first-round NFL draft pick finished with a 149.6 passer rating.
Adjusting for sacks, Sanders ran for 39 yards, including a go-ahead 7-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
The weekly conference award marks Sanders’ first since Week 1 of last season when Colorado was still in the Pac-12. He becomes the fourth different Buffalo to win a weekly Big 12 award this season, joining wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (Week 3, 9), placekicker Alejandro Mata (Week 8) and running back Isaiah Augustave (Week 9).
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Colorado now controls its own destiny in the Big 12 title race
The Colorado Buffaloes improved to 5-1 in Big 12 play following their 41-27 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, officially claiming sole possession of second place in the Big 12 Conference.
The Iowa State Cyclones, who were tied with the Buffs for second entering Week 11, lost their second straight game on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks, 45-36. The only team still in front of Colorado in the Big 12 standings is undefeated BYU, which faces Utah at 8:15 p.m. MT on Saturday.
If the Buffs beat Utah, Kansas and the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their final three games, they’ll play in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7. A win in that game would give Colorado its first-ever College Football Playoff bid.
Two of the Buffaloes’ final three regular season games will be at home, starting next Saturday against Utah. Action from Folsom Field is set for 10 a.m. MT, with Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” scheduled to be in Boulder.
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Coach Prime was asked about Colorado’s surge in the Big 12 standings
While Colorado is hunting for a Big 12 football championship, head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders isn’t moved by the recent shuffling of the conference standings that has the Buffs tied for second place.
“We don’t care about that,” Sanders noted during his weekly presser on Tuesday. “Every game is a playoff game to us. It’s been that way all season… It’s a single-elimination tournament, and we’re approaching all of them with passion, with purpose, with consistency, with focus and a dog-like attitude.”
Coach Prime has kept the stakes high all year long for the now-bowl-eligible Buffaloes, who benefited from Week 10 losses from the Iowa State Cyclones and Kansas State Wildcats.
Colorado will likely need to win all four of its remaining games to have a shot at reaching the Big 12 title game. That hunt begins on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
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Colorado’s path to the Big 12 championship game just got a whole lot clearer
This latest bye week couldn’t have gone much better for the Colorado Buffaloes.
During Week 10, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter boosted his Heisman case while appearing on two national college football pregame shows, and the Buffs (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) picked up some much-needed help in the Big 12 Conference standings.
Texas Tech (6-3, 4-2) went to Ames and defeated Iowa State (7-1, 4-1), 23-22, and Houston (4-5, 3-3) beat Kansas State (7-2, 4-2), 24-19. With those results, CU moved into a tie with Iowa State for second place in the Big 12 standings. The Buffs and Cyclones are now one game behind conference leader BYU, which stands 5-0 in Big 12 play.
First and foremost, Colorado must win its final four regular season games against Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State. That would put the Buffs at 8-1 in conference play, with their lone loss coming to current two-loss Kansas State.
CU will now be rooting for another Iowa State loss. The Cyclones’ final four games will come against Kansas, Cincinnati, Utah and Kansas State. If they win out, they’ll finish with an identical 8-1 conference record. Because Colorado and Iowa State don’t face each other, the next tiebreaker is winning percentage against common opponents, followed by winning percentage against the next highest-placed common opponent in the conference standings.
That next highest-placed common opponent would likely be Kansas State, which Iowa State faces in Week 14.
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