Around the Big 12 Football: Week 11

Chaos occurred in the Big 12 last week.

In a division as tight as the Big 12, every game matters, and that has shown itself true again.

Headed into week 10, five teams; Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Iowa State and Kansas State, were all tied at 5-1 in conference play.

With Kansas State playing at Texas and Oklahoma playing at Oklahoma State, movement would be made.

Oklahoma State took out Oklahoma in the last Big 12 “Bedlam” likely ever. Kansas State gave Texas an overtime scare but ended up losing after deciding to go for the score on fourth down.

Kansas threw their name right back into the conversation after taking down Iowa State, joining that seven-team field with hopes of playing in the Big 12 Championship game.

Currently, Texas and Oklahoma State sit atop the Big 12 with conference records of 5-1.

It gets even busier with five teams tied at 4-2 in conference play. Kansas, Oklahoma, Kansas State, West Virginia and Iowa State are those teams.

With Texas and Oklahoma State running their destinies, the group at 4-2 can only do one thing, hope one of those top dogs loses and give them a shot to sneak in.

There is no matchup in Week 11 between a 5-1 team and a 4-2 team, however, West Virginia has a chance to take Oklahoma out of the running for the Big 12, and Oklahoma can do the same to West Virginia. This is the best game in the Big 12 this week.

Between Weeks 12 and 13, there are only three total matchups between these “top” seven teams, so taking advantage of those games will be important.

Week 11 in the Big 12 features some of those “top seven” teams going on the road to take on lesser opponents, including No. 7 Texas at TCU, No. No. 15 Oklahoma State at UCF, and Iowa State at BYU.

While each of those away teams is favored in their games, playing on the road is no small task.

No. 25 Kansas State hosts Baylor this week, while No. 16 Kansas hosts Texas Tech. As previously mentioned, No. 17 Oklahoma is hosting West Virginia in the only matchup amongst teams that are still in the Big 12 championship race.

The last matchup to talk about in the Big 12 coming up is Cincinnati at Houston, which is the lone matchup that does not include any of the teams to watch in the Big 12.

As things sit right now, the Big 12 only has one team with a shot at the College Football Playoff, and that would be Texas, but even if the Longhorns win the Big 12, it still does not guarantee their spot.

With as tight of a race as the Big 12 is right now, everything can change on Saturday, making it one of the most interesting conferences to watch this weekend.

William James is a fourth-year Print/Digital Journalism student. To contact him, email wmj5101@psu.edu.