Big 12: Why it is the most competitive conference in the country?

As Week 6 of the college football season is approaching, it’s time to talk about a conference that may not be the best in the country; but certainly the most interesting.

The Big 12 isn’t the most talked about conference in the country, but there’s a lot of competition in the standings.

No. 17 BYU is the current leader of the conference, and a much-deserved ranking considering a big win against conference foe Kansas State, who was ranked No. 13 at the time of the matchup.

Kansas State is now ranked No. 20.

Following the BYU Cougars are the Colorado Buffaloes, Texas Tech Red Raiders and No. 16 Iowa State.

Iowa State and BYU are two of the 19 undefeated teams remaining in college football, as they both have victories against ranked opponents this season.

Colorado and Texas Tech sit at second and third in the conference. Both teams sit at 4-1 and are 2-0 in Big 12 play.

Two teams that are in the middle of the pack are the No. 18 Utah Utes and the aforementioned No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats.

So despite the good starts the top four teams are having, it is still anyone's conference to win with lots of Big 12 action going down this weekend.

Iowa State will be hosting the Baylor Bears on Saturday night, in which may be a closer contest than you think.

Baylor’s last two losses were by only one score, and those losses were against Colorado and BYU. Two of the top four teams in the conference right now.

Baylor is currently sitting in 13th place in the conference, with a win it will put them right back in the Big 12 conversation.

Another matchup that could shake up the Big 12 is the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

West Virginia is certainly in must-win mode since they have to play Iowa State and Kansas State in the next two weeks.

As for Oklahoma State, they will look to rebound after falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play. They suffered a close loss to Utah and were handled with ease by Kansas State.

Despite the way the standings are looking right now, it is nearly impossible to know how this is going to play out.

A good example of this is the Arizona State Sun Devils. They’re regular record sits at 3-1, and their only loss was against second-place Texas Tech.

The Sun Devils, who only sit at 0-1 in conference play, could make a jump with a win against a disappointing Kansas Jayhawks team.

Kansas was ranked No. 22 to start the year but has not been anywhere close to living up to expectations. They sit at a 1-4 overall record with a tough stretch ahead.

The Big 12 could go in any direction, which is what makes this conference so unique.

With tons of competitive games coming up for this conference, the chaos is just getting underway.

Ben Barker is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bsb5566@psu.edu.