Wild First Season Of Expanded Big 12 Comes Down To What Should Be A Chaotic Weekend

A wild first season of the expanded Big 12 is down to what should be a chaotic final weekend.

Through all the upsets, unexpected rises and falls, there are nine teams still in the mix to play in the conference championship game.

No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State have the best odds, yet a multitude of scenarios could play out — 256 to be exact. There’s even the possibility of an eight-team tie.

It may take a mathematician to figure out which teams are in the Dec. 7 game in Arlington, Texas — even for the ones who win.

Star power

Travis Hunter, Colorado. The Buffaloes’ two-way star has excelled on both sides of the field, making him one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

Cam Skattebo, Arizona State. The senior running back can do a little of everything, but excels at punishing would-be tacklers. He’s one of the nation’s leaders in yards after contact and the focal point of the Sun Devils’ offense.

Shadeur Sanders, Colorado. If it weren’t for Hunter, Sanders might be the Heisman favorite. The son of coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur is fifth nationally with 3,488 yards passing and has been a big part of the Buffaloes’ turnaround.

DJ Giddens, Kansas State. The Wildcats’ running back is one of the nation’s most versatile players. He is ninth nationally with 1,271 rushing yards and has added 21 receptions for 258 yards.

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona. The Wildcats have struggled this season, but McMillan has not. He is third nationally with 1,251 receiving yards with seven touchdowns on 78 catches.

Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ junior linebacker leads the Big 12 with 68 tackles, averaging 10.2 per game. He also has four sacks.

Brendan Mott, Kansas State. He’s a menace to opposing quarterbacks, leading the Big 12 with 8 1/2 sacks.

Going bowling

The Big 12 has nine teams already bowl eligible and two more a win away. The winner of the Big 12 championship game will be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot.

Arizona State, Iowa State, No. 19 BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia have already clinched bowl berths. Kansas and Cincinnati can get into the postseason with wins this weekend.

Hot seats

Gus Malzahn, UCF. Despite successes in recruiting, the Knights are 10-14 in two seasons since moving to the Big 12. Maybe not enough to get shown the door this year, but another mediocre season could lead UCF to make a change.

Kyle Whittingham, Utah. Whittingham was one of the Pac-12’s best coaches, leading the Utes to consecutive conference titles. Utah was expected to contend for the Big 12 title its first year in the league, but enters the final weekend 1-7 in conference play, which could push Whittingham toward retirement since it’s doubtful he’d be fired.

Neal Brown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers’ coach was in a precarious spot at the end of last season and West Virginia hasn’t lived up to expectations this season. The Mountaineers are eligible to go to a bowl game for the second straight season, but Brown could be on the hot seat even after signing a contract extension before the season.

Youth movement

Josiah Trotter, West Virginia. The redshirt freshman is the latest Trotter to have success at the linebacker position, following the footsteps of his father, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jeremiah Trotter, and brother Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a current Eagles linebacker.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State. The Michigan State transfer has been just what the Sun Devils’ needed: an agile quarterback who extends plays with his legs and rarely makes bad decisions.

Bryson Washington, Baylor. The Bears’ running back has rushed for 812 yards — 196 against TCU — and 10 TDs.

Recruiting watch

TCU has the Big 12’s highest rated 2025 recruiting class with six four-star players among 26 commitments, according to the 247 Sports composite. Receiver Terry Shelton of Carrollton, Texas, is the highest-rated recruit at 71st nationally.

Baylor is next with five five-star players among its 20 commitments, including running back Michael Turner, rated 13th at his position out of North Richland Hills, Texas.

Texas Tech is ranked seventh in the Big 12, but has four four-star recruits.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football