The college football regular season has wrapped, and with conference championship weekend on deck, the postseason picture is starting to take shape. For teams like Utah, who won’t be playing for a Big 12 title this Saturday, the focus now shifts to bowl season - and the waiting game that comes with it.
Utah finished the regular season at 10-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play, locking in bowl eligibility back in October. But their postseason fate was essentially sealed during the final weekend of the regular season.
The Utes did their part with a 31-21 win over Kansas, but they needed some help elsewhere to sneak into the Big 12 Championship Game. That help never came.
Arizona State fell to Arizona later that Friday, closing the door on Utah’s chances of playing in Arlington for a shot at an automatic College Football Playoff berth.
Now, with no conference title game to boost their résumé and sitting just outside the top 12 in the latest CFP rankings, Utah’s playoff hopes are effectively off the table. The committee doesn’t have much incentive to shuffle the deck and bump the Utes past some of the top SEC programs still in the mix. And to make matters tougher, BYU - which owns a head-to-head win over Utah - was already positioned ahead of them in the rankings heading into the final weekend.
Speaking of BYU, the Cougars are heading to the Big 12 Championship Game to face Texas Tech in a high-stakes rematch of their November 8 clash in Lubbock. The Red Raiders dominated that first meeting 29-7 and come into the title game as clear favorites. But if BYU can flip the script and pull off the upset, both teams could find themselves in the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
That said, if Texas Tech takes care of business again, the Big 12 might only get its champion into the playoff. Even though BYU has been floating inside the top 12, the CFP selection process still has to make room for five automatic bids from conference champions - including the ACC, AAC, and Sun Belt - which complicates things for at-large hopefuls like the Cougars.
Assuming the Red Raiders win and the Big 12 lands just one team in the playoff, the conference is still poised to send a deep group to non-CFP bowl games. Nine teams are projected to go bowling: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, and Utah.
Here’s a look at the projected bowl matchups for those Big 12 squads - all times listed in Mountain Standard Time:
- BYU (11-1) vs. USC (9-3) Dec. 30, 7 p.m. (ESPN) A marquee matchup between two programs with national followings. BYU gets a chance to prove it belongs among the elite, while USC looks to cap off a strong season with a statement win.
- Kansas State (6-6) vs. Texas State (6-6) *Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas), Dec. 26, 6 p.m.
(ESPN)*
A battle of .500 teams looking to end the year on a high note.
Kansas State’s physicality could be a difference-maker.
- Arizona State (8-4) vs. SMU (8-4) Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego), Jan. 2, 6 p.m. (Fox) Two explosive offenses in a game that could turn into a shootout. ASU’s defense will be tested against SMU’s tempo.
- Utah (10-2) vs. Iowa (8-4) Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN) A physical, old-school showdown in the desert. Utah’s balanced attack meets Iowa’s stingy defense in what could be one of the more intriguing New Year’s Day matchups.
- TCU (8-4) vs. Memphis (8-4) Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee), Jan. 2, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) TCU heads into enemy territory to face Memphis on its home turf. Expect fireworks from two high-powered offenses.
- Arizona (9-3) vs. UNLV (10-2) SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California), Dec. 13, 7 p.m. (ESPN) A West Coast clash between two of the season’s surprise teams. Arizona’s defense will need to contain a dynamic UNLV attack.
- Houston (9-3) vs. Georgia Tech (9-3) Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m. (ABC) Two 9-win teams looking to crack double digits. Houston’s offense will be tested by Georgia Tech’s athletic front seven.
- Cincinnati (7-5) vs. Northwestern (6-6) Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) A gritty matchup between two teams that have battled through ups and downs. Cincinnati’s defense could be the X-factor.
- Iowa State (8-4) vs. Missouri (8-4) Dec. 27, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN) A classic Big 12 vs. SEC clash.
Iowa State’s disciplined approach will go toe-to-toe with Missouri’s speed and playmaking.
As bowl season approaches, the Big 12 is once again showing off its depth. While the playoff spotlight may shine brightest on the Red Raiders and Cougars, the rest of the conference is set to make plenty of noise across the postseason landscape. And for Utah, while the CFP dream may be out of reach, a 10-win season and a New Year’s bowl invite is still a strong finish - and a reminder that the Utes remain one of the most consistent programs in the country.