by AIRLINKFREIGHTSBig 12 standings: TCU remains on top, Kansas State looks destined for Arlington
Another week has passed, and the Big 12 is still incredibly crowded in the standings under first place TCU Horned Frogs. With four games remaining, the Frogs do not have a ranked opponent on their schedule. An undefeated regular season is very much in play in Fort Worth.
TCU has already beaten both Kansas State and Oklahoma State this season, so they will have a tiebreaker over both of them. With Kansas State beating the Cowboys last week, Oklahoma State is essentially playing for second place now.
Kansas State is firmly in the driver’s seat for the second spot in the Big 12 Championship. These Wildcats just won’t go away. With backup quarterback Will Howard getting the start in place of Adrian Martinez, K-State just handed the Pokes their worst loss of the Mike Gundy era in a 48-0 shellacking.
K-State doesn’t have an easy schedule in front of them. They have dates with the Texas Longhorns and Baylor Bears in front of them. Both of those teams are only one game behind the Wildcats, and that Baylor-Kansas State game is in Waco.
While getting to Arlington will be difficult, the Wildcats are in control of their own destiny. If they keep winning, they’ll make it.
Then things get messy. More than half of the conference is either 3-2 or 2-3 in Big 12 play. If the Wildcats trip up and lose a few games down the stretch, it opens up a realm of possibilities for the teams below them in the standings.
While it would be great to say that the Sooners are one of those teams, it’s very unlikely that they jump Kansas State in the standings. The Wildcats would need to lose three of their last four games and the Sooners would need to win out.
The Texas Longhorns are still very much alive. They’ll need a little help to get there, but they could still make it to Arlington. They play Kansas State this week. Beating the Wildcats in Manhattan would be a good start. Their problem is the loss they suffered to Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
While things in the Big 12 are looking messy and complicated at the moment, the final stretch of the season has a way of cleaning things up. Championship November is nearly upon us.
Here are the full Big 12 Standings:
Oct 29, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; TCU Horned Frogs running back Kendre Miller (33) runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn (22) looks for room to run during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn (22) runs away from Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Thomas Harper (13) for a touchdown in the first quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 29: Defensive lineman Siaki Ika #62 of the Baylor Bears reacts during the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Oct 15, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson (5) runs for yardage during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
AMES, IA – OCTOBER 29: Wide receiver Jalil Farooq #3 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives the ball into the end zone for a touchdown as linebacker Kendell Jackson #47, and defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. #1 of the Iowa State Cyclones defend in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Ames, Iowa. The Oklahoma Sooners won 27-13 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
Oct 22, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean (9) looks to pass while being defended by Baylor Bears linebacker Dillon Doyle (5) during the second half at McLane Stadium. Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 29: Quarterback Behren Morton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders walks across the field before the game against the Baylor Bears at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Oct 29, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back CJ Donaldson (12) runs the ball during the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
AMES, IA – OCTOBER 29: Quarterback Dillon Gabriel #8 of the Oklahoma Sooners scrambles for yards past defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. #1 of the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
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