Can Oklahoma State football still make Big 12 championship game? Cowboys remain in play
ORLANDO, Fla. — As bad as Saturday felt, Oklahoma State's 45-3 loss at UCF didn’t eliminate the Cowboys from Big 12 title game contention.
With just two conference losses, OSU remains in a multi-team tie for second place in the conference standings, and OSU has the head-to-head tiebreaker edge over two of the teams in the deadlock.
Wins over OU and Kansas State could pay off big, depending on how things play out over the final two weeks of conference games.
However, an oddity in the Big 12 rulebook could potentially work against OSU in certain scenarios.
If OSU ends in a three-way tie with OU and Kansas State, the fact that OSU has the head-to-head advantage over both is irrelevant because OU and K-State will not play each other this season, a Big 12 official confirmed to the media on Saturday.
So, instead of OSU getting the benefit of its head-to-head edge over both, the tiebreaker would go to the teams’ overall record against the highest finishing team in the league standings that all three of the tied teams have played.
At that point, there are too many scenarios to project. But OSU can know this: winning out is its only realistic option to make the Big 12 title game.
More: Oklahoma State football grades vs. UCF: Ollie Gordon's Heisman hopes lost in space
Big 12 football standings
TEAMS | W-L | PF | W-L | PF | PA | HOME | AWAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6-1 | 236 | 9-1 | 338 | 184 | 5-0 | 4-0 | |
Oklahoma State | 5-2 | 218 | 7-3 | 279 | 264 | 5-1 | 2-2 |
Oklahoma | 5-2 | 251 | 8-2 | 418 | 198 | 5-0 | 2-2 |
5-2 | 207 | 6-4 | 257 | 199 | 3-2 | 3-2 | |
Kansas State | 5-2 | 274 | 7-3 | 388 | 185 | 6-0 | 1-3 |
4-3 | 215 | 6-4 | 303 | 278 | 4-1 | 2-3 | |
4-3 | 187 | 5-5 | 291 | 244 | 3-2 | 2-3 | |
Kansas | 4-3 | 214 | 7-3 | 327 | 262 | 5-1 | 2-2 |
2-5 | 172 | 4-6 | 289 | 248 | 3-3 | 1-3 | |
Houston | 2-5 | 145 | 4-6 | 241 | 308 | 3-3 | 1-3 |
Baylor | 2-5 | 155 | 3-7 | 229 | 324 | 1-6 | 2-1 |
2-5 | 126 | 5-5 | 219 | 287 | 4-1 | 1-4 | |
UCF | 2-5 | 218 | 5-5 | 340 | 268 | 3-2 | 2-3 |
1-6 | 135 | 3-7 | 252 | 269 | 1-5 | 2-2 |
More: Oklahoma State football's win streak snapped in historic fashion to UCF & more key stats
Big 12 football Week 12 schedule
Oklahoma at BYU, 11 a.m. CT (ABC or ESPN)
Cincinnati at West Virginia, 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Baylor at TCU, 2:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Oklahoma State at Houston, 3 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
UCF at Texas Tech, 4 p.m. CT (FS2)
Kansas State at Kansas, 6 p.m. CT (FS1)
Texas at Iowa State, 7 p.m. CT (Fox)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Can Oklahoma State football still make Big 12 championship game?
