Coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes remain in contention for the Big 12 Championship, despite a recent setback that has placed them in a four-way tie for first place with BYU, Arizona State, and Iowa State.

There are two main scenarios that could secure their spot in the championship game with just one regular season game left, as outlined by Big 12 officials on Sunday per league tiebreaker rules.

First, Colorado (8-3) must win their final game against Oklahoma State (3-8) at home this coming Friday at noon ET.

∎ Following that, they require at least two of the other three first-place teams to lose on Saturday, allowing the Buffs to either top the standings or share the lead with a 7-2 conference record.

∎ Alternatively, they need BYU to lose to Houston and Texas Tech to defeat West Virginia. If this scenario plays out, even if Colorado finishes in a three-way tie for first place, they would still have the upper hand according to the league’s tiebreaker criteria.

Should one of these situations occur, Colorado will advance to the Big 12 title game on December 7 in Arlington, Texas. Otherwise, they will participate in a non-playoff bowl game, likely the Holiday or Alamo Bowl, on December 27 or 28.

What Happens if All Four Top Teams Secure Wins?

If all four teams succeed in their games next weekend, Arizona State will face Iowa State for the championship. Since Colorado has not faced any of these four leading teams, the tiebreaking process becomes intricate and hinges on their records against shared conference opponents.

The four leading teams share four common opponents in the Big 12: Kansas, Kansas State, Utah, and Central Florida. Arizona State leads with a 4-0 record against these teams, followed by BYU at 3-1, while Colorado is at 2-2, and Iowa State sits at 2-1 and will host Kansas State next week.

BYU will take on Houston, while Arizona State is scheduled to play at Arizona on Saturday, with all four leading teams currently holding 6-2 records in conference play.

What If Three Teams Tie for the Top Spot?

The Big 12 provided a breakdown of how tiebreakers would play out, depending on which of the four leading teams suffers a loss, resulting in a three-way tie.

∎ If Colorado loses to Oklahoma State and the other three teams win, Arizona State will meet Iowa State for the league championship.

∎ If Arizona State loses but the other two win, Iowa State will face BYU for the title.

∎ If Iowa State loses but the rest win, then it will be Arizona State against BYU.

∎ If BYU loses but the other three teams secure victories, the situation becomes more complicated due to the league’s tie-breaking rules, involving their performance against other similar opponents in the standings.

In this case, if BYU loses and the others win, Colorado will need Texas Tech to defeat West Virginia in their last game. This is due to Arizona State and Iowa State both having lost to Texas Tech, while Colorado has won against them this season.

Colorado would advance to face either Arizona State or Iowa State in the title game, depending on other results from Saturday’s Big 12 games. If Baylor wins against Kansas and Cincinnati beats TCU, Colorado will play Iowa State. If not, they will face Arizona State.

However, if West Virginia defeats Texas Tech in this scenario, Colorado will be eliminated, and Arizona State will compete against Iowa State for the title.

What About the Five Teams Tied for Second Place?

There are currently five teams being tied for second place in the standings, each holding a 5-3 record in the league: Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, West Virginia, and Kansas State.

According to the league, these teams must secure a victory and also need at least three of the four 6-2 teams to lose.