What’s on the line in the Big 12 during Week 11? Plus, BYU’s rooting guide for the weekend

One week after chaos reigned in the Big 12 and reset the outlook of the conference race, there are several games during Week 11 that could have a major impact on the league.
BYU is at the head of the class heading into the weekend, though rival Utah may spring the upset Saturday and snap an eight-game winning streak for the Cougars.
If that happens, the Big 12 race opens even further.
Iowa State and Kansas State were dealt devastating losses last week, and now teams like Colorado and Texas Tech — who play each other this week — have the opportunity to shape the Big 12 race during a busy weekend.
How might Week 11 of the 2024 college football season impact BYU in its pursuit of a spot in the Big 12 championship game and a potential berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff?
Here’s a look at BYU’s game this weekend against rival Utah, what other stakes are on the line in the Big 12 and which top 25 games could impact the Cougars.
What’s at stake: The first rivalry game in three years between the Utes and Cougars sees the programs headed in opposite directions.
BYU hasn’t lost this year, and it has positioned itself to be a College Football Playoff contender — if the Cougars can keep winning.
Utah has lost four straight, after starting the season 4-4, and has struggled mightily on offense this season — a not-so-encouraging sign heading into the rivalry matchup.
What a win would mean for BYU: The Cougars sit alone atop the Big 12 standings as the conference’s last unbeaten team. BYU would move one step closer to a spot in the league championship game — and likely stay in the top 10 of the CFP rankings — with a victory, with the potential to move higher.
What a win would mean for Utah: The Utes’ fortunes have gone up in flames over the past month-plus, and they are realistically out of contention (though not yet mathematically) for the Big 12 championship. Beating their rival would be the top moment in a trying season.
What’s at stake: The winner keeps its name in the conference chase, while the loser is likely too far behind with three Big 12 losses — barring complete chaos.
The Bearcats would become bowl eligible with a win, and they may need to win this weekend to avoid making their postseason chase more nerve-wracking — Cincinnati’s next two games are at No. 17 Iowa State and No. 19 Kansas State.
The Mountaineers won’t be able to clinch bowl eligibility this week, but a road win over a winning program would get them within one victory of making the postseason.
Who BYU should root for: It doesn’t matter. BYU isn’t playing either one of these teams in the regular season.
What’s at stake: The Cyclones are trying to rebound after losing their first game of the season.
Iowa State still is in solid position to make the Big 12 championship game — they’ll need to avoid dropping a game against one of the league’s worst teams this season, though.
Kansas is far removed from being in the Big 12 race — the Jayhawks need a win to avoid having a guaranteed losing season.
Who BYU should root for: Cheer for Iowa State. Yes, a Cyclones loss would give BYU even more breathing room in the race to make the Big 12 championship game, but as the first College Football Playoff rankings proved, the league needs teams like Iowa State to keep winning to help the Big 12′s national profile.
What’s at stake: This is the best game of the week in the Big 12.
Colorado is coming off a bye and is right in the thick of the league race, with the chance to strengthen its odds for a spot in the championship game if the Buffaloes can pick up the road win.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, knocked off previously unbeaten Iowa State last week and would insert itself even further into the Big 12 race by pulling off another win over a ranked team.
Who BYU should root for: Cheer for Colorado. BYU won’t face either one of these two in the regular season, but if the Cougars make the Big 12 championship game, they could face either one of these teams. At this point, Colorado has the greater national presence, and a potential matchup with the Buffaloes would likely carry more weight with the CFP committee.
What’s at stake: There are differing motivations in this matchup.
The Knights, fresh off snapping a five-game losing streak, could pull within a victory of bowl eligibility if UCF can pick up the road win behind new starting QB Dylan Rizk.
Arizona State, meanwhile, is hanging around in the Big 12 race, and a win Saturday would keep the Sun Devils squarely in the race, ahead of matchups against No. 19 Kansas State (on the road) and No. 9 BYU (at home).
Who BYU should root for: Cheer for Arizona State. Sure, having the Sun Devils continue to win will tighten up the Big 12 race. Of all of BYU’s remaining regular-season games, though, Arizona State currently has the best record and a Cougar win in Tempe on Nov. 23 would look better if the Sun Devils themselves are better.
What’s at stake: These two are headed in opposite directions.
The Cowboys have lost six straight and are just trying to avoid a loss that would guarantee a losing season — though that seems inevitable at this point.
TCU lost a heartbreaker to Baylor last week, falling on a last-second field goal, but the Horned Frogs have won two of their last three and can get to bowl eligibility with a victory.
Who BYU should root for: It doesn’t matter. BYU didn’t face TCU this year, and Oklahoma State isn’t a factor in the Cougars’ strength of schedule.
Why it matters to BYU: Miami is one of just five unbeaten teams remaining, along with BYU. If Georgia Tech manages to pull the upset, the ACC’s superior position over the Big 12 in the initial CFP rankings would be weakened — that would be crucial in a month, when the 12-team playoff field is revealed.
Why it matters to BYU: The Longhorns likely wouldn’t fall behind BYU in the rankings, even with a second loss, but at this point, the Cougars need more upsets in front of them to try and climb the CFP rankings.
Why it matters to BYU: There was discussion why unbeaten Indiana was one spot ahead of BYU in the initial CFP rankings, even though the Cougars had a superior strength of schedule. If Indiana were to lose to the defending national champions (who are 5-4 this year), it would get another team out of the Cougars’ way in the CFP race — as long as BYU also keeps winning.