The Big Lead

A new favorite has emerged in the Big 12

By Max Weisman

Deion Sanders has his Buffaloes poised to make the CFP
Deion Sanders has his Buffaloes poised to make the CFP / Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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After BYU's shocking 17-13 loss to Kansas on Saturday, a new favorite has emerged in the Big 12 Conference: Colorado. The 8-2 Buffaloes were ranked 16 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, two spots behind BYU, who sit at 14. However, Colorado now has the best odds to win the Big 12 according to FanDuel Sportsbook, at +100. BYU is second at +310.

Neither team is guaranteed to play in the Big 12 Championship game yet. In fact, there are still nine teams that still have a shot at a Championship game berth, but the five teams with three conference losses are more than long shots to clinch a berth to AT&T Stadium.

Colorado plays Kansas this week, who are looking for their third straight upset win. The Jayhawks have something to play for other than being spoiler. If they win their final two games, Kansas will become bowl eligible for the third straight year.

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The game against Kansas on Saturday is being played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and the Buffaloes are only favored by three points. If they get past the Jayhawks, a win against Oklahoma State in the final week of the season would land Colorado in the Big 12 Championship game.

BYU's schedule to end the regular season is no walk in the park. The Cougars play at No. 21 Arizona State on Saturday and if the Sun Devils win, they'll have the tiebreaker over BYU in the Big 12 standings. Arizona State controls its own destiny to make the Big 12 Championship. If they beat BYU and then Arizona, they'll play at AT&T Stadium with a CFP bid on the line. If BYU wins and Utah upsets Iowa State, BYU will clinch a berth in the Big 12 Championship game. A win against Arizona State and Houston in the final week of the season will also clinch them a berth.

No matter who plays in the Big 12 Championship game it will probably be a College Football Playoff elimination game. The winner would get an automatic bid to the playoff and potentially a top-four seed, while the loser would likely be out.

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