Utah football has a slim shot at the Big 12 title game. Here’s what needs to happen

After two losses, Utah football fans may still have a shot at seeing their team compete for the Big 12 Championship, but the odds are slim.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After two losses, Utah football fans may still have a shot at seeing their team compete for the Big 12 Championship, but the odds are slim.

University of Utah football has had a redeeming season to say the least. After missing a bowl game last year, the Utes have catapulted to #17 in the nation, according to the AP Top 25 poll.

After a statement win over a ranked Cincinnati team, Utah finds itself still in the running for a visit to the Big 12 championship game. However, the team does not control their own destiny. Here’s what needs to happen for the Utes’ title hopes to stay alive:

Big 12 tiebreaker rules

Utah is currently tied for 4th place in the Big 12 with Houston and Arizona State. As per conference rules, Utah would have the edge over Arizona State after the Utes beat the Sun Devils 42-10 last month.

Utah also has the tiebreaker over Houston which will hold as long as the Utes get a win at Baylor in two weeks.

In the event that two teams do not play head-to-head during the season, as is the case with Utah and Houston, Big 12 policy states that the tied teams will be compared based on win percentage against common conference opponents. Houston’s loss against West Virginia last week gave Utah an edge over the Cougars. A win at Baylor will seal the deal, leaving the Utes alone in 4th.

Winning out is a must

Before any scenario can play out, the Utes have to win every game left this season.

While winning out is no small task, the Utes do play exclusively unranked opponents for the rest of the season including Baylor, Kansas State, and Kansas, all of whom are .500 in conference play.

Utah finishes with two road games against Baylor and Kansas along with one more home game against Kansas State.

A tale of two outcomes

Utah’s destiny relies heavily on the results of the BYU-Texas Tech game on Saturday, Nov. 8.

In the case that top-ranked BYU wins on Saturday, Utah fans will need Texas Tech to lose one more game in order for them to fall below the Utes in the title race. However, after playing 8th-ranked BYU, Tech finishes the season with UCF who is 1-4 in conference play, and West Virginia, who is 1-5 in conference play.

In the case that BYU loses on Saturday, the Utes will need the Cougars to lose at least two more games to end the season. While it is very unlikely, BYU finishes the season with a harder schedule than anyone in the race.

First, the Cougars play at home against TCU, a team who was ranked earlier this season after going 3-0 to start. Next, BYU plays on the road against 25th-ranked Cincinnati. To finish the season, they will play UCF at home.

The Cincinnati problem

Assuming Tech and BYU do exactly what Utah fans want, the U won’t be out of the woods yet. Cincinnati will still need to lose at least one game to finish their season in order for Utah to jump above them in the standings.

The bearcats remain in the Top 25 and finish the season playing Arizona, #8 BYU and TCU.

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Source: Utah News