The championship race is heating up

On By Littum

SALT LAKE CITY – It’s time for another week of Big 12 football predictions.

The Big 12 slate for Week 12 includes six games as the race for the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, Texas heats up.

Each week of the 2024 Big 12 season, our insiders here at KSL Sports, Mitch Harper and Steve Bartle, will share their weekly Big 12 football predictions. Follow their coverage throughout the season on their personal X accounts: @Mitch_Harper & @BartleKSLsports.

Big 12 positions enter Week 12

  • BYU – 6-0 in Big 12 (9-0 overall)
  • Colorado – 5-1 (7-2)
  • Arizona State – 4-2 (7-2)
  • Iowa State – 4-2 (7-2)
  • Kansas State – 4-2 (7-2)
  • West Virginia – 4-2 (5-4)
  • TCU – 4-3 (6-4)
  • Texas Tech – 4-3 (6-4)
  • Baylor – 3-3 (5-4)
  • Cincinnati – 3-3 (5-4)
  • Houston – 3-3 (4-5)
  • Kansas – 2-4 (3-6)
  • UCF – 2-5 (4-6)
  • Utah – 1-5 (4-5)
  • Arizona – 1-5 (3-6)
  • Oklahoma State – 0-7 (3-7)

Season in total

(through week 11)

  • Mitch Harper: 69-27
  • Steve Bartle: 67-29

Big 12 football predictions for the entire 2024 season

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11

Houston in Arizona

  • Friday, November 15
  • Kickoff: 8:15 PM (MST)
  • TV: FS1

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Arizona
  • Mitch Harper: Houston

The only team that can compete with Utah in terms of injuries and turmoil is Arizona. They have had more than their fair share of problems. Meanwhile, Houston has found life with wins over Utah and Kansas State in recent weeks. Going on the road to win over the Wildcats will prove too difficult a task for this team. – Bartle

Arizona has been playing poorly since the September win at Utah. Houston’s comeback win over Kansas State was impressive. QB Zeon Chriss has changed everything for this team. He was a perfect 11/11 for 103 and 75 rushing yards two weeks ago. Give me the Coogs. – Harper



Utah at No. 17 Colorado

  • Saturday 16 November
  • Kick-off: at 10 (MST)
  • TV: FOX

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Colorado
  • Mitch Harper: Colorado

As much as I want to see a win, mostly because the players deserve a break. I think the hangover effect is real. The rivalry game takes its toll. This is a tough turnaround for Utah. Colorado plays really good football. They have two of the best players in the country and Heisman contenders. – Bartle

Utah’s quarterback situation, paired with its losing streak, makes it hard for me to envision Utah being competitive in this game. The buffers are real. Do you think? I do. It’s Prime Time in Boulder. – Harper

Baylor in West Virginia

  • Saturday 16 November
  • Kickoff: 2:00 PM (MST)
  • TV: ESPN2

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Baylor
  • Mitch Harper: Baylor

Baylor is coming off their bye week riding a three-game winning streak. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson has really turned a corner for the Bears and has played good ball. West Virginia snuck past the Bearcats last week, Bears win this one. – Bartle

Baylor is playing at a high level right now. They have been one of the best teams in the league in recent weeks. West Virginia’s record reflects the tough schedule they have played this season. This is a good matchup on the Week 12 slate. The Bears keep the hot streak going and are bowl eligible. – Harper

Arizona State at No. 16 Kansas State

  • Saturday 16 November
  • Kickoff: 5:00 PM (MST)
  • TV: ESPN

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Kansas State
  • Mitch Harper: Kansas State

Coming off a bye week, Kansas State should win. The extra time to prepare is super important to Avery Johnson. Cam Skatteboo could make a difference in this one, but the Wildcats are too much. – Bartle

If ASU wins this game and BYU beats Kansas, could we be looking at College Gameday in Tempe next week? Indiana/Ohio State would have a strong case against that happening. The biggest critic of this idea, however, will be K-State. The Wildcats take care of business in what feels like a rare home game for them this season. – Harper

Cincinnati at Iowa State

  • Saturday 16 November
  • Kickoff: at 18.00 (MST)
  • TV: FOX

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Iowa State
  • Mitch Harper: Iowa State

The Cycles have struggled, but I think they right the ship this week against the Bearcats. The injuries seem to be piling up for Iowa State, but Rocco Becht has a big game against the Bearcats’ porous pass coverage. – Bartle

I can’t get a good feel for Cincinnati. Despite the two games, I still like this Iowa State team. I don’t see Cincinnati disappearing for 532 yards like Kansas did a week ago on the Cyclones. But if they do, the season could quickly fall apart for Iowa State. – Harper



Kansas at No. 6 BYU

  • Saturday 16 November
  • Kickoff: 8:15 PM (MST)
  • TV: ESPN

Insider predictions

  • Steve Bartle: Kansas
  • Mitch Harper: BYU

BYU got the big win last week. They deserved it. It was an emotional game. The hangover effect of that game is very real. How much will it affect BYU? We will see. If you’re BYU, there’s certainly room for a loss here, given the context of the previous week’s game. I think BYU is playing with house money in this one and win or lose in the end will be fine. Kansas has been competitive in most games this season and I think take advantage of a Cougars team coming off the rivalry win. – Bartle

This is a crooked game. This is the first time this season that I have doubted whether to pick BYU or not. See previous weeks above. I’ve picked BYU every week this season. I will do it again, but I expect this game to be close. Close games are a good thing for BYU as they know how to pull out wins. Kansas, on the other hand, can’t find a way to pull out a win with a game on the line. Look for BYU’s special teams unit to pull off more heroics in this one. – Harper

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appear on KSL Sports Zone to demolish the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference at X: @Mitch_Harper.

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