Joe Lunardi released his latest bracketology update on Tuesday morning, and there’s some real chaos building for the Big 12 conference.
Despite appearing to be in the midst of what some describe as a “down year,” the Big 12 Conference is still expected to place multiple National Championship contenders in the field. However, the drama comes when discussing the bubble.
Three teams from the league are currently listed on either side of the bubble, including BYU, UCF, and Arizona State. The Cougars would be the lone team of the trio to reach the tournament if it began today, while UCF and Arizona State would narrowly miss out on the 69th and 71st overall teams.
Through the first batch of conference games, BYU sits at 6-4, UCF at 4-6, and Arizona State at 3-7. The Cougars and Sun Devils have tough matchups on Tuesday against a pair of Wildcat teams, No. 20 Arizona and Kansas State, while UCF gets a slightly better draw against a struggling Cincinnati team.
Arizona heads to Provo on a four-game winning streak after beating some of the league’s top-ranked teams. They sit tied atop the standings with the 9-1 Houston Cougars. For Arizona State, the matchup is a bit tricky as Kansas State has become the biggest wildcard in league play. The group looked dead in the water last month but has since won three straight games against No. 23 West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and No. 3 Iowa State.
Going forward, the trio will have many more Quad 1 opportunities ahead to help bolster their resume. BYU will clash with No. 20 Arizona twice and once with No. 16 Kansas and No. 8 Iowa State. UCF will have just one Top 25 matchup remaining as of Monday’s updated Top 25, hosting No. 8 Iowa State in Orlando. Arizona State joins BYU with four remaining Q1 opportunities, playing No. 13 Texas Tech twice, No. 5 Houston, and No. 20 Arizona.
