Big 12 football remaining strength of schedule ranking led by Arizona State, Texas Tech
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Before the 2025 college football season, we took a look at each Big 12 team’s strength of schedule based on the FBS opponent winning percentage of each team’s opponents in 2024.
With just a few weeks left in the 2025 college football regular season, that got us thinking: Which Big 12 football title contenders have the easiest remaining strength of schedule in 2025, based on conference winning percentage of their remaining opponents? Which have the most difficult?
Here’s a look at how the remaining schedule for each Big 12 team with two or fewer conference losses stacks up entering college football Week 11 games, to help us see each team’s potential path to the Big 12 football championship game.
According to remaining strength of schedule, Arizona State and Texas Tech have the easiest remaining schedules in the conference, while Cincinnati and TCU have the most difficult.
BYU, Texas Tech and Cincinnati still control their own destiny in the Big 12 conference title race, while Arizona State, Houston, Utah and TCU currently need help to make the Big 12 championship game.
Big 12 football Week 11 picks:Houston at UCF | BYU at Texas Tech | Colorado at West Virginia | Kansas at Arizona | Iowa State at TCU | The Republic’s predictions
1. Arizona State
Current Big 12 record: 4-2
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 15 vs West Virginia (1-5), Nov. 22 at Colorado (1-5), Nov. 28 vs Arizona (2-3)
Strength of schedule: .235 (remaining opponent’s Big 12 win percentage)
Analysis: Arizona State has the easiest remaining Big 12 schedule by far, but will need to win all three games and get help to make the Big 12 title game. It likely also needs Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Houston and Utah to lose another game.
2. Texas Tech
Current Big 12 record: 5-1
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 8 vs BYU (5-0), Nov. 15 vs UCF (1-4), Nov. 29 at West Virginia (1-5)
Strength of schedule: .438
Analysis: Aside from the BYU game, Texas Tech’s remaining Big 12 schedule is an easy one. A win over BYU would put the Red Raiders in the driver’s seat to make the Big 12 title game.
2. Houston
Current Big 12 record: 4-2
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 7 at UCF (1-4), Nov. 22 vs TCU (3-2), Nov. 29 at Baylor (3-3)
Strength of schedule: .438
Analysis: Houston lost to Texas Tech earlier this season, so it’s easiest path to the Big 12 title game could be to win out and see Texas Tech beat BYU and then see BYU lose again. It could also use another loss by Cincinnati and Utah.
4. Utah
Current Big 12 record: 4-2
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 15 at Baylor (3-3), Nov. 22 vs Kansas State (3-3), Nov. 28 at Kansas (3-3)
Strength of schedule: .500
Analysis: The Utes need to win out and get some help to make the title game. They lost to both BYU and Texas Tech, so Utah’s easiest path to the Big 12 title game might be for Texas Tech to drop a couple more games and have Cincinnati lose again. Houston and TCU losing another game would help, too.
5. BYU
Current Big 12 record: 5-0
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 8 at Texas Tech (5-1), Nov. 15 vs TCU (3-2), Nov. 22 at Cincinnati (5-1), Nov. 29 vs UCF (1-4)
Strength of schedule: .636
Analysis: While BYU’s remaining schedule is difficult, the Cougars would be in great shape to make the Big 12 title game if they go 3-1 in their final four games, splitting with Texas Tech and Cincinnati. That would give them just one conference loss and it would give the Red Raiders or Bearcats a second conference loss.
6. Cincinnati
Current Big 12 record: 5-1
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 15 vs Arizona (2-3), Nov. 22 vs BYU (5-0), Nov. 29 at TCU (3-2)
Strength of schedule: .667
Analysis: The Bearcats would likely be in the Big 12 title game with three wins to close out the regular season because one of those wins would be over BYU, knocking down the Cougars and BYU or Texas Tech is going to lose on Nov. 8. Another loss by Cincinnati would require the Bearcats to get help to reach the Big 12 title game.
7. TCU
Current Big 12 record: 3-2
Remaining Big 12 schedule: Nov. 8 vs Iowa State (2-4), Nov. 15 at BYU (5-0), Nov. 22 at Houston (4-2), Nov. 29 at Cincinnati (5-1)
Strength of schedule: .696
Analysis: TCU needs a lot of help to make the Big 12 title game, but could still have a huge impact on the race with games against BYU, Houston and Cincinnati remaining. The Horned Frogs might end up playing spoiler to one of those teams’ conference title hopes. If TCU goes 4-0 to end the season, it could create chaos with a huge tie in the conference standings.
College football Week 11 picks:Northwestern at USC | Tulane at Memphis | Indiana at Penn State | Georgia at Mississippi State | Ohio State at Purdue | Texas A&M at Missouri | Oregon at Iowa | Syracuse at Miami | Auburn at Vanderbilt | Wake Forest at Virginia | California at Louisville | LSU at Alabama | Navy at Notre Dame
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big 12 football schedule analysis for every conference title contender
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