Locked On Big 12 | Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast

The Big 12, and more specifically BYU Cougars, consistently find themselves in the unenviable position of earning results that outpace their national media narrative, leading to a pervasive sense of "CFP disrespect." This perception gap is rooted in several factors, starting with the sheer parity of the new, 16-team Big 12. While a team like BYU can navigate the difficult conference schedule and f...

The Big 12 securing three bids in the 12-team College Football Playoff is a low-to-moderate possibility driven entirely by the concept of "controlled chaos." While the conference’s reputation for deep parity is its greatest strength in the expanded format, it’s also the primary hurdle, as teams often cannibalize each other’s records. To achieve three bids, the Big 12 needs one team to decisively s...

The Big 12 Just Delivered the Game of the Year   If you turned off the television early on Saturday, you missed the defining moment of the 2025 season. Week 13 was billed as "Separation Saturday," but it will forever be remembered for the miracle in Salt Lake City. Utah’s 51-47 victory over Kansas State wasn't just a football game; it was a cardiac event. Trailing by double digits late in the four...

The Contenders Hold the Line in a Wild Saturday   If you expected chaos to crumble the top of the Big 12 standings today, you were sorely disappointed. Instead, "Separation Saturday" turned into "Statement Saturday," with the league's heavyweights refusing to blink. BYU (10-1) went into a hostile Nippert Stadium and played arguably their most complete game of the season. The 26-14 win over Cincinn...

10-1. The Committee Can’t Hide Them Anymore.   Nippert Stadium at night is where Big 12 dreams usually go to die. The noise is deafening, the student section is right on top of you, and Cincinnati plays with a desperation that breaks lesser teams. But BYU (10-1) is not a lesser team. Tonight’s 26-14 victory wasn’t just a win; it was a statement of supreme physicality. On a chilly night in Ohio, th...

The Definition of Insanity on the Brazos   The news leaking out of Waco this morning is not just surprising; it is an affront to a fanbase that has been pushed to the brink of apathy. Reports indicate that Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades intends to retain Dave Aranda for the 2026 season. If you listen closely, you won't hear the roar of anger from McLane Stadium. You won't hear the gnashing...

The latest College Football Playoff rankings have made one thing abundantly clear: the selection committee values the patch on a jersey more than the results on the field. The placement of No. 11 BYU and No. 12 Utah isn't just a slight; it is a systemic devaluation of the Big 12. BYU (9-1) finding themselves outside the top 10 is statistically baffling. The Cougars have navigated a treacherous con...

The latest College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday have confirmed what many in the heartland already suspected: the "brand bias" favoring the SEC and Big Ten has reached a fever pitch, and the Big 12 is the primary victim. BYU (9-1) sitting at No. 11 is the most glaring indictment of the committee's process. The Cougars possess a Strength of Record (SOR) superior to three teams ranked a...

Week 13 in the Big 12 is shaping up to be a definitive separation Saturday, with College Football Playoff (CFP) implications hanging precariously in the balance. As the 2025 regular season nears its conclusion, the conference is cannibalizing itself in classic fashion, leaving fans and analysts alike glued to the standings. The headliner this weekend is undoubtedly No. 11 BYU traveling to No. 25 C...

🔒 Double Clinch: How BYU and Texas Tech Can Lock Up the Big 12 Title Game   The Big 12 Championship race is reaching its thrilling climax, and there is a very real possibility that both the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars could clinch their spots this weekend, setting up a highly anticipated rematch in Arlington.   Texas Tech’s Clinch Scenario   The No. 6 Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)...

The persistent ranking of traditional "blue blood" programs like Alabama and Notre Dame above teams like BYU and Utah, even when the latter hold comparable or superior records, is rooted in the subjective nature of the College Football Playoff selection process. This disparity stems primarily from three factors: historical prestige, perceived strength of schedule (SOS), and the subjective "eye tes...

The prospect of the Big 12 landing three teams in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is no longer a fantasy—it’s a tangible goal driven by the stellar performances of Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah . This level of representation would be a colossal, unprecedented success, immediately validating the conference's aggressive expansion and its quality as a powerhouse league. The current strength...

The Big 12 delivered an absolutely thrilling and consequentially good weekend of football, successfully mixing dominant performances from its top contenders with the kind of unpredictable upsets that define the conference's wild spirit. On one hand, the playoff hopefuls delivered massive, statement wins. The Texas Tech Red Raiders solidified their championship credentials with a crushing 48-9 vict...

Saturday, November 15, 2025, delivered a chaotic and captivating slate of Big 12 football that simultaneously clarified the title race while serving up a major upset. The day was headlined by three dominant statement victories that solidified the conference's College Football Playoff aspirations. The No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders put on a masterclass, routing UCF 48-9 to secure their tenth win and...

The latest week of college football was an unqualified success for the Big 12, as its top-tier contenders—Texas Tech, Utah, and BYU—delivered massive, confidence-boosting victories on Saturday, November 15, 2025, that drastically improved the conference's position in the national landscape. The marquee performance came from the No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders , who completely dismantled UCF in a 48-9...

Big 12 Momentum: BYU and Utah's Key Wins The 2025 college football season has seen both BYU and Utah secure defining victories, reinforcing their status as formidable contenders in the reshaped Big 12 Conference. For the BYU Cougars, the pivotal moment arrived on October 18th in the emotionally charged Holy War matchup against their in-state rivals. Their narrow 24-21 victory over the Utes, sealed...

The Big 12 Conference slate this weekend is exceptionally strong, marked by several high-stakes matchups that directly impact the race for the December 6th Championship Game in Arlington. With the conference standings bottlenecked at the top—featuring No. 6 Texas Tech (9-1) followed closely by No. 12 BYU (8-1) and No. 25 Cincinnati (7-2)—every game involving a contender is essentially an eliminati...

OU and Texas, the newcomers of the SEC, square off with Alabama and Georgia this weekend in two huge games. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! DoorDash With DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18. Supply...

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee experienced a sudden and significant leadership shake-up in November 2025, just weeks before the final rankings were due to be released for the expanded 12-team playoff. The catalyst for the changes was Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades, who stepped down from his role as CFP Selection Committee Chairman and took a leave of absence from the...

The argument that BYU and Utah are undervalued by the College Football Playoff Committee often centers on a deep-seated institutional and brand bias that favors traditional powerhouses. Despite both teams—especially after joining the new P4 conference—amassing solid resumes, the committee’s ranking logic appears inconsistent when compared to peer teams from the SEC or Big Ten. For BYU, the underva...

This is a sensitive topic that requires careful consideration of the boundary between sports commentary and religious critique. While specific public incidents involving ESPN’s Ryan McGee and perceived mockery of the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith have occasionally surfaced in fan discussions, the broader conversation centers on the inherent tension when a religious institution like Brigham Young Un...

The scenario of the SEC placing eight teams into the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) is the ultimate "chaos theory" outcome, considered highly improbable but theoretically possible under the current format, which awards seven at-large bids in addition to the five highest-ranked conference champions. The Math: A Near-Total Conference Domination For eight SEC teams to qualify, the conference...

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee delivered a tough assessment of the Big 12 race tonight, dropping the BYU Cougars from No. 7 all the way down to No. 12 in its second set of rankings for the 2025 season. This substantial drop—five spots—is a direct consequence of their decisive 29-7 road loss to Texas Tech this past Saturday. The Committee's Message The significant slide, des...

The massive victory by No. 9 Texas Tech over No. 7 BYU has profoundly simplified the Big 12 Championship picture, though a number of scenarios remain that could still create a chaotic finish to the 2025 season. As of Monday, November 10, the race for the two spots in the Arlington title game is effectively a three-way battle at the top, with the Red Raiders controlling their destiny.   The Most Li...

The previously undefeated No. 7 BYU Cougars suffered a decisive 29-7 loss to No. 9 Texas Tech on Saturday, November 8, 2025, a result that dramatically reshaped the Big 12 Championship race and complicated BYU's path to the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP).   The Defensive Masterclass   The story of the game was the suffocating performance of the Texas Tech defense, which held the high-powe...