Ranking the teams most likely to win a Big 12 championship
5. Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State is perhaps the biggest surprise on this list and remains in the hunt with just four weeks remaining in the regular season. So far this year, the Cyclones are just 5-3 overall, but have won four Big 12 contests including solid victories over Oklahoma State and TCU, and recent wins over Cincinnati and Baylor.Ìý
The season began with some turmoil for Iowa State as starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers stepped away from the program after he was found guilty of betting on games last year. Freshman Rocco Becht has stepped in and played admirably in his first season, but it’s the Cyclones’ defense that has really helped the team to a winning season as the unit has given up less than 20 points per game, even despite a blowout loss to Oklahoma in which it let the Sooners score 50 points.Ìý
The loss to Oklahoma was a big one, and casts doubt on how well Iowa State can actually compete against top-25 teams. There is no shortage of top-25 opponents ahead on the Cyclones’ schedule, but if they could find a way to win two of three games against Kansas, Texas and Kansas State, while also taking care of business at BYU, they may have an outside chance at a Big 12 Championship game berth.
