Big 12 weekend matchups become spicy as playoff destinations appear. A CFB writer for The Athletic believes it will all come down to one game and picks Kyle Whittingham’s Utah Utes as the favorites. For a side that finished 5-7 last year, that’s ambitious. But you make your own luck, and Utah did just that.

Significantly, Texas Tech currently leads the Big 12 standings. However, six other teams are fighting for the second spot. With BYU, Utah, Houston, Arizona State, Cincinnati, and Arizona all in contention, the race will come down to the final two games of the season. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic tweeted, “It snuck up on me that if Cincinnati beats BYU this week you could have a five-way tie for second in the Big 12.”

If the Bearcats secure a win at Nippert, the battle for the No. 2 position will be decided in the season finale. That scenario would benefit Kyle Whittingham’s Utah Utes, who would have a relatively easier path than the others if BYU were to fall. They face Kansas State next with a 5-5 record and later face the Kansas Jayhawks, who are near the bottom of the ladder. Utes’ clear path to the playoffs looks promising considering BYU’s next few fixtures.

Sitting third in the Big 12, Utah could leap ahead of BYU if the Cougars lose in Week 13. Yet, BYU could also claim the second spot with its last game against UCF, which ranks under the table with a 4-6 record. But if at all the Cougars win both their games and Texas Tech loses its game against West Virginia, then BYU could finish on top. It’s a list of possibilities that are about to happen. Yet, it could go the other way around for BYU.

The Utah Utes have already put together an 8-2 season, but both Texas Tech and BYU have kept them out of the top two spots with high-class performances. Now, Kyle Whittingham’s team sits in pole position to climb into the top two if Cincinnati wins this weekend. That possibility puts HC Kalani Sitake in a dangerous spot, as four other programs are now eyeing BYU for the championship spot.

It’s not the time to hit the panic buttons, though, for Sitake. The five-way tie and Utah’s potential jump only happen if BYU loses. As long as the Cougars stay composed and win their Week 13 matchup, they remain in pole position to finish the season inside the top two.

Week 13 will have major implications for how the Big 12 season ends

All eyes will be on the BYU-Cincinnati Week 13 game. The result of that game will decide how the season goes for the rest of the teams in contention. If Cincinnati wins, the decider for the second spot will go to Week 14, with Kyle Whittingham’s side favorites. However, he will have to make sure his side wins against Kansas City.

If BYU wins, it essentially means the end of Cincinnati and Arizona State’s hopes for the spot. In that scenario, only Utah and Houston will be able to contend, but they will have to win both of their remaining games and hope that the Cougars lose at home to the 14th-place UCF Knights.

That is a lot of would-be scenarios for Kyle Whittingham and Utah. So, it will come as no surprise as to who they will be rooting for this weekend. The championship game hopes stand on Cincinnati’s shoulders, which ironically has the support of four rival teams to win the game.