The Big 12 regular season ended, and the two teams set for the conference championship game were confirmed.
After two months of conference play, it came to an end for the Big 12 on Nov. 23 and 24. It solidified the conference championship game — which takes place on Dec. 1 — and the final standings for the other eight teams.
A shootout between Oklahoma and West Virginia highlighted the week, with the Sooners winning this matchup to reach the title game and leave the Mountaineers out of the mix. Texas’ win cemented their spot, too.
Other matchups didn’t impact the title scene, but they either made or broke team’s chances at a bowl game. One coach was even fired for his team’s latest loss.
How did this impact the final Big 12 rankings? Let’s take a look:
Kansas closed its dreadful season with another loss, 24-17, to the Texas Longhorns. This was head coach David Beaty’s final game in Lawrence, as the school fired him earlier this month. He remained for the rest of the season, with the Texas matchup as the definitive last hurrah.
The Jayhawks were down 21-0 at one point, but a 17-point splurge in the fourth quarter made it closer than it should have. This comeback happened too late, as well, so they lost their chance at a fourth win. Kansas finished at 3-9 with four consecutive losses. A poor way to close the Beaty era, but it opened Les Miles’ tenure, as he will become the next head coach.
Kansas State had a bowl appearance on the line and played like it. They kept it close against Iowa State and even had the lead, but a fourth-quarter stampede from the Cyclones cost head coach Bill Snyder’s team a spot in the postseason. The Wildcats made a late-season comeback for a bowl game, as they won their previous two games to move to 5-6. However, a make-or-break matchup at Iowa State proved too much and sent home this underwhelming team. Seniors will graduate and new players will arrive, so let’s see how the next iteration of Kansas State football looks like nine months.