The Big 12 is gearing up to be the most exciting race for only one CFB playoff team

College football conference realignment has shifted the power scale of which teams will get one of the 12 coveted spots in the new expanded CFB playoff. 

The Big Ten and SEC will most likely have the most teams from their conference with three-to-four teams likely to duke it out for a national championship. 

But what about the Big 12?

The conference has one of the most exciting players in college football in Travis Hunter and a chance to be a team that could storm through the rest of conference play and force its way into the CFP. It has perhaps the most exciting second half of the season slate for just one team to grab the spot. 

Who that team could be is up in the air. 

Which Big 12 Team could bust through the CFP?

Realistically, Iowa State or Utah is the conference’s best shot at having at least one team in the College Football Playoff. 

Iowa State started the season unranked, but has started the season 6-0 and one of the current playoff bubble teams. The SEC is dominating the top half of the rankings, but they all play each other so that will take care of itself. 

The Cyclones only have two games left against teams currently ranked in the top 25. Ending the season against No. 18 Utah and No. 20 Kansas State could be the setup for the which of these teams deserves a spot. 

And with the parity in college football, anything can happen.

Oklahoma State has cooled off after nearly cracking the top 10 to start the season. Utah suffered a disappointing loss to Arizona last week. 

The only other ranked team in the Big 12, BYU, looks like the team to beat so far. The Cougars sit atop the Big 12 standings and one of two undefeated teams in the conference and one of three with undefeated conference records. 

But there’s a lot that can happen. Colorado, though they aren’t ranked, have a chance to play for a conference title, which could be the de facto elimination game for the conference. 

If the season ended today, BYU is my guess to find a way into the CFP. But there’s a lot that can happen in the Big 12. And while it’s hard to imagine multiple teams from the conference landing in the playoff, it could end up being two depending on how plays out. 

Colorado could get hot at the right time and potentially be a bubble team. And it's hard to see college football's most exciting players not in the playoff.

Texas Tech could be a bubble team too. 

Unfortunately, Texas Tech, Colorado, BYU, Kansas State and Iowa State are battling it out for one playoff spot. 

I guess we’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.