Examining Arizona State's Path to Big 12 Title Game

TEMPE -- The pursuit of a Big 12 title game appearance for the second straight season is not dead for Arizona State.

That much became apparent following a win over Iowa State that was accompanied by losses by both Houston and Cincinnati.

While the path still requires numerous steps to actually come to fruition, it is possible to accomplish - Arizona State on SI explores what must happen below.

Part 1: Sun Devils Win Out

This is the step that has to happen before anything else can be considered.

Arizona State is in the face of an off week before they face West Virginia at home on November 15. The Mountaineers defeated Houston 45-35 last week in what was their best performance as a team since defeating Pittsburgh in non-conference play.

The Sun Devils then travel to face the Colorado Buffaloes on November 22. Deion Sanders' program has suffered two consecutive harrowing defeats and don't seem to have an answer at quarterback despite a small handful of strong showings by Kaidon Salter.

The regular season ends on November 28 when Arizona State hosts bitter rival Arizona for a chance to keep the Territorial Cup in Tempe for another year. Kenny Dillingham's squad should finish the campaign by winning all three games when it's all said and done.

Part 2: Brigham Young Defeats Texas Tech, Cincinnati

This is where things complicate. The cleanest path to making it back to the title game involved undefeated BYU going to Lubbock and defeating Texas Tech - which gifts the Sun Devils the standings advantage due to head-to-head results. A Texas Tech victory practically ensures they will finish within the top two, as their final games after the fact are favorable.

BYU would also hand Cincinnati another loss in an ideal world, although the Bearcats do not have an "easy" win left on their schedule. The Sun Devils would have the tiebreaker in most occasions if Cincinnati has two conference losses.

Part 3: Utah, Houston Lose At Least One More Game

Arizona State unfortunately does not have the tiebreaker on their side against either Utah or Houston. Houston is set to square off with TCU and Baylor - which certainly invites the possibility of at least one loss, while Utah's likeliest loss is at Baylor two weeks from now.

The path is one where many pieces need to fall in place, but remains a fairly straightforward one that remains possible as long as the Sun Devils finish the season 9-3.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here

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