No. 24 Arizona State’s win over No. 14 Texas Tech tightens Big 12 race

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — No. 24 Arizona State is right where it was a year ago before winning the Big 12 championship and earning the program’s first trip to the College Football Playoff.

The Sun Devils’ 26-22 win over No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday moved them to 3-1 in conference — same as last season — while tightening up the Big 12 race.

Arizona State’s victory left No. 11 BYU and No. 21 Cincinnati as the only undefeated teams left in Big 12 play, but also puts three teams within a half-game back. Another six teams are a game behind at 2-2 as the league rounds toward the second half of its season.

“It’s like survive and then survive again — and then keep trying to survive,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday.

A look at where the Big 12 race stands heading into the final five weeks of the regular season:

BYU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12)

The Cougars have passed every test so far in coach Kalani Sitake’s 10th season, but it hasn’t always been easy.

BYU held off Colorado by three points, needed double overtime to beat Arizona and grinded out a 24-21 victory over rival Utah to win its third straight Holy War on Saturday.

The Cougars have been stout on defense, ranking in the top 20 nationally in total and scoring defense, and Bear Bachmeier has been superb as the first freshman to start a season at quarterback in program history.

BYU faces a tough stretch coming up with games at Iowa State and Texas Tech, along with a road game at Cincinnati after hosting TCU. The Cougars close the regular season at home against UCF.

Cincinnati (6-1, 4-0)

The Bearcats have been one of the nation’s biggest surprises, earning their first AP Top 25 ranking in three years a week ago, then stretching their winning streak to six straight games with Saturday’s 49-17 blowout of Oklahoma State.

Cincinnati opened the season with a three-point loss to Nebraska, but knocked off Kansas, then-No. 14 Iowa State and UCF before taking down the Cowboys.

Led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby (1,752 yards, 17 TDs passing), the Bearcats are second in the Big 12 in scoring at 37.9 points per game and their offensive line is tied for the national lead with two sacks allowed.

Cincinnati hosts Baylor on Saturday before heading for what should be a tough game at Utah. The Bearcats then have home games against BYU and Arizona before closing out the regular season at TCU.

Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1)

Despite the loss to Arizona State, the Red Raiders are still in the Big 12 title hunt. Their biggest hurdle may be overcoming injuries.

Quarterback Behren Morton has gone out of three games and didn’t play against the Sun Devils with a knee injury. Texas Tech also lost defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard to a season-ending ankle surgery, but still has one of the nation’s best defenses.

The Red Raiders host struggling Oklahoma State on Saturday before heading on the road to face Kansas State. Texas Tech has home games against BYU and UCF, with the regular-season finale at West Virginia.

Houston (6-1, 3-1)

Coach Willie Fritz has the Cougars on the upswing.

A year after going 4-8 in Fritz’s first season, the Cougars are already bowl-eligible for the first time in three years and are off to their best start since 2021 following Saturday’s walk-off 31-29 win over Arizona.

Houston is near middle of the Big 12 pack offensively and defensively, but keeps finding ways to win.

The Cougars face one of their toughest games of the season Saturday at Arizona State, then host West Virginia. Houston closes out the season against TCU and at Baylor.

Arizona State (5-2, 3-1)

The Sun Devils seem to be in any game quarterback Sam Leavitt plays. Arizona State is 11-0 in Big 12 games when Leavitt starts and its only conference loss this season was last week against Utah, when Leavitt was out with a foot injury.

The Sun Devils won the Big 12 title and reached the CFP last season by winning their final six games, so it would be hard to count them out.

Arizona State hosts Houston on Saturday, then plays at Iowa State and at home against West Virginia. The Sun Devils close out the season at Colorado and at home against rival Arizona.

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