Get Ready with the Parity in the Big 12 You Need to Know the Tiebreakers

STILLWATER – In my Big 12 Media Preseason Football Poll vote I had to use a tiebreaker procedue because I had Oklahoma State, Kansas State, West Virginia, and UCF all tied for first place. I go to the extreme of picking every game in the conference. I have to because not just opponents, but where, when, and who you play before and after impact my projections. In this season where there are two bye weekends for each team those come into play as well. Two weeks to prepare for an opponent that doesn’t have the same luxury is a big deal. My tiebreaker left Oklahoma State on top and West Virginia was next putting the Cowboys and the Mountaineers in the Big 12 Championship Game. The projected win over West Virginia in the game scheduled on Oct. 5 in Boone Pickens Stadium was the difference as the two played head-to-head. Oklahoma State was 1-1 against the tie group as were the others.

Everybody remembers last season where the wording of the tiebreaker became a major issue. The Big 12 stepped in and clarified that. Keep these handy as I predict that you will need them in November.

 Big 12 Football Tiebreaking Procedures 

Two-Team Tie

1. If two teams are tied for first place both teams will participate in the championship game and the winner of the head-to-head will be the #1 seed. If there is not a tie for first place, but two teams are tied for second place, the two-team tiebreaker policy will apply, and the winner will be the #2 seed and visiting team.

If no game is played between the two tied teams or that game ends in a tie, the following tie-breaking procedures shall be applied.

2. Win percentage against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on record in all games played within the Conference), proceeding through the standings.

When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams.

3. Win percentage against all common conference opponents. 

4. Combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (ie, strength of conference schedule). 

5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins:

Only one win against a team from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision or lower division will be counted annually.

Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules. (current Bylaw 17.10.5.2.1) shall not be included. 

6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games.

7. Coin toss 

Multiple-Team Ties

In the event of a tie between more than two teams, the following procedures will be used. After one team has an advantage and is “seeded”, all remaining teams in the multiple-team tiebreaker will repeat the multiple-team tie-breaking procedure. If at any point the multiple-team tie is reduced to two teams, the two-team tie-breaking procedure will be applied.

1. Head-to-head (best cumulative win percentage in games among the tied teams). If not, every tied team has played each other, go to step 2. 

2. Record against the next highest placed common opponent in the standings (based on record in all games played within the conference), proceeding through the standings.

When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s win percentage against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure) rather than the performance against individual tied teams.

3. Win percentage against all common conference opponents (must be common among all teams involved in the tie).

4. Combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents (ie, strength of conference schedule).

5. Total number of wins in a 12-game season. The following conditions will apply to the calculation of the total number of wins:

Only one win against a team from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision or lower division will be counted annually. 

Any games that are exempted from counting against the annual maximum number of football contests per NCAA rules. (current Bylaw 17.10.5.2.1) shall not be included.

6. Highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team Rating Score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games.

7. Coin toss