The BIG 12 has been a guessing game for years at this point for who are the contenders and pretenders. This year is no different with the top 6-8 teams all being within a projected two wins of each other. There are plenty of viable options for this conference to take home the hardware but, only one will have the honor of winning the Big 12. Heading into the season, here is how each team ranks:
1. Arizona State – Having arguably the best QB-WR tandem in all of college football, in Sam Leavitt and Jordan Tyson, will certainly keep them as the favorites until proven otherwise. ASU went from projected last in this conference last year and having no clear starting QB at the time to leaders of the pack. Kenny Dillingham has rejuvenated life back into this program and is looking to ride this momentum into the 2025 season.
2. Texas Tech – The Red Raiders bring in a massive transfer portal haul (21 players, 13 four-star) that will shape the lineup. The defense will revamped while playing under a new coordinator. On paper Texas Tech has been the biggest off-season winner thus far. They are putting their money where their mouth is, showing how important football is in the state of Texas. The returning experience and production at QB, Berhen Morton, also matters when it comes to believing this team can take the next step.
3. Kansas State – The Wildcats have been a consistent contender under Klieman while returning QB Avery Johnson. The defense lost production, but the offense will be the driving force of this team. Despite losing some key pieces on defense, they return big-time LB Austin Romaine to be the heart and soul of that unit. Along with Avery Johnson, they return Dylan Edwards at RB for his first chance at starting and can form an explosive backfield amongst the two top-tier athletes.
4. Baylor – Ended ’24 on a six‑game win streak; QB Robertson and RB Washington return; secondary upgraded. They also have a very formidable number 2 RB in Dawson Pendergrass. They’ll have no shortage of offensive firepower so if Coach Aranda can make sure his specialty of coaching defense is up to par this team can make noise.
5. BYU – Nearly made CFP in ’24, returning top offense; defense needs reinforcement; still a top‑25 threat. Jake Retzlaff departs as he entered the transfer portal amid controversy. LJ Martin might be one of the better not not-talked-about about running backs in the nation.
6. Iowa State – Made title game in ’24; Rocco Becht returns, but lost key receivers/secondary; relying on transfers to help fill in lost production. Another team that has lost major production at receiver, but Coach Campbell is one of the best coaches at developing talent. The defense will be strong once again with Kooper Ebel controlling that side of the ball. Watch out for the 1-2 punch at RB to stay active early and often, controlling the pace for this team each week.
7. Utah – New OC Beck and QB Dampier aim to revive offense; defense remains stout; potential sleeper. This could be the ASU team from a year ago that experts didn’t see coming. Utah has a good reputation over the years, but after a disappointing season, they’ve lost that flair in the public's view. This team added firepower to the offense that could vault them right back into contention.
8. TCU – Strong finish in ’24 (9‑4), QB Hoover leads, but must improve run game and consistency. They’ve lost three of their top receivers from a year ago which is something to worry about. They do return Eric McCallister out wide to lead the charge. On defense, they return safety Bud Clark, but outside of him have question marks around the field.
9. Kansas – Jalon Daniels returns healthy; offense up, but lost DB depth and running back; defense must step up. They finished the year last season on a strong note but if the defense can’t be consistent then this will be a team scraping by again for a bowl berth.
10. Colorado – The defense has been strong under Deion Sanders, but loses Travis Hunter and Shilo Sanders in the secondary. For the most part the offense is unproven and the lines need work on both sides of the football. This is where the drop off begins in this conference. Losing two of the best players in the country will prove to be too much. Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter are solid options at quarterback but, Deion will need to break in a new quarterback.
11. Houston – New QB Weigman brings talent; defense shined last year; heavy reliance on new coach Armstrong. Weigman gets his second chance to prove his talent was real, coming out of high school as a top recruit. They do have two more underrated transfers on offense, being RB Dean Conners and TE Tanner Koziol. The offense has some talent, but the defense will have to hold up against some of the other good offenses around the conference.
12. West Virginia – Lost 51 via portal, but RB White and new DC Alley bring promise; rebuilding year ahead. Coach Rodriguez is losing time to prove he’s the right guy to steer the ship. They had high expectations last season and fell short. New QB Marchiol can make some noise but they lost a lot on offense with no more WR Clement and RB Donaldson. They did get some intriguing pass rushers via the portal, but the defense is mediocre at best.
13. Cincinnati – QB Sorsby has potential; DL strength starts with Corleone; defense struggled last year; bowl margins are tight. Not much added to the team that can swing the needle a lot for them. They were an average team last season and expect more of the same with a rebuilding type of year ahead.
14. Arizona – Offseason losses hit hard; new coach Brennan faces red flags; QB Fifita returns with a lot of production, but the major loss is Tetairoa McMillan. Defense will be an issue once again without many additions to move the needle. If the offense can't limit turnovers more than a year ago, expect more of the same results.
15. Oklahoma State – Mike Gundy faces massive turnover; portal help arrived but QB questions remain; depth thin. Losing Ollie Gordon and Alan Bowman could hurt them after an already disappointing season from a year ago. Hauss Hejny has unlimited talent that can prove to be of extreme value but without much around him it will be tough for him to carry the load.
16. UCF – Rebuilding under Scott Frost; massive turnover; quarterback room among the weakest; first year will be rough. Frost coming back will be great for the program but he was left a mess to clean up. A lot of players coming in and going out. They had to use the transfer portal like no other so nobody knows how this team will jell right away.
This conference is a muddled slugfest each week without much givens from each team. There is a tier from the top to the bottom but it’s not by much. The upper echelon is pretty clear but you can expect many “upsets” this year just like last without many experts knowing how this season will ultimately shape out. This is becoming the new norm for the BIG 12 becoming a year to year question mark and wondering which team will be next up to shock the college football world.