ESPN releases final preseason Big 12 Football rankings

Ahead of the start of the 2025 college football season, the finishing touches are being put on prognostications and predictions. And the final numbers are being crunched.

ESPN’s SP+ rankings do plenty of number-crunching to give fans an idea of what to expect out of teams each fall. And the final SP+ rankings before the season have revealed the pecking order for each conference.

On3 stops to take a look at the projections for the Big 12 going into the year based on the SP+ rankings. Let’s begin our dive below (national ranking included in parentheses).

1. Kansas State Wildcats (18)

When you’ve got a quarterback like Avery Johnson, you’ve got a chance to be a very, very good football team. Johnson will return more seasoned than ever, and he’s got a talented backfield to lean on, led by Dylan Edwards.

The schedule opens up with a bang, as the Week 0 game will pit Kansas State against a ranked Iowa State squad. That could determine the early leader in the Big 12 race this fall.

2. Utah Utes (26)

Utah is relying on a transfer quarterback to step in and get the job done, as Devon Dampier takes over at the position. He’ll be working with a receiver group that was also retooled via the transfer portal.

The defense is made up of veterans almost across the board, so Utah should have some chance to grow into itself this fall. A road trip to UCLA looms as the opener, though, so there will be an early test out of the gates.

3. TCU Horned Frogs (28)

The Horned Frogs are only a couple years removed from a national title game appearance, and this year could put the program back on track at that level. There is experience virtually across the board on both sides of the football.

TCU also begins the season with a strong test, facing North Carolina and Bill Belichick on the East Coast. Like the rest of the Big 12, the schedule is littered with potential landmines in conference play.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (29)

Few have spent as much in the NIL era as Texas Tech has, working to get the roster up to snuff. As you might expect, there are plenty of transfers. About half of the starting offense and half the starting defense could be made up of transfers this fall.

The good news for Texas Tech is that the schedule is fairly manageable: Only two of the currently ranked Big 12 opponents appear on the slate. And there’s time to work into things, as the first two games are against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kent State.

5. Arizona State Sun Devils (30)

The Sun Devils must replace star tailback Cam Skattebo, but the good news is quarterback Sam Leavitt and top target Jordyn Tyson are both back. Coach Kenny Dillingham has proven he can get a roster up to snuff quickly.

The non-conference slate includes a potentially tricky road trip to a rebuilding Mississippi State. Still, if Arizona State wants to get where it would like, it will need to win that football game.

6. Iowa State Cyclones (31)

Another of the Big 12 teams that is ranked to start the season, Iowa State will likely have to beat Kansas State in the international opener if it hopes to keep that number next to its name. It won’t be easy.

Elsewhere, though, the schedule doesn’t look all that bad. Arizona State is the only other currently ranked team on the docket.

7. Baylor Bears (35)

Dave Aranda has turned things around somewhat, but he’ll have his work cut out for him keeping it going early in the year. Three of the first six opponents are ranked and another is Auburn.

That won’t be an easy stretch to get through, and the pressure could easily start to mount. How the Baylor football team manages the outside noise could be as key as anything else.

8. BYU Cougars (36)

One of the biggest offseason stories occurred at BYU just before camp, and it had nothing to do with football. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff bolted for Tulane after he was faced with a seven-game suspension for an alleged violation of the school’s honor code.

That leaves the Cougars with questions to answer going into the year. The schedule is favorable, though, with a path to 6-0 before a game against Utah and then a tougher second half of the schedule.

9. Kansas Jayhawks (48)

Kansas returns one of the most veteran quarterbacks in the nation in Jalon Daniels. The question will remain whether he can stay healthy throughout the season, something that’s proven a challenge thus far in his career.

The Jayhawks have turned to a healthy dose of transfers to supplement the roster, so how they adapt will be vital. The schedule includes three ranked Big 12 opponents and a road trip to Missouri — a tough one.

10. Colorado Buffaloes (49)

The story around Colorado this offseason was the health of coach Deion Sanders. But despite his challenges with bladder cancer, he’s ready to go and the team seems ready to respond with him.

Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will take over at quarterback, while the offensive line is made up almost entirely of transfers too. A season opener against Georgia Tech could provide a tough starting point for Colorado.

Rest of the Big 12: 11-16

11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (57)
12. UCF Knights (58)
13. Cincinnati Bearcats (59)
14. West Virginia Mountaineers (60)
15. Arizona Wildcats (61)
16. Houston Cougars (63)