Joel Klatt predicts 2025 Big 12 Championship matchup, winner

Ahead of the 2025 season, Joel Klatt is making his picks on who will win each conference. And in a wide-open Big 12 race, his picks to make the championship game and win the league might surprise you.

On The Joel Klatt Show, the noted analyst picked Kansas State to win the league. But he thinks the Wildcats will have some stiff competition.

“Kansas State and Utah are going to play for the Big 12 title,” Klatt said. “I think Utah’s going to have a really good year. Again, I just kind of tucked them away in the back end of that top 25 in the preseason. But just don’t be surprised if they make a bit of a run.”

Klatt broke down exactly why he thinks Utah will represent the Big 12 in the conference championship game. Schedule has a lot to do with it.

“They’ve got some of their tougher games at home,” he said. “They’re very good in Salt Lake. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they actually win a lot of those games, play in the Big 12 championship game. They might even be favored in that game.”

Still, it’s Kansas State that Klatt sees winning the Big 12. There’s just too much to like about the Wildcats.

“I’ve got Kansas State winning the Big 12,” Klatt said. “They have been the picture of consistency in this conference. Chris Klieman has done a hell of a job. They’ve got the experience at quarterback. So I’m going to lean toward Kansas State here as the winners of the Big 12.”

Josh Pate picks different Big 12 winner

Another noted college football analyst also picked the winner in the league going into the season. And he had two different participants in the title game.

Josh Pate believes there will be a lot of chaos in the Big 12. And he sees Arizona State and Texas Tech coming out on top.

“My conference championship prediction in the Big 12 is a rematch of a regular season game…Texas Tech vs. Arizona State in the league championship game,” stated Pate. “Kenny Dillingham may have peaking at the right time figured out. I’m taking Arizona State to repeat as the conference champ here, which will be the first time in half a decade that that’s happened.

“Arizona State-Texas Tech? I think it’s going to be one of the games of the year in-season and, unlike the conference championship game out there last year, I think the Big 12 Championship Game will revert back to being an evergreen, instant classic because it’s the Big 12. I expect nothing less.”