Predicting every Big 12 football game in 2025, every team's final record

No other major conference in college football will prove as competitive at the top than the Big 12, which saw its projected last-place team win the championship and earn a place in the College Football Playoff a year ago.

That result helped inspire the Big 12 to can preseason rankings, so we don’t know who that team would be this time around, but it certainly wouldn’t have been Arizona State, that expected stinker that went on to win the league crown a year ago.

What can we make of every game in the Big 12 this fall? Here are our game-by-game predictions for every team in the conference in the 2025 football season.

Cincinnati

Nebraska (loss), Bowling Green (win), Northwestern State (win), at Kansas (loss), Iowa State (loss), UCF (win), at Oklahoma State (loss), Baylor (loss), at Utah (loss), Arizona (loss), BYU (loss), at TCU (loss)

This looks like a third-straight losing season for Scott Satterfield, and Cincinnati’s head coach is definitely on the hot seat heading into the 2025 season.

Cincinnati prediction: 3-9 (1-8)

Arizona

Hawaii (win), Weber State (win), Kansas State (loss), at Iowa State (loss), Oklahoma State (win), BYU (loss), at Houston (loss), at Colorado (loss), Kansas (loss), at Cincinnati (win), Baylor (loss), at Arizona State (loss)

There could be a few surprise wins for the Wildcats against this slate, but it’s tough to see this team crack the .500 mark in Brent Brennan’s second year on the sideline.

Arizona prediction: 4-8 (2-7)

UCF

Jacksonville State (win), North Carolina A&T (win), North Carolina (win), at Kansas State (loss), Kansas (win), at Cincinnati (loss), West Virginia (loss), at Baylor (loss), Houston (win), at Texas Tech (loss), Oklahoma State (loss), at BYU (loss)

Scott Frost reunites with his old team, and we project he’ll score a statement win against Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels early on, but the rest of this Big 12 schedule is tough.

UCF prediction: 5-7 (2-7)

Predicting every Big 12 football game in the 2025 season — Rich Rod is back at West Virginia in 2025. | Pouya Dianat-Imagn Images

West Virginia

Robert Morris (win), at Ohio (win), Pittsburgh (win), at Kansas (loss), Utah (loss), at BYU (loss), at UCF (win), TCU (loss), at Houston (loss), Colorado (win), at Arizona State (loss), Texas Tech (win)

Rich Rod is back in Morgantown, supervising a roster in major transition, and hoping he can return the Mountaineers to the success they enjoyed under his first tenure.

West Virginia prediction: 6-6 (3-6)

Colorado

Georgia Tech (loss), Delaware (win), at Houston (win), Wyoming (win), BYU (loss), at TCU (loss), Iowa State (win), at Utah (loss), Arizona (win), at West Virginia (loss), Arizona State (loss), at Kansas State (loss)

The two big reasons behind Colorado’s improvement a year ago, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, are out of the picture, which could result in a marked step backwards for the Buffaloes in Coach Prime’s third time out.

Colorado prediction: 5-7 (3-6)

Houston

Stephen F. Austin (win), at Rice (win), Colorado (loss), at Oregon State (win), Texas Tech (loss), at Oklahoma State (loss), Arizona (win), at Arizona State (loss), West Virginia (win), at UCF (loss), TCU (win), at Baylor (loss)

We should see the Cougars get into a bowl game in Willie Fritz’s second season, building on a strong start to the year with what could be an undefeated non-conference run.

Houston prediction: 6-6 (3-6)

Oklahoma State

UT Martin (win), at Oregon (loss), Tulsa (win), Baylor (loss), at Arizona (loss), Houston (win), Cincinnati (win), at Texas Tech (loss), at Kansas (loss), Kansas State (win), at UCF (win), Iowa State (loss)

Mike Gundy went winless in Big 12 play a year ago, but his Cowboys should see some modest improvement at least against conference opponents.

Oklahoma State prediction: 6-6 (4-5)

Kansas

Fresno State (win), Wagner (win), at Missouri (loss), West Virginia (win), Cincinnati (win), at UCF (loss), at Texas Tech (loss), Kansas State (loss), Oklahoma State (win), at Arizona (win), at Iowa State (loss), Utah (loss)

Kansas should get back to a bowl game this year after missing out last season with quarterback Jalon Daniels back for a sixth year alongside head coach Lance Leipold, but this Big 12 slate looks tough for the Jayhawks.

Kansas prediction: 6-6 (4-5)

TCU

at North Carolina (win), Abilene Christian (win), SMU (win), at Arizona State (loss), Colorado (win), at Kansas State (loss), Baylor (loss), at West Virginia (win), Iowa State (win), at BYU (win), at Houston (loss), Cincinnati (win)

We project the Frogs will trash Bill Belichick’s college football debut in Week 1, but the rest of this conference slate will be challenging.

TCU prediction: 8-4 (5-4)

Predicting every Big 12 football game in 2025 season — BYU lost its star quarterback this offseason, which could cut into its offense heading into a competitive Big 12 title race. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

BYU

Portland State (win), Stanford (win), at East Carolina (loss), at Colorado (loss), West Virginia (win), at Arizona (win), Utah (loss), at Iowa State (loss), at Texas Tech (loss), TCU (loss), at Cincinnati (win), UCF (win)

The absence of Jake Retzlaff, the Cougars’ star quarterback who left school after an honor code violation, will definitely cut into this offense.

BYU prediction: 6-6 (4-5)

Iowa State

Kansas State (loss), South Dakota (win), Iowa (win), at Arkansas State (win), Arizona (win), at Cincinnati (win), at Colorado (loss), BYU (win), Arizona State (win), at TCU (loss), Kansas (win), at Oklahoma State (win)

Farmageddon could go a long way in shaping the competitive Big 12 title picture right away in Week 0, and the Cyclones get rematches at home against rival Iowa and Big 12 champion Arizona State, which beat this team in that game last year.

Iowa State prediction: 9-3 (6-3)

Texas Tech

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (win), Kent State (win), Oregon State (win), at Utah (loss), at Houston (win), Kansas (win), at Arizona State (loss), Oklahoma State (win), at Kansas State (win), BYU (win), UCF (win), at West Virginia (loss)

Coming off a landmark offseason NIL investment, the Red Raiders could have one of college football’s most-improved defense, especially up front, and return Behren Morton, one of the nation’s more overlooked quarterbacks to lead this attack.

Texas Tech prediction: 9-3 (6-3)

Utah

at UCLA (win), Cal Poly (win), at Wyoming (win), Texas Tech (win), at West Virginia (win), Arizona State (loss), at BYU (win), Colorado (win), Cincinnati (win), at Baylor (win), Kansas State (loss), at Kansas (win)

The addition of Devon Dampier at quarterback and offensive coordinator Jason Beck should get immediate returns for the Utes’ offense, and they’re lucky to get Texas Tech at home.

Utah prediction: 10-2 (7-2)

Baylor

Auburn (win), at SMU (loss), Samford (win), Arizona State (win), at Oklahoma State (win), Kansas State (loss), at TCU (win), at Cincinnati (win), UCF (win), Utah (loss), at Arizona (win), Houston (win)

Scoring a win against an SEC opponent in the opener would be a big statement for the Bears, and that could prove a very quality win later on if Auburn improves, as it’s expected to, but the SMU game could prove a bump in the road away from Waco.

Baylor prediction: 9-3 (7-2)

Predicting every Big 12 football game in the 2025 seaso — Arizona State surprised everyone by winning the Big 12 last season, but won't shock anyone if they make another run in 2025. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State

Northern Arizona (win), at Mississippi State (win), Texas State (win), at Baylor (loss), TCU (win), at Utah (win), Texas Tech (win), Houston (win), at Iowa State (loss), West Virginia (win), at Colorado (win), Arizona (win)

A perfect record at home this year? That could be in the cards for the Big 12 champion Sun Devils, who lose brawler Cam Skattebo in the backfield, but retain a very strong QB-WR duo in Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson.

Arizona State prediction: 10-2 (7-2)

Kansas State

Iowa State (win), North Dakota (win), Army (win), at Arizona (win), UCF (win), at Baylor (win), TCU (win), at Kansas (win), Texas Tech (loss), at Oklahoma State (loss), at Utah (win), Colorado (win)

One of several contenders in the Big 12, the Wildcats need to avoid a repeat of last season, when they stumbled late in the year, but this offense returns dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson and the core of a solid defensive front.

Kansas State prediction: 10-2 (7-2)