The 2025 College Football Season is finally here, and the season opener will see the Big 12 thrust into the limelight. Two of the Conference’s biggest names, Kansas State and Iowa State, head across the pond to Dublin, Ireland, to contest the curtain-raising Aer Lingus Classic opener. Both teams head into the clash ranked in the top 20 in the AP preseason polls, and it remains to be seen which of them will get their season off to the perfect start in the Emerald Isle.
But that opening spectacle is just the beginning. Across the Big 12 – and indeed the college football landscape as a whole – power has shifted, rosters have crystallized, and unfamiliar faces threaten to steal the spotlight. So, with that being said, what are the biggest talking points heading into the new campaign? You’re about to find out.
Can Arizona State’s Strength in Numbers Create a Dynasty?
A year ago, Arizona State’s championship run seemed like a fever dream—fueled by grit, creativity, and a little chaos. Now, the numbers demand respect. The Sun Devils return 79% of their total production, the second-highest number in the nation, giving head coach Kenny Dillingham an extraordinary foundation in a league defined by change. As such, it’s unsurprising that online live betting sites make the reigning champions the favorites to go back-to-back.
The latest Bovada live betting odds currently have Arizona State earmarked as the +550 favorites to successfully defend their Big 12 crown. As well as that, the polls rank them as the 11th best program in the country, but they remain a +10000 shot to secure their first Natty in history.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt has evolved from maverick newcomer to bona fide star. He’s fresh off a 3,748-yard, 34-touchdown campaign, possessing both poise and edge. His partnership with wideout Jordyn Tyson—a 1,157-yard receiving dynamo—rouses fears in every defensive coordinator in the conference. Even with bruising back Cam Skattebo gone, Army import Kanye Udoh promises to maintain what is already one of the strongest offenses in the country.
Defensively, nine starters return to a group that led the Big 12 by conceding just 19.8 points per game. The front seven, disciplined and ruthless, thrive on disruption, while the secondary is studded with playmakers. Analysts label ASU not just the team to beat, but perhaps the league’s best hope at a playoff bid. After their heartbreaking loss to Texas in last year’s postseason, they will be gunning for the conference championship at the very least in 2025.
Kansas State’s Calculated Gamble
Kansas State’s 2025 season presents perhaps its sharpest crossroads since Bill Snyder’s heyday. With Avery Johnson helming the offense—a player as dangerous on the run as he is threading needles downfield—the Wildcats possess the Big 12’s most exhilarating backfield threat.
Johnson delivered 3,221 combined yards last fall, but his supporting cast is being tested. The offensive line must weather the loss of three stalwarts, and new receivers Jayce Brown and Jaron Tibbs are about to be thrust into the limelight, shouldering expectations in a league where defenses feast on inexperience. The onus falls on new offensive coordinator Matt Wells to wring rhythm and explosiveness from evolving personnel.
The defense, meanwhile, has lost leaders across the board, with names that anchored a top-25 unit, such as Marques Sigle and Jacob Parrish, moving on. The blueprint for replacement is clear: develop talent quickly, manufacture pressure, and force mistakes. Crucially, the schedule is kinder than in recent years, sidestepping the league’s heaviest hitters at opportune moments. Kansas State is a sleeping giant and extremely dangerous if chemistry emerges early. A trip to the championship game is possible, but the margin for error is paper-thin.
Will Iowa State’s Anguish Fuel a Redemption Arc for the Ages
No team will internalize last year’s heartbreak like the Cyclones. Thrashed by Arizona State in the 2024 Big 12 title game—a final that spiraled into a second-half rout—Iowa State’s winter was long and cold. But Matt Campbell, as ever, turned pain into fuel.
Rocco Becht, increasingly praised for his composure and sneaky athleticism, returns. Last year, he delivered 2,935 yards and 24 touchdowns while managing games with icy resolve. Yet the engine that may power this redemption run is a ground game churning out nearly 190 yards a week, anchored by a punishing veteran line.
The Cyclones’ coach, a master at squeezing value from overlooked talent, faces his biggest personnel test: restocking a receiver group depleted by the departures of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the NFL draft. The chemistry between Becht and the new breed of pass-catchers will make or break the offense’s ceiling.
Yet the narrative arc is irresistible. The path to Arlington is dotted with winnable games early and a potentially cataclysmic November rematch with Arizona State. Campbell’s squads are at their most dangerous when underestimated. The ghosts of 2024 won’t exorcise easily, but watch this group—revenge, after all, is a motivator like no other.
