The Big 12 Conference found itself as the center of the start of the 2025 college football season. Week 0 kicked off on Saturday and the Big 12 had two games on the schedule, led by Kansas State and Iowa State playing in Dublin, Ireland. Meantime, the Kansas Jayhawks opened the renovated Booth Memorial Stadium in Week 0 taking on Fresno State. While it wasn’t a complete week of Big 12 football, we’re all chomping at the bit to get some college ball back in our lives. So with that, I’ll give you my five biggest takeaways from Week 0 in the Big 12 Conference.
Farmageddon Must Be Protected
Whether this game is played in Manhattan, Ames, or across the pond, Farmageddon does not disappoint. It was a fourth-straight game decided by one score or less as Iowa State beat Kansas State 24-21. And going back 12 years, that’s nine of those games decided by one score or less. That’s an unbelievable run.
The current Big 12 scheduling arrangement does not protect the Iowa State–Kansas State rivalry, meaning the two teams are not scheduled to play in 2027. This will be the first time since 1917 that the game is not played.
The Big 12 needs to correct this ASAP. I know no one wants to admit when they are wrong, but this would be just a blunder of an unforced error for a conference that is in desperate need of great rivalries. Farmageddon is one of them, along with the Holy War, and to lose this annually makes absolutely no sense.
Kansas Dominates the Line
I never want to overreact to a Group of 5 win, but KU was absolutely dominant along the defensive and offensive lines on Saturday night in a 31-7 win over Fresno State. Offensive, KU piled up 197 rushing yards on 34 carries, good for 5.8 YPC. Daniel Hishaw led a balanced rushing attack for the Jayhawks on the night, but Leshon Williams, the Iowa transfer, and Johnny Thompson, a sophomore in Year 2 with the KU program, were also in the mix.
Along the defensive line, Kansas was stout up front. Senior Kenean Caldwell, South Carolina transfer Bangally Kamara, Illinois transfer Alex Bray and Daykus Brinkley were just some of the names wrecking havoc and keeping Fresno State in check all night. Trey Lathan transferred in from West Virginia and immediately made his presence felt on Saturday night, leading the team with eight tackles. As a team, KU had eight tackles for loss and held Fresno State to 34 rushing yards on 25 carries, good for just 1.4 yards per carry.
The New Booth Looks Awesome
A lot has been made of Kansas football opening up its renovated stadium. Of course, the haters are focused on the fact that only the home side of the stadium is renovated. Who cares? The place looks great. And for a program that won four Big 12 games in the 2010’s to now be relevant in the Big 12, renovating its stadium, and playing some exciting football led by Jalon Daniels, what’s not to like?
We had Heartland College Sports’ KU columnist Mark Van Sickle in Lawrence for the game, and here’s what his walk out looked like.
Hate all you want, but this program has certainly come a long way from where it was just a few short years ago. Oh yeah, and they got a $300 million donation from megabooster David Booth in the last couple of weeks. Things are going well in Lawrence right now.
The Quarterbacks
Rocco Becht continues to prove he’s the perfect kind of quarterback for Matt Campbell. I’m not saying he’s Brock Purdy, but he’s of that mold. He’s clutch when it matters, and Campbell trusts him in every single way. That was evident on Saturday, especially on a key 4th and 3 from the Kansas State 16-yard line that ended up sealing the win for Iowa State. Campbell trusted Becht, and it paid off. Becht finished 14/28 for 183 yards and two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. His biggest mistake was a lost fumble, but otherwise, given the conditions, he played a clean game and came up big when it mattered most.
Meantime, Avery Johnson was up and down, with more up than down in the second half of their loss. Johnson finished 21/30 for 273 yards with two touchdowns to zero interceptions, while also adding one rushing touchdown. However, K-State fans are already barking about some of Johnson’s inconsistency, plus new OC Matt Wells’ play calling. But that’s to be expected after such a big and emotional loss to start the season.
As for KU’s Jalon Daniels, he looked like a looser and healthier version of the 2024 edition, especially in the first half of the season when he was recovering from injury and seemed tepid at times. This is the guy we thought we’d see in 2024. After a great first half and with KU taking a 24-7 lead into the second half, Daniels took his foot off the pedal and finished 18/20 for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 47 yards.
Week 0: Still Getting Used to It
Typically, I’m never in football mode for Week 0. That was until this season, when three Big 12 teams were playing. In past years, I admit I would have never watched ACC or Big Ten teams play this weekend. For me, it was the unofficial last weekend of summer.
But on Saturday, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was great to have football back. And the Big 12 got the main stage on ESPN and FOX. IF the Big 12 wants to lean into Week 0 a bit more, I won’t complain one bit. And it was a nice early celebration for me on Saturday, as I got set to turn 37 on Sunday. Am I still in my mid-30s? Or is this now my late-30s? Let me know when you get a chance.
