Big 12 Football Predictions: Our Insiders Predict Week Zero Matchups
Aug 21, 2025, 4:23 PM
Kansas State versus Iowa State in a Top 25 Big 12 football showdown kicks off the season in week zero. (Courtesy of Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
(Courtesy of Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY – Big 12 football is back!
After a long, hot summer, America’s favorite football conference has returned. What better way to kick off the season than with a Top 25 conference clash across the pond in Ireland?
After all, it’s the Big 12. A different league.
That’s the tagline the conference is using in its commercial for the football season this year.
A notable change this year in the Big 12 is the introduction of newly announced player availability reports. It will only be available for conference games, which start this week in the Week Zero “Farmageddon showdown.
It’s the second season of Utah Utes insider Steve Bartle and BYU Cougars insider Mitch Harper picking Big 12 football games. Last season, Steve came out on top with an 83-35 record. Mitch finished one game behind at 82-36.
We will see how year two plays out for our Big 12 insiders this season.
Big 12 football teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll entering Week 0
- 11. Arizona State
- 17. Kansas State
- 22. Iowa State
- 23. Texas Tech
Big 12 football predictions throughout the 2025 season
Week 0 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14
No. 22 Iowa State vs. No. 17 Kansas State
- Saturday, August 23
- Kickoff: 10 a.m. (MDT)/5 p.m. (IST, Irish Standard Time)
- TV: ESPN
Insider Predictions
- Steve Bartle: Kansas State
- Mitch Harper: Kansas State
Great opportunity for the Big 12 with a marquee game in week zero. The games in Dublin have typically delivered on entertainment value, and the rivalry dynamic only adds another layer to it.
I think Avery Johnson and Rocco Becht are two of the top five quarterbacks in the league. I’m going to roll with the Wildcats. I like what they’ve done to add pieces around their signal caller. -Bartle
We can confirm that the 2025 team lids look exceptional on Irish soil 🇮🇪#MuchMoreThanAGame | #TouchdownDublin | #TouchdownIreland pic.twitter.com/Hgv7utt7mV
— Aer Lingus College Football Classic (@cfbireland) August 21, 2025
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First neutral site Farmageddon since 2010, when the game was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Both teams arrived in Dublin on Thursday, so I’ll be curious to see which team adjusts quickly to the seven-hour time change.
I’m going with Kansas State. Iowa State lost its stars, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, at wide receiver. They do return Carsen Hansen and Abu Sama at running back, but I like K-State’s defense with star linebacker Austin Romaine and VJ Payne at safety.
K-State has some retooling along the offensive line, but I’m confident Chris Klieman’s team will be ready to earn a critical Big 12 victory out of the gates. -Harper
Kansas vs. Fresno State
- Saturday, August 23
- Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. (MDT)/5:30 p.m. (CDT)
- TV: FOX
Insider Predictions
- Steve Bartle: Kansas
- Mitch Harper: Kansas
Jalon Daniels’ unavailability this offseason makes me a little uneasy, but his experience under Lance Leipold is significant. The Jayhawks need their quarterback to be special, not only this season, but in moments in this game.
Kansas is replacing a lot, and though they should win by a comfortable margin, a lot hinges on Daniels. Fresno State should make this tough, but Kansas should win. -Bartle
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It will be great to see the renovated David Booth Stadium in action on Saturday. A long-needed renovation in Lawrence, which continues to show Kansas is as invested as ever in its football program. It’s the first transformation to the stadium since it was built in 1921.
With all that said, I get the sense this game will be closer than the two-touchdown spread. Kansas was a world-beater at the end of last season. However, they struggled to win close games at the start of the year, including a loss as a favorite against a Mountain West team in UNLV last year.
I still like Daniel Hishaw at running back, and I’m intrigued to see Texas defensive end transfer Justice Finkley in action. Jayhawks win, but it could be closer than the wise guys think. -Harper
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.
