On Tuesday, the 2025 Big 12 football schedule was unveiled, giving fans of all 16 teams the chance to start breaking down what their week-to-week records might look like come December.
There are so many marquee games on the schedule, and as we saw in 2024, every single week will be packed with more upsets and excitement than we could ever try to predict.
As is always the case, though, there are games in every week of the upcoming season that seem to “pop” out a little bit more than the others. Here’s a look at the best Big 12 football games in every week of the upcoming 2025 season.
Iowa State vs. Kansas State — Week 0 (8/23)
No brainer, here, as Farmageddon in Dublin, Ireland, will kick off the 2025 season for everyone, and with it being an official conference game, one of the two presumed Big 12 contenders will get a leg up on the rest of the league.
Other Contenders: N/A
Auburn at Baylor — Week 1 (8/30)
The Ohio State-Texas game will cast a shadow on the rest of the games in Week 1, but one of most intriguing matchups of the week is undoubtedly going down in Waco. Baylor ended the year as one of the hottest teams in the country, while Auburn comes into 2025 with a revamped roster and all kinds of hype.
Other Contenders: TCU at North Carolina, Georgia Tech at Colorado
Kansas at Missouri — Week 2 (9/6)
As was the case in Week 1, there are some other games worthy of this spot, but getting the Border War back for the first time since 2011, and having both Kansas and Missouri on the rise in recent years gives this one the edge.
Other Contenders: Oklahoma State at Oregon, Iowa at Iowa State
Pitt at West Virginia — Week 3 (9/13)
Rich Rod should be bringing an undefeated team into this game, and with a raucous crowd behind him, it feels like Pitt is about to be walking into a hornets’ nest in Morgantown. This game has been wildly entertaining since making a return, and this might be the most intriguing one yet.
Other Contenders: Kansas State at Arizona
Texas Tech at Utah — Week 4 (9/20)
This was a tough decision. There are a couple of games that are more than deserving to take the top spot in Week 4, but there’s some pretty high confidence in both Lubbock and Salt Lake City, which has me believing this could be an important game in the Big 12 title race.
Other Contenders: Arizona State at Baylor, SMU at TCU
BYU at Colorado — Week 5 (9/27)
The 2024 Alamo Bowl rematch should be a heck of a lot of fun, especially since the Cougars have to go into Folsom Field after manhandling the Buffs in San Antonio. BYU should be undefeated, while Colorado should be 3-1 at worst. Buckle up.
Other Contenders: TCU at Arizona State
Kansas State at Baylor — Week 6 (10/4)
This battle of old-school Big 12 foes should be a pivotal early game in the Big 12 race. Baylor will come into this one battle-tested, with games against Auburn, SMU, and Arizona State already out of the way. Meanwhile, Kansas State will have played Iowa State in a Week 0 game across the world, and its hardest game on American soil will likely have been against Army in Week 2.
Other Contenders: West Virginia at BYU (Fri.)
Arizona State at Utah — Week 7 (10/11)
Exactly one year to the day after Arizona State took down Utah in Tempe, the Sun Devils will travel to Salt Lake City to take on a completely revamped Utes team, and both of them are coming off a bye week. Devon Dampier vs. Sam Leavitt sounds like fireworks galore.
Other Contenders: Iowa State at Colorado, TCU at Kansas State
Baylor at TCU — Week 8 (10/18)
Week 8 is LOADED. Baylor’s road trip to TCU is the placeholder here, but I wouldn’t be opposed to someone claiming it would be the third-best game of the weekend. Utah will follow up the Arizona State game by traveling across town to face BYU in the Holy War, while the Sun Devils will play host to Texas Tech in Tempe. What a slate.
Other Contenders: Utah at BYU, Texas Tech at Arizona State
BYU at Iowa State — Week 9 (10/25)
BYU has one heck of a stretch from October 18 to November 15, and this might be the toughest game of the bunch. Going to Ames in late October is risky business, and doing it right after the Holy War and before a bye week is dirty work. Yikes.
Other Contenders: Kansas State at Kansas, Colorado at Utah
Arizona State at Iowa State — Week 10 (11/1)
Remember what I said about BYU’s stretch of games in October-November? Yeah, Iowa State doesn’t have it much easier. The three-game run of BYU, Arizona State, at TCU is tough, but at least the first two are in Jack Trice Stadium. This rematch of the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game should be quite a ride.
Other Contenders: Texas Tech at Kansas State
BYU at Texas Tech — Week 11 (11/8)
If the Big 12 plays their cards right, and the teams cooperate, this game could be a primetime matchup under the lights in Lubbock. Depending on how things pan out for the Cougs and Red Raiders, this game could decide who stays on track to Arlington and who doesn’t.
Other Contenders: Iowa State at TCU
Baylor at Utah — Week 12 (11/15)
Both teams will be coming off a bye, and like BYU-Texas Tech the week before, this game could have all kinds of Big 12 Championship implications. TCU at BYU nearly got the nod, but I’d project Utah and Baylor to be two of the higher-scoring teams in the league by this point in the season, so I’m taking the barnburner.
Other Contenders: TCU at BYU
Kansas State at Utah — Week 13 (11/22)
Remember when these two teams were supposed to be the toast of the Big 12 in 2024? Well, maybe that actually comes to fruition in 2025, and if it does, this will be one monster of a game. Plus, there’s no telling what will happen when the two most dynamic quarterbacks in the league face off with Avery Johnson and Devon Dampier.
Other Contenders: Arizona State at Colorado
Colorado at Kansas State — Week 14 (11/29)
It was one of the better back-and-forth games of the season when the Wildcats and Buffaloes met in 2024, and perhaps we’ll get that again this year, but with some added stakes. If one or both of the teams in this game are in the hunt for a Big 12 Championship appearance, this will be one of the biggest games of any conference in Week 14.
Other Contenders: Iowa State at Oklahoma State, Utah at Kansas
