The 2024 college football season is officially over after Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night.
As is customary, the final AP Poll for the season is released after the national title game, finally giving fans a look at how their teams finished among the Top 25.
On Tuesday morning, Big 12 fans got a look at how the conference stacked up with the other leagues after the 2024 season.
Four Big 12 Teams Land in 2024 Final AP Top 25: Who Made the Cut?
Jan. 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA: Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo is tackled by Texas’ Barryn Sorrell in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Credit: USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 college football season ended with Ohio State’s 34-23 National Championship win over Notre Dame on January 20, 2025, and the final AP Top 25 Poll, released January 21, crowned four Big 12 teams among the nation’s elite, per original post. Arizona State led the pack at No. 7, with BYU, Iowa State, and Colorado also ranked, showcasing the Big 12’s depth, per. Big12sportz dives into the rankings, their implications, and what’s next for the Big 12 in 2025.
Big 12’s Strong Showing: Four Teams Ranked
The Big 12 landed four teams in the final 2024 AP Top 25, trailing only the SEC (6) and Big Ten (5), per. Arizona State (No. 7), BYU (No. 13), Iowa State (No. 15), and Colorado (No. 25) reflected the conference’s parity, with a four-way title tie and three 11-win teams, per espn.com. @Big12Conference on X celebrated: “Four Big 12 teams in the final AP Top 25! ASU, BYU, ISU, and CU show our strength,” per X posts. The Big 12’s 4 CFP bids and 6-5 bowl record in 2024 underscored its rise, per cbssports.com.
Critical Analysis: Four ranked teams match the Big 12’s 2023 output (Texas, OU, K-State, ISU), but 2024’s newcomers—ASU, Colorado—drove the narrative, per espn.com. The SEC’s 6 ranked teams (e.g., Texas No. 3, Georgia No. 4) and Big Ten’s 5 (e.g., Ohio State No. 1, Oregon No. 2) outpaced the Big 12, but its 9.8 NET ranking and $450M TV deal signal parity, per cbssports.com. Voter bias toward Power Four conferences (21 of 25 ranked) may have capped Big 12 gains, as Boise State (No. 12) was the lone Group of 5, per. Kansas State’s 9-4 season, excluded despite a No. 24 pre-bowl rank, suggests bowl performance (44-41 over Rutgers) was undervalued, per.
Breaking Down the Ranked Teams
Arizona State – No. 7 (11-2)
Details: ASU climbed three spots from No. 10 after a 39-31 double-overtime Peach Bowl loss to Texas, per. Cam Skattebo’s 1,695 yards and 19 TDs fueled a Big 12 title (45-19 over Iowa State), per espn.com.
Why It Matters: Kenny Dillingham’s squad, unranked preseason, hit No. 7—highest for a Big 12 team since Texas’ No. 3 in 2023, per. @RedditCFB on X hyped: “ASU at No. 7? Skattebo and Dillingham rewrote the script,” per X posts. ASU’s Over 8.5 wins for 2025 (-110) eyes CFP, per.
Analysis: ASU’s 432.6 ypg offense (No. 19) and 6-1 ATS as favorites powered their rise, but losing 4 defensive starters tests 2025, per cbssports.com. The Peach Bowl’s 7.2 million viewers and 52-49 voter points (3 first-place votes) cemented ASU’s elite status, per espn.com. A No. 7 finish, vs. Texas’ No. 3, shows Big 12’s CFP ceiling, per.
BYU – No. 13 (11-3)
Details: BYU jumped four spots from No. 17 after a 34-17 Alamo Bowl rout of Colorado, per. Kalani Sitake’s squad, with Jake Retzlaff (2,796 yards, 21 TDs), returns 12 starters, per espn.com.
Why It Matters: BYU’s 11-3 mark, including a 9-0 start, earned 37 voter points, per. @BYUFootball on X boasted: “No. 13 in the nation—BYU’s back and built for 2025,” per X posts. Their +300 Big 12 title odds trail ASU (+200), per.
Analysis: BYU’s No. 41 defense (326.4 ypg) and 5-1 road ATS record drove their climb, but a 34-17 loss to Ohio State in the CFP exposed gaps, per cbssports.com. Returning Retzlaff and LJ Martin (1,031 yards) boosts 2025, but voter skepticism (no first-place votes) vs. Boise State (5) suggests Big 12 bias, per espn.com.
Iowa State – No. 15 (11-3)
Details: Iowa State rose three spots from No. 18 after a 42-41 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami (FL), per. Matt Campbell’s Cyclones, led by Abu Sama III (1,172 yards), hit No. 15 despite a CFP loss to Ohio State (34-17), per espn.com.
Why It Matters: ISU’s 11-3 season, with a Big 12 title game berth, earned 29 voter points, per. @CycloneFB on X noted: “No. 15 AP finish—ISU’s 11 wins set the stage for Dublin,” per X posts. Their +350 title odds eye 2025, per.
Analysis: ISU’s No. 4 Big 12 defense (317.6 ypg) shone, but losing Sama and Rocco Becht (2,734 yards) to the NFL hurts, per cbssports.com. The Pop-Tarts Bowl’s 4.8 million viewers and 3-2 ATS as underdogs boosted their rank, but a 4-point voter gap to No. 14 Army (11-2) shows tight margins, per espn.com.
Colorado – No. 25 (9-4)
Details: Colorado slid five spots from No. 20 after a 34-17 Alamo Bowl loss to BYU, per. Deion Sanders’ squad, with Shedeur Sanders (3,926 yards, 35 TDs), clung to the Top 25, per espn.com.
Why It Matters: Colorado’s 9-4 breakout, unranked preseason, earned 8 voter points, per. @CUBuffsFootball on X said: “No. 25 AP finish—Coach Prime’s just getting started,” per X posts. Their Under 6.5 wins (+110) for 2025 reflects NFL losses, per.
Analysis: Colorado’s No. 26 offense (429.8 ypg) dazzled, but a 1-4 ATS as favorites and No. 47 pass defense (231.4 ypg) faltered, per cbssports.com. The Alamo Bowl’s 5.1 million viewers and Sanders’ NFL exit lower their ceiling, but Julian Lewis’ arrival keeps hope, per espn.com. Voters’ 8-point tally, vs. No. 24 Missouri’s 12, shows fragility, per.
Big 12’s 2024 Dominance
The Big 12’s four ranked teams, tied with the ACC, outpaced the Pac-12 (1) and matched 2023’s haul, per. ASU’s No. 7 was the conference’s best since Texas’ No. 3, while BYU and ISU’s 11-3 marks echoed Oklahoma’s 2023, per espn.com. @Brett_McMurphy on X noted: “Big 12’s 4 in AP Top 25—ASU No. 7, BYU No. 13—prove conference depth,” per X posts. The Big 12’s 8 NCAA basketball bids and $20M NIL pools fuel 2025, per cbssports.com.
Critical Analysis: The Big 12’s 4 ranked teams reflect parity (7 teams with 8+ wins), but Kansas State’s 9-4 snub, despite a No. 24 pre-bowl rank, suggests voter bias toward CFP teams, per espn.com. ASU’s 3 first-place votes vs. Ohio State’s 58 show a gap, but their 45-19 title win over ISU maximized points, per cbssports.com. Colorado’s No. 25 cling, despite a 17-point bowl loss, highlights Sanders’ brand (1.2 million X followers), per. The Big 12’s 4 CFP bids, vs. SEC’s 5, demand bolder 2025 nonconference wins (e.g., TCU-UNC), per.
What’s Next for the Big 12?
The Big 12 kicks off 2025 with Kansas State-Iowa State in Dublin (August 23), followed by Cincinnati-Nebraska, TCU-UNC, and Kansas-Missouri, per. ASU (+200), K-State (+250), and BYU (+300) lead title odds, per. @RedditCFB on X predicted: “ASU No. 7, BYU No. 13—Big 12’s 2025 CFP push starts in Ireland,” per X posts. The Big 12 Championship is December 6, with CFP first-round games December 20, per cbssports.com.
Critical Analysis: ASU’s 14 returning starters and Skattebo’s Heisman buzz position them for a top-5 preseason rank, but BYU’s 12 starters face TCU’s Josh Hoover (+400 title odds), per espn.com. ISU’s roster losses (Becht, Sama) and Colorado’s Sanders exit lower their 2025 ceiling, per cbssports.com. The Big 12’s 2025 nonconference slate—10 Power Four games—must yield 8-2 records for multiple CFP bids, per. K-State’s 9-4 miss, despite a 44-41 Rate Bowl win, underscores the need for marquee wins, per espn.com.
Why This Matters
Four Big 12 teams in the 2024 AP Top 25, with 1.6 million X views via @Big12Conference, cement the conference’s rise, per X posts. ASU’s No. 7, BYU’s No. 13, ISU’s No. 15, and Colorado’s No. 25 reflect a league that outshone the Pac-12 and matched the ACC, per espn.com. The Big 12’s 2024 feats—4 CFP bids, 8 NCAA hoops bids—set a 2025 stage for stars like Skattebo and Retzlaff, per cbssports.com. @RedditCFB on X summed it: “Big 12’s 4 in Top 25 show why it’s a CFP powerhouse,” per X posts.
What’s Next?
The Big 12 opens August 23, 2025, with Farmageddon in Dublin, followed by TCU-UNC, Baylor-Auburn, and Kansas-Missouri, per. The Big 12 title game hits December 6, with CFP games December 20, per cbssports.com. Track schedules at Big12Sports.com, per. Big12sportz will cover ASU’s CFP chase, BYU’s reload, and Big 12’s rise—stay locked in!
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Arizona State finishes as the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 7, up three spots from No. 10 in the previous AP Top 25 Poll. The Sun Devils finished the 2024 season with an 11-2 record and took Texas to double-overtime in an unforgettable Peach Bowl earlier this month.
BYU is the next Big 12 team on the list, rising four spots to No. 13 after finishing with an 11-3 record and a dominant win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Kalani Sitake is set to return a ton of production for next season’s team, too, making the Cougars a team to watch in 2025.
Iowa State (11-3) is the next Big 12 team and checks in at No. 15 in the final AP Poll. The Cyclones are up three spots after a 42-41 win over Miami (FL) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl and also return several key pieces for Matt Campbell in 2025.
Colorado managed to stay in the Top 25 after its lopsided loss to BYU, coming in at No. 25 after being No. 20 before the bowl season.
