On3 Appears to Have New Front-Runner for 2025 Big 12 Title Race

There aren’t many surprises in the Top Five of Staples’ list, as Texas, Notre Dame, Clemson, Penn State, and Ohio State are widely considered among the favorites to win a national championship heading into next season.

However, his choice of order for the top Big 12 teams has changed, and it leaves the door open for quite a conversation.

Staples’ top-ranked Big 12 team is Texas Tech, which checks in just outside the top 10 at No. 11. The Red Raiders have transformed their roster into one of the most impressive collections of portal talent in the country.

If TTU can hit on just 75% of those transfers, they’ll be among the most improved teams in college football.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Staples’ Top 25 list is the gap he’s placed between Tech and the rest of the Big 12 teams, with the next one being Arizona State, which doesn’t appear until No. 16.

ASU ran away with the Big 12 Championship in 2024 after a magical finish to the season and returns the vast majority of the roster not named Cam Skattebo.

The BYU Cougars are just behind the Sun Devils at No. 18 after finishing with an 11-2 overall record a season ago. Meanwhile, Iowa State, the Big 12 runner-up, checks in at No. 23 after an 11-win campaign of their own.

Is Texas Tech the team to beat heading into 2025? Or, is there too much riding on the new pieces in Lubbock to have confidence there?

Only time will tell, but it appears that we might have a new media darling in the Big 12 for the upcoming season.