Joel Klatt Names Big 12 Team With a Chance To Make First College Football Playoff

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Big 12 Conference is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable leagues in college football as we head into the 2025 season.

According to Circa Sports, the highest projected win total for any team is 8.5 games, while the lowest is five wins. This indicates how competitive experts believe the conference will be.

The defending champion, Arizona State Sun Devils, along with the Kansas State Wildcats and Texas Tech Red Raiders, are considered the frontrunners. Meanwhile, the West Virginia Mountaineers are projected to finish last.

On "The Joel Klatt Show," the Fox Sports analyst ranked the teams he believes have the best chances of making the College Football Playoff for the first time in their program's history. For the Big 12, any team that qualifies, other than Arizona State — which made its first appearance in the playoffs last year, will be making its debut. Klatt has his eye on a team that has been a member of the Big 12 since its inception in 1996.

"Kansas State has a lot of things that I like," Klatt said."Continuity at their head coach. They're going to have the quarterback back. The Big 12 should be crazy, which is why I don't have them higher than this. Because do we really know who's going to win the Big 12?"

Klatt mentioned that he doesn't expect multiple teams from the Big 12 Conference to make it into the College Football Playoff this season, citing the conference's parity. He believes that this lack of consensus will work against the conference's contenders, making it unlikely for a team with a 9-3 record to secure a playoff spot.

According to Klatt, the only scenario in which multiple teams might qualify is if one team finishes with an 11-2 record but loses in the Big 12 Championship Game. He sees Kansas State as having a slim chance, but if there's a team capable of making that happen, it's them.

He also expressed admiration for the talent of quarterback Avery Johnson, who had an inconsistent season last year. Johnson passed for 2,712 yards, threw 25 touchdowns and had 10 interceptions, in addition to rushing for 605 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

Klatt highlighted the significance of Kansas State’s first game of the year against the Iowa State Cyclones, which will take place in Ireland. He believes that if the Wildcats can win this opening game, it will set the tone for a successful season. The game is scheduled for noon ET on Aug. 23.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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