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The Big 12 remains the most upwardly mobile power conference in college football, which makes the race for a College Football Playoff spot a battle. Last season, nine of the 16 teams were still in the conference title race by the final weeks of the season, and Arizona State — picked last place in the preseason media poll — won the league.
The race will be wide-open again, meaning that everyone across the conference has a chance. Still, a few teams rank above the rest coming into the year. Many of the top quarterbacks in the conference return, including Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, BYU’s Jake Retzlaff and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson. Other programs, like Texas Tech, are betting big on offseason additions to reach conference contention.
With nearly nine months to go until the CFP’s Selection Sunday, here are the Big 12’s top five contenders in 2025.
Arizona State
In so many ways, the 2024 season was far ahead of schedule. The Sun Devils were picked last place in the Big 12 but turned around to win the league and qualify for the CFP. The quickened timeline helps because the vast majority of contributors on the roster are back. Leavitt, defensive back Xavion Alford and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson sit among the best at their position in the conference. The coaching staff of Kenny Dillingham, Marcus Arroyo and Brian Ward have a track record of getting the most out of their teams.
The biggest question comes at running back after Heisman Trophy contender Cam Skattebo graduated. The Sun Devils looked to the transfer…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/these-five-teams-are-the-big-12s-legitimate-national-championship-contenders-for-the-2025-season/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2025-03-20 13:29:00
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