While college football’s bowl season is still many months away, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford gave his picks for each bowl-bound team in 2025.
Nine or ten Big 12 teams were included on the list (Baylor included twice), with several representatives reaching bowl eligibility, and the Iowa State Cyclones headed to the College Football Playoff.
The full list of bowl participants with opponents is as follows.
TCU – RATE BOWL
Crawford mentioned the Horned Frogs as the first Big 12 team on his list, duking it out with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
BYU – INDEPENDENCE BOWL
One of the biggest shocks on the list pertains to the BYU Cougars, who, despite likely entering the fall as a Preseason Top 25 team, earned a date with Oregon State in the Independence Bowl.
KANSAS – LIBERTY BOWL
Arguably, the best non-playoff bowl game is the Liberty Bowl matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers.
“The unexpected renewal of a former Big 12 rivalry, Missouri and Kansas haven’t met since the 2011 season, but the bad blood runs thick,” Crawford said. “The Tigers lead the all-time series with the Jayhawks, 57-54-9. However, given Missouri’s impressive portal haul this cycle, falling to the Liberty Bowl given the success shown the last few seasons would feel like a disappointment of sorts for the SEC program.”
UCF – BIRMINGHAM BOWL
Under new head coach Scott Frost, the Knights are projected to reach a bowl game, clashing with an SEC foe, Arkansas.
“Two 6-6 teams in Birmingham? It is what it is during bowl season’s lengthy schedule,” Crawford continued. “The Razorbacks face a black and blue schedule in the SEC while UCF hopes to rebound under Scott Frost. His anticipated return to Orlando may take some time to rejuvenate the Big 12 newcomer. Keep an eye on Arkansas signal caller Taylen Green, a potential riser in the 2026 NFL Draft quarterback spotlight.”
ARIZONA STATE – LAS VEGAS BOWL
Another team Crawford believes will underperform expectations, the Arizona State Sun Devils, head to Vegas to take on Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
“After reaching the College Football Playoff, the Sun Devils take a small step back as a top-tier finisher under Kenny Dillingham,” said Crawford. “On the other sideline, Nebraska continues its forward progress with Dylan Raiola at quarterback within the Big Ten.”
BAYLOR – UNDECIDED
Baylor becomes an interesting inclusion on the list, not because the team isn’t deserving, but because the group is added twice. Crawford has the Bears listed in both the Texas Bowl vs. Texas A&M and in the First Responder Bowl vs. Virginia Tech.
TEXAS TECH – POP-TARTS BOWL
If Texas Tech were to reach the Pop-Tarts Bowl this fall, the group could contend for a third-straight victory over the ACC in one of college football’s favorite games. In 2023, Kansas State took down NC State, followed by Iowa State’s win over Miami. The Red Raiders would enter the fold for a heated matchup against an SMU team one year removed from a College Football Playoff appearance.
KANSAS STATE – ALAMO BOWL
The Big 12’s runner-up in Crawford’s post-spring rankings, Kansas State, would take the field in an exciting game against Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. Widely known as one of college football’s best offensive minds, Riley’s offense, paired with Avery Johnson, Dylan Edwards, and the Wildcats, could make for one of the year’s best games.
IOWA STATE – COTTON BOWL
“Who’s your pick to win the Big 12 this season? Your pick is as good as any,” Crawford said. “That’s the toughest Power 4 race to call in the preseason given the wealth of candidates at the top.”
In Crawford’s reality, where Iowa State wins the Big 12 and reaches the CFP, they would be greeted with a brutal matchup against the No. 5 seed, Penn State.
