The 2025 College Football season kicks off in a massive way with week zero action on Aug. 23, as No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State will clash in Dublin, Ireland in the Aer Lingus Classic. Both programs are both expected to contend for a Big 12 Championship and clinch an appearance in […]
The 2025 College Football season kicks off in a massive way with week zero action on Aug. 23, as No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State will clash in Dublin, Ireland in the Aer Lingus Classic. Both programs are both expected to contend for a Big 12 Championship and clinch an appearance in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
Kansas State is coming off an 8-4 regular season and a 44-41 win over Rutgers in the Rate Bowl to finish with nine wins last season. Iowa State opened the 2024 season 7-0 and skyrocketed to No. 11 in the AP Poll, but went just 4-3 in its final seven games of the season. It did however down a Cam Ward-less (in the second half) Miami team 42-41 to narrowly win the prestigious Pop-Tarts Bowl.
FOX Sports‘ Joel Klatt previewed both teams and gave his prediction for who will open the season with a massive top-25 conference victory in the latest edition of The Joel Klatt Show.
Klatt on Kansas State
“I picked Kansas State to win the Big 12 and go to the College Football Playoff,” Klatt said. “I have them in the Playoff in largely due to the fact that they are really consistent and I like their quarterback. Avery Johnson is a guy that is athletic. I think he will make less mistakes this year than he did last year. In all of their losses, you can boil it down to one thing: mistakes, and in particular turning the football over. If they’re cleaner with the football, Kansas State really should be at the top of the Big 12. This game matches up programs that I love because Matt Campbell has done really similar things to what Chris Klieman has done at Kansas State, which is develop and play incredibly sound football in every area.”
Klatt on Iowa State
“When they get the right quarterback and right defense, they’re gonna pop like the Cyclones did a year ago (their best season in program history with 11 wins). And guess who’s back? Rocco Becht, their quarterback. The reason that I haven’t picked Iowa State in the offseason to win the Big 12 and go to the College Football Playoff is for a very specific reason: losing those two wide receivers is going to be very difficult to overcome for Rocco Becht. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were outstanding (both NFL Draft Picks), and replacing those guys is going to be more difficult than just finding guys in the Transfer Portal.”
Klatt picks his winner between Iowa State/Kansas State
“I look at this game and I think it’s going to be close because I think it’s going to be physical and it’s going to be hard-nosed. I really like Avery Johnson and Kansas State and Klieman and that defense and that defensive front seven. If Iowa State‘s linebackers stay healthier than last year when they were a mass unit, that unit should be fine and maybe even better than they were a year ago. But again, it wouldn’t surprise me if these teams were right in it in the Big 12 til the very end. That makes this a massive game. A massive game. When I look at the pieces Avery Johnson has around him as a returning starting quarterback, he’s got his best returning receiver in Jayce Brown. Dude went for over 800 yards last year. They’ve also gotten a couple of transfer guys in, but they don’t have to lean on them like Iowa State is gonna have to lean on their transfers.”
“So what’s the pick? A big old discussion about how I love both programs and coaches and defenses and quarterbacks. What’s the pick? This is a tough one. It’s why (the spread) is only three (points). I’m gonna go Kansas State here. I think Kansas State wins this by like four. I see like a 24-20 game and I think the Wildcats win. And namely because I just don’t know if Iowa State is ready to operate on the outside with those wide receivers right away.”
Kick-off for this year’s “Farmageddon” is scheduled for 12:00 PM on ESPN.
Category: General Sports
