Big 12 Football Predictions: Our Insiders Predict Week Four Matchups

SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to week four of Big 12 football in the 2025 season.

Here are our weekly insider picks from BYU Insider Mitch Harper and Utah Insider Steve Bartle.

Check out their daily podcasts, Cougar Tracks, and The Utah Blockcast, for the latest on the Cougs and the Utes.

Big 12 Standings Entering Week 4

• Iowa State – 1-0 in the Big 12 (4-0 overall)
• Arizona – 0-0 (3-0)
• Houston – 0-0 (3-0)
• Texas Tech – 0-0 (3-0)
• Utah – 0-0 (3-0)
• BYU – 0-0 (2-0)
• UCF – 0-0 (2-0)
• TCU – 0-0 (2-0)
• Kansas – 0-0 (2-1)
• Arizona State – 0-0 (2-1)
• Baylor – 0-0 (2-1)
• Cincinnati – 0-0 (2-1)
• West Virginia – 0-0 (2-1)
• Oklahoma State – 0-0 (1-1)
• Colorado – 0-0 (1-2)
• Kansas State – 0-1 (1-3 overall)

Season Totals

(Through Week 3)

• Steve Bartle: 36-7
• Mitch Harper: 35-8

Big 12 football teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll entering Week 4

• 12. Iowa State
• 16. Utah
• 17. Texas Tech

Big 12 football predictions throughout the 2025 season

Week 0 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14

Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa

• Friday, September 19
• Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MDT)/6:30 p.m. (CDT)
• TV: ESPN

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Oklahoma State
• Mitch Harper: Oklahoma State

This is a game that Oklahoma State should win comfortably; however, things feel off in Stillwater. Tulsa isn’t playing great football, and the Cowboys are coming off a bye week, which should lead to the Cowboys winning, but again, things have been… weird. -Bartle

If Gundy loses this game, does he experience the same fate as DeShaun Foster did at UCLA? It would have to be a thought, because Tulsa is not good. -Harper

TCU vs. SMU

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 10 a.m. (MDT)/11 a.m. (CDT)
• TV: ESPN2

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: TCU
• Mitch Harper: TCU

This one figures to be another shootout. I trust Josh Hoover to take care of the ball a little bit better than Kevin Jennings, and that ultimately will be the difference in this one. Horned Frogs get it done in the Iron Skillet rivalry, getting the Big 12 to 2-0 over the Mustangs. -Bartle

The questionable status of TCU running back Kevorian Barnes makes me pause a little bit. But I believe TCU won’t skip a beat in what will probably be the last Iron Skillet game for a while. -Harper

UCF vs. North Carolina

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (MDT)/3:30 p.m. (EDT)
• TV: FOX

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: UCF
• Mitch Harper: UCF

I have not been very high on Scott Frost in his return to UCF. Bill Belichick and the Tarheels laid an egg in week one but have since won two straight. The Knights will be coming off a bye week, while the Tarheels have gained some momentum. I’m going to roll with the Knights to knock off the Tarheels, thanks in large part to their dynamic run game with Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon. -Bartle

UCF is going to hammer North Carolina. Knights roll, giving Chapel Bill his second loss to a Big 12 team.

West Virginia at Kansas

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 4 p.m. (MDT)/6 p.m. (EDT)
• TV: FS1

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Kansas
• Mitch Harper: Kansas

After losing Jaheim White for the season, Tye Edwards stepped up and proved to be phenomenal for the Mountaineers, running for 141 yards and three scores against Pitt. Lance Leipold teams have typically taken care of business coming off bye weeks, and I think Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks get it done in Lawrence. -Bartle

Kansas is a double-digit favorite over a Big 12 team for the first time in 15 years. The last time that happened was in 2010 against Iowa State. Kansas needs more from its running backs to go along with Daniels. I think they cruise past West Virginia, who likely experiences a letdown after a big rivalry win. -Harper

Arizona State at Baylor

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MDT)/6:30 p.m. (CDT)
• TV: FOX

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Baylor
• Mitch Harper: Arizona State

Baylor has not been very stout against the run this season, but Arizona State’s defensive secondary will be down a starting safety. This should be a pretty tight, competitive game, but I think Baylor’s passing game will be too much for the Sun Devils in Waco. -Bartle

I have more confidence in Arizona State’s defense to get stops over Baylor. Give me the Sun Devils in what should be an awesome game. -Harper

BYU at East Carolina

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MDT)/7:30 p.m. (EDT)
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Pregame begins at Noon

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: BYU
• Mitch Harper: BYU

The BYU defense is playing great football right now, after beating up on two bad teams. The Pirates have looked pretty solid through three games. If they can keep it tight and stay in the game late in the 4^th quarter, the home crowd could be the difference in this one. I’m going to play it safe and pick the Cougars to win, but I expect the Pirates will make this one interesting. -Bartle

BYU will have success running the football to keep East Carolina’s defense guessing. Meanwhile, the lack of a ground attack for ECU could make them one-dimensional, which doesn’t bode well when going up against BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill. BYU wins. -Harper

Colorado vs. Wyoming

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. (MDT)
• TV: ESPN

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Colorado
• Mitch Harper: Colorado

A still unsolidified quarterback situation now reverts back to Kaidon Salter as the starter this week. Given the physicality Wyoming displayed against Utah, that could be enough to make things interesting, but Colorado’s skill players will be too much for the Cowboys. Buffs win in Boulder. -Bartle

Colorado’s defense might be a bigger problem than the quarterback shuffling. Buffs win because Wyoming doesn’t have much offensively to give CU much of a scare. -Harper

No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah

• Saturday, September 20
• Kickoff: 10 a.m. (MDT)
• TV: FOX

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Utah
• Mitch Harper: Texas Tech

It’s a big game for both programs, with significant implications in the conference and nationally. I think Utah gets it done thanks to the disciplined play of quarterback Devon Dampier and the Rice Eccles Stadium crowd. -Bartle

Could this be a Big 12 Championship Game preview? The battle in the trenches between guys like Spencer Fano from Utah and Texas Tech’s David Bailey will be a must-see event. I think both teams put up numbers in this one. Joey McGuire’s teams have not been good on the road, but I believe QB Behren Morton has taken a significant jump in his career. Red Raiders get a big road win. -Harper

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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