Greg McElroy picks Utah over Arizona State in Big 12 Championship game

Arizona State and Texas Tech are the two favorites to win the Big 12 in the upcoming season, according to BetMGM. However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy foresees another team taking home the conference crown in the 2025 campaign.

“I’m going with Utah to play against Arizona State in the Big 12 title game. And the champion of the Big 12 will be the Utah Utes,” McElroy said. “Now, I look at how they’re going to play defense. I think they’re going to be great on that side of the ball for as long as Kyle Whittingham is there.

“But, I look at the improvements they’ve made on the offensive side of the football to win the games that they’ve won the last two years. And I know last year was not pretty by any stretch. They lost seven straight games after a 4-0 start. Five of those seven games were by one possession, and they had arguably the worst quarterback play in the entire Big 12. Now, you could have the most dynamic playmaker in the Big 12 pulling the trigger for the Utah Utes.”

Due to Cam Rising‘s injury issues, Utah struggled to find consistent quarterback play last season, and the team paid the price. Utah averaged just 199.4 passing yards per game last season, ranking No. 99 in the country.

In turn, Utah reeled in a commitment from New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier this offseason. Dampier earned All-Mountain West First-Team honors last season after exploding for 2,768 passing yards, 1,166 rushing yards and 31 total touchdowns.

With Dampier starting behind center this season, the Utes should have one of the most potent offenses in the Big 12. Dampier will have plenty of weapons around him as well, with seven offensive starters for Utah returning.

On defense, the Utes are returning five starters. Utah added 22 transfers this offseason to help fill any holes in its defense ahead of the 2025 campaign. McElroy is confident the Utes’ offseason moves are going to pay dividends.

“Kyle Whittingham brings home his first Big 12 championship,” McElroy said. “I think he does so in remarkable fashion. That Big 12 Championship game will be must-watch television because I think because of the carnage that we’re likely to see in that league, the winner of that game will go on to the playoff. The loser will be out.”

Utah will kick off its 2025 season with a showdown against UCLA at 11 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. The game will air live on FOX.