Kansas State a considerable favorite over Iowa State according to ESPN Analytics

Iowa State running back Carson Hansen (26) battles for few yards as he gets tackled by Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez (10) during their game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe first game of the 2025 college football season intrigues me.

First and foremost, we need to go ahead and note that this game is between two Big 12 teams, which could be part of a fascinating case study on the sort of innovative marketing pushes from the Big 12. On top of that, this matchup features the most recent runner up in the Big 12 championship game and that team that made it there isn’t favored in this game here.

…