Josh Pate Turns Heads With Surprise Pick for Big 12 Championship Prediction

Although it's not at the same level as the SEC or Big Ten, the Big 12 should be one of the more competitive conferences this season. It's essentially a wide-open race, as several teams look the part of winning the Big 12 Championship. Josh Pate of CBS Sports finally weighs in on who he thinks can take home the title in that conference.

With plenty of new faces, the popular sports analyst picks two familiar teams to win the Big 12 Championship during his latest episode of The Late Kick with Josh Pate. The two programs to keep an eye on are the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Iowa State Cyclones. Pate ultimately believes the Cowboys have what it takes to win the Big 12 title.

"Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship game, as my own production team scoffs in my ear. In a few months, I'll be accepting multiple apologies in this building."

The Cowboys have the benefit of having arguably the best running back in the country in Ollie Gordon. So, Oklahoma State will likely feature him often in their offense. Meanwhile, the Cyclones are a sneaky pick, as they've been competitive over the years but have yet to make a serious run at a conference title.

But Josh Pate seems to believe both of these programs are capable of appearing in the Big 12 Championship with the Cowboys taking home the crown. If that's the case, then Oklahoma State would be one of the four automatic bids for the College Football Playoffs.

But as Pate mentioned, there are numerous teams in the conference who have the ability to make a push for the Big 12 Championship. As of now, the Utah Utes are favored to win the title (+310) with the Kansas State Wildcats right behind them (+380), according to FanDuel.

It's interesting to note that Josh Pate's picks are still within the top six in terms odds for the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma State comes in with the third best odds (+850) and Iowa State carries the sixth best odds (+10000). With multiple teams potentially in the mix, this conference may just come down to the wire.

With that said, the Big 12 could be the most competitive conferences in the nation right now despite not having power house programs like Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, or Oregon. Overall, this should be a relatively exciting year for the Big 12.

Related: Josh Pate Names Big Ten Championship Prediction

Related: Brian Kelly, LSU Football Have Fans Melting After Landing Elite 5-Star WR Over Alabama, Georgia

Related: Josh Pate Reveals College Football Playoff, Title Winner Predictions