Three Must Win Games for Iowa State Football in 2026

There are a few games that the Iowa State Cyclones must win on their football schedule this upcoming season.

Nov 22, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones tight end Benjamin Brahmer (18) catches a touchdown pass in their game with the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Going into 2026, the Iowa State Cyclones have lots of concerns.

After losing their head coach and the majority of their roster to the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Cyclones are in panic mode and need to keep the success that Campbell built in Ames, IA. They do have an intriguing roster next season, but most players aren’t proven at the highest level, and others didn’t do much when playing for Iowa State last season.

In what feels like a developmental year and a ‘take what you can get’ mentality, the Cyclones have to make sure that certain things go their way.

Let’s take a look at three different games that Iowa State absolutely needs to win during the 2026 season.

Vs Bowling Green Falcons

Dec 26, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Bowling Green Falcons helmet on the sideline during the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Ford Field. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It’s simple: the Cyclones need to beat Bowling Green next season. Iowa State could potentially be coming off its first loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in three years and would need to get back on track.

A loss against the Falcons would be terrible and would show the reality that Cyclones fans are trying to hide from, which is that their football team is back in a full rebuild. It would be a worst-case scenario for the program as a whole.

Vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the West Virginia Mountaineers helmet and logo during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

This is one of the biggest games of the season, as they are both projected near the bottom middle of the conference.

Iowa State will need to take care of teams such as West Virginia if they want to compete for a bowl game. The Mountaineers will be thinking the same thing, as they will both likely be in similar scenarios.

The Cyclones need to use the home field to their advantage and make sure they pick up this win to put themselves in the right direction in the middle of the season.

At UCF Knights

Dec 3, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; General view of the UCF Knights helmet against the Tulane Green Wave during the first half at Yulman Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

UCF is projected to be near or completely at the bottom of the conference next season. If that is true, Iowa State can’t afford a loss to them.

It’s going to be tough to travel all the way down to Orlando, FL, to take on the Knights, but they have to stay focused to make sure that they get the win.

Similar to West Virginia, it’s a stepping stone to reaching a bowl game, and head coach Jimmy Rogers has to prove that he can win or be competitive on the road in big games, just like he did with the Washington State Cougars.