2025 Campaign Has Officially Become Massive Disappointment for Iowa State Cyclones

Is the 2025 campaign officially a disappointment for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered their third straight loss on Saturday to the BYU Cougars, and what was once a promising season has fallen apart quickly. 

Coming into the year, expectations were high for the program. The Cyclones were coming off a great campaign in 2024 and looking to build upon it and get back into the Big 12 title game. Things started off the way the team would have liked with a 5-0 beginning to the season. 

Iowa State was able to get up to 14th in the AP Poll after their fifth straight win, but things have since gone in the wrong direction. Their first loss of the year came against the Cincinnati Bearcats in a game that they simply couldn’t stop the Bearcats’ offense. 

Following that loss was a game that they should have had against the Colorado Buffaloes. As a favorite in this one against a team that has really struggled, the Cyclones should have come away with a win. 

In Week 9, they had a chance to right some of their wrongs and get a statement win at home against the undefeated Cougars. Things started out well before mistakes ended up resulting in them losing by two touchdowns. With the team now on a three-game losing streak, the season now feels lost for the program. 

2025 Campaign Has Officially Become a Disappointment

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With expectations being so high coming into the year, this season now feels like a massive disappointment for the program. Iowa State will still have four games to play during the regular season, all of which could be winnable. However, with three conference losses they aren’t going to be playing for a Big 12 title. 

In the most recent loss, the Cyclones really had a chance to win this game with a sizable lead early. Unfortunately, mistakes really cost them, and their star quarterback didn’t play well. Now that their hopes of making the Big 12 title game are done, it will be interesting to see how the team responds in the coming weeks. 

They will be back at home again in Week 10 against the Arizona State Sun Devils, who also haven’t had their season go the way that they would have liked. There is still a chance that the team could win 10 games, including a potential bowl game, and that is likely going to be the next goal. The schedule does get easier down the stretch, but this is a team that has been a massive disappointment.