Iowa State Football Projected to Hand In-State Foe First Loss

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to have a solid football team this upcoming season, and they aren't a program that has been getting much national coverage.

Since bringing in Matt Campbell in 2016, the Cyclones have turned their program around, ending with at least seven wins in seven of their last eight seasons. Iowa State notched 11 wins last season, its first time ever hitting double figures. With a slew of returning players, it should be one of the best teams in the Big 12.

That's why it isn't overly shocking that CBS Sports' Brad Crawford expects the Cyclones to take down in-state rival Iowa, potentially handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. Here's what he had to say when breaking down the first loss for every Big Ten program.

"The Cyclones have a team capable of reaching -- and winning -- the Big 12 Championship, while the Hawkeyes enter in prove-it mode as a road underdog. The road team has won the last four meetings in this rivalry, all of which were decided in the final quarter. Iowa hopes South Dakota State transferMark Gronowski fits immediately in the passing game,"

This isn't a rivalry that Iowa State has historically performed well in. It has won just 24 of the 71 matchups, going 9-22 at home and 15-25 on the road. The Cyclones did win the 2024 battle, taking down the Hawkeyes 20-19 behind a 14-point second quarter. The 2011 and 2012 seasons were the last time the Cyclones won back-to-back games in the series.

Here's a breakdown of why Iowa State is becoming such a special program.

Matt Campbell doesn’t get enough national recognition for the culture shift he brought to the Iowa State football program pic.twitter.com/4d9WSCamli
— Iowa Chill (@IowaChill) July 9, 2025

The sky is the limit for this team. With numerous players back to try to earn this team its first CFP berth, expect it to take how the battle for Iowa on September 6.