Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. William Purnell-Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones Have Best Chance to Win Big 12 Title Heading into Week 4

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Through the first third of the season, the Iowa State Cyclones are 4-0 and currently on a much-needed bye week. With a couple of signature wins already, the Cyclones have to be pleased with the start to the year.

Iowa State has been a fairly well-balanced team so far this year, with a good offense led by quarterback Rocco Becht and a strong defense. After a great campaign in 2024, expectations are high for the program this season.

Head coach Matt Campbell has started to build a culture of winning for the Cyclones, and that is becoming the expectation now. While their Week 3 win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves left little to be desired, they were able to avoid what would have been a disastrous loss.

After the bye week, conference play will really be heating up for Iowa State, and they will start to see some of the competition in the conference battling it out in Week 4. The main goal for the team this year is to win the Big 12 and secure their automatic spot in the College Football Playoff. Even though it might be earlier, the Cyclones will be keeping an eye on their chances to win the conference.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently projected that the Cyclones have a 22 percent chance of winning the Big 12. While that number might seem a tad low, it was the best of any team in the conference.

Can Iowa State Win the Big 12?

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Due to it being early in the schedule, there haven't been too many conference games in the Big 12. The Cyclones were able to defeat the Kansas State Wildcats in Week 0, and the Houston Cougars are the only other team in the conference with a win over the Colorado Buffaloes.

In Week 4, there will be a massive showdown between two of the best teams in the conference when the Texas Tech Red Raiders travel to play the Utah Utes. These are the other two teams that are ranked in the conference, and the Cyclones will have their eye on this one.

Fortunately for Iowa State, the team doesn’t have to play either of those two teams during the regular season. The conference schedule for the Cyclones certainly appears to be favorable this year, and that could be the difference between winning and losing the Big 12. With an at-large bid from a Big 12 team being unlikely right now, winning the conference is very important.

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This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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