Matt Campbell, Iowa State Cyclones Receive Promising Big 12 Projection in 2025

Predictions for the Iowa State Cyclones in 2025 have been a mixed bag this offseason. Considering the program has faltered after success before under Matt Campbell, there’s some trepidation in expecting the team to return to Dallas for another crack at the Big 12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But in the eyes of others, Iowa State hitting their first 11-win season in 2024 should carry momentum into this season as a legitimate contender in the conference. 

Pro Football Network, however, found a happy medium, projecting the Cyclones to reach the Big 12 Championship against the Utah Utes following an 8-4 campaign. Their prediction does carry a tiny asterisk because their simulations did give BYU a better record, but PFN retroactively made the call to bump Iowa State up after recent news surrounding the Cougars.

In their predictions, PFN has the Cyclones losing to Kansas State, Colorado, and BYU in conference. Presumably, the out-of-conference projected loss is against Iowa.

An 8-4 finish, especially with those particular losses, would put Iowa State at a disadvantage against the other conference champions for the College Football Playoff committee. Still, it’d likely be enough to get in as one of the lower seeds as an automatic qualifier unless a team from the American and the PAC-12 come to the end of the season with 11 wins.

Still, that loss to BYU could easily be flipped, Colorado might be getting a bit too much benefit of the doubt, and the Kansas State and Iowa games are real toss-ups this year. A 10-win season would be much more convincing to their postseason arguments. Still, it’s a tall task to follow up the first 10+ win season in program history with the second right away.

Nonetheless, Matt Campbell’s squad has a third-year starting quarterback and plenty of pieces around him to keep the offense on pace with its success from last year. There might be a small speed bump early as Rocco Becht gets familiar with his new top targets on the outside, which could lead to the losses against Kansas State and Iowa. But by mid-season, the chemistry is sure to build into something much more reminiscent of 2024.

Defensively, the Cyclones have plenty of production to replace and a huge question mark surrounding their pass-rushing unit. Still, leaders such as Jeremiah Cooper, Jontez Williams, and Kooper Ebel return for defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s defense that allowed the fewest passing yards per game last season.

Iowa State’s road back to Dallas isn’t easy. The Big 12 is expected to be as competitive as ever, especially after the surge Arizona State showed in the postseason, which gives hope to teams throughout the conference of what they can accomplish in the CFP. Knowing they were on the doorstep of being there instead of the Sun Devils has to put some fire behind Campbell’s roster this season.