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Iowa State coach Matt Campbell bucked expectations last season as the Cyclones won eleven games for the first time in program history and the team reached the Big 12 championship game where they narrowly lost to the high-flying Arizona State Sun Devils. Next season, the expectations surrounding the Cyclones will be sky-high after last season's escapades.
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Questions Matt Campbell should answer at Big 12 media days
Ahead of the Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday, below are five questions that Campbell should answer ahead of the 2025 season.
#5. Whether Iowa State can win a Big 12 title
The last time that the Iowa State Cyclones won a conference title was in 1912. Last season, Matt Campbell led them to the championship game which they closely lost to the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The expectations are higher this season, but according to FanDuel, the Cyclones are No. 7 favorites (+1000) to win the conference behind favorites, the Kansas State Wildcats (+550).
#4. The importance of the Aer Lingus Classic
The Cyclones will head to Dublin, Ireland for the annual Aer Lingus Classic against Big 12 rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats to start their college football season with a heavyweight clash against the preseason conference title favorites.
After a promising 2023 campaign, the Florida State Seminoles stumbled in the Aer Lingus Classic, falling to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The defeat marked the beginning of a disappointing season, showing just how pivotal the overseas opener can be to a team’s momentum and to Campbell’s ambitions for the year.
#3. How the Cyclones will deal with the pressure
Last season, the Iowa State Cyclones were not expected to make waves in the Big 12 and college football playoff picture, but after their heroics, Fox Sports analyst Michael Cohen added them to his list of teams likely to make their first CFP appearances next season.
Matt Campbell will bring back quarterback Rocco Betch next season, providing continuity to an offense that soared in 2024 and remains central to Iowa State’s ambitions in 2025.
#2. His future in Ames
After a sensational season, Matt Campbell was linked with the vacant Chicago Bears job after Matt Ebberfluss was fired. During a segment of the "Never Stop Getting Better" podcast, Campbell revealed why he stayed at Iowa State, but the question of his future is one that will come up.
“There’s been a lot of great opportunities that have come,” Matt Campbell said on the Never Stop Getting Better podcast. “But every time I’ve looked myself in the mirror, it’s like, man, our program stands for something right now.”
#1. Whether the Cyclones can make an appearance at the CFP
Last season's expanded college football playoff aroused significant interest among fans of teams not traditionally considered elite. Iowa State had a chance to make the expanded field but were beaten in the Big 12 championship game, allowing the Arizona State Sun Devils to take the spot in the showcase event.
Next season will be Matt Campbell's tenth season at the helm of Iowa State and the Cyclones finally look like a team capable of fighting for college football's top honors.
