If you were sitting in the stands at Jack Trice Stadium on November 22, 2025, you felt it. The air wasn't just cold; it was heavy with that specific brand of Midwestern tension that only exists when two programs with identical chips on their shoulders collide. Iowa State walked away with a 38-14 win over Kansas that day, but the scoreboard barely told the story of where these two programs are actually headed.
Honestly, the Kansas Iowa State football matchup has become one of the most honest barometers in the Big 12. No blue-blood boosters. No massive TV markets. Just two programs that spent decades in the basement and decided they didn’t like the view anymore.
The 2025 Reality Check
The most recent clash in Ames was a bit of a wake-up call for the Jayhawks. Coming off a 5-7 season where they missed a bowl for the first time in three years, Lance Leipold’s squad needed a statement. They didn't get it. Instead, they ran into a Jimmy Rogers-led Iowa State team that looked remarkably disciplined for a program in its first year post-Matt Campbell.
Wait, let's back up.
Most people missed the seismic shift that happened when Campbell took the Penn State job and Rogers stepped up. People expected a drop-off. They expected the "Cyclones way" to evaporate. Instead, Rogers leaned into the trenches, focusing on a defensive line that somehow managed to stay intact through the transfer portal chaos.
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On the other side, Kansas has been dealing with the "year after" syndrome. After the high of 2023, the 2024 and 2025 seasons felt like a struggle to maintain relevance. Jalon Daniels is still a wizard when he's healthy, but the consistency that defined the early Leipold era has been harder to find.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
There’s this weird narrative that Kansas and Iowa State are "basketball schools" that just happen to play football on Saturdays. That’s lazy. If you look at the 2024 game at Arrowhead Stadium—where Kansas actually got the better of the Cyclones 45-36—you saw an offensive masterclass.
It wasn't a fluke.
Kansas has evolved into a system that forces you to defend every blade of grass. Iowa State, conversely, has built a culture of "suffocation." They want to bleed the clock, hit you in the mouth, and win 20-17. When these two styles clash, it’s basically a philosophical debate played out in pads.
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The Quarterback Factor: Becht vs. The Field
Rocco Becht is the name you have to know here. In the 2025 win over Kansas, he was surgical. He isn't the guy who’s going to make a 60-yard highlight reel run every game, but he’s the guy who converts 3rd and 8 with a 9-yard slant that breaks a linebacker's heart.
Kansas has struggled to find that same level of "boring" efficiency. When Jalon Daniels is on, he’s the best player in the conference. Period. But the Jayhawks have lacked a Plan B when the explosive plays aren't there. In their 2025 meeting, Iowa State took away the deep ball and dared Kansas to dink and dunk. The Jayhawks couldn't—or wouldn't—do it.
Why the 2026 Outlook is Different
Looking ahead, the dynamic is shifting again. Iowa State is currently hitting the portal hard to rebuild an offensive line that lost starters like James Neal III and Tyler Miller. Jimmy Rogers is basically trying to rebuild the engine while the car is doing 80 on I-35.
Kansas, meanwhile, is getting a massive boost with the return of Andy Kotelnicki as Associate Head Coach for 2026. If you remember the 2022 and 2023 offenses that made Kansas a national darling, Kotelnicki was the architect. His return is the equivalent of a mid-major program landing a five-star recruit.
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The "Farmageddon" Shadow
It’s impossible to talk about Kansas Iowa State football without mentioning the elephant in the room: the rivalry with Kansas State. Because ISU and K-State have the "Farmageddon" brand, the KU-ISU game often gets treated like the "other" game.
That’s a mistake.
While Farmageddon is about agricultural pride and 100-year streaks, the KU-ISU game is about the future of the Big 12. These are the two schools that proved you can win in this league without a Texas-sized budget.
Actionable Insights for the Next Season
If you're betting on or just following this matchup in the coming months, keep your eyes on these specific areas:
- The Trenches: Watch Iowa State's portal additions at offensive tackle. If they don't find veteran anchors, the Jayhawks' pass rush will feast in 2026.
- The Kotelnicki Effect: Expect Kansas to return to more "creative" formations. If you see triple-option looks out of a shotgun set in the first quarter of their next game, know that the old wizard is back at work.
- Home Field Swings: This series has become incredibly sensitive to venue. The atmosphere in Lawrence is night-and-day compared to five years ago. Don't discount the "new" Booth Memorial Stadium impact.
The reality is that Kansas Iowa State football isn't just a mid-season conference game anymore. It’s a fight for who gets to stay at the top of the "new" Big 12 hierarchy. Both teams are finished with being the underdog. Now, they're just trying to prove who's actually the lead dog.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close watch on the spring practice reports out of Lawrence regarding Jalon Daniels' mobility, as that remains the single biggest "if" in the Jayhawks' playbook. On the Ames side, the focus has to be on how quickly the three new offensive line transfers mesh with Rocco Becht’s timing.