3 most important games for Iowa State football in 2024

Iowa State football needed a major bounce-back in 2023 in order to keep Matt Campbell off the hot seat following a disastrous 2022 season and, well, it got that in the form of a 7-5 regular season.

Unfortunately, Iowa State lost the Liberty Bowl to Memphis which was a bit of a surprise, but the 2023 season yielded some great things for the program, most notably freshman quarterback Rocco Becht who was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He looks like he's going to be the program's best quarterback since Brock Purdy and that should mean success is on the horizon.

Now that Texas and Oklahoma are gone from the Big 12, Iowa State is expecting to compete for conference titles.

Which three games are most important for the Cyclones in 2024?

3. at Iowa (Sept. 7)

I'm picking a non-conference game as one of the most important in 2024 for Iowa State because it just so happens to be a rivalry. The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy will be an intense one this season because Iowa State is improving and Iowa should have its starting quarterback (Cade McNamara) back and healthy.

Matt Campbell is just 1-6 against Iowa during his career at Iowa State and he came one touchdown short of a win last season. A victory here would go a long way in 2024 for this team confidence-wise as well as in the pursuit of a 10-win season.

2. Kansas (Nov. 9)

A game that is technically at a neutral site (Kansas City, Mo.), Kansas will take on Iowa State with potentially a Big 12 title game appearance on the line in early November.

I see Iowa State sitting at 4-1, at least, in Big 12 play heading into this game and if the Cyclones can beat my dark-horse contender to win the conference, I think they'll take firm control of the standings and almost lock up a spot in the title game -- barring a complete meltdown in the final three games.

Kansas is going to be a must-win if Iowa State wants to take the Big 12 crown.

1. at Utah (Nov. 30)

When I wrote this list out, my No. 1 was originally Kansas State in the finale (which is also important and could be argued that it should replace the previous two selections), but after giving it some thought, Utah has to be No. 1.

Originally, I left the Utes off the list because I expected this to be a sure loss for Iowa State, but we've seen crazier things in college football. Iowa State needs to beat the Big 12 newcomer who might just be the conference title favorite in Salt Lake City if it wants to stay afloat in the conference title race.

Let's face it, Iowa State isn't winning the conference if it can't take at least two of the three against Kansas, Kansas State, and Utah.