Kansas State’s Big 12 Title Chances Take a Hit After Loss to Iowa State
Kansas State suffered its first loss of the 2025 season at the hands of Iowa State — and while it’s just one game, the implications could be bigger than they appear.
Although it’s only Week 1, some believe this early defeat could be a serious setback for the Wildcats’ hopes of making the Big 12 Championship and securing a College Football Playoff spot. ESPN’s Heather Dinich broke down the potential ripple effects during a recent SportsCenter segment.
“They’re not out of contention yet, but the best-case scenario now is for Kansas State to reach the Big 12 title game and get revenge on Iowa State,” Dinich said. “With the five highest-ranked conference champions guaranteed playoff spots, they still have a shot — but they’re already trailing in the Big 12 standings.”
Beyond just standings, the loss may raise doubts about Kansas State’s ability to perform against top-tier competition.
“If they don’t win the conference, they’ll have to rely on the playoff selection committee viewing the Big 12 favorably and having multiple teams ranked in the CFP Top 25,” Dinich noted.
While the Wildcats still have a path to the postseason, they’ll likely need to be near-perfect the rest of the way. Complicating matters, their schedule doesn’t currently include many highly-ranked opponents, which could hurt their playoff résumé in the eyes of the committee.
Kansas State will look to bounce back Saturday night when they take on North Dakota.
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