The 2025 NCAA football season gets underway this weekend with a limited slate of games. The first game on the schedule, Week 0 of the 2025 season, features the Iowa State Cyclones against the Kansas State Wildcats in Big 12 action from Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. ESPN will broadcast the matchup.
Iowa State enters Saturday’s game as the No. 22 team in the AP Top 25 poll. The Cyclones are No. 21 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, Kansas State is ranked at No. 17 in the AP poll and at No. 21 in the Coaches Poll.
Last year, Iowa State finished the season with an 11-3 overall record and a 7-2 Big 12 mark. Kansas State compiled a 9-4 season in 2024, with a 5-4 conference record. The Cyclones and Wildcats played once last year, with Iowa winning 29-21. These clubs have met every year since 1917, with Iowa State holding a 54-50-4 lead in the rivalry. The Cyclones have won the past two meetings between these teams.
This historic matchup marks the first season opener between these two teams as well as the first time a Big 12 game will be played in Ireland.
| Teams |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State | +140 | +135 | +138 |
| Kansas State | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Iowa State + 3 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Kansas State +3 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 49.5 | -110 | -115 | -110 |
| Under 49.5 | -110 | -105 | -110 |
With the 2025 NCAA football season fast approaching, be sure to check out our NCAAF playoff odds, as well as all of our NCAA football odds.
Iowa State enters the first week of the 2025 NCAA football season coming off the school’s best year. In addition to winning 11 games, the Cyclones reached the Big 12 Championship Game, ultimately losing to Arizona State by a score of 45-19 in that contest.
Rocco Becht is back with the team for his junior year. Last year, the quarterback threw for 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Becht does not have targets Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to throw to this year, with both players going in the NFL draft, but the team has transfers Chase Sowell from East Carolina and Xavier Townsend from UCF for him to target.
Also returning for his junior year is running back Carson Hansen, who had 151 carries for 752 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Hansen added 13 receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Iowa State had the No. 1 pass defense last year.
Kansas State heads into the 2025 campaign with high hopes . A lot of those expectations will rest on the shoulders of their junior quarterback, Avery Johnson. Johnson returns to the gridiron for this season on the heels of a season where he threw for 2,712 yards and added 605 rushing yards. Helping Johnson will be tight end Linkon Cure, who is the school’s first five-star recruit. Johnson had 25 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added seven touchdowns on the ground.
Junior running back Dylan Edwards is also back for the Wildcats. Edwards heads into the 2025 season on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Paul Hornung Award and Jet Award. Edwards rushed 74 times for 546 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Iowa State have won four of the past five meetings between these teams. Look for the Wildcats to end the Cyclones two-game winning streak in Ireland.
The betting pick is for Kansas State to beat Iowa in Week 0 action of the 2025 NCAA football schedule.
While Kansas State is the pick to win on Saturday, the game will be tightly contested.
The betting pick is for Iowa State to cover the spread.
See below the best online betting sites. You can read our comprehensive reviews to help determine the best option for your 2025 NCAA football betting
