K-State Wildcats vs. ISU Cyclones: Ireland football game prediction, TV & odds
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State and Iowa State open the season with a rivalry game in Dublin, Ireland.
- The winner gains early Big 12 momentum and improves chances at the title game.
- Kickoff airs Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN; K-State favored by 3 points.
A Farmageddon unlike any other is about to take center stage in the world of college football.
The Kansas State Wildcats and Iowa State Cyclones are about to play a rivalry game six time zones away from home at Aviva Stadium in Ireland.
As the very first game of the entire season, all eyes will be on this one. That alone makes it a special game. But it also comes with high stakes.
The winner will have an early lead in the Big 12 standings and a leg up on the rest of the conference as they fight to reach the league title game at the end of the season.
But even if you stripped all of that away, this would still be a must-see game because both teams are ranked in the top 25 and they are rivals.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s game...
Kansas State vs. Iowa State: Game details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. (Central) Saturday Where: Aviva Stadium in Dublin TV/stream: ESPN Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita The line: K-State by 3 with an O/U of 49.5
K-State-ISU game prediction
Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman is not treating this game like a typical season-opener that is played against an FCS opponent at home inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats changed their spring workout routine to help players better prepare for this game. They also adjusted their preseason practice schedule so they could begin training camp in July. And they have tried to hide their strategy for this contest as much as possible.
Matt Wells is set to call his first game as offensive coordinator for K-State. Joe Klanderman may have some radical new formations in store for Iowa State on defense. It’s impossible to know what to predict, because the Wildcats haven’t practiced any 11-on-11 work in front of media since they played their last game against Rutgers in the Rate Bowl.
Klieman is playing things so close to the vest that he wouldn’t allow reporters to film K-State players stretching before practice here on Thursday.
That makes me think he has something special in store for Iowa State as he looks to end a losing streak against the Cyclones.
Over the past five years, no team has caused more problems for the Wildcats than the Cyclones. Iowa State has won four of the past five in this series, with a victory margin of 72 points. The lone victory for K-State during that stretch came by the score of 10-9 in 2022 when Klieman’s team won the Big 12 and Matt Campbell’s team missed out on a bowl.
Simply put: Iowa State has owned K-State.
But all five of those games were played during the second half of the season. The earliest matchup occurred on October 16 in 2021. It’s fallen on senior day the past two seasons.
Why does that matter? Because I suspect that moving the game all the way up to August 23 will be beneficial for Klieman and K-State. Maybe the Wildcats can throw a few curveballs at the Cyclones for a change. Even though both teams are familiar with each other, there is a sense of mystery heading into Week 0.
Studying Iowa State for 11 games didn’t help K-State the past two seasons. But the Cyclones may have found a few things to exploit. That might not be the case here.
I say that, because Klieman had a surprise up his sleeve the last time K-State began a season against a notable opponent. The year was 2021 and K-State played Stanford at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Wildcats came out in a 3-4 defense that Stanford wasn’t ready for, and they went on to win 24-7.
That’s one reason why I am picking K-State to beat Iowa State this season. Not only do the Wildcats have more returning talent than the Cyclones, but they may also have a strategic and motivational edge.
Game pick: Kansas State 24, Iowa State 23
Last season’s prediction record: 9-4
Last season’s prediction record ATS: 7-6
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 10:05 AM.