Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Comparison is said to be the thief of joy. That may be true, but expectations cannot be far behind in the standings.
An 8-4 season is a great time when you are expecting 4-8, such as the early Matt Campbell days. On the other hand, when expectations are through the roof, like the 2021 season led by senior Brock Purdy and a cast of returners from the then winningest team in school history, 7-5 is not a good time.
As are comparisons, expectations are going to be around for the rest of my lifetime. That said, with Jimmy Rogers stepping in, maybe it is time to enjoy the ride a little bit.
If I told you I expected the Cyclones to go 6-6, 7-5, 4-8, 8-4, that would just be a wild guess. That would be the case for anyone that throws down a season long prediction. Trust me, I enjoy preseason predictions just as much as the next guy, but we have not even seen this coaching staff and combination of players compete against anyone other than each other in the spring showcase.
Maybe, even if just for a season, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the ride.
It has been a decade since Iowa State has gotten a new football coach. A part of the fun of Campbell’s early years with the Cyclones was that there were no expectations. He went 3-9 during his first year as a Cyclone, but some fans felt the turnaround coming. A year later, when they went 8-5, there was a citywide rejoicing in Ames, because there was little expectation for good football at Iowa State due to its history.
Now that Iowa State has been relevant in recent years, Rogers is given expectations that Campbell did not have when he first started. Yes, those expectations are probably warranted, given the work on and off the field that has put Iowa State on the radar of recruits.
No honest person can pinpoint where this team will finish, so why not just take it in. If you expect 8-4 and get 8-4, you will be satisfied. If you have no expectations and get 8-4, it would make for a magical year.
The reason I am certain expectations are built into human philosophy is that it has been a struggle to write this column without throwing down a prediction of my own. That prediction will never see the light of day. When fall rolls around, every moment of Rogers’ first season will come without expectations. The good, the bad and the ugly, will be like riding a roller coaster for the first time.
No expectations does not mean no criticism or no analysis, it means seeing the bigger picture. If the team is putting a bad product on the field, readers will hear from me. The difference is quantifying first year success simply by wins and losses rather than setting the standard for years to come. That is what makes the greats great. They get the train on the tracks right away and then they start driving.
In year two, the Harrington hammer will come down with its mighty expectations for Rogers. Until then, it is important to take the good with the bad as the Cyclones find the shoes that fit.
