The Cyclones defeated Kansas State 29-21 on Saturday and completed the regular season with a 10-2 overall record and a 7-2 record against Big 12 opponents. It was a game full of firsts, like Iowa State’s first 10-win season and Jaylin Noel’s first season with 1,000 receiving yards.

Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman needed just one word to sum up the Wildcats' loss to Iowa State: Turnovers

The Kansas State football team shouldn’t have to apologize to anyone for winning eight games, especially at the end of a regular season that featured feel-good victories over Tulane, Colorado and Kansas. But if the Wildcats want to eventually supplant Oklahoma and Texas as a perennial Big 12 power, they need to aim higher.