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.

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.