College football’s most cleverly named rivalry, Farmageddon, is headed 6000 miles away to Aviva Stadium, where No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State open the 2025 season Saturday at noon ET on ESPN. It’s the first time a Big 12 game has been staged in Dublin, and the stakes feel larger than the venue. The loser swallows an immediate league setback in a race that might not allow two losses. The Cyclones still own the historical edge, 54-50-4, but the Wildcats have claimed 26 of the last 35 meetings, keeping the feud’s bragging rights squarely in the Midwest for most of the past three decades.

Both rosters return star signal-callers, a rarity in today’s portal churn. Sophomore Avery Johnson threw a program-record 25 touchdown passes last fall for K-State, while Iowa State’s Rocco Becht has piled up 6,600 yards and 48 TDs in two seasons as the Cyclones’ starter. Unsurprisingly, oddsmakers expect fireworks. But there’s a wrinkle nobody can script on a whiteboard: jet lag.

Chris Klieman shed some light on this expected but unexpected concern, which popped up when they landed in Dublin. “We were going to struggle through Thursday because we’d been up most of the night on the flight,” Chris Klieman admitted after the Wildcats landed in Ireland, a 6,000-mile trip that flipped their body clocks six hours ahead of Central Time. The head coach hustled the squad through a light workout, then “gave them a really good opportunity Thursday night and a good chunk of Friday to get some rest,” insisting by Friday evening that “their bodies are acclimated” and refusing to let fatigue become an excuse. 

Matt Campbell’s Cyclones endured the same haul, but Kansas State’s up-tempo offense and defensive front make fresh legs a premium commodity. Analytically, the Cyclones arrive with momentum. They’ve won four of the last five versus K-State and averaged 31.1 points per game in 2024, nearly identical to the Wildcats’ 30.8. Yet Kansas State’s defense ranked 15th nationally against the run and must now corral ISU back Abu Sama, the focal point of a retooled Cyclone attack that lost two NFL-bound receivers. The neutral-site environment adds another layer of intrigue; windy, misty Dublin evenings have historically favored ground-heavy game plans, an edge K-State believes it can seize with a deeper offensive line rotation.

So while Saturday’s winner will pocket an early Big 12 tiebreaker, the subplot of circadian science could decide which sideline celebrates at sundown. Klieman has been transparent about the challenge, yet unapologetically firm that “honestly, Thursday was a challenging day for both teams” and that the Wildcats must play through it. If his sleep-management gamble works, Kansas State may leave Ireland not only wide-awake but also 1-0 in the league race.

Klieman’s injury line challenge

Kansas State fans received rough news just hours before kickoff. Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick, slated to anchor the offensive line at left tackle, has been ruled out due to an undisclosed medical issue that surfaced in spring and worsened during fall camp. Fitzpatrick’s addition brought both championship pedigree and essential game experience. With 84 career starts and a national title to his name, he was expected to solidify a unit that already ranked 10th nationally in sacks allowed last year. “We don’t really have a timetable, but he’s doing a lot better,” Coach Chris Klieman shared recently, sounding hopeful but unsure if the Buckeye veteran will suit up soon.

Klieman’s solution is to slot John Pastore, a junior with nine games of reserve experience, into Fitzpatrick’s place. Pastore, who mainly handled field goal protection last season and battled injuries himself, now steps into the heart of a new-look group coached by Brian Lepak, Kansas State’s former tight ends coach. With three fresh faces helping protect record-setting quarterback Avery Johnson, the Wildcats are forced to adapt quickly. Johnson, who broke Kansas State’s single-season passing touchdown record last fall, relies on a front that finished at No. 11 nationally in run blocking,  but will they hold up minus Fitzpatrick?

The injury bug has bitten on defense, too. Linebacker Asa Newsom, returning from a redshirt year filled with injuries, is out. Defensive tackle Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder is a game-time decision, leaving the Wildcats thin in the trenches. With key injuries on both sides, the physical battle up front looks even more unpredictable. Buhr, who started four games last season, leaves a gap that the Cyclones will fill with Dylan Barrett moving over from center, giving Kansas State potential opportunities on defense.