The editorial board would like to congratulate the Cyclone football team on their Insight Bowl Victory. This victory capped off a season that seems to have righted the once sinking ship that is Iowa State Football.

The players seem excited. The fans are energized. The students are excited. It’s a whole new ball game here in Ames.

We hope next year brings even greater success, but before we gaze into the future we’d like to point out a few things

We’re not sure exactly how he’s done it, but Paul Rhoads has changed everything. For lack of a better metaphor he was a “game changer.” He has turned this program, and the atmosphere surrounding it 180 degrees around.

Better still, he did it with unshakable determination, exceptional class, and boundless energy. His attitude is contagious, and after hearing him speak, it’s easy to be overcome with the urge to “Hit ‘em comin’ off the bus.”

CyRide, you’ve been warned.

The magnitude of his accomplishments have not gone unrecognized, but his attitude and demeanor deserve a closer look, especially at a time when several college coaches face increasing scrutiny for recruiting violations and player abuse.

Having a stand-up guy like Rhoads at the  helm should make every  fan proud to be a Cyclone. He just doesn’t seem like a lock-the concussion-kid-in the garage kind of guy, and we’re happy to say so. Coach Rhoads, in a way, embodies the attitude of the hard-working citizens of the state of Iowa: There’s no challenge too great, and there’s no problem that can’t be solved.

He really is a perfect fit for this football program. As we allow the 2009 football season to fade into our memory, let’s remember not only the victories, but also the attitudes that changed.

Football games weren’t a hassle anymore. Saturday’s at Jack Trice Stadium weren’t an annoying pre-party. The ticker on ESPN wasn’t always a bearer of bad news. The huskers were shucked. When someone says “I what?” It’s a little less embarrassing, and maybe even slightly empowering to respond “I State!”

On a national stage, Iowa State is emerging: Coach Rhoads’s emotional post-game speech after the Nebraska Game became a YouTube sensation and appeared in ESPN’s “Images of the Decade.” He’s proud to be our football coach? We’re prod yo have him.

In a world where money is unabashedly promoted to priority number one, above the proper treatment of players and the fan experience, it’s refreshing to look forward to next year, and not back into the past.

Any time someone, or something, can display the power of forward thinking, and the resiliance of a positivie attitude, it’s important to slow down, and take notice.

That’s what life is, and that’s what college is preparing us for: enduring the bad to get to the good. Today marks the start of a new semester, and wether it’s your second or your tenth, we’ll all face new challenges. So put on the blinders on and ignore what’s already occurred: enjoy the rare luxury of a clean slate.

Budgets are slashed, money is tight, professors are frustrating, roomates are annoying, books are expensive, bosses are unappriciative, parents are stressed, and countless ther niusances plague the path between now and Summer 2010.

Stresses change, but the strongest people know the best way to face them:

Hit ‘em comin’ off the bus.