The disappointment outside the ISU locker room was as easy to spot as the heavy snow that began falling just minutes after the Cyclones’ crushing loss in their regular season finale.

With everything on the line, Iowa State couldn’t close out Missouri, losing in a 17-14 overtime heartbreaker.

A win would have sent the Cyclones to the Big 12 Championship game for a chance to play for their first conference title since 1912 — the same year the Titanic sank.

“I’m hurting right now, and so is the rest of the team,” said senior receiver Todd Miller, who saved his best effort as a Cyclone for his final game in Jack Trice Stadium, catching six passes for 80 yards.

Iowa State had several chances to come away with the win late, as kicker Bret Culbertson pushed a field goal try far to the right late in the fourth quarter, and tight end Ben Barkema couldn’t come down with a Bret Meyer pass that would have ended the game in overtime.

Culbertson’s miss would have ended the game in regulation after Steve Paris returned a Missouri fumble all the way to the Tiger 14-yard line.

“I still have faith in [Culbertson], and the whole team has faith in him,” said receiver Jon Davis.

“I know he’ll come through later.”

An overtime field goal gave the Tigers a 17-14 lead before Missouri’s AJ Kincade intercepted Meyer in the end zone to end the game.

“You’re definitely riding an emotional high, especially when that ball is first and goal,” Miller said.

“That’s sports though — you never know what’s going to happen. On that last play, when they intercepted the ball, it hurt watching him run down the field.”

The Cyclone loss sends Colorado to Kansas City to face Oklahoma for the Big 12 title and a possible BCS Bowl berth. The Buffaloes beat Iowa State 19-14 earlier in the season to earn the tiebreaker over the Cyclones.

“We’ve come a long way, and we didn’t want to stop here,” said punter Troy Blankenship. “We wanted to go on to the Big 12 championship game next week, but we have to realize that the season’s not over.”

The Cyclones’ comeback win last week over Kansas State gave them six wins on the season and made them bowl eligible for the fourth time in five years.

The 6-5 overall record and share of the Big 12 North title comes as a surprise to almost everyone outside the Cyclone locker room, as Iowa State was picked to finish last in the conference in almost every preseason poll.

“We had a lot to prove coming into the season,” Blankenship said. “Everyone said we couldn’t do it. We didn’t try to set goals that were unreachable, we just took it one game at a time, and it ended up working out pretty good if you look at last year to this year.”

Even with their improbable turnaround, the Cyclones aren’t satisfied with what they have accomplished.

“We want better,” said senior cornerback Ellis Hobbs.

“Any time somebody tells me what I can or can’t do, I turn the other way.

“I don’t care if you are trying to be nice or looking at the facts and things. Forget the facts man, I know what I can do, and I know what I can do in my heart.”

With the bitter memories of Saturday fresh in their minds, the Cyclones are ready to get back on the field in preparation for their bowl game.

Representatives from several bowls were in attendance on Saturday, with the official bowl selections coming on Dec. 6.

“It’s like trying to redeem yourself a little bit,” Hobbs said. “Just to come back and have another game, we can go out and have another chance to leave a good taste in our mouths. We’re licking our chops for that.”