Hasn’t this week been a blast? Never before on the beautiful campus of Iowa State University have I seen such excitement over Cyclone athletics.

It would be a fairly obvious statement that, in my three years here, the football team has never really generated the kind of excitement that would get the students worked into a frenzy.

More accurately, the only feelings the team brought to the student body were those of frustration, and even worse, apathy.

There was a bit of a buzz in ’97 when the basketball team was in the Sweet 16. People were pretty excited, and who knows what would have happened if Cameron Dollar’s shot had come up short. Major celebrations, to be sure.

But this week, a new standard has been set not only for football, but all sports at ISU.

Upon returning from Iowa City late Saturday afternoon, I was met with a sight that brought a tear to my eye.

The Cyclone faithful — some who had stayed here in Ames to witness the colossal ass-whuppin, and others who had made the pilgrimage to Iowa City — had gathered near the Jacobsen Building awaiting the arrival of their conquering heroes.

The scoreboard was lit up with the score of the game and the message “We Win” on the message board.

The next thing I knew, there was a parade down Lincoln Way with students carrying, of all things, the practice goal posts. And who was leading the way but one of the heroes from the game, lineman Bill Marsau.

The euphoria that permeated the campus on Saturday has really carried through the week. People are excited for Cyclone football.

Everywhere you go on campus, people are talking about the game and the team.

People whom I have known for my entire stay at ISU — people who scarcely know what a football is — are asking if I was at the game on Saturday.

Everyone now seems interested in who is going home this weekend and who might just want to give up their ticket.

But you know what? Not many people are heading back this weekend.

They’re staying for football.

They’re staying for Ball State.

I wonder if the Cardinals know what they are heading into. They probably just see the Cyclones as a team coming off a big win.

They don’t realize that the entire campus has been salivating in anticipation of the arrival of the mighty Cardinals of Ball State.

The excitement and anticipation should be reflected in the size and sound of the crowd on Saturday.

Iowa State officials are expecting a near sellout on Saturday, and with a solid walk-up crowd, Jack Trice Stadium will be hopping for the game.

For Ball State.

Cyclone Fever has hit the campus, and a win over Ball State will only intensify these feelings and set the stage for Texas Tech to come into the suddenly hostile environment of Ames, Iowa.