Vegas had Iowa favored by 3.5, but a good chunk of the local/state media picked ISU to win this game, and I'd be willing to bet a good-sized chunk of Iowa fans didn't feel good about it either. Iowa has young talent on the roster, but ISU has experienced talent and is the deeper team. I'll also remind you that the majority of of the team Iowa put on the floor tonight was in high school last year, so that excuse don't fly.
This is Iowa's best win to date, sorta cancelling out the losses to WSU and Va Tech, who both happen to be undefeated. This win isn't meaningless if Iowa doesn't make the Dance. The B1G is the best league in the country, and has a handful of teams much better than Iowa State.
Success for Iowa this year is a top 6 finish in the league, and if that brings an invite to the Dance, great.