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A historic season is unfolding in Ames, Iowa. The No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones have recorded their first-
ever 10-plus win season and are now in the Big 12 Conference title game for the second time in school
history.
The 50th anniversary of Jack Trice Stadium has proven to be a potential banner year for the program. The Cyclones are also looking for their first conference championship since 1912, when they were in the
While some predicted the Cyclones to do decently this season, very few expected a season as memorable as this one. So, the question is how did Iowa State get here and where does it have the potential to go? Can they carry the momentum through the postseason?
A Balanced, Resilient Effort
Starting with how the Cyclones got here, as stated earlier, the Cyclones were a dark-horse contender for
the Big 12 crown at best to most during the preseason. Little to no one saw this championship run
coming, much less rattling off seven straight victories and people eventually thinking they were making
a run at perfection. What was their secret?
Many knew the strengths of the Cyclones lay in their defense, which has always been a force to be
reckoned with. Defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has fielded stout units since the beginning of his
tenure in 2016. This year was no different, with the Cyclones having the No. 3 pass defense in the
nation. While the run defense did struggle, certain factors made up for it.
A major factor was the advent of one of the best passing offenses in the country. Some knew of the
potential this Iowa State offense had this season, but there were questions about whether sophomore
quarterback Rocco Becht could continue his uphill climb from a great freshman season. That question
was answered when the Cyclones averaged 258 passing yards a game, 13.23 yards per completion and
19 total passing touchdowns.
The Cyclones have the No. 31-ranked total defense and No. 41-ranked total offense in the land, stats
which best exemplify why they have been so successful. They are a balanced, complete team, but
also a resilient team at that. The Cyclones are 4-1 in one-score games this season. While they may have struggled mainly against teams with great rushing capabilities, they bent but didn’t break most of
the time against that type of competition.
A great example of this was their game against the UCF Knights. It was a back-and-forth game where Iowa
State gave up a whopping 354 rushing yards to running QB Jacurri Brown and stud RB RJ Harvey. But the Cyclones kept fighting until the final drive. Becht showed clutch playmaking abilities all the way downfield, where he ran for the game-winning TD with 30 seconds left. They stayed in it and fought tooth and nail.
This game, as well as the other one-score wins the Cyclones had this season, showed the power of proper
game management, rolling with the punches and remaining competitive and resilient that Iowa State
has. Head coach Matt Campbell has long since been a great “leader of men” type of coach who has instilled
a “why not us?” mentality in each group of players he’s coached. It shines through with the group he
has now.
“If you fall in love with the process, then eventually the process will love you back,” Campbell said in a
The trusting of the process has Campbell’s Cyclones at 10-2 and competing for their first-ever Big 12
title. Should they win, what may the future of a College Football Playoff berth look like?
Can the Cyclones Continue to Surge?
The opening spread of the Big 12 Championship has the No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils at minus-2,
with Iowa State at a plus-105 money line. While Iowa State has had a strong season, its wins have not
been as dominant as Arizona State’s. That's as far as in terms of the strength of wins and how closely “lesser
teams” have played Iowa State versus Arizona State is concerned.
However, the Big 12 had arguably the most parity out of any conference this year. Any team could truly
beat anyone, which is why it’s so impressive that Iowa State and Arizona State both rose above the
fracas to become the top two teams in the conference. Both Iowa State and Arizona State have a shot to make postseason noise and are built for postseason success.
Whoever comes out of this Big 12 Championship a winner should be taken more seriously than what a
lot of media pundits lead to believe. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten Conference are not the
lone two conferences to be feared in this new 12-team system. The Big 12 has had its mettle tested
and pressure has made diamonds. The gap is not nearly as wide as certain media would make it to be and that is about to be proven with this year's CFP.
Should Iowa State make it, though, the major question is why they can make a run versus why they may suffer a first-round loss? In all likelihood, the Big 12 champion will be the No. 12 seed in the CFP, pitting them against the No. 5 seed. As of now, that is projected to be the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team the Cyclones may not match up well against given Penn State’s strong rushing attack and pass defense. Penn State’s rushing offense ranks No. 25 in the nation while their pass defense ranks No. 7.
Hopes for a Good Matchup
That being said, this is a projection and not a guarantee. If the Cyclones can get a good matchup, then
things are a bit more optimistic. Even if they face a team like Penn State, which they don’t match up well
against, they didn’t match up well against teams like the Utah Utes and UCF, either. Iowa State has
proven that if it plays its best game, then it can truly beat anyone in the nation through the power of
resilience and proper game management.
However, having this edge is no guarantee, either. If the Iowa State that showed up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders or Kansas Jayhawks shows up, then it could get ugly. Such is the reality of teams that rely on “trusting the process” and being a balanced unit. If something falls out of balance, then it can all come crashing down. It certainly doesn't help that Iowa State hasn't won a game against a currently ranked opponent.
A run is not likely due to this as it is extremely hard to stay consistent and not have to improvise against playoff-level competition. If Iowa State keeps its game intact, shows the resilience it showed in those close wins, and remains consistent, then this will be a team to be reckoned with should they get to the CFP. The No. 1 quality that a college football team can have is consistency, which is what the Cyclones had through the first seven games. Another run is possible if a team's game is consistent and well-managed, something the Cyclones should keep in mind. Learn from the two ugly losses and multiple close calls, then take those lessons into the season that matters the most—the postseason.
Iowa State: A Team of Destiny?
Iowa State does have another thing going for them and that’s momentum from a historic season. Their
first-ever 10-win season ever, their second-ever Big 12 title game and back-to-back wins against their rival
Kansas State Wildcats have the Cyclones humming once again.
The last time the Cyclones had this kind of momentum was when they beat their in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes. They rattled off five straight wins. That just so happens to be the amount of wins needed for the Cyclones to win the CFP.
Granted, the competition will be more intense than what it was in the regular season, but the
Cyclones have the ability to be that consistent. If this season is any indication also, then anyone can beat
anyone no matter the conference or record if a team gets hot.
Iowa State is a team that’s hot. Should the Cyclones keep that heat going through the postseason, they’re
perhaps the CFP’s most dangerous team. Time will tell, but the Cyclones could pull off the
unfathomable in what has been an unfathomable college football season. A win in the conference
championship must come first, though.
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