Iowa State Predicted To Play in Kinder's Texas Bowl Against Top Group of 5 Team

Who have the Iowa State Cyclones been predicted to play against in the Kinder's Texas Bowl?

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones aren’t going to be playing for the Big 12 championship or earning a spot in the College Football Playoff this year, but they should be proud of how much success they experienced in 2025.

A four-game losing streak in the middle of the campaign derailed the team after winning its first five games of the season. However, the Cyclones were able to get things back on track down the stretch.

Iowa State finished the year on a three-game winning streak, defeating the TCU Horned Frogs, Kansas Jayhawks and Oklahoma State Cowboys. Some positive momentum has been built with the Cyclones, who are now preparing for a bowl game.

Iowa State predicted to face Tulane in bowl game

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Where could they be playing next? Kyle Bonagura of ESPN has predicted that Iowa State will be participating in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 9:15 pm ET on ESPN.

The game will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston, home of the Houston Texans in the NFL. They are predicted to face one of the best Group of 5 teams in the country, the Tulane Green Wave out of the American Athletic Conference.

Tulane has put together another strong season in Year 2 under head coach Jon Sumrall. They are 10-2 and 7-1 in the AAC, scheduled to take on the North Texas Mean Green for the conference championship.

There is still a chance the Green Wave will be participating in the College Football Playoff, depending on how the AAC championship unfolds. A lot can still happen between now and the field being announced.

Tulane could be without head coach Jon Sumrall

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

However, should Tulane not get selected for one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff, they will look drastically different on the sidelines for a potential bowl game against the Cyclones.

That is because their head coach is going to be taking over the job with the Florida Gators. He has coached two seasons with the Troy Trojans and two with Tulane, leading his team to the conference title game each year.

It could create a major advantage for Iowa State to make the most of if the Green Wave are participating without their head coach. They know all too well how it feels to have a coach mentioned in several rumors about openings around the country, but Matt Campbell has not departed yet.

This will be the third consecutive year that Campbell has led the Cyclones to a bowl game, and the eighth time during his tenure.