Motivation Should Be High for Iowa State Cyclones out of Bye With Big 12 Wide Open

The Big 12 looks to be wide open. That presents the Iowa State Cyclones a chance to get right back into the mix in the standings.

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The Iowa State Cyclones went into their Week 8 bye on a low note. They had just been defeated by the Colorado Buffaloes, who picked up their first Big 12 victory of the year, 24-17 in Boulder.

It certainly felt like the Cyclones were headed for rock bottom. They were on a two-game losing streak, losing the previous week to the Cincinnati Bearcats. Injuries were becoming a lot to overcome, with their depth being tested.

In both losses, opposing quarterbacks Brendan Sorsby and Kaidon Salter beat Iowa State with big plays through the air and on the ground with their legs. A lot of work was to be done by Matt Campbell and his staff to help get the team back on track.

Things aren’t going to get any easier coming out of the bye. The Cyclones are hosting the BYU Cougars this week. Undefeated with a 7-0 record, they are the No. 11-ranked team in the country.

Iowa State has to beat BYU to keep title hopes alive

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Defeating them will certainly be a tall task, but motivation should be on the rise for Iowa State. Given how things shook out in the Big 12 during their bye, there is newfound hope in them being able to make a run to the Big 12 championship game as long as they can start handling their business on the field again.

The loss to Colorado has made the margin of error for the Cyclones razor-thin. They have to beat BYU to have any hopes of playing for a conference title this season.

If they can accomplish that, there is a legitimate path to contention. Plenty of work would still lie ahead, but at least Iowa State would somewhat have control over its own destiny, knocking off the Cougars.

Right now, BYU and Cincinnati are the only undefeated teams left in the Big 12. They will be facing off against each other on Nov. 22, so at best, one team will be undefeated in the end.

Win over BYU would create path to Big 12 title game for Iowa State

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With a loss already suffered against the Bearcats, the Cyclones will be pulling for them to continue winning games and be in the driver’s seat.

Campbell and his team will be taking things one game at a time. But if they can defeat the Cougars, next week’s matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils, who are currently 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, becomes monumental.

That would function essentially as an elimination game. Should Iowa State win that game, they’d own the tiebreaker over Arizona State, putting them behind in the standings.

If the Cyclones cannot come away victorious or lose to BYU, that will already be their third loss in conference. While they would be alive mathematically, there wouldn’t be any legitimate paths to them playing in a Big 12 championship game.