Several Outlets Predicting Iowa State Cyclones Will Face Big Ten Team in Bowl Game

The Iowa State Cyclones have been predicted to partake in a bowl game this year against a Big Ten opponent.

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The Iowa State Cyclones were finally able to get back into the win column last weekend against the TCU Horned Frogs. It was their first victory since Sept. 27 against the Arizona Wildcats, as they suffered four consecutive losses in between.

There were some ugly performances during the losing streak, but head coach Matt Campbell never lost faith in his team. He knew they were right on the cusp of getting back into the win column and pulled it off against the Horned Frogs.

That was their sixth victory of the year, which means the Cyclones are bowl eligible for the third consecutive campaign. It is the eighth time overall that, with Campbell at the helm, the team will be playing in a postseason game.

Which bowl game will Iowa State be participating in, and who will be their opponent? Several predictions are starting to be made with bowl season right around the corner, and there are several outlets that have predicted the same opponent for the Cyclones.

Iowa State predicted to face off against Northwestern Wildcats in bowl

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Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network, did a roundup of all the bowl game predictions.

Sports Illustrated, USA Today and Athlon Sports have all predicted that Iowa State will be facing off against the Northwestern Wildcats out of the Big Ten in the Rate Bowl hosted at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Northwestern is not yet bowl-eligible, but they are the most commonly predicted opponent for the Cyclones. They are riding a two-game losing streak, dropping contests against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and USC Trojans to drop to 5-4 on the year.

The Wildcats will have their work cut out for them to get to bowl eligibility. They are facing off against the No. 18-ranked Michigan Wolverines this weekend at Wrigley Field before going up against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Illinois Fighting Illini.

Iowa State and Northwestern both rely on defense to find success

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Northwestern last appeared in a bowl game during the 2023 season. They partook in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl against the Utah Utes and came away with a 14-7 victory.

If the Wildcats are who the Cyclones face off against, it is going to be a defensive-minded matchup. Northwestern ranks 108th in the nation with 21.9 points scored per game, but is 22nd in the country with only 19.1 points allowed per game.

Iowa State is a more respectable 73rd in points, averaging 27.1 per game. But, they find success when their defense thrives, allowing 21.5 points per game, which is 38th.

It would be a clash of physical styles, but at least the Cyclones know they can generate splash plays. They have been missing from the offense recently, but when clicking, there are several home run hitters for offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser to draw up plays for.