Iowa State Cyclones Predicted to Face Talented SEC Program in Bowl Game

Who might the Iowa State Cyclones face in a bowl game?

Jul 14, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are heading into Week 13 fresh off their bye week with the hope of building off their most recent victory. 

Before snapping their four-game losing streak, it was a tough stretch for the Cyclones. This was a team that, to start the year, appeared to be a true contender in the Big 12. With a 5-0 start and a 2-0 record in the conference, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the outlook of the team. 

Unfortunately, injuries, mistakes, and some poor play resulted in the losing streak and ended their early goals of competing for a Big 12 title and making the College Football Playoff. With two games left in the regular season, the team will be hoping to finish strong. 

Luckily, they were able to pull off an upset win over the TCU Horned Frogs to secure their sixth win and make them bowl eligible. Getting into a good bowl game is certainly a possibility if they can reach the eight-win mark, and that will be the goal going forward. 

Scott Dochterman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently predicted that the Cyclones would be facing off against the Missouri Tigers in a bowl game to wrap up the year. 

Intriguing Potential Matchup

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

As expected, the SEC is once again proving to be the best conference in the country this year with a slew of teams in the Top 25. One of the teams that was in the mix for a while in the conference was the Tigers. However, as conference play started to heat up, the team suffered a brutal injury to their starting quarterback, and three losses in the conference ended their chances of winning the title. 

Now, the program is seeking to finish the year strong, but they have a challenging matchup coming up against the Oklahoma Sooners. Even though a key injury might have ruined what could have been a really special year, this is a team that could head into the bowl season with eight wins. 

While the Tigers might not be at 100 percent in a bowl matchup without their starting quarterback, they are still a very talented team from the best conference in the country. This would be a tough test for the Cyclones and would be an exciting matchup. Missouri could certainly make things challenging for Iowa State, and this could be a good barometer of how good the program is against a team from a great conference.