Iowa State Cyclones Predicted to Face SEC Foe in Bowl Game Following Week 11

Will the Iowa State Cyclones have to face a talented SEC school in a bowl game?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their sixth win of the season and were finally able to snap a four-game losing streak. 

While a win is a win, it wasn’t a pretty performance for the Cyclones in this one. Their offense really struggled to get going, with quarterback Rocco Becht once again not playing well. Fortunately, mistakes made by the TCU Horned Frogs allowed them to secure the win. 

This was a significant victory for the program for several reasons. A five-game losing streak would have been detrimental to the team's morale going into their final bye week of the campaign. Furthermore, with it being their sixth win of the year, they are now officially bowl eligible. 

While becoming bowl-eligible just now might feel like a bit of a disappointment, the team will be focused on finishing the season strong with two very winnable games left on its schedule after the bye week. Even though they might not be playing for a Big 12 title, they could potentially face a very talented team come bowl season. 

Mark Schlabach of ESPN recently predicted that the Cyclones would be facing the Oklahoma Sooners in the Kinder's Texas Bowl. 

Tough Matchup Against SEC Power

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For many years, the Sooners were one of the top teams in the Big 12, but with conference realignment, they recently went to battle in the ultra-competitive SEC conference. So far, Oklahoma has been able to hold its own, but its schedule has been a gauntlet of good teams. 

Currently, the Sooners are 7-2 on the year and ranked 12th in the AP Top 25. This is a team that will undoubtedly still be thinking about making the College Football Playoff, but their upcoming matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide will likely dictate that. 

If the Sooners suffer their third loss of the year, it will likely remove them from contention for the CFP, and then a matchup against Iowa State would be possible. Oklahoma would be a significant favorite if healthy with their players available in a hypothetical matchup, and they are led by a great quarterback. 

Despite getting injured earlier in the year, John Mateer is one of the best in the country. With the signal caller starting to get healthy, he will be seeking to pull off a big upset on Saturday. If he can’t, a matchup against the Cyclones could be in their future.