Iowa State Cyclones' Week 11 Matchup Could Have Massive Big 12 Implications

Why will the matchup for the Iowa State Cyclones in Week 11 mean so much?

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

After narrowly escaping Week 3 with a win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves, the Iowa State Cyclones will be heading into their bye week with a 4-0 record. Since the team is undefeated so far, they will also be thinking about how to continue to build momentum for the rest of the season. 

Through four games, the Cyclones should be very pleased with how they have performed. While the win against the Red Wolves might have been a lot more challenging than they thought, the team remained undefeated. Even though the win against Arkansas State wasn’t pretty, they do have a couple of good wins against signature opponents this year. 

Due to the success of Iowa State so far, the team is going to be seeking to win the Big 12 title for the first time in a long time. This appears to be a conference that is wide open for the taking, and the Cyclones have a lot of things in place that make them a contender. 

After their bye week, the conference schedule will be heating up with a game against the Arizona Wildcats in Week 5. Things will be picking up in conference play after that, and the team will need to be sharp to achieve success. 

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN recently wrote about some of the most important games for the bubble teams hoping to make the College Football Playoff. In Week 11, he highlighted the matchup between Iowa State and the TCU Horned Frogs. 

Why Will it Matter?

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While a lot of things could change from now until then, this is currently slated to be a matchup between two undefeated teams that have both picked up some nice out-of-conference wins to start the season. 

For the Cyclones, they were able to defeat their rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes, already this year, giving them a statement win against a Big 10 team. On the flip side, the Horned Frogs were able to destroy Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels to start the campaign. 

While it’s unlikely that both of these teams will still be undefeated when they face off, they both are expected to be contenders in what feels like a conference that anyone could win. This matchup will have some huge implications in the Big 12 and will be an exciting one. 

This matchup will also feature two of the best quarterbacks in the conference, with both Rocco Becht and Josh Hoover playing some excellent football to start the campaign. Overall, while all conference games are important, this one will have some added juice.