Iowa State Cyclones Wisely Predicted to Pull Off Upset Road Victory

Can the Iowa State Cyclones pull off an upset on the road?

Sep 7, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; An Iowa State Cyclones helmet sits on the sidelines before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In Week 6 of the college football season, the Iowa State Cyclones will be facing the Cincinnati Bearcats in their first conference road game of the season. This will be a massive test for the Cyclones, and they are a slight underdog in the game despite being undefeated. 

Even though Iowa State is 5-0 and the Bearcats have a loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on their resume, it is Cincinnati who is favored in this game. The Bearcats have a conference win against the Kansas Jayhawks, but this could be their toughest test of the year. 

For the Cyclones, they are no stranger to playing in close games, and that is exactly what this one is shaping up to be. Winning road games are never easy, and Iowa State struggled in their lone road game of the season against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in Week 3. However, with the Cyclones being undefeated so far, they will be seeking to continue to prove they are a contender. 

David Kenyon of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Cyclones would pick up their sixth win of the season with a slight upset on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats by a score of 23-19. 

Iowa State Can Pull Off an Upset

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While the first four games of the season for the Cyclones saw some close matchups, their victory in Week 5 was a convincing one and the best game that they played all year. The offense was fairly dominant and the defense shut down what is a talented offense for the Arizona Wildcats. 

Even though it was a great game for Iowa State in Week 5, they do have a couple of injuries to their secondary which could pose a problem. Defensive backs Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams are both injured, leaving the unit short-handed. This is a unit that has been really strong in 2025, and it will be interesting to see the impact of two key players in the secondary being out. 

For the offense, it has been good to see the running game get established a bit more the last two games. This figured to be a strength of the team coming into the campaign, but the results were mixed early on. Furthermore, the play of quarterback Rocco Becht has been really good, and the Cyclones will continue to lean on him. 

Overall, it isn’t going to be an easy game for Iowa State with it being on the road, but this is a team that is fairly battled tested already. Coming off an impressive performance in Week 5 should create a good amount of confidence for the team.