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In a calendar year that has already featured category 5 hurricane, a tropical storm and a devastating tornado, why not a cyclone?  We’ll know fairly early if Iowa State and star QB Brock Purdy are serious about making a run at a Big 12 title. Oct. 3 is when Oklahoma is scheduled to visit Ames.

The Cyclones’ biggest advantage in a quest for that elusive conference title is Purdy, arguably the Big 12’s best quarterback. The junior is coming off a season that saw him throw for 3,982 yards and 27 TDs while running for another eight scores as Iowa State set a school record for points scored.

The running game received a much-needed boost with the emergence of Breece Hall the second half of last year, with Hall finishing with 897 yards and nine touchdowns in a promising freshman campaign. Tight end is a strength, with Charlie Kolar anchoring the unit, the wide receiving group is solid and head coach Matt Campbell is convinced he and his staff have recruited well enough to produce an offensive line that will emerge as a team strength.

The return of DE JaQuan Bailey (18.5 career sacks) after he sat out last year as a medical redshirt and having a healthy Greg Eisworth in the secondary are the keys to a defense that returns nine starters. Eisworth is an All-Big 12 performer.

Campbell, who annually gets mentioned for bigger and better jobs, continues to elevate the Iowa State program, with many believing this is the school’s best chance at winning a league championship in football since it last did so in 1912. The schedule is tricky, with trips to Oklahoma State and Texas, but know this about the Cyclones: They have quietly had three straight winning seasons in Big 12 play.