Cyclones in Purgatory — What Happens Next?
Matt Campbell and his squad got a breather this weekend with a much needed bye week. Coming off a disappointing loss to the Texas Longhorns, it seems as if the Cyclones are treading the line between being competitive in the Big 12 and not even being bowl eligible. It is a precarious position to be in however it leaves the clones with a blank canvas to paint their season as they see fit. The story of Iowa State's 2022-23 football season is filled with excitement, disappointment, jubilation, and rage. Nevertheless, we stand just past the midway point of the season, on the threshold of going to a bowl game for the 6th year in a row or crumbling under the pressure.
Let’s take a deep breath and look at what Iowa State has done well, what they have done poorly, and what needs to happen going forward.
Iowa State Has ALWAYS Been Competitive -
The Big 12 is a brutal conference. Only one team remains undefeated within the B12 and that team is 8th ranked TCU. Aside from the horned frogs, every other team in this conference seems to be cannibalizing themselves. Outside of TCU, you could make a legitimate case that every other team within the B12 could beat one another. Especially when it comes to Iowa State. Three of their past four losses have been one score games. In particular, two weeks ago, the Cyclones lost by only a field goal against the (then) 22nd ranked Texas Longhorns. The Clones were actually in striking distance to retake the game when the refs missed a controversial targeting call that forced a fumble from Hunter Dekkers. These huge miscalls from refs and special team blunders have characterized this season of Iowa State football, but one fact remains true; The Cyclones are always competitive in every game they play. Put this squad up against any other team in our conference and you can count on a close game. That cannot be said about our friends in Iowa City.
Close Games Do Not Translate to Wins -
As impressive as the Cyclones competitive ability may be, they are still 3-4 and fighting for bowl eligibility. There comes a point when putting up a fight doesn’t mean success. Sure, Hunter Dekkers can string together an impressive 80 yard drive and Xavier Hutchinson can burn just about any cornerback in the league. But when the field goal kicker can't make it through the uprights, or the ball is fumbled at the 20 yard line, all of that impressive offensive ability is hapless. We get it, Dekkers is a gunslinger, and he has weapons with Xavier the Surgeon, Dimitri Stanely, and Jaylin Noel (Who has been outstanding this year). All of that is exciting, but they need to click when it matters most. This bye week is critical for players to get healthy (Jirehl Brock in particular) and for Campbell to tighten up the little things on the practice field.
Iowa State Controls Their Own Destiny -
The Clones have five games left in the regular season. This includes matchups between 11th ranked Oklahoma St. and 8th ranked TCU. The other three matchups can and will be just as difficult as those two. The ranking next to the team doesn’t make a difference in this destructive Big 12. Kansas, who was abysmal last year only winning one game, is now a legitimate college football team who is projected to easily make a bowl game. Oklahoma, last year, had a 7-2 record within the B12. This year they are 1-3. My point being, any team can beat any team.
Going forward, Iowa State needs to treat each game accordingly. If the Cyclones can protect Jack Trice and win their next three home games against Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Texas Tech, they will end the season with a record of 6-6. That will make them bowl eligible. It is a tall order for Hunter Dekkers and company, but it is very very possible. Stay tuned these next five weeks, because ANYTHING is possible in college football purgatory.
