Big 12 Syllabus Series: Iowa State Cyclones
By Zach Pugh
You may remember the Iowa State Cyclones from the way they ruined Oklahoma St. and their run for a national championship. Or you may remember them for their loss in the 2011 Pinstripe Bowl over Rutgers.
ISU has been no stranger to pulling off upsets recently. In 2009, they knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln for the first time since 1977. Then, in 2010, they knocked off #22 Texas. Not only was that victory the first over a ranked team on the road since 1990, but it was also the first ever over Texas. Then of course last season, the Cyclones were able to capitalize on mishaps from the number two team in the nation, Oklahoma St. in route to a memorable win for the school.
When looking at the 2011 season, there’s another victory that can go unnoticed. Texas Tech was #19 in the country and fresh off a victory over Oklahoma. ISU set several school records during their 41-7 victory including, largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent, largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent as an unranked team, largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent on the road and most points scored against a ranked opponent. Oh, and by the way, it was also the first ever victory in Lubbock.
The one common theme in these victories is head coach Paul Rhoads. Rhoads has an 18-20 record and two bowl berths in his three years at ISU.
During his first year as head coach, Rhoads became the first ISU coach to win six games in his first season since 1915. He also led the Cyclones to a win over Kent State, which ended a 17-game road losing streak. He then took his team into its’ first win over a conference opponent in 11 games against Baylor. The 2009 season was capped off with a win over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.
With two bowl appearances in three years, Rhoads has made a mark on the program. Last year, record crowds came out to Ames to cheer on a team that has proven to be increasingly tougher to beat at home.
To gain another bowl appearance, ISU will have to pull some more magic out of Rhoads’s hat. They have arguably the toughest conference schedule in the Big 12. Six of their games against Big 12 opponents are against teams that won 10 or more games last season. The Cyclones will travel to TCU, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas and Iowa. While they will remain at home to take on Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Tulsa and Western Illinois. Oklahoma and West Virginia need to be cautious going into Ames. The Cyclones have a dangerous energy playing at home under Paul Rhoads and could potentially wreck a top ranked Big 12 team’s season.
3 & Out
1st Down: Will Jared Barnett shows the consistency the offense needs?
There was magical times last season with Barnett under center, but also times where he showed his youth. He will be a sophomore this season and needs to prove he can be more of a consistent passer. Steele Jantz, who showed better passing ability, made seven starts last year, while Barnett made six starts. During the spring Jantz and Barnett were listed as co-starters. Barnett’s performance in the pinstripe bowl last season opened up the debate of who should be the Cyclones’ starter when they take the field against Tulsa. Barnett has the ability to do some damage on the ground, but though the air can ultimately be his downfall along with the offense. He never had a completion percentage over 54 in 2011. That needs to drastically change in order to keep pace with Big 12 offenses.
2nd Down: What could go wrong?
The defensive line will be replacing three starters from last season, which happened to be their leading sack producers. It’s also never easy to lose a top corner like Leonard Johnson. On the offensive side of the ball, they will need to replace an NFL talent in tackle Kelechi Osemele and right guard Hayward Hicks, while the receiving corps will need help with Darius Reynolds and Darius Darks gone. The run defense was 98th in the nation last season and will not have much experience returning. They also only had 17 sacks last season. That’s nothing but bad news for a defense trying to keep up in the Big 12. Whether it’s Barnett or Jantz running the offense, the Cyclones desperately need a big play threat to step up just to keep pace and gain another bowl berth.
3rd Down: How possible is another bowl berth?
With seven games at home, the Cyclones can capitalize on the growing home field advantage in Ames. There’s potential for Kansas State, Oklahoma and West Virginia to fall victim to another magical win. If ISU can muster up even two wins from their first three conference games, the possibility rises significantly. However, there’s also potential for this season to be a rebuilding year. The Big 12 is the second toughest conference in college football and will be difficult to win this season, but the Cyclones can always catch someone napping.