Iowa State Football: 2018 Game-by-game predictions
3. Oklahoma (Sept. 15)
The team that opened the floodgates for Matt Campbell and the Cyclones a year ago makes an early trip to Ames for each team’s Big 12 opener. Iowa State’s upset of Oklahoma last season put the Cyclones in the national spotlight, as Kyle Kempt got his first career start in place of previous starter Jacob Park, and led the Cyclones to their first win against Oklahoma since 1990, in Norman nonetheless. The loss turned out to be the Sooners only loss until the Rose Bowl against Georgia.
This year will be Lincoln Riley’s first big test as a head coach. The Sooners lose a load of talent from last year’s team, including Heisman Trophy winner and first overall pick Baker Mayfield, tight end Mark Andrews, and defensive studs Emmanuel Beal and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. This year’s team introduces Kyler Murray at quarterback, a dual-threat by every sense of the word, the Sooners also return running back Rodney Anderson and leading receiver Ceedee Lamb.
Everyone in the country will expect Oklahoma to come out guns a-blazin’ and run roughshod over the Cyclones. I might be one of the few people outside of the Iowa State fanbase that thinks this will not be the case at all. A couple of factors play into this: first, 11 AM road kickoffs are tough no matter how good you are. Second and more importantly, Jack Trice is a tough place to play and it will be rowdy and ready. Iowa State shocks the Sooners for the second year in a row.