Iowa State Football: Pre-spring game-by-game predictions for Cyclones

Games 1-2

Sept. 4 vs Northern Iowa 

The first game of the season will come against FCS power Northern Iowa. This should be a walk in the park for the Cyclones, although Northern Iowa has beaten FBS teams before and is routinely ranked in the top 25 of that sub-division.

Talent-wise, Iowa state football should be able to overwhelm the Panthers with relative ease on its way to the first win of the season.

Final score: Iowa State 52, Northern Iowa 17 

Sept. 11 vs Iowa 

While many national pundits might be looking towards the Oklahoma game, the one circled on the Cyclones schedule has to be the annual rivalry game with in-state foe Iowa.

For all the pellets up on the wall of head coach Matt Campbell, he’s never beaten Iowa and that has to be one thing all of these seniors want to do.

The game is at home and frankly, Iowa State just has the better football team. Iowa is tough though and the Hawkeyes were playing as well as anyone in the Big Ten at the end of the year. If that carries over, this could be a helluva game.

Still, Iowa State, with one of the best quarterback-running back tandems in the country, is due.

Final score: Iowa State 38, Iowa 28