It’s about that time.
College football is about a month away from kicking off across the United States, which means it’s time to make some bold predictions about the 2024 campaign.
Iowa State is among the leaders in the country in returning production, bringing back 20 starters and nearly every major contributor on both sides of the ball. It’s setting up to be a successful season for the Cyclones, but just how good will they be?
We have compiled five bold predictions for the Cyclones this season, including how they’ll finish in 2024 and players that stand to break out:
1. Iowa State enters final two weeks of season in Big 12 Championship contention
Of the Cyclones’ first 10 games, only two stand out as games that the Cyclones aren’t set to be favorites: on the road against Iowa and against the Kansas Jayhawks in Arrowhead Stadium.
The other eight include home games against North Dakota and Arkansas State, and six games against opponents the Cyclones were ranked ahead of in the preseason Big 12 poll. Of those eight, on the road against West Virginia is probably the most concerning opponent they will face. The Mountaineers were ranked just one spot below Iowa State in the Big 12 preseason poll.
On any given Saturday, anything can happen. However, the odds say Iowa State has a real chance to be 8-2 entering the final two weeks of the season. Plus, it’s not like Kansas or Iowa are unbeatable either, where an upset could give some leeway on other parts of the schedule.
In the final two weeks, Utah and Kansas State await. Both of those teams will have legitimate Big 12 Championship aspirations. Iowa State could have an opportunity to have a “win and you are in” the Big 12 title game situation in the home stretch of the season.
2. Abu Sama becomes first 1,000-yard rusher since Breece Hall
It’s crazy to think that it has been since Hall in 2021 that Iowa State has had a 1,000-yard rusher. This season, however, there are many reasons to be optimistic for the run game to rise above its 101st ranking (119.9 rushing yards per game) in the nation last year.
That begins with sophomore Abu Sama, who concluded his freshman season with 614 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and put the country on notice with his 276-yard outing against Kansas State in the snow. In that game, he had two 70-yard touchdown runs, the first running back to do that in the Big 12 since Adrian Peterson.
“He’s just a freak athlete,” Iowa State junior linebacker Caleb Bacon said. “His cutting ability, running ability, everything about him. He’s just a great athlete.”
If he continues to build upon that, Iowa State has its next David Montgomery or Hall-like talent in the backfield. The other part of that equation is the offensive line, which returns all of its starters and added depth through the transfer portal.
“I always feel like it starts with the offensive line,” Wide receiver Jaylin Noel said. “If you got a good O-line then everything else will come together. Coach (Ryan) Clanton’s got those guys ready to roll. We’re all confident in their ability and we know they’ll be great this season.”
With an experienced offensive line and Sama’s proven talent, the sophomore should have a big year n 2024.
3. Baylor provides midseason scare for Cyclones in Week 5
The Baylor Bears are in a do-or-die season.
Coach Dave Aranda is firmly on the hot seat, according to every major outlet’s projections, including ESPN’s. That comes after a brutal 3-9 season where the Bears finished with five consecutive losses, which started with a defeat to the Cyclones (30-18).
However, there’s some room for optimism for the Bears this year.
Baylor was a very young team last season and will return six starters on offense and seven on defense, including the entire secondary. They went deep on the transfer portal, adding offensive linemen and Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn. He is an electric dual-threat guy who recorded 2,657 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns along with 563 yards on the ground and seven rushing touchdowns. Finn has repeated similar numbers over the last three seasons, never falling below 2,000 passing yards or 500 rushing yards.
Along with new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, who has coached a top-30 or better offensive in five of his last six seasons, this offense can pop in 2024.
This game comes at a weird time for Iowa State on Oct. 5, one week after traveling to Houston, a program in a rebuild, but before the schedule really starts to get tougher with games at West Virginia and home against UCF and Texas Tech.
In other words, Iowa State can’t get caught looking ahead here as the Bears could be a pesky team in 2024 with a lot to play for.
4. Several wide receivers will have standout moments in 2024
For a team that lines up in two tight end sets…
The Des Moines Register
