Cyclone Blueprint for a Bowl Game.

This Video Was So Much Cooler 2 Weeks Ago!

Let's look back on history and review how the Cyclones have become bowl eligible in recent history. I looked back on the last 3 bowl game appearances of the Cyclones. 

In 2012 Iowa State went 6-7.   The Cyclones won all 3 of the Non-Conference games including Iowa. The Cyclones went on to win 3 of their conference games.   In 2012 they beat TCU, Baylor, and Kansas.   Iowa State was invited to the Liberty Bowl and faced Tulsa and lost to the same team that the beat in the opening game of the year.

In 2011 Iowa State went 6-7.   They Cyclones again won all 3 of the Non-Conference games again including Iowa.   They Cyclones under Paul Rhoads also beat conference foes of: Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas.  Iowa State was invited to the Pinstripe Bowl and lost to Rutgers.

In 2009 Iowa State went 7-6.   The Cyclones in that year played 4 Non-Conference teams.   This was prior to the new structure of the Big XII and scheduling all teams in the conference.   Iowa State won 3 of the 4 Non-Conference Games that year and lost to Iowa.   They went on to win 3 in conference wins.  Iowa State was victorious over Nebraska, Baylor, and Colorado. Iowa State defeated Minnesota 14-13 to finish the season 7-6.

It appears the recipe for a Bowl Game is 3 Non-Conference Wins and 3 Conference Wins.   Iowa State is currently 1-2 in the Non-Conference Games.   I think we can safely say it is going to be difficult to find 5 more wins in our Conference Schedule.  If we finish our year with 4 wins or less I would suggest and predict that Paul Rhoads is no longer the Iowa State coach at the end of the year.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/randy-peterson/2015/07/19/big-12-conference-football-expansion-impact--iowa-state-cyclones/30392079/