Week 9 brings a slate with plenty of confidence and just as much uncertainty, at least if you’re listening to The Gazette Sport’s crew break it down.
The first stop is Iowa City, where No. 25 Wisconsin visits Iowa in what shapes up as a tight, ugly one.
Madison Hricik sees Iowa taking it 17-13, while Jack Knowlton has the Hawkeyes by four as well, 14-10. Rob Gray went the other way, pointing to Wisconsin’s edge in a series that the Badgers have dropped in the last four meetings despite Iowa’s 49-48-2 lead all-time.
Even so, he noted the Hawkeyes will have to create a run game without Kamari Moulton, and that’s a heavy lift this week. Gray has Wisconsin 20-14.
Jeff Johnson admitted he has “ZERO feel about this one,” then backed Iowa anyway in a 20-17 decision, imagining Kirk Ferentz tearing up at the postgame presser. K.J.
Pilcher also leaned Hawkeyes, saying he wants to pick Wisconsin but will give Iowa another chance, taking Iowa 20-17. Beth Malicki rounded out the group with Iowa 23-20, saying the relief she felt after co-moderating the debate for Iowa Governor is only matched by the relief she gets after hitting send on these quips.
In another Big 12 matchup with plenty of October energy, No. 24 Oklahoma State heads to Iowa State.
Hricik had a little fun with her pick, telling readers, “Remember to vote on Tuesday, you don’t need Pilcher taking your rights away.” She still took Oklahoma State, 28-14.
Knowlton called the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to Tulsa one of the weirdest results of the year and picked OSU 28-24. Gray said the uniform combo alone makes this feel like an all-time Halloween matchup, with Oklahoma State in orange and Iowa State in black, and he expects the game itself to deliver more than many would think.
His pick: Oklahoma State 34, Iowa State 28. Johnson was stunned by that opener against Tulsa and the 10-point total, but still went with Oklahoma State 35-14.
Pilcher leaned into the season’s mood, describing himself as a jaded, middle-aged sportswriter with a caustic personality and a pessimistic attitude, before choosing Oklahoma State 34-21. Malicki called it “The most Halloween game of the night!”
and picked Oklahoma State 35-17.
The SEC spotlight lands on Jacksonville for No. 17 Florida against No.
3 Georgia. Hricik remembered a visit to Athens and said the open-air press box gave her a headache for three days, adding that she’s bringing ear plugs next time; she picked Georgia 35-21.
Knowlton joked, “More like the World’s Largest INDOOR Cocktail Party, am I right? Ha ha (this will not be the last time Georgia plays here this season).”
He took Georgia 31-17. Gray pointed to Florida’s inconsistency and Georgia’s recent run of avoiding back-to-back losses, saying the Bulldogs haven’t lost two straight since Kirby Smart’s first season as head coach in 2016.
That trend, he said, continues, with Georgia winning 35-20.
In Other News...
Iowa State Answered A Bad Loss In The Wildest Way Possible
After a rough loss, Iowa State needed a response, and the Cyclones got one in the most chaotic way possible against Oklahoma State. The game swung back and forth all afternoon, with lead changes, long scoring drives and the kind of special-teams moments that can turn a Big 12 matchup into a track meet in a hurry.
Aiden Flora and Jaylen Raynor helped keep Iowa State on the front foot offensively, while Drew Mestermaker kept Oklahoma State in the fight with multiple touchdown passes of his own. In the end, it came down to one more late push and Kyle Konrardys field goal, with Raynor helping set up the final drive that gave the Cyclones a hard-earned finish and a much-needed answer. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclones Are Making Noise In The NFL For Better And Worse
Week 7 brought another busy NFL weekend for Iowa State alumni, with eight former Cyclones getting on the field and combining for 368 snaps across offense, defense and special teams. It was a reminder of just how wide the programs professional footprint has become, with familiar names showing up in all three phases while a few others watched from the sideline because of injuries.
Brock Purdy and Darien Porter were among the Cyclones who started and logged significant playing time, keeping Iowa State tied to some of the leagues bigger stages. Elsewhere, the injury list was part of the story too, with Breece Hall and Kene Nwangwu among those unavailable, and several other former Cyclones carrying practice status questions that will be worth tracking as the NFL calendar moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Showed Something Fans Needed To See In Big 12 Chaos
In a Big 12 game that felt like it was spinning in every direction, Iowa State found a way to steady itself at the end. Kyle Konrardy drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Cyclones past Oklahoma State, 51-49, in a matchup defined by offense, tempo and very little margin for error. Both teams piled up more than 500 yards, but Iowa State did enough in the key moments to come away with a win that mattered in the league race.
For a team trying to navigate the chaos of conference play, this was the kind of finish fans needed to see. The Cyclones did not win by controlling the game, but by taking advantage of Oklahoma State penalties and miscues when it counted most, a sign of resilience that can travel in the Big 12. It was messy, tense and far from comfortable, but it also pushed Iowa State forward in the standings and gave the program a result it can point to as the season keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]