Iowa State is back home at last, but the matchup waiting in Ames doesn’t exactly offer much comfort.
After nearly a month away from home, the Cyclones return to face No. 24 Oklahoma State on Halloween night at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State is trying to shake off its worst loss of the season, a defeat at Arizona in Tucson, and get the offense pointed in the right direction before the finish of the year.
The Fanatic staff, though, sees a tough assignment in front of the Cyclones. Chris Williams thinks Iowa State can “find a little bit of offense in this one but not enough to hang with the explosive Cowboys,” projecting Oklahoma State 41, Iowa State 20.
Rob Gray likes the setting almost as much as the game. “The Cowboys will wear orange.
The Cyclones will wear black. So it’s an all-time uniform matchup on Halloween and the game itself will be better than many expect it to be,” he wrote.
Gray expects Iowa State to have some success through the air, but not enough to offset Oklahoma State’s firepower, picking the Cowboys 34-28.
Jake Brend pointed to the gap between the Cowboys’ defense and the defenses Iowa State has seen against Arizona, BYU and Utah. Even so, he said the Cyclones’ offense is still not in the same shape as the group that scored 45 against West Virginia. His pick: Oklahoma State 42, Iowa State 20.
Jackson Pence called Drew Mestemaker the best quarterback Iowa State will face all season, noting that there’s a reason he’s already appearing as the No. 1 available quarterback in 2027 NFL mock drafts. Pence said slowing Mestemaker down is “extremely tough,” especially with Iowa State’s secondary banged up, and he sees Oklahoma State pulling away in the second half, 45-17.
Jacqueline Cordova embraced the atmosphere but stopped short of calling for the upset. She called it a stage that could set up chaos - “Halloween game under the lights.
All-black uniforms. A ranked Oklahoma State team walking into Jack Trice.
If there was ever a stage set for an upset, this is it.” - but added that wanting it and picking it are different things. She expects Oklahoma State to win 34-23.
Derek Duke, meanwhile, framed the night as a nightmare for anyone hoping Iowa State can slow the Cowboys down. He said the only real opening for the Cyclones is Oklahoma State’s “below average” defense, but he isn’t convinced Iowa State has enough offensively to keep pace for four quarters.
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