Iowa State gets West Virginia in Ames on Saturday morning with both teams still hunting for their first Big 12 win, and the matchup has the kind of blunt-force feel that tends to settle these early conference tests. The Cyclones are back at Jack Trice Stadium after a loss to Utah that exposed some cracks, while West Virginia arrives at 3-1 fresh off a home loss to Oklahoma State and carrying a non-conference win over Virginia.
The biggest thing everyone circled is the ground game battle. West Virginia has the Big 12’s best rushing attack, powered by Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook, and several staff picks leaned hard into how dangerous that duo has been. Iowa State, though, is built to stop the run, which is why this one feels so much like a collision of strengths and stubbornness.
Chris Williams sees Iowa State responding after a messy defensive night against Utah, one in which the Cyclones missed 28 tackles. He thinks the physical matchup favors the home team, even if the 11 a.m. kickoff tilts toward the road side. His pick: Iowa State 27, West Virginia 23.
Jake Brend framed the game as a classic strength-versus-strength, weakness-versus-weakness showdown. He pointed out that West Virginia wants to run the ball and does it better than anyone in the country, while Iowa State wants to run and will have to deal with a defense designed to stop exactly that.
In his view, whichever team forces the other into more passing will win. He’s taking the Cyclones at home, 28-20.
Rob Gray expects Iowa State’s offense to find enough answers against a West Virginia defense he views as vulnerable. He believes the Cyclones’ ability to attack those weak spots should be enough to get Jimmy Rogers his first Big 12 win in Ames. His call: Iowa State 27, West Virginia 21.
Jackson Pence, writing from a beach in the Bahamas, called it a massive swing game for Iowa State. He said West Virginia has been better than expected, noting Michael Hawkins as a revelation at quarterback and Cam Cook as a star at running back.
He also wants to see how Iowa State responds after getting punched in the mouth by Utah, especially after the offense showed life during a 15-minute stretch and then appeared to find something in the third quarter. Pence is expecting Aiden Flora to post a 100-plus-yard rushing day and sees the defense bouncing back.
His pick: Iowa State 24, West Virginia 20.
Jacqueline Cordova said the weekend has all the feel of Homecoming, and she highlighted Jimmy Rogers’ candid approach earlier in the week. She also leaned into the idea that the Utah loss may have been a useful jolt for a team still figuring itself out. Her prediction: Iowa State 31, West Virginia 20.
Derek Duke focused on the same central question everyone else did: can Iowa State slow down West Virginia’s ground game? He expects the Cyclones to crowd the box and make Hawkins Jr. beat them through the air. He also believes West Virginia’s defense is shaky enough for Iowa State to move the ball.
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