Iowa State’s Halloween night thriller against Oklahoma State should have been the kind of win that changes the conversation around a season. Instead, the Cyclones are still sitting outside ESPN’s latest bowl projections.
That’s the odd twist after a wild 51-49 victory at Jack Trice Stadium, where Iowa State outlasted the Cowboys in a back-and-forth game and Kyle Konrardy drilled the winning kick as the clock hit zero. The Cyclones improved to 4-4, and the result marked their first win against a ranked opponent this season in their fifth attempt.
The scene fit the moment. Iowa State and Oklahoma State both showed up in black and orange for Halloween, and the crowd at Jack Trice Stadium was treated to the first game under lights in 2026. The atmosphere matched the action, and the finish matched the noise.
Still, when Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach released their College Football Playoff and bowl game projections after Week 9, Iowa State was nowhere to be found. For a team that is now just two wins from bowl eligibility, that omission stands out.
The path is right there in front of the Cyclones. They have two home games left, and home has been the better setting for them this season. Their only loss at Jack Trice Stadium came against Utah, a team that might be the best in the Big 12 this season.
Next up is Cincinnati on Nov. 14, followed by Kansas State on Nov. 28. Win those two at home, and Iowa State is in the bowl picture.
There’s still more on the schedule, though, and it won’t be easy. The Cyclones have road trips left to Baylor in Waco on Nov. 7 and to UCF in Orlando, where the Knights have already knocked off BYU. Iowa State has not found the same offensive rhythm away from home that it has in Ames, so those games will ask plenty of Rogers’ team.
Even so, the bigger picture has already shifted. Coming into the season, plenty of projections had Iowa State pegged as the worst team in the conference.
That hasn’t held up. Now the Cyclones are trying to turn a strong start under Jimmy Rogers into something bigger: a bowl bid in Year 1 of the new regime.
In Other News...
Iowa State Just Revived A Bigger Question About This Roster
Iowa States upset of once-ranked Oklahoma State gave the season a jolt and pushed the Cyclones back to .500 at 4-4 with four games left, but it also sharpened the bigger conversation around where this roster is headed next. With 22 starters returning, including quarterback Jaylen Raynor and running back Aiden Flora, the foundation is there for this to be more than a one-off surge, especially if the Cyclones can keep stacking results down the stretch.
The harder part is keeping that core intact in an era shaped by the transfer portal and NIL contracts, where continuity is never guaranteed for long. Iowa State still has a path to bowl eligibility with at least one more win, which would put the Cyclones in position for their first postseason trip since the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl, but the larger question is whether this group can stay together long enough to build on what it just started. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Found An Unexpected Answer Up Front At The Right Time
A few weeks ago, Makai Sat was not even dressing for games. Now the former walk-on and JUCO prospect has become a steady part of Iowa States front, making three consecutive starts and giving the Cyclones a timely boost where they needed it most. His rise has fit neatly into an offensive line picture that has been changing as the season goes along, with the staff rewarding the players who have earned it on the practice field and in game action.
Jimmy Rogers has made it clear the depth chart is anything but fixed, and Sats emergence is a good example of how quickly things can shift when performance matches opportunity. For Iowa State, the bigger takeaway is not just that an unexpected name has held up in a starting role, but that the line has found a workable answer up front at a time when stability matters. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Found An Unexpected Offensive Line Answer
Iowa States offensive line has quietly gotten a new look, and it has come with a player who wasnt even dressing for games earlier in the season. Makai Sat has now started three straight contests, a sign of how fluid Jimmy Rogers says the depth chart can be when performance and growth start to change the conversation.
Sats rise has given the Cyclones another useful piece up front, and the staff has pointed to his work ethic and steady impact as part of what has helped the line function better. For a team leaning on the Big 12s leading rusher, Aiden Flora, that kind of development matters, especially when it comes from an unexpected place and still leaves room for more to come. [Read more 🡒]