What Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State is nothing short of remarkable. Iowa State was being discussed in the same breath as Kansas in the middle of the decade after the Cyclones went 8-28 between 2013 and 2015. After a rough first year, Campbell turned the program completely around in 2017, and they have been one of the top programs in the Big 12 since that point. That culminated in the Cyclones finishing 9-3 and winning the Fiesta Bowl in 2020, resulting in Iowa State’s first-ever top ten finish.
Iowa State has surprisingly been able to keep Campbell in Ames, and that makes them one of the frontrunners in the Big 12 once again this season. The Cyclones are coming off their best season in program history, and they have a chance to be even better in 2021.
Iowa State Cyclones Season Win Total
Over 9.5 +106
Under 9.5 -130
Iowa State Cyclones Preview
This is one of the best backfields in the country with Brock Purdy and Breece Hall the stars of the offense. Purdy has been fantastic during his time in Ames. The senior signal caller from Arizona burst onto the scene as a freshman, and he has continued to deliver. In his three years as a starter, Purdy has completed 66.1% of his passes for 8.982 yards with 62 touchdowns and 25 interceptions while averaging 8.5 YPA. He has been a competent runner too with 939 rushing yards (3.4 YPC) and 18 touchdowns.
Breece Hall had a breakout 2020 campaign. Hall led the nation in rushing with 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns, and he averaged 5.6 YPC. He became the first unanimous First Team All-American in the history of Iowa State last season, and he has the potential to post even bigger numbers in 2021.
Top receivers Xavier Hutchinson and Charlie Kolar are back for one more season too. Hutchinson led the Cyclones with 64 receptions for 771 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, and Kolar might be the best tight end in the nation. Kolar was a Mackey Award Finalist last season after catching 44 passes for 591 yards and seven touchdowns.
Incredibly, this offensive line could be even better in 2021 as well. There are seven offensive linemen with starting experience to give this unit depth, and left guard Trevor Downing is back in the mix too after suffering a season-ending injury early last season. Jake Remsburg is the only underclassmen projected to start, and everyone in the two-deep has at least two years of experience in the program.
The two best players from last year’s defense are back to lead this unit in 2021. Defensive end Will McDonald IV led the Cyclones with 10.5 sacks last fall, and he earned First Team All-Big 12 accolades with that performance. Linebacker Mike Rose was the leading tackler for Iowa State, and he picked off five passes too as a linebacker that excelled in coverage. Eyioma Uwazurike, O’Rien Vance, and Jake Hummel are other solid pieces in the front seven.
Greg Eisworth II is probably the best safety in the conference, while Anthony Johnson Jr. is a very good cornerback. Datrone Young and Tayvonn Kyle have a lot of experience at corner too, while grad transfer Jaquan Amos could shine in this secondary.
2021 Iowa State Cyclones Schedule
September 4 vs. Northern Iowa
September 11 vs. Iowa
September 18 @ UNLV
September 25 @ Baylor
October 2 vs. Kansas
October 16 @ Kansas State
October 23 vs. Oklahoma State
October 30 @ West Virginia
November 6 vs. Texas
November 13 @ Texas Tech
November 20 @ Oklahoma
November 26 vs. TCU
Iowa State Cyclones Win Total Prediction
The Cyclones learned their lesson when it comes to playing a second tough non-conference team. While FCS Northern Iowa and a road trip to UNLV aren’t guaranteed wins, they have a much better chance of winning those games than they did against Louisiana last year. Of course, their annual showdown with Iowa the second week of September means a ton and will provide an early barometer for Iowa State.
This is not a forgiving conference schedule. Iowa State has a good chance of going unbeaten in October, but November will be tough. The Cyclones start the month by facing Texas before consecutive road trips against Texas Tech and Oklahoma. They must close out the year facing TCU on a short week, and Kansas State and Texas Tech both have bye weeks before hosting the Cyclones. Iowa State will be good, but this team might not be able to win 10 games given the brutal November.
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