USA Today shows no love for the Cyclones

By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com PublisherFollow Chris on Twitter @ChrisMWilliams

If you’re wanting to spend the upcoming weekend reading about how great the 2012 football season is going to be for Iowa State then don’t bother picking up the USA Today’s national college football preview that recently found its way to news stands.

The publication shows no mercy for Iowa State and picks Paul Rhoads’ squad to finish 3-9 overall with a 1-8 mark in the Big 12. That one conference win prediction is over Kansas, who the USA Today predicts to go 0-9 in league play.

USA Today’s predicted order of finish in the Big 12

Oklahoma, 11-1 (8-1)
Texas, 10-2, (7-2)
West Virginia, (10-2, 7-2)
TCU, 8-4, (6-3)
Oklahoma State, 8-4, (5-4)
Kansas State, 7-5, (4-5)
Texas Tech, 7-5, (4-5)
Baylor, 6-6, (3-6)
Iowa State, 3-9, (1-8)
Kansas, 3-9, (0-9)

It is notable that the publication selected Iowa State senior linebackers A.J. Klein and Jake Knott to it’s All-Big 12 team.

Other than that, there really isn’t much Iowa State related information to pass along to you from this preview magazine. Unlike most of these annuals, the USA Today preview features more articles about the landscape of college football and less team-by-team analysis.