Happy Monday, Fanatics!
We’re less than 90 days away from the college football season and rosters are nearing completion as the transfer portal slows down. Teams either are or will be soon returning to campus in order to prepare for the 2023 seasons.
Today, we’re going to take a look at the 12 games on Iowa State’s 2023 schedule and rank the games from least difficult to most difficult.
Let’s get started.
12 – Northern Iowa – Sept. 2
Iowa State has won the last three in this series, but it has rarely been easy. The Panthers are expected to be FCS Playoff contenders again, but that isn’t surprising to anybody who knows Mark Farley’s program.
The Cyclones have struggled to own the trenches in these games, so it will be interesting to see how well they fare up front this time under new offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, who came to Ames by way of Northern Iowa.
11 – @ Ohio – Sept. 16
The Cyclones dominated the Bobcats at Jack Trice Stadium last September, finishing with a 43-10 win to cap a 3-0 start to the season. Hunter Dekkers was fantastic in that game, completing 28-of-36 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa State is 8-0 all-time against the Bobcats, including one win on the road in Athens back in 2001.
10 – @ Cincinnati – Oct. 14
This will be Iowa State’s first date with one of the four new Big 12 schools and the Cyclones’ second trip to Ohio this season. After a College Football Playoff berth in 2021, Cincinnati went 9-4 last season.
The Bearcats are expected to take a step back as they move into their new league and new head coach Scott Satterfield takes over. This will be the first meeting between Iowa State and Cincinnati in football.
9 – @ BYU – Nov. 11
This is the early leader for the season’s best potential road trip and has the potential to be one of the league’s best new rivalries. The Cougars have added 20 transfers to their roster this offseason after going 8-5 last year under Kelani Sitake.
8 – Kansas – Nov. 4
Iowa State would have won this game last season in Lawrence if only two of three missed field goals in the contest had found the uprights. They probably would have won if Jirehl Brock hadn’t been injured in the game’s opening series, too.
It feels like the Cyclones owe the Jayhawks one, and they’ll try to get them back when KU rolls into town for homecoming.
7 – Oklahoma State – Sept. 23
The Cowboys were hit hard by the transfer portal during the offseason, and Mike Gundy will bring his new-look team to Ames for the Big 12 opener. Oklahoma State won this game 20-14 last season with help from five Iowa State turnovers, including three interceptions by Dekkers.
6 – TCU – Oct. 7
The reigning national runner-ups will be one of the most interesting teams in the country to track early on in the season. They’ll visit Ames as part of the Jack Trice Legacy weekend festivities, and Iowa State will wear its brand-new throwback uniforms for the first time.
5 – @ Baylor – Oct. 28
Five of the last seven games between these two programs have been decided by one score or less, including last season’s 31-24 Bears win in Ames. You can always expect a tight one between these two teams even though Iowa State hasn’t won in Waco since 2017.
The last two games between these two teams in Waco, both Bears wins, were decided by a total of four points.
4 – Iowa – Sept. 9
Iowa State will look to defend the Cy-Hawk trophy after its 10-7 win last season in Iowa City. Cade McNamara is expected to lead a new-look Iowa offense that was heavily bolstered by the transfer portal, but how much different will Kirk and Brian Ferentz’s offense really look?
3 – @ Kansas State – Nov. 25
Manhattan has long been a house of horrors for Iowa State football, but that changed during its last trip there in 2021, which ended with a 33-20 Cyclone victory. Chris Kleiman and the defending Big 12 champions are expected to contend at the top of the conference again, so this regular season finale could carry some heavy stakes.
2 – @ Oklahoma – Sept. 30
The Cyclones will make their last trip to Norman, at least for awhile, as Brent Venables looks to get his program back into Big 12 title contention in his second season at the helm. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is back to lead what should be one of the league’s best offenses.
1 – Texas – Nov. 18
Who knows what to ever expect from the Longhorns, but, on paper, they’ll be one of the best teams in the country, and should have the best top-to-bottom roster in the league. The Longhorns will have to make the trip north in November, and Iowa State has won the last three November games between these two programs.
