Associated Press sports writers have picked the Cyclones to finish dead last in the six-team Big 12 North this season.

This brings one word to the team’s mind: motivation.

“What can I say – it gives us motivation, it gives us a reason to go out there and work even harder,” senior receiver Milan Moses said.

Rounding out the rest of the Big 12 North is the Colorado Buffaloes (fifth), the Kansas Jayhawks (fourth), Kansas State Wildcats (third), Missouri Tigers (second) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the projected favorites to repeat as champions, according to the AP.

“In life, everyone gets doubted at some point,” Moses said. “I know personally when someone says that I can’t do something, it makes me work even harder, and that’s the whole team’s attitude.

Tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Scott Fountain is probably speaking on behalf of the whole coaching staff when he says the lack of respect doesn’t really matter to them – they have other things to focus on.

“I’ll be honest, we’re just trying to take it day-to-day right now, trying to just get better than the day before,” Fountain said. “I’m sure the players talk about it amongst themselves, but we just tell them to worry about today.”

Players said the coaches haven’t tried to use the predictions as a motivational tool.

“The coaches don’t bring it up at all,” Moses said. “This is a new season, a new team, and a new coaching staff, the last thing we need is to listen to the talk. We just stay away from it.”

Last season, the Cyclones were projected to finish second in the Big 12 North, only to falter and finish last. This may well have been a factor in the decision of the AP writers to place the team where they did this pre-season.

“I’m guessing they picked us to finish sixth based on last season,” said senior linebacker Alvin Bowen, who averaged 12.92 tackles per game last season, leading the nation. “Respect is never given though, it’s always earned, I’ve learned that here, so we’re gonna go out and earn it.”

Fountain said he didn’t know why the team was picked to finish last, but he did have a few ideas.

“Maybe the new staff, a new year, a lot of things goes into a decision like that,” Fountain said. “Why people do the things they do though, I don’t know. We’re just going to take it one day at a time.”

The underdog role isn’t a new one for the Cyclone football team, and this year’s team certainly isn’t going to let it faze them.

“I smile when I think of us in the underdog role,” Bowen said. “I like the mentality it gives you, but for now all we care about is our next practice and moving forward.”

Senior place kicker Bret Culbertson shares the feelings of Bowen, and the kicker plans on coming out with fists.

“We’re the underdogs, we’re going to come out swingin’,” said Culbertson. “It gives us a little fire, and now we want to just come out and surprise everybody.”