A clouded bowl game picture for the ISU football team is expected to clear up later today.

ISU athletic director Bruce Van De Velde said Iowa State still has a chance to play in the Tangerine Bowl against Clemson. But in order for that to be a possibility, Kansas State must stay in contention for one of the four Bowl Championship Series bowl games.

“If [Kansas State] is chosen to participate in the Orange [Bowl], and Oklahoma would go to the Sugar — assuming they win the Big 12 Championship game — then we could end up in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando,” Van De Velde said.

A BCS conference call later today will determine whether the Wildcats, which are ranked 8th in the latest BCS poll, are still in consideration for a BCS bowl. Van De Velde said they are “on the bubble” for BCS consideration.

If Kansas State is still under consideration for the BCS, a decision about where the Cyclones are headed probably won’t come until Dec. 10.

Otherwise, the Cyclones’ fate will probably be known later today, Van De Velde said.

“If Kansas State is released from the BCS, the dominoes will probably fall and we’ll know [Tuesday],” he said. “We’ll either be picked by the Humanitarian Bowl or placed in the Motor City Bowl.”

Humanitarian Bowl executive director Gary Beck said Iowa State is a very attractive team to his committee and would likely fill the Big 12 slot if the Cyclones are still available.

Beck said he is also waiting for the BCS conference call to take place to see what will happen.

“We’re in a holding pattern,” Beck said. “We’re waiting to see where the chips will fall.”

The Tangerine Bowl gets the fifth selection from the Big 12 Conference, followed by the Independence Bowl and the Houston Bowl. Beck said most projections have Oklahoma State going to the Tangerine,

Nebraska playing in the Independence and Texas Tech at the Houston Bowl, leaving the door open for Iowa State or Texas A&M to go to Boise.

But last month, Texas A&M athletic director Wally Groff said he would not be in favor of accepting a bid to the Humanitarian Bowl.

Western Athletic Conference champion Boise State has already accepted a bid to play in the Dec. 31 bowl, played on its home turf in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos (11-1) are ranked No. 19 in this week’s Associated Press poll.

Van De Velde said the Motor City Bowl would be a more economical choice for traveling fans. The bowl, which is played in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 26, is nearly 800 miles closer to Ames.

A spot in the Motor City Bowl normally reserved for a Big 10 team could be filled by the Cyclones if Big 12 officials and Van De Velde can find a replacement team to take its Humanitarian Bowl spot.

Van De Velde said Motor City Bowl officials also have Iowa State near the top of their list to take on Toledo, which has already accepted a bid.

“They’d be interested in that,” Van De Velde said. “But by contract, we’re aligned with the Humanitarian Bowl, so we have to work to find suitable replacement and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

ISU head coach Dan McCarney, who has seen his Cyclones lose five of their last six games, said he just wants the best for his players and coaches.

“I’ll go anywhere,” McCarney said after a 37-20 loss to Connecticut in the regular-season finale. “I’ll go anywhere to play another game right now.”