AMES- The Cyclones are going back to Orlando.

After a 7-5 regular season and a 5-4 Big 12 showing, Iowa State has been selected to go up against No. 19 Clemson in the Cheez-It Bowl according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network.

Their bowl fate was out of their control as ‘Championship Saturday’ played out, and saw Baylor win the Big 12 Championship Game in an upset of Oklahoma State.

The Cyclones were fourth in the Big 12, just ahead of Kansas State and West Virginia (4-5 in the Big 12). With two Big 12 teams drawing New Year’s Six bowl games, it slotted Iowa State behind just Oklahoma in the remaining bowl hierarchy.

“I don’t know that you could go to be a better place in the country to reward your players than Orlando, Fla,” Campbell said to reporters Sunday over Zoom.

It isn’t an unfamiliar site for Iowa State, as they traveled to Orlando two seasons ago to take part in what was then the Camping World Bowl against Notre Dame. Iowa State lost that game 33-9 and also had a record of 7-5 going into that game.

This is their fifth straight bowl appearance under Matt Campbell, the longest streak in school history. They are 2-2 in their previous four, with wins coming at the Fiesta Bowl last season and the Liberty Bowl in 2017.

As for their opponent, the Clemson Tigers, it’s a bit of an unusual spot for Dabo Swinney and his team. They appeared in the College Football Playoff six consecutive years from 2015-2020, and won a national title in 2016 and 2018.

This year, they have a record of 9-3 and were tied for second in the ACC Atlantic Division. 

The game is set to be played at 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 29 in Orlando, Fla. It will be broadcast on ESPN.