Last week the Iowa State football reporters predicted where they thought the Cyclones would finish this football season. This time around, Sports Editor Andrew Harrington will take a deeper look at each of the matchups for further analysis, making a prediction for each game of the 2022 season.

Southeast Missouri

The first game of the season is the easiest on paper for the Cyclones, but the team has also shown some early season jitters over the last few years, sneaking away with a 16-10 win over UNI in 2021 and losing to Louisiana in 2020.

The Cyclones were seemingly unwilling to get creative offensively in these games, which came back to bite them in 2020.

This year, the Cyclones have a new quarterback taking control of the offense in Hunter Dekkers, so I expect another opener with simplistic playcalling. Despite this, the Cyclones will get the win.

Iowa State wins 31-10 (1-0)

Iowa

The six-game winning streak for Iowa over Iowa State has been all the talk over the last couple of years.
In both 2021 and 2019, Iowa State was expected to either break the streak or give Iowa a tough matchup. In both of these games, the Cyclones struggled to get anything going offensively. I think Iowa State might surprise some people in this matchup this season, but the Hawkeyes will still come away on top.
Iowa wins 27-24 (1-1)

Ohio

Ohio played a pair of power five teams in 2021, but failed to put up 10 points against both of them. These were not a pair of high-profile squads, instead they were 5-7 Syracuse and 3-9 Northwestern. The offensive struggles likely won’t be able to be fully cured in a matter of one season, so I expect the Cyclones to take another big win.
Iowa State wins 34-13 (2-1)

Baylor

The reigning Big 12 Champion Baylor Bears have not lost much coming into this season. There is not much to say about this team other than they are one of the top teams in the Big 12 and have a great shot at winning back-to-back conference titles. Last year the Cyclones gave them a run, but with a lack of offensive experience, I think Baylor takes this one with ease.
Baylor wins 24-16 (2-2)

Kansas

The Jayhawks might be moving in the right direction for the first time in years, but the team is still going to be the bottomfeeder of the Big 12. Iowa State has had success against them in recent years and will take them down once again.
Iowa State Wins 52-27 (3-2)

Kansas State

This is the most evenly matched game of the season for Iowa State. The Kansas State Wildcats will have an electric offense while the Cyclones boast a talented defense. These teams will both be fighting for a spot in the top half of the conference and have the potential to be some of the most fun to watch. I could see this going either way, but I will give the edge to Iowa State.
Iowa State wins 32-28 (4-2)

Texas

Texas had a bad year for its standards in 2021, finishing 5-7, including a loss to Iowa State.
While the Longhorns have improved, I do not feel that they have improved as much as some experts are saying.
Many rankings have Texas within the top 25, but I do not feel that they are a top 25 team.
Texas will get the best of Iowa State this time around, but it would not be a clean game from either side.
Texas wins 17-15 (4-3)

Oklahoma

There is no more mysterious team in the Big 12 than Oklahoma. The Sooners will have a new head coach for the 2022 season: Brent Venables. Quarterback Caleb Williams, along with a group of other players and recruits, transferred to USC to play with former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma always has top-tier talent and will probably still be among the top of the conference, but on paper they appear as more of a third place team.
With that being said, I think the defense of the Sooners will be better than it has been in recent years thanks to Venables, and his team will take down the Cyclones.
Oklahoma wins 31-17 (4-4)

West Virginia

I think this will be the point in the season that Iowa State hits its rock bottom. Coming off of losses to both Texas and Oklahoma, the Cyclones will have little confidence remaining heading into a homecoming game against West Virginia. West Virginia took a big win over the Cyclones last season that caused them to veer off of the tracks a bit, and I think the Mountaineers will do so again.
West Virginia wins 35-24 (4-5)

Oklahoma State

This is a series that has given fans some instant classics over the last couple of years. Oklahoma State took down Iowa State to taint a great Cyclone season back in 2020, and Iowa State got its revenge, topping the Cowboys that would finish with 12 wins. This is a game that feels like an upset for Iowa State. I predicted it during our staff predictions, and I am going to stand by it heading into the season.
Iowa State wins 27-20 (5-5)

Texas Tech

Texas Tech only won a trio of Big 12 games last season, but one of them came against the Cyclones.
This year it is fair to expect Texas Tech to finish in the bottom half of the conference once again. I actually believe this is a team that will build a Big 12 contending program, but that it is still a few years out.
The Cyclones are going to score early and often in this one.
Iowa State wins 45-24 (6-5)

TCU

The Horned Frogs are going to have a down year this year. The school lost a bit of its mojo in my opinion after moving on from coach Gary Patterson. With this being the final regular season game, I can see TCU battling for bowl eligibility coming into this game. Despite this added motivation for the Horned Frogs, the Cyclones will finish the regular season on a three-game winning streak.
Iowa State wins 28-13 (7-5)