Good Cop: Zander White
Matt Campbell and the Iowa State Cyclones are as hot as ever. Fresh off of the first 10-win season in program history, Campbell and the Cyclones are set to compete for the first Big 12 Championship title in program history.
The program has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the course of the season, but the Cyclones are in prime position to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
It’s no secret that Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the hottest wide receiver duo in the conference. Higgins and Noel exceeded respective 1,000-yard seasons after Saturday’s matchup against Kansas State.
With all due respect to Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils, they lack on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona State’s defense ranks 69th nationally and allows an average of 219.8 yards per game.
On the other hand, Iowa State should have this game in the bag. Should the secondary hold up, quarterback Sam Leavitt will struggle to make completions and rely on the run game. If that’s the case, Iowa State’s pass defense–which leads the Big 12–will be dominant.
Although the Sun Devils boast an impressive resume and rank 12th in the AP, I like Iowa State’s chances of getting the job done.
Score Prediction: No. 16 Iowa State 21, No. 15 Arizona State 10
Bad Cop: Conner Swanson
No. 16 Iowa State set its record for wins in a season last Saturday and punched its ticket to the Big 12 title game. That ticket directly leads to a red-hot No. 15 Arizona State team led by running back Cam Skattebo who should arguably be in the Heisman race.
Coming into the season, Arizona State was projected to finish last and Iowa State was projected sixth, so it’s no secret that not a lot of people had this game on their bingo card.
Skattebo has been on fire to end the season, tallying three touchdowns in his last two games and leading his team to the conference championship with an upset win over then-No. 9 BYU.
Skattebo has 1,398 rushing yards on the year at 5.7 yards per rush. If Iowa State wants a chance, it needs to slow Skattebo down as it did with Kansas State’s DJ Giddens.
Arizona State has freshman quarterback Leavitt calling the shots and throwing the ball. Leavitt has racked up 2,444 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Leavitt will be without top receiver Jordyn Tyson on Saturday, much to Iowa State’s help.
On the Cyclones’ end, they were without safety Malik Verdon against Kansas State. Verdon has been exceptional against the run all year. Safety Ta’Shawn James stepped up in his place, forcing a crucial fumble to help Iowa State slow Kansas State. I believe Skattebo is a better back than Giddens, so getting Verdon back might be needed in the championship.
Skattebo is more of a death-by-a-thousand-cuts kind of runner, which will probably lead to a lot of long drives for the Iowa State defense. I see Arizona State controlling the time of possession and ending the Cyclones’ magical season.
Score Prediction: No. 15 Arizona State 28, No. 16 Iowa State 24
