Good Cop

By Noah Rohlfing

My sterling streak of selection success had to come to an end someday.

A team not exactly known for their incredible defense (sorry, Mountaineers) completely shut the Cyclones down for 30 minutes and built a 20-3 lead that was enough to hang on for a 20-16 win.

This week, another top-25 showdown will take place. Oklahoma State comes to Ames after losing 62-52 (!) to Oklahoma. The Cowboys are going to come in with a chip on their shoulder and their hopes of making the pointless and bad Big 12 Championship Game are slim.

However, the Cyclones still has a chance to reach the conference championship game. That opens the door for Oklahoma State to play the spoiler, reversing the roles from a certain famous 2011 matchup.

The Cowboys will be led by “robo-quarterback” Mason Rudolph. The senior has 27 touchdowns on the season and is, in my opinion, the second-best quarterback in the Big 12 (Moxie Mayfield takes the cake). Iowa State’s secondary has to come up big.

As for the Cyclones’ offense, well, there’s work to be done. Two straight games under 20 points and an inability to finish drives is a concerning trend that certainly can’t continue if they want to win games. 

Luckily, this Okie State defense may be the perfect foil for the Cyclones to bounce back. The Cowboys’ secondary parted like the Red Sea for Mayfield’s Sooners, and with the receivers Kyle Kempt has on hand it’s not difficult to see it happening again.

Also, I know I say this almost every week, but I’ll say it once more with feeling: GET DAVID MONTGOMERY TOUCHES. 

I’m gonna pick Iowa State, but they’ll have to score more than two touchdowns to stand a chance. 

Prediction:

ISU 34 | OSU 33

Bad Cop

By Garrett Kroeger

WOOOHOOO! I told you Iowa State was going to lose last weekend, but none of you wanted to listen to me.

I told you West Virginia quarterback Will Grier was going to have a day against the Cyclone defense. He completed 20 of his 25 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. But again, none of you listened to me.

Now, I expect you to heed my advice this week. Iowa State is going to take the “L” this Saturday in Jack Trice Stadium on senior day against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

For starters, coach Mike Gundy and gang have a far better quarterback in Mason Rudolph than West Virginia’s Grier. The senior has thrown for 3,314 yards and 27 touchdowns while completing 63.3 percent of his passes. In my opinion, those are very good statistics.

While Rudolph has been one of the better signal callers in the nation (in my opinion people), he is lucky to have a talented group of wide receivers at his disposal. He has guys like James Washington, Marcell Ateman, and Jalen McCleskey to throw to. And by the way, Ateman and McCleskey would easily be a No. 1 receiver at a different university.

Although the Cowboys have a deadly offense, their defense is cringe worthy. Last Saturday against the Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State lost 62-52 in the Bedlam game. However, not having a defense won’t matter for the Cowboys because the Cyclones defense has been regressing as of late. 

Iowa State hero, Kyle Kempt, has seen his production at quarterback progressively worsen and running back David Montgomery has gotten fewer and fewer attempts. So, no defense, no problems for Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys are going to come in with a chip on their shoulder as they try to salvage their Big 12 Championship hopes.

Prediction:

OSU 63 | ISU 14