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Baylor Bears on upset alert vs Iowa State Cyclones, trail 28-21

By John Buhler

Oct 24, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) stiff arms Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Darian Cotton (23) during a game at McLane Stadium. Baylor won 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) stiff arms Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Darian Cotton (23) during a game at McLane Stadium. Baylor won 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baylor Bears are on upset alert against the Iowa State Cyclones in their Week 5 matchup in Ames. Can the Cyclones hold off the Bears in the second half?

When the Baylor Bears were scheduled to play the 1-3 Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday in Week 5, few outside of Ames thought that the Cyclones had a shot at an upset bid. Baylor entered play at 4-0 with a huge first Big 12 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys the week before. The Bears are still the Big 12’s best shot at getting a team into the College Football Playoff.

For the last few years, the Cyclones have been a bottom-feeder in the Big 12 along with regional rival Kansas. Iowa State made a coaching change by getting former Toledo Rockets coach Matt Campbell to replace Paul Rhoads.

At halftime, the Cyclones were leading the Bears by two scores, 28-21. Iowa State has a strong Big 12 basketball program but have never been an elite one on the gridiron. The Cyclones have had their best success as a spoiler at home in Jack Trice Stadium.

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When teams overlook the Cyclones at their place, Iowa State has shown an ability to rise as a football team and pull off shocking upsets. Their biggest upset to date was in 2011 when the Cyclones upended a National Championship hopeful in Oklahoma State.

That game in Ames five years was one of the contributing factors in the getting the College Football Playoff under way. The 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys were one of the four best teams in college football that season, but couldn’t reach the national title despite winning the Big 12 convincingly.

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Should Iowa State pull off another upset, the Big 12’s only remaining undefeated team would be the West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia is a good team, but not equipped like Baylor is to go run the table a perfect 9-0.

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