Peterson: Where is Iowa State football team headed for its bowl game? Houston? Memphis?
So now what?
What did Iowa State’s epic 42-35 victory at Kansas State mean for its postseason bowl destination?
It was easier for Abu Sama to snowboard around Bill Snyder Family Stadium than it is to explain where Matt Campbell’s team might play next. So many possibilities exist that it’s easier to start with this:
The most logical destinations are the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl in Houston and the Dec. 29 Liberty Bowl in Memphis (not necessarily in that order) – but don’t rush out and book your travel plans just yet. We'll find out for sure on Sunday.
Remember, there are no rules other than winning six games. Big 12 bowls pick independently of won-lost records and who beat whom during the season. It’s kind of like the transfer portal. Or name, image and likeness.
It’s the wild, wild West. The best-seller gets the best bowl.
More: Peterson: Iowa State's Matt Campbell has his running back of the present and future: Abu Sama
I recall something from years ago when reporting on another Iowa university – let’s call them Hawkeyes. Hayden Fry, not only a great coach but also a schmoozer-extraordinaire, could sell anything, and that included the team he coached. Fry’s personality and the fan support of his successful program often got Iowa into the best postseason games.
At Iowa State, you, the fans, are the smooth talkers. You do it by faithfully following the Cyclones through both highs and lows, and bowl representatives notice that.
“Iowa State fans travel well,” Texas Bowl executive director David Fletcher told me this week. “Incredible national brand. Finished the season on a high note with a great win.”
He knows Cyclone fans' bowl history, but don’t read between the lines. There was no wink-wink.
Athletics director Jamie Pollard knows what bowls want. He is respected nationally. The football program is also held in high regard.
Pollard doesn’t need to tell bowl organizers Iowa State fans travel. They’ve seen it – and if you have attended Cyclone bowl games, you know what I mean.
Which brings us back to the Texas and Liberty bowls.
I asked the Register’s Iowa State text group which bowl game they preferred. Of the 250 or so responses I received, Texas and Liberty were the most popular answers, followed by Guaranteed Rate (Phoenix) and Independence (Shreveport).
More: Join Randy Peterson's Iowa State Cyclones text-message group
Comments included proximity, weather, opponent – and someone even wrote “the Busch Light is better in Houston than it is in Memphis.”
So let’s assume Texas and Oklahoma hold their top-12 College Football Playoff rankings positions, and that the Longhorns and Sooners play in New Year’s Six bowl games. Let’s also assume Texas lives up to being a two-touchdown favorite and beats Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game. That could trigger something like this (emphasis on could):
Oklahoma State to the Alamo Bowl
Kansas State to the Pop-Tarts Bowl
Iowa State to Houston for the Texas Bowl.
Again, disregard Iowa State’s 42-35 victory against Kansas State last Saturday. These bowls get to pick whichever teams they want – after considering a multitude of factors, such as:
FACTOR: Iowa State’s portal entries (as of Wednesday morning) shouldn’t matter. Transferring players either didn’t play last Saturday or haven't been a factor. Significant players should be available.
“Opt-outs are something that can be a factor, but at the end of the day, we’ve got a lot of factors,” Fletcher told me. “We cannot control what happens between now and when the portal opens (on Dec. 4).”
FACTOR: Kansas State played in the Texas Bowl in 2021, and Iowa State last played a Houston-based bowl game in 2005.
“There’s been a sense to try and avoid back-to-back and really close returns,” said Fletcher, who stressed this was just one of many considerations. “It’s not ruled out, by any means.”
FACTOR: Kansas State (2019) has played in the Liberty Bowl more recently than Iowa State (2017).
FACTOR: Iowa State has one of the most successful young teams nationally (i.e. lots of underclassmen contributing).
FACTOR: ESPN.
More: Iowa State football wins wild one against Kansas State as Abu Sama stars
Look at it like this: Iowa State is back in the bowl system – probably in Houston or Memphis. Campbell's team has beaten two of teams in the College Football Playoff rankings.
“The growth of this football team has been transformational,” Campbell said. “Every single game, what this team has done is get better. Their determination, their intent and their purpose has been powerful to watch.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Peterson: Iowa State football bowl game could be in Houston or Memphis
