PETE: Has Iowa State waved bye-bye to the Big 12 Conference championship game?

Iowa State Football-2024 has regressed.

Harsh?

True, but sometimes reality can include the unforeseen. For the Cyclones, there’s also, thankfully, a reality that includes returning to the weeks ago thought of finishing in a high place.

They’ll have to figure out a way to be on their A-game for 200 or so plays, during the season-defining next three games, despite a defense that’s as riddled with injury as I’ve ever seen. Defensive line. Linebackers. Defensive backs. Those position groups have been gutted, and we expect this program to play College Football Playoff caliber ball?

That’s a major ask, and let me interject something right here: Criticism I’ve heard and seen about defensive coordinator Jon Heacock is as far off base as it comes. Is it his fault his side of the ball has gone through so many injuries?

Hell no, it’s not.

Injuries are a major reason this team isn’t playing as well as it played just three or so weeks ago, but it’s not just the defense that needs fixed. It’s everybody.

Since the Oct. 26 Saturday without a game, the Cyclones are 0-2, after surrendering 68 combined points – 23 to Texas Tech and 45 by Kansas on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

That’s bye, and bye-bye, as a friend put it shortly after Saturday’s 45-36 loss, and speaking of . . .

You’ve probably already figured out it’s also bye-bye to the College Football Playoffs dream that seemed oh so much a reality after a 7-0 start. Unless there’s a miracle, Iowa State has played itself out of the Big 12 championship game. With three league losses and three games left, Iowa State’s only College Football Playoff path is to reach the title game -- and then win the title game.
That bye-bye to earlier-season hope, the way this team has played in the two games after the season pause.

In those eight quarters, not only have opponents scored gobs of points against what has been one of the nation’s best (and most-injured) defenses . . .

** Rocco Becht has been sacked nine times.

** Iowa State has been called for 14 penalties (of 37 on the season).

** Opponents have converted 13 of 28 third-down attempts, including 7 of 13 by Kansas.

** Iowa State had to settle for Kyle Konrardy field goals twice Saturday, after first-and-goal situations inside the opponents’ 10-yard line. Against Texas Tech, it was first down at the Red Raiders’ 7. The Cyclones got a field goal against Kansas on a drive that started at the Jayhawks’ 1, and another when Becht missed an open Stevo Klotz in the end zone.

 “I’ve got to make a play in the red zone,” said Becht, who completed 24 of 37 passes for 383 yards, three touchdowns and a pick six. “I can’t miss throws wide open like that. I’ve got to be better.”

Sure, it’s possible Iowa State returns to pre-bye game play. With six teams having two losses or fewer, it’s possible, with help among the top teams, to get to the Big 12 title game. That starts with Iowa State playing its best football of the season.

“We’ve got great character,” Campbell said after Saturday’s game. “We’ve got great leadership. We’ve got great coaching, but the reality of it is, who are you when things aren’t going great? We’re going to find out.”

**

FINAL THOUGHTS . . . .

** Good for the Big 12 in fining Utahathletic director Mark Harlan $40,000, after he blasted Big 12 officiating following the Utes’ 22-21 loss against first-place BYU Saturday.

“This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said, making his first appearance at the podium after a football game. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but (Saturday night) I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew.”

He’s not the first AD to call out refs recently. I attended the game last basketball season, and press conference, when Baylor AD Mack Rhoades was smacked for $25,000 after calling out refs following his team’s win at home against Iowa State.

“Tonight was an embarrassment for this league,” Rhoades told us media members at the postgame presser. “We have the best basketball league in the country, and the officiating tonight did not match it. Period. End of story."

** How much more Mike Gundy can Oklahoma State football fans – and administrators – withstand?

His Cowboys are 0-7 in the Big 12, during a season in which the man who once coached them so well called out fans to the extent of saying some can’t even pay their bills. He’s already stated publicly the Cowboys can’t compete with the bigger teams in NIL.

Is he pushing his boss’ buttons?

** One more from Iowa State’s Campbell on Saturday:

“We have a bunch of leaders in our locker room who are resilient and are going to put this aside. We’ll focus every day-in and day-out, and work on the next day, and go to the next game, focusing on play after play, and continue from there.”

(Randy Peterson can be reached at randypete4846@gmail.com or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close)