Coming off one of the more successful seasons in recent history, the Iowa State Cyclones enter the 2010 season with momentum. Yes, the same Cyclones that from 2006 to 2008, finished last in the Big 12 North, and were picked by most to do the same in 2009 until they managed a breakout season. A season which saw the Cyclones shock Nebraska in Lincoln 9-7, win the Insight Bowl against Minnesota, and finish with a winning record at 7-6.

Quite an accomplishment for a team that had won only 8 games during 2006-08. With a very young, and still inexperienced team, and a schedule that looks more like the current top 10 rankings, it will be a tough challenge for head coach Paul Rhoads to get the Cyclones back to another bowl game.

Part of the success of last year’s team can be attributed to the improved defense led by All-Big 12 linebacker Jessie Smith. With the departure of Smith, the Cyclones will be going with 3 first time starters at the position. Senior defensive end Rashawn Parker returns after playing well the first 4 games of 2009, until he was sidelined with a season ending knee injury.

Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year David Sims (CB) will be leading the secondary. They will be tasked to keep the Cyclones in games in the 4th quarter, and to potentially win games as they did against Nebraska, holding them to only 7 points.

The offense will return 7 starters, and will need to improve over last year if the Cyclones are going to return to a bowl game. Senior quarterback Austen Arnaud returns to lead an offense that ranked 103rd in the nation. Since last season, Arnaud has been working on shortening his delivery, a problem which led to 13 interceptions last year. Arnaud has also been throwing to a new group of wide receivers, where up to 7 or 8 different players will see action.

Three starters return on the offensive line, and will be the key if the Cyclones are going to improve on their 94th ranked passing offense. Alex Robinson returns after his breakout season, leading the Cyclones with 1,195 yards last year and is a pre-season Doak Walker Award Candidate. Robinson must have a great year to keep the heat off Arnaud, who will not see a lot of continuity at the wide receiver position this year.

The Cyclones face one of the toughest schedules in the nation. They will face 4 teams ranked in the preseason top 10, with 3 of those games on the road. The Cyclones absolutely must win every game they are favored in, and probably a mild upset or two to have a chance to make it to a bowl game. This includes Thursday’s game against the Northern Illinois Huskies, a team which made it to a bowl game last year. They will then travel to take on in-state rival Iowa, followed by a neutral game against Kansas State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

They will need to win at least 2 out of the 3 consecutive home games against Northern Iowa, Texas Tech, and Utah. They will then have to face Oklahoma and Texas on the road in consecutive weeks, probably the toughest two weeks in any conference. They finish their schedule hosting KU and Nebraska, travelling to Colorado, and Missouri at home.

Given Iowa State’s schedule, even a really good team would have a hard time getting 6 wins. Don’t expect to see the Cyclones in a bowl game, falling just short at 5-7.