Updated college bowl predictions: Iowa State no longer involved in CFP, instead slated for interesting matchup

Cyclones go from being projected as at-large to pre-New Year’s Day matchup with a current Big 12 rival

Carson Hansen and the Iowa State football team are now projected to go to the Alamo Bowl for a meeting with Colorado. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

The last two weeks have been difficult for Iowa State football. 

After dropping back-to-back games to Texas Tech and Kansas, the Cyclones have gone from being projected in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff to a bowl game held before New Year’s Day. 

According to Jerry Palm, the Cyclones are being pegged for the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. What is the most interesting thing about that decision is they would go against a fellow Big 12 Conference team in Colorado.

Before you ask how that is possible, the Pac-12 retains bowl slots for this year even after the league collapsed. That means there will be a Big 12 vs. Pac-12 matchup in the Alamo Bowl once again just like it has been for several years.

The Buffaloes and Cyclones do not play each other during the regular season. Colorado, led by Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, are currently still in the running for a spot in the playoffs.

BYU, the Big 12 frontrunner and one of the last unbeaten teams left standing, are projected to be the No. 2 seed and receive a bye to the quarterfinals alongside Ohio State, Alabama and Miami. Joining them in the field are Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Indiana and Boise State.

Other Big 12 bowl matchups include Kansas State vs. South Carolina in the Texas Bowl, Texas Tech vs. SMU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, TCU vs. Vanderbilt in the Liberty Bowl, Baylor vs. Charlotte in the Armed Forces Bowl, West Virginia vs. Nebraska in the Rate Bowl, Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech in the Gasparilla Bowl and UCF vs. South Florida in the Cure Bowl.

Iowa State looks to rebound this week at home vs. Cincinnati. The Cyclones do still have an outside shot at reaching the Big 12 championship game if they win out and receive some help along the way.

Here are all of Palm’s latest college football bowl projections for Big 12 teams: 

College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl: BYU vs. Texas or Tennessee

Texas Bowl: Kansas State vs. South Carolina

Alamo Bowl: Iowa State vs. South Carolina

Liberty Bowl: TCU vs. Vanderbilt

Armed Forces Bowl: Baylor vs. Charlotte

Rate Bowl: West Virginia vs. Nebraska

Gasparilla Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

Cure Bowl: UCF vs. South Florida

More Iowa State & Big 12 Analysis

* Five takeaways from Cyclones' loss to Kansas

* How to watch Iowa State football vs. Cincinnati

* Pair of Iowa State football commits set to compete in state semifinals