Updated college bowl predictions: Iowa State now targeted for showdown with current ACC frontrunner SMU

Cyclones tabbed for Pop-Tarts Bowl against SMU as Colorado moves into College Football Playoff

Current bowl projections have Iowa State football taking on Kevin Jennings and ACC frontrunner SMU. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As the last few weeks have shown us, what we think is going to happen in the world of college football is probably completely wrong.

Upsets will continue to shake the very foundation of the sport as we inch closer and closer to the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. 

Where does the Big 12 sit in the latest college bowl predictions by Jerry Palm? Glad you asked, as he has released a new version.

Palm sees Colorado going to the conference title game and winning it under Deion Sanders in one of the biggest turnarounds from last year. The Buffaloes slide in as the No. 12 seed in the CFP to play current No. 1 Oregon. 

Ohio State, Alabama, Miami and Boise State earn the byes with berths in the quarterfinals while Georgia, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Indiana complete the field. 

Big 12 bowl predictions have Iowa State taking on SMU

A week after the Cyclones were set to play fellow Big 12 foe Colorado in the Alamo Bowl, Palm now has them slotted for the Pop-Tarts Bowl against SMU.

The Mustangs lead the ACC but will need to get through Miami to reach the CFP. 

As for the Alamo Bowl, that spot now belongs to BYU, who has fallen out of the CFP in this version. The Cougars would lock up with Washington State, as the Pac-12 still maintains rights to the Alamo.

TCU faces off against LSU in the Texas Bowl, Army meets West Virginia in the Independence Bowl, Arizona State takes on Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl, Kansas State meets Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, Baylor battles Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl and Texas Tech takes on Nebraska in the Rate Bowl. 

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

College Football Playoff first round: Colorado vs. Oregon

Texas Bowl: TCU vs. LSU

Independence Bowl: West Virginia vs. Army

Alamo Bowl: BYU vs. Washington State

Pop-Tarts Bowl: Iowa State vs. SMU

Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs. Florida

Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas

Armed Forces Bowl: Baylor vs. Navy

Rate Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Nebraska

More Iowa State & Big 12 Analysis

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* Cyclones right back into contention in wild, wild Big 12

*Three stars in Iowa State's win over Cincinnati including Stevo Klotz

*Complete game recap of Iowa State's win over Cincinnati

* Scouting the opponent: Get to know QB Brendan Sorsby

* Latest college football playoff rankings

* What Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield had to say about Cyclones