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Oklahoma Schedule Preview: Iowa State Cyclones

The Sooners and the Cyclones meet up at the end of November in a rematch of last year's Big 12 Championship Game.

Ryan Chapman

The top two teams in the Big 12 will meet in Norman on Nov. 20.

At least, that’s what the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll says, as the Oklahoma Sooners and the Iowa State Cyclones were picked to repeat as the representatives in December’s Big 12 Championship Game.

Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones stand in the way of OU’s seventh straight conference title, as the Cyclones return 19 of their 22 starters from last year’s squad.

Brock Purdy returns for his senior year to quarterback Iowa State. A year ago, the Gilbert, AZ, product threw for 2,750 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 66.6 percent of his passes while tossing nine interceptions.

As Purdy looks to take another step forward in 2021, he’ll have plenty of familiar faces around him to help.

Running back Breece Hall, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and tight end Charlie Kolar all return and were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team.

Oklahoma Sooners 2021 Schedule

Hall has cemented himself as one of the best backs in the country, rushing for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago. He’ll have some help up front as well as Colin Newell, Darrell Simmons and Jake Remsburg all return in the trenches for the Cyclones, and they were all named to the Preseason All-Conference Team as well.

Hutchinson continued to grow throughout 2020, developing into a legitimate threat for Iowa State. He led the team with 771 receiving yards a year ago, including a back-breaking 65-yard touchdown catch in ISU’s regular season upset of the Sooners.

The Cyclones also return one of the premier tight ends in the country in Kolar. Racking up 591 receiving yards last year, the former Norman North Timberwolf led Iowa State with seven touchdown catches.

On the other side of the football, one of the nation’s most consistent defenses returns reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Mike Rose. The linebacker led the Cyclones with 96 total tackles last year, also adding 1.5 quarterback sacks and five interceptions to his incredibly productive year.

Though defensive coordinator Jon Heacock will have to do without the services of the school’s all-time sack leader in JaQuan Bailey, Will McDonald IV returns to anchor the Cyclone defensive line after posting 10.5 sacks last year, tied for the best mark in the country.

In the secondary, Greg Eisworth II returns to lead an experienced unit in 2021. Both starting corners in Anthony Johnson Jr. and Datrone Young return for Iowa State, which  only needs to solidify its other safety alongside three-time All-Big 12 honoree Eisworth to settle the Cyclone secondary.

If the Cyclones can escape their non-conference slate unscathed, there is a great chance that November’s battle between the Sooners and ISU could be a major top 10 matchup, and one that Iowa State won’t fear.

Campbell has notched two wins over the Sooners since his arrival in Ames, matching Chris Klieman as the only coach in the Big 12 who has beaten Lincoln Riley twice. 

Regardless of the outcome, it is a very real possibility the two teams meet a few weeks later for the Big 12 Championship once again.

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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