Iowa State football: Five games Cyclones must win to go bowling
By Brian Spaen
Jan 4, 2014; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison fans hold up a 3-Peat sign during the game against the Towson Tigers at Toyota Stadium. North Dakota State beat Towson 35-7. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
North Dakota State Bison
This goes without saying. Despite Iowa State’s love of scheduling FCS opponents that are arguably better than a lot of lower-level teams from other conferences in the FBS, this is a game the Cyclones must take. It will kick off the season in a happy note with a 1-0 start, it will continue the winning streak from a season ago, and there’s enough major turnover with the Bison — new starting quarterback and head coach — that it should give Iowa State an advantage.
In every article that talks about FBS upset alerts against FCS teams, this game will be mentioned. Sports books actually favor NDSU. This game needs to have the full attention of every Cyclone player.