A publication that covers Big-12 sports predicts the Iowa State football team will take the next step this upcoming season. Conference Call Sports Magazine picks the Cyclones to win the Big-12 North Division. During a 7-5 campaign in 2004 Iowa State shared the division title with Colorado.Magazine editor Derek Samson says I-S-U has the most returning starters and has experience at runningback and quarterback. Samson has the Cyclones ahead of Missouri and Nebraska in the division. He says you could put all the names in the hat and draw out and noone would complain about how you picked the north division. Samson says the Cyclones have fewer questions than the other teams in the conference.Samson believes 2005 will be a breakout season for Texas. The Longhorns are coming off a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan and Samson predicts they will finally beat Oklahoma and win the South Division. He says noone will pick them over U-S-C, but he says they’ll likely be picked number two. He says if Texas doesn’t do it this year, then he’s not sure when they will. Samson says a big early test for Texas will be a trip to Ohio State. He says the Buckeyes are supposed to be loaded this year and if Texas stumbles, then the mental part of the game comes back into play at the Oklahoma game. The Cyclones open the season September third at home against Illinois State.
