Iowa State prepares for title opportunity

The Iowa State Cyclones hope to be celebrating a Big-12 north division title this weekend when they close out the regular season at home against Missouri. At 6-4, the Cyclones can lock up a trip to the conference championship game with a victory or a Nebraska win on Friday against Colorado. Cyclone coach Dan McCarney says they have a lot of incentive and he has to do a great job of getting the players keyed, excited and focused. McCarney says it’s a “history making opportunity” for his team which is riding a four-game winning streak. He says they’re looking forward to playing at home and expect a sold out stadium. A victory would complete a reversal of fortune for the Cyclones who were winless in the league in 2003 and just over a month ago stood 0-3 in the Big-12. McCarney says whatever happens in the games ahead, he can’t put into words how proud he is of this team and the coaches. He says they have an opportunity to go from worst to first, and he says that can be one of the greatest experiences for the coaches and players. A division title would have to be personally satisfying for McCarney who received plenty of criticism during the first half of the season. He says he’s not a different guy from when they got “hammered” by Texas A&M, or a different guy from when they went through a losing season last year. McCarney says he wants the Athletic director, school president, fans and the players and coaches to be proud of the job he does as a leader. “If it’s good enough great, if it’s not, I’ll be the first on to pack my bags.”