The Mid-Morning Dump: You Can Smell Football Season

Iowa State Football

BREAKING DOWN THE QBS. CycloneFanatic looks at the quarterback race in the first of their many position previews as we head in to the 2016 season.

HE'S A GUY, MAN. Colin Downing has been named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List, which is given annually to the best collegiate punter.

Iowa State Basketball

THE MISSING LINK? New Men's Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach Pete Link sits down with John Walters in this week's edition of the CyCast.

THE NEW LINK. Cassandra Baier has been tabbed to fill Link's old role as head Women's Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach.

BRACKETOLOGY. It's July, but that hasn't stopped Jerry Palm from predicting this year's March Madness field, and yes, the Cyclones are in it.

Iowa State Athletics

GOOD JOB, GOOD EFFORT. Iowa State shot putter Christina Hillman placed 9th at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Around the Country

JONES OUT, THE SPIDER IN. Jon Jones was pulled off the UFC 200 card after testing positive for an illegal substance, feels bad about it, and is now replaced by another UFC all-timer in Anderson Silva, who's just seven weeks removed from gall bladder surgery.

CORMIER IS FRUSTRATED. About an hour before the news hit the press, Dana White told Daniel Cormier that Jones tested positive, here's the exact moment it went down:

BROWN LEAVES THE PONY EXPRESS. Larry Brown didn't get a long-term contract extension from SMU so he resigned.

HOIBALL-LITE. Dwayne Wade is a terrible fit for the Bulls and won't help Fred Hoiberg at all.

LIKE THIS WILL WORK. Power 5 conferences have announced a plan to reduce the time demands placed on student-athletes.

MISSED IT BY THIS MUCH. The Rio Olympics are going to be around $1.6 Billion over budget.

TRADEMARKING CITIES IS COOL NOW. The U.S. Olympic Committee has issues with non-Olympic sponsors using hashtags like #Rio when describing the accomplishments of the athletes they sponsor.

TRACK & GYMNASTICS. The Olympic Trials do continue, however, and it always makes for good TV. Tonight will feature Track & Field events on NBCSN and Gymnastics on NBC.

PRETTY MUCH LIKE RAGBRAI. The Tour de France enters the mountains today, which is just like climbing out of the Missouri River Valley on RAGBRAI.