Three Things We Learned: Cincinnati

The Floor Is Creeping Up

The floor is far above 0-12 now! Iowa State keeps moving the floor up in what appears to have become a bowl game-or-bust season. Iowa State has gotten off to a hot start in what I called the “critical five-game stretch” by starting 2-0 and getting hot at the right time. The Cyclones will now get some time to breathe and get a few guys healthy over the bye week before heading to Baylor to ramp it up again.

The Cyclones are staring down the barrel of Baylor, Kansas and BYU, which all appear to be very winnable. Win two out of the three and you are in a bowl game. Win all three, and we might have to start having bigger conversations. It cannot be understated how quickly things have turned around for this program.

Depth Being Created

I don’t like to look too far ahead here, but Iowa State is poised to bring back a TON of production that is a year older next year. If this team makes a bowl game and this talent comes back another year stronger and wiser, look out. Credit to this staff for not only getting these young guys ready to contribute this season, but also putting them in good positions to develop. Just take a look down the snap count list and you find endless amounts of freshmen and sophomores. Daddy likes it a lot.

Rocco Becht Not Even Close To The Peak

This section title is a bit misleading, but Rocco Becht is not even close to reaching his potential. We saw some throws that were missed due to poor footwork and anticipation on Saturday, specifically a few throws in the red zone over the middle to tight ends. On the flip side, we saw a young quarterback protecting the ball and making game-winning plays like a veteran. You live with the bad plays because the upside is there and everyone can see it. We still get five more games for him during the regular season to expand on what has become a very impressive debut, including what may turn into a stretch through October and November that sees Iowa State push for....a conference championship appearance?