The Iowa State Cyclones went into last weekend hopeful of a first conference championship in 108 years, and while a loss to No. 8 Oklahoma was disappointing, ISU, on Sunday, received a consolation prize, with a berth in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl.
Iowa State’s opponent for the game on January 2nd in Glendale, Arizona will be the 25th-ranked Oregon Ducks, the Pac-12 champions after an upset bid at Southern California on Friday night. Iowa State will enter the game with the Ducks ranked #12.
The Cyclones had high expectations coming into the 2020 season, but opened with a thud, in a home loss to Louisiana. ISU rebounded to win 7 of its next eight games, led by running back Breece Hall, who amassed 19 touchdowns and 1,436 yards rushing on the season.
Oregon had an interesting path to the Pac-12 title, as the Ducks, hurt by a mid-season loss in the Civil War game to archrival Oregon State Beavers, finished second in the Pac-12 North. However, a COVID-19 outbreak at Washington kept the Huskies out of the Pac-12 title game, sliding Oregon into the trip to Los Angeles.
