Nov 12, 2026 · 1h 41m
Iowa State weighs bowl hopes against college football’s upheaval
The Night Cap: Baylor Recap, Can Iowa State Become Bowl Eligible?
Iowa State’s Baylor loss, Cincinnati matchup, and roster decisions expose how playoff expansion, NIL, injuries, and transfers are reshaping the program’s future.
- 1Iowa State’s offense is improving, but injuries leave its defense needing to win shootouts against Cincinnati.
- 2Jalen Raynor’s recent progress still comes with downfield accuracy concerns and questions about quarterback depth.
- 3Bowl practices, NIL offers, and transfer movement are making roster retention as important as late-season results.
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The hosts break down Tyler Roehl’s toss action, motion, formations, and misdirection against Baylor to show how sequencing created lanes for Aidan Flora.
The brief
The hosts open with Iowa State’s bowl-eligibility outlook, then question whether a 24-team playoff and conference championships can coexist meaningfully.
Their broader proposal favors objective playoff qualification, regional rivalries, revenue sharing, and an NFL-style structure over subjective committee decisions.
After the Baylor loss, the discussion finds offensive progress in Aidan Flora’s production and Tyler Roehl’s sequencing, even as injuries weaken Iowa State’s defense.
Jalen Raynor has played two of his better games, but downfield accuracy, turnovers, and receiver injuries keep his passing development unsettled.
The Cincinnati preview turns bowl eligibility into a roster question: whether extra practices matter, which players Iowa State can retain, and what quarterback depth requires next.
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