The Iowa State Cyclones’ 38-30 road loss to Cincinnati served as a jarring wake-up call, immediately exposing flaws that cast doubt on their status as a Big 12 title contender. The core issue wasn’t the final score, but the disastrous opening half, where the Cyclones looked utterly unprepared for a pivotal conference matchup. For a ranked team, the quick 17-0 deficit rapidly ballooned into a near-insurmountable 31-7 margin late in the second quarter.The team showed an uncharacteristic lack of discipline, committing costly penalties and making what appeared to be “horrible decisions” that directly extended Cincinnati’s scoring drives. Defensive breakdowns
