Weird scenario...

[ISUonthemove]

Which is better for our bowl projections(not our program)? Kansas State to win out and make it to a BCS bowl game? Or for us to beat them and go 7-5? Obviously, going 8-4 would be best case scenario. I just don't see it happening.

Having 2 teams in the BCS is definitely a good thing. Just a thought.

[ISUAgronomist]

Us winning out would be the way to go. 5 game winning streak w/ 4 teams in the top 25.

Sure, we would get more money with 2 Big 12 teams in BSC games with other scenarios but I'm rooting for the Cyclone Program not the Big 12 teat.

[IcSyU]

Assuming 8-4 is out the window (it has about 1% chance of happening), beating Oklahoma and losing to Kansas State would be the better way to go 7-5. Beating OU puts them in the Cotton Bowl and still gives Kansas State an outside shot at an at-large bid. I'd say 6-6 is about 80% likelihood and is still a hell of an accomplishment after this meat grinder of a schedule.

[jdoggivjc]

EVEN IF 8-4 doesn't net us a better bowl game, it's better for the program long term.

[CyFan61]

Losing out but getting 2 into the BCS or beating K-State to finish 7-5 but only getting one in would probably result in the same bowl for us anyway. (I'm thinking Holiday.) I'd rather beat the purple farmers.

The issue is if we lose out but only get one into the BCS. With 4 at-larges, one taken by SEC and another by Houston, you have to think a third will be Stanford (if Oregon wins the Pac-12 as expected)... and if Michigan finishes 10-2 with a win over Ohio State tomorrow and in the top 14 in the BCS, they will be a very attractive option for an at-large bid. The Big 12 could get left out.

[dualthreat]

1. Going 8-4 with the potential for 9 wins!
2. Going 7-5 with a win over OU
3. Going 7-5 with a win over k-state
4. Going 6-6 with a k state BCS bid
5. Going 6-6 with OU an kState getting left out of the bcs

In that order.

[RayShimley]

I'd rather have ISU get the win and (potentially) go to a lesser bowl, but that's just me.

[cyclones500]

1. Going 8-4 with the potential for 9 wins!
2. Going 7-5 with a win over OU
3. Going 7-5 with a win over k-state
4. Going 6-6 with a k state BCS bid
5. Going 6-6 with OU an kState getting left out of the bcs

In that order.

Sounds about right.

And I'm with jdoggivjc, 8-4 trumps any bowl advantages that might come w/ Big 12 getting two BCS slots.

The way I see it, that's a long shot anyway. I'd rather get the best record possible, knocking OU & KSU out of contention, and take my chances on ISU's bowl slot. I think 8-4/5-4 would land a satisfactory bowl, regardless. What if we "hoped" for only 7-5, and ended in the Pinstripe?

Best-case (extremely unlikely in totality) scenario for ISU:
ISU wins out
KU shocks Missouri
OSU beats OU
Baylor beats UT (or Baylor loses to both UT and Tech)

If I did the math correctly, that's fourth place in the conference (ISU has tiebreaker over OU, loses tiebreaker to UT and BU).

A win over OU would be sweet in itself, and would take care of a good share of speculation.