Just five of the old Big Eight remain in what has become a very different, new-look, 16-team Big 12 in the 2020s.

Last year, Colorado welcomed Kansas State and Oklahoma State to Boulder and traveled to Kansas City to face Kansas. 

This Saturday (1:30 p.m. FOX), the reunion tour continues as the Buffaloes host the final of their former pals, No. 22 Iowa State, at Folsom Field.

The two programs have met 65 times since 1946, but not since 2010 — a 34-14 win for CU in its last season of a first stint in the Big 12.

Here’s what to expect from the Cyclones:

Last time out

The injuries finally caught up to Matt Campbell’s team last Saturday.

The only other team in the conference with as long an injury list as the Buffs is Iowa State. The Cyclones were without 16 players against Cincinnati in Week 6, most notably the team’s star cornerback duo of Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams, who are both out for the season.

With safety Khijohnn Cummins-Coleman and kicker Kyle Konrady also out against the Bearcats, it became too much to overcome as ISU fell down 17-0 in the first quarter and despite rallying to cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter, Cincy wound up holding on for a 38-30 victory that ended the Cyclones’ unbeaten run to start the season.

Even though the Iowa State offense was able to move the ball down the field through the air, the defense couldn’t contain a Bearcats rushing attack that finished with over 260 rushing yards as a team. 

The backbreaking play came from Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who found a wide open Caleb Goodie downfield for an 82-yard touchdown pass that put the Bearcats up by 16 with six minutes to play.

On offense

The big reason why Iowa State remains a threat in the Big 12 and a team that needs to be taken seriously is because of star quarterback Rocco Becht. The junior has taken a big, but expected step forward in his third year as the starter in Ames, completing nearly 65% of his passes for 1,417 yards and nine touchdowns to just two interceptions at the halfway point of his team’s season.

Even without a pair of 1,000-yard receivers that graduated from last year’s squad, Becht has still found ways to spread the ball around with five players recording 180 or more receiving yards to this point, led by Brett Eskildsen’s 321 yards and two touchdowns.

Former Buff Chase Sowell, who was a freshman on the 2022 CU team before transferring following Deion Sanders’ arrival, is also a player to note as he’s second on the Cyclones with 236 receiving yards and a touchdown.

ISU can also run the ball when it wants, too, with a pair of backs in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III each having over 300 rushing yards. 

On defense

The Iowa State defense is about as ‘middle of the pack’ as it gets.

Injuries have certainly played a factor for a unit that came into the season expecting to be one of the Big 12’s best, but the Cyclones currently rank seventh in the conference in scoring defense, eight in total defense, ninth in rush defense and seventh in pass defense.

With injuries to the top two cornerbacks on the other side, this could be a big game for the Buffs’ wide receivers that seem on the verge of a breakout. Omarion Miller, in particular, could be in for a big game if Kaidon Salter continues to heave the ball deep and give him a chance to make a play.

Still, the Cyclones have a few playmakers that can’t be ignored, namely defensive lineman Domonique Orange, who has one of the best nicknames in college football as he goes by ‘the Big Citrus.’ He’ll be a challenge for an improving CU run game, as will linebackers Kooper Ebel and Caleb Bacon. 

The Iowa State Cyclones file

Record: 5-1 (2-1 Big 12)

Head coach: Matt Campbell (10th season, 69-52 record)

Offensive coordinator: Taylor Mouser (10th season at ISU, 2nd as OC)

Defensive coordinator: Jon Heacock (10th season)

Names to know: QB Rocco Becht, RB Carson Hansen, RB Abu Sama III, WR Brett Eskildsen,  WR Chase Sowell, OT James Neal, DL Domonique Orange, LB Kooper Ebel, DB Marcus Neal Jr., LB Caleb Bacon

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (FOX)

Betting line: Colorado +3.5 (ESPN Bet)