Iowa State (10-2) headed to the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday and will look to win their first Big 12 Championship and also earn their first trip to the College Football Playoff.
That will be easier said than done, however, as the Cyclones will face the best opponent they’ve played all season in AT&T Stadium — No. 12 Arizona State (10-2).
The Sun Devils ride a five-game winning streak into this weekend and owe much of their success to senior running back Cam Skattebo.
Skattebo is a fringe Heisman contender and has arguably been the most valuable player in the Big 12 all season long, with 1,866 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns.
He’s one of the most entertaining players in college football, and according to ISU head coach Matt Campbell, he’s got a lot in common with one of the better players that the Big 12 has seen in the past decade.
While meeting with the media this week, Campbell compared the Sun Devils’ bruiser to former Iowa State standout David Montgomery.
“The last guy that I feel like I watched run the football like [Cam Skattebo] is David Montgomery,” Campbell said. “The passion that he has, the ability to run the football with. He’s dynamic, with the skill to run away from you but also this unbelievable electric power to run through you.”
Montgomery is one-half of the best running back tandem in the NFL right now, changing the pace for the Detroit Lions alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. Through six NFL seasons, Montgomery has a career total of 5,344 yards (4.1 ypc) and 50 rushing touchdowns.
A deciding factor in the game will be whether Iowa State’s defense can keep Skattebo from controlling the football game. The Cyclones’ defense has been susceptible to the run at times, ranking 14th in the Big 12 (96th nationally) with 173.7 yards per game and 15th in the league with 5.0 yards per carry.
The 2024 Big 12 Championship is set for Saturday, December 7, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kickoff scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on ABC.
