First, we would need to solve time. I am not sure if we are able to grasp it. Then we must figure out what happened at T-1 or T-2, which I think will be simple once we understand time.
The theory creates a start and then explains the progress from there. but not what caused it.
In theory of the cylinder than the universe travels to that is good but it does not explain how everything came to be.
We have a simple to state problem. There was nothing, then there was something.
Much like in Genesis ""And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.""
Instead:
Science says there was a big bang and from that everything was created. and we have figured out a model to explain (most) of the evolution since the big bang. Which means we can say no god did it.
But the way the story begins is in my opinion quite similar.
In one version god is used to explain what created us. Which then leads to the question of who created god and to answer that we need to figure out time.
(I am aware that there are equations that explain what was at t-1 or explain that there was nothing and even asking the question of what was at t-1 is crazy. I do not have the background that could allow me to understand the equations, but every which way you do it you end up with a question of what started it, or what was before what was the trigger to get it going.
Perhaps you can say that the universe has always been there, forever, sometimes it shrinks sometimes it expands, and we have a nice perpetuum mobile.