Iowa State Cyclones Have Work To Do in Big 12 Based on SP+ Final Rankings

The Iowa State Cyclones have some work to do to be an upper-echelon team in the Big 12 in college football.

Jimmy Rogers speaks during his introductory press conference as Iowa State’s new head football coach on Dec. 8, 2025, at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season ended more than a month ago for the Iowa State Cyclones after players on the team voted not to participate in a bowl game.

But the entire campaign came to a close this week in a thrilling national title game between the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes. An interception from Carson Beck late sealed the game for the Hoosiers, who capped off an improbable season with a title.

Given how well the Big Ten contenders performed all year, it should come as no surprise that they are the No. 1 team in SP+ rankings shared by Bill Connelly of ESPN. Their offensive rating of 40.2 was No. 2 in the country, the same ranking their defense had with a rating of 9.9. A 1.5 rating was given to their special teams, which was No. 22 in the nation.

Miami wasn’t too far down the list, coming in at No. 9 with a rating of 20.7. Their offense (34.2) was ranked No. 22 and their defense (14.3) came in at No. 7. A 0.8 was recorded by their special teams, which was 42nd.

What is Iowa State's SP+ Rating?

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet and logo during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Where did the Cyclones finish based on SP+? They were ranked No. 34, the first team on the list that didn’t have a positive rating in the double digits, with a 9.9. It also puts them at No. 5 in the Big 12.

Their performance was buoyed by a strong defense and special teams, both of which were ranked inside the top 30. The defense had a rating of 19.5, which was 26th, and the special teams generated a 1.3, which was 27th.

What really helped Iowa State back was its offense. Their rating of 28.1 was middle of the road, coming in at No. 63 in the country.

That will assuredly be a point of emphasis and focus for the new coaching staff led by Jimmy Rogers. He has the difficult task of replacing the winningest coach in program history, Matt Campbell, who is now at the helm of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Jimmy Rogers has similar issues to overcome with Iowa State

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The team Rogers coached in 2025, the Washington State Cougars, finished 61st with an SP+ ranking of 3.8. Similarly to the Cyclones, a lot of their success was because of a strong defense, which produced a rating of 20.5, which was 32nd in the country.

They were undone by an underwhelming offense, which was rated even worse than Iowa State with a 24.6, coming in at No. 87. Their special teams were also a drag on their overall score, with a -0.3, which was 79th in the nation.

It will be interesting to see where Iowa State lands in the 2026 projections with so many new faces on the team.