Iowa State Cyclones Land in Appropriate Spot in Big 12 College Football Power Rankings

The Iowa State Cyclones look to be a tier below some of their Big 12 competition heading into Week 7.

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

There were some wide-ranging opinions on the Iowa State Cyclones heading into their Week 6 matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Despite being 5-0, many people questioned the legitimacy of their record and how they stacked up against other top teams in the country.

They had already recorded three wins over Power Conference teams. Two of them, the Kansas State Wildcats and Arizona Wildcats, were Big 12 victories. The other was against their in-state rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes, keeping the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Ames.

Alas, anyone who wanted to see more from the Cyclones was proven correct, at least for one week. They were defeated in their first true road game of their Big 12 schedule by the Bearcats, 38-30.

Where does Iowa State land in Big 12 power rankings?

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As a result of that loss, they have dropped a little bit in the Big 12 power rankings put together by 247Sports. Iowa State is now No. 5 out of 16 schools. Ahead of them are the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Arizona State Sun Devils, BYU Cougars and Cincinnati.

There will be ample time for Matt Campbell and his squad to regroup and get things back on track. It all starts with their next opponent, the Colorado Buffaloes, in Week 7.

The Cyclones are heading on the road again to Boulder to face off with a Colorado team that is ranked No. 14 heading into the matchup. There is talent on the roster, but they are struggling to execute.

Iowa State cannot take them lightly because they have shown an ability to get off to fast starts. 14-0 leads were held against BYU and the TCU Horned Frogs the last two weeks, but both were squandered.

Checking in at 22

🌪️🚨🌪️ pic.twitter.com/SmYAdFGMJw

— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) October 5, 2025

While the track record suggests a comeback is possible against the Buffaloes should they gain a lead out of the gate, the Cyclones need to get off to a hot start. They found themselves in a 17-0 hole against Cincinnati before the first quarter was over, and it proved too much to overcome.

This weekend’s game is as close to a must-win affair as a team can have in Week 7. Iowa State cannot afford another loss in conference, especially to an opponent that is trending toward being near the cellar of the Big 12.

Building some positive momentum heading into their second idle week of the season in Week 8 would be ideal as well. Coming out of the bye, they are set for homecoming against one of the teams ahead of them in the rankings: BYU.

With virtually zero margin for error, the Cyclones need to head to Boulder, handle business and then turn their attention to the Cougars and rest up during the bye.