Iowa State Cyclones Make Massive Leap up Most Recent PFF Top 25 Rankings

How far up did the Iowa State Cyclones move in the PFF Top 25?

Iowa State Cyclones' quarterback (3) and running back (26) celebrate after winning 16-13 over Iowa in the Cy-Hawk football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones entered the 2025 college football season with some major expectations.

For the first time since the 2021 campaign, they began the season ranked inside the top 25. In the AP Poll, they were No. 22 to start the year. All they have done since that point is prove they were worthy of having a number next to their name.

In a huge matchup to begin the season, the Cylones went overseas to face off against the Kansas State Wildcats in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. It was a wild way to start the campaign, not only traveling across the world but facing off against a Big 12 opponent. Iowa State was not phased, picking up a massive 24-21 victory.

No one would have blamed the Cyclones had they returned stateside and struggled a bit when they returned to the field. No bye week was held, as they were back on the gridiron against the South Dakota Coyotes just seven days later. Little time was wasted, with Iowa State scoring a touchdown on its opening drive.

The defense gave the score right back, allowing the Coyotes to drive down the field for a touchdown of their own to tie the game at seven. But it was all Cyclones from that point on. They clicked on all cylinders, ultimately coming away with a 55-7 victory.

Iowa State's Win Over Iowa Has Cyclones Moving in Right Direction

Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones linebacker (left), quarterback (center), and tight end (right) celebrate after their win against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Their daunting out-of-conference schedule didn’t get any easier. Iowa State hosted its in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes, at Jack Trice Stadium for the annual Cy-Hawk Series. It was a hard-fought, back-and-forth affair. The Cyclones took control early, building a 13-3 lead. But the game was tied by the Hawkeyes on a lengthy 9:28 drive that ate up more than half of the third quarter, resulting in a field goal.

There wouldn’t be any points scored in the game until the 1:52 mark of the fourth quarter, when Kyle Konrardy knocked home a 54-yard field goal to put Iowa State ahead 16-13. That ended up being the final score of the game, with the Cy-Hawk Trophy staying in Ames for a second consecutive year. The Cylones have won three out of four against Iowa, asserting their dominance on the football field.

That success, pushing their record to 3-0 on the season, combined with a few other teams in the top 25 losing, has Iowa State heading in the right direction in the PFF Top 25 Rankings. Heading into the week, the Cylcones were ranked No. 21. Now, they find themselves at No. 12. It is one of the biggest jumps in the rankings, with the USF Bulls, going from unranked to No. 11, being the only team that made a larger leap.

Iowa State will not have long to rest on its laurels. They will be back on the road again this weekend, at least this time, it will be in the United States. The Cyclones are taking their undefeated record to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt. 

The Red Wolves were dominated by the Arkansas Razorbacks in their last game, 56-14. But this isn’t a team that should be taken lightly. They have played in a bowl game two consecutive years and can bet the stadium will be rocking, welcoming a top 25 team to Centennial Bank Stadium for the first time since 2022.