Iowa State Cyclones Unsurprisingly Falls in SP+ Rankings After Loss to Cincinnati

The Iowa State Cyclones plummeted in the SP+ rankings.

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones knew that they were going to face a difficult challenge in their Week 6 matchup, paying a visit to the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Not only was that their first true road game of their Big 12 schedule, but they were going to be without several key contributors. Their starting cornerback duo of Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams was both sidelined. Star kicker Kyle Konrardy was missing his second straight game.

Those losses proved to be too much to overcome. The Bearcats connected on some huge gains in the passing game, taking full advantage of the Cyclones' short-handed secondary. Their entire game plan offensively had to be adjusted without head coach Matt Campbell having a kicker he could trust as well.

On top of those players who weren’t in the lineup to start the game, Iowa State also suffered another brutal loss during the game. Starting running back Carson Hansen was injured near the end of the first half and didn’t return.

Campbell revealed that the talented running back was lost to a concussion, but didn’t have much more to offer beyond that.

Iowa State has huge drop in SP+ Rankings

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It all culminated in Iowa State suffering its first loss of the campaign. They dropped to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12, losing at Nippert Stadium 38-30. A valiant effort was given in a comeback attempt, but the Cyclones ultimately fell short of keeping their undefeated record intact.

As a result of the loss, it comes as no surprise that Iowa State has dropped in several rankings. Over at ESPN, their SP+ rankings have been shaken up in a big way with several ranked teams going down in defeat.

The Cyclones, who entered Week 6 as the No. 14 team in the AP Poll, suffered an expected drop in the SP+ rankings, too. They dropped 11 spots, falling to No. 37 with an overall rating of 11.0.

There were only six teams, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Rice Owls, North Carolina Tar Heels, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Mississippi State Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions, who suffered larger drops. The Boston College Eagles tied Iowa State, dropping 11 spots.

The Cyclones will be looking to get things back on track in Week 7 when they head on the road for the second consecutive week. They will be traveling to take on the Colorado Buffaloes, who are 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12. The Buffaloes are No. 62 in the SP+ rankings.