Iowa State Cyclones Drop in Prominent College Football Power Rankings

Was a drop in a power ranking fair for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Sep 7, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; An Iowa State Cyclones helmet sits on the sidelines before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for their Week 5 matchup against the Arizona Wildcats and the program will be hungry to earn another conference win. Over the bye week, the Cyclones saw a real threat in the Big 12 emerge with the Texas Tech Red Raiders’ win over the Utah Utes. 

This victory by the Red Raiders has changed the outlook for the conference with Texas Tech now being considered as the team to beat. Unfortunately, for Iowa State, their marquee win in week one over the Kansas State Wildcats, who were ranked 17th at the time, doesn’t look as impressive as what the Red Raiders were recently able to accomplish. 

With the Cyclones on their bye this past week, the narrative in the conference has changed a bit. Iowa State didn't have a great showing heading into the bye week either against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, which didn't help things. Now, they have seen a bit of a drop in how they are viewed around the country despite being 4-0.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently released their college football power rankings after Week 4 and the Cyclones took a somewhat significant drop from 11th to 14th while on their bye week. 

Was the Significant Drop Deserved?

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

It is certainly easy to understand the drop in the rankings for the Cyclones, not necessarily because of anything they did, but what other teams were able to accomplish. The Oklahoma Sooners jumped them well into the Top 10 after their big win over the Auburn Tigers. However, the star quarterback for the Sooners was recently injured and that could hurt their chances going forward if he misses a lot of time. 

Furthermore, the aforementioned Red Raiders took a massive leap from 33rd to 11th. After a big win in a rivalry game, the Indiana Hoosiers saw a nice rise from 23rd to 12th. The Ole Miss Rebels were the final team to jump Iowa State after their convincing win against the Tulane Green Wave. 

With all the teams that jumped the Cyclones being undefeated and earning significant wins, it’s fair that Iowa State dropped to where they did. In Week 5, the Cyclones will have the opportunity to gain some ground. There are a lot of marquee matchups coming up this week and if Iowa State handles their business, they can move right back up.