While its path to the College Football Playoff is still navigable, Iowa State’s dreams of an undefeated season have vanished.
In their first true road game in conference play this season, the No. 12 Cyclones fell to Cincinnati 38-30 on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Despite getting 314 passing yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Rocco Becht, a porous Iowa State defense gave up 474 total yards to quarterback Brendan Sorsby, running back Evan Pryor and the Bearcats.
The loss dropped coach Matt Campbell’s team to 5-1 on the season, including a 2-1 mark in conference play. The setback, painful as it might be, isn’t particularly damaging to the Cyclones’ playoff hopes, though it gives them a small margin for error the rest of the way. Last season, for example, they had two regular-season losses but were still able to earn a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
More immediately, though, what kind of impact might the defeat have on their ranking and where they might fall in the US LBM Coaches Poll?
Here’s a look at where Iowa State may end up come Sunday:
Iowa State football rankings: Where will Cyclones fall in top 25?
Since entering the season at No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, Iowa State steadily climbed in the rankings on its way to a 5-0 record.
That resume was initially built around the strength of a 24-21 Week 0 win against Kansas State in Ireland. Though the Wildcats entered the matchup as the No. 20 team in the Coaches Poll and one of the preseason favorites to win the Big 12, they’ve largely struggled, with a 2-4 record heading into Week 6.
Still, three of Iowa State’s five wins this season have come against Power Four opponents, including a home victory against a 3-2 Iowa team. The loss at Cincinnati isn’t particularly damning, either. Despite languishing in their first two seasons under coach Scott Satterfield, the Bearcats are off to a 4-1 start after the victory against Iowa State. The loss also came without two of Iowa State’s top cornerbacks, which partially explains Cincinnati’s big day through the air.
The Cyclones’ drop will depend at least in some part on how teams ranked behind them fare. Six of the 13 teams behind them in the top 25 are idle this week and as of the start of the mid-afternoon kickoff window, only three of those 13 squads have already logged a win in Week 6.
Final ranking prediction: No. 19
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where will Iowa State football fall in top 25 after loss to Cincinnati? Where Cyclones may be ranked
Reporting by Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
