Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during Iowa State football media day at Stark Performance Center on July 25, 2025, in Ames. Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones Surprisingly Drop Out of Latest CFP Projection

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their bye week and are prepared to face the Arizona Wildcats in Week 5. This game will be at night for the Cyclones, and the stadium will be in a ‘white out’ for the big matchup.

Iowa State has performed very well so far this season and will be looking to come out of their bye week fresh and earn a conference win. So far, the Cyclones are 1-0 in conference play, with their first victory coming against the Kansas State Wildcats in Week 0.

This has proven to be an important early win for the program and one that they have been able to lean on for the last couple of weeks. Now, with conference play heating up, Iowa State will be trying to build some momentum coming out of the bye. The Arizona Wildcats are also undefeated, but the Cyclones will be favored in this matchup in Week 5.

As Iowa State was resting on their bye week, they did get to see a legitimate contender in the Big 12 emerge from the conference’s biggest game of the week. Now, despite being regarded as the team to beat in the conference to start the season, that narrative might be changing.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently projected what the College Football Playoff would look like after Week 4. For the Cyclones, they had them dropping out and becoming a bubble team, with the Texas Tech Red Raiders being the lone Big 12 to make it.

Iowa State Heads to the Bubble

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It was certainly an impressive victory by the Red Raiders in Week 4 over the Utah Utes. In what was the biggest game in the Big 12 over the weekend, Texas Tech was able to come away with an impressive win on the road and are now seen as the team to beat in the conference.

For Iowa State, being projected as the best team in the conference is something that they have held on to for much of the season so far. However, after a narrow victory against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, the view of the Cyclones may have been altered.

Now, it appears that the Red Raiders are the team to beat in the conference, and Iowa State will have a lot to prove in Week 5. Even though they may have been dropped out of the recent CFP projections, this is still a team that is undefeated and could be there when it’s all said and done.