Coming out of the 2026 offseason, Iowa State wasn’t exactly carrying a wave of optimism. The Cyclones had a new head coach in Jimmy Rogers, no returning starters from the 2025 team, and a roster that looked almost completely rebuilt. That kind of reset usually leaves more questions than answers, and Iowa State opened the season with plenty of those.
Two weeks in, though, the picture is already a little sharper.
The Cyclones handled Week 1 with a 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State, then took a much bigger swing in Week 2 by going to Iowa City for the Cy-Hawk rivalry game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa State entered that matchup as a nearly two-touchdown underdog, but it spent most of the first half in front and stayed in the fight all the way to the final whistle before falling 16-13.
That performance may not have changed the record, but it did change the way Iowa State looks. The bowl-game projections still haven’t moved, largely because many analysts expected the Cyclones to be sitting at 1-1 heading into their Week 3 meeting with Bowling Green anyway. Even if Iowa State takes care of business at Jack Trice Stadium, the outlook may not shift much after that one either.
The real swing factor is conference play. That’s where Iowa State was picked to struggle, with many outlets and analysts forecasting a last-place finish in the Big 12. With so many new faces on the roster, there was skepticism about what the Cyclones would have once league games began.
Rogers wasn’t buying into that kind of low-end forecast, and the showing against Iowa gave that stance more credibility. Iowa State didn’t leave Kinnick with a win, but it did leave with proof that it may be better than the preseason chatter suggested.
The path to bowl eligibility is still there. Iowa State has five home games in Big 12 play, and if it can go 3-2 in those matchups against Utah, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Kansas State, it would need just one road upset to get there, assuming it beats Bowling Green in Week 3.
The most realistic chances away from Jack Trice Stadium appear to be Baylor or UCF. The other road trips are to BYU and Arizona, and those two come in back-to-back games with a bye week in between.
There’s also a scheduling wrinkle that won’t make life easier. Half of those road games will come on short rest, with both the BYU and UCF trips set for Friday night after a game the previous Saturday, giving Iowa State one less day to recover.
In Other News...
Iowa State Suddenly Has A Passing Game Problem To Solve
Iowa States passing game took a hit in the Cyclones game against Iowa when wide receiver Evan Boyd went down with a knee injury, and head coach Jimmy Rogers said he will miss the rest of the season. Boyd arrived as a transfer with Power Four experience and was expected to be a meaningful part of the offense, so his loss changes the early shape of the receiver room in a hurry.
Carter Pabst and freshman Jamal Polite Jr. are now among the players with a chance to absorb some of those snaps and targets. For Iowa State, the challenge is not just replacing one receivers production, but finding a way to keep the passing game balanced enough to support the rest of the offense after losing a player it had counted on. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipsey Could Change Iowa States Biggest 2026-27 Question
Tamin Lipseys future could end up shaping one of Iowa States biggest questions for the 2026-27 season, and it has nothing to do with what happens on the floor in the near term. Lipsey and other student-athletes have joined a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking a fifth year of competition eligibility, arguing that players from the Class of 2022 were improperly left out of the associations Five-for-Five model.
The case is still moving through the courts, with both sides ordered to submit legal findings by Sept. 17, 2026. For Iowa State, the issue carries obvious weight because Lipsey has been central to the programs recent success, and his eligibility status could eventually affect how the Cyclones approach their roster planning for the next season and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Is Already Making A Bold Early Bet On 2028 Talent
Jimmy Rogers has barely settled in as Iowa States new head coach, and the recruiting board is already starting to take shape. Along with reaching into the Class of 2026 and 2027, including some Washington State commits following him to Ames, the Cyclones also dipped well into the future by extending an offer to Class of 2028 quarterback Sean Nevills during a recent visit.
For Nevills, it was a meaningful moment in an early recruiting cycle, since the Iowa State offer was his first from a Power Four program. He came away with a positive impression of the staff and the way the program presented itself, though his exact fit in Ames is still to be determined as the Cyclones continue evaluating where he belongs. [Read more 🡒]