Oklahoma State Stays in CFP Rankings as Respect for Iowa State Grows

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State may have fallen out of the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today coaches poll, but the folks that matter the most. In fact, the only rankings that really matter have the Oklahoma State Cowboys ranked at No. 22. The Big 12 now has four teams ranked in the CFP rankings as Texas is back in and at No. 20, Oklahoma is ranked at No. 11, and Iowa State off the Big 12 regular season championship clinching 42-6 win over West Virginia is all the way up to No. 7 as the Cyclones climbed past Cincinnati.

Oklahoma State is the only Big 12 team to have beaten the Cyclones as the Cowboys upended Iowa State in Stillwater 24-21 back on Oct 24.

“First of all, just Iowa State ended up at No. 7 based on several things,” explained University of Iowa athletic director and CFP Committee chairperson Gary Barta. “I mean, they're in first place in their conference. They've beaten No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 20 Texas. The last two weeks especially, it's been building over the course of the year, but two weeks ago they beat No. 20 Texas and then this week really came out strong against West Virginia. Their defense held them to six points. They now have the nation's leading rusher in Breece Hall. Brock Purdy was 20 out of 23. So when you take all those things, Iowa State ended up at No. 7.”

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Iowa State is 8-2 and off this week as they prepare to meet Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington on Dec. 19. Oklahoma State is one of five three-loss teams ranked along with North Carolina, Texas, North Carolina State, and Missouri. Tulsa is ranked No. 24 and the Cowboys beat the Golden Hurricane in the season opener 16-7.

Oklahoma State finishes the regular season this coming Saturday at Baylor with a 6 p.m. kickoff.