College football rankings 2021: Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State vie for No. 1 in way-too-early Top 25

Iowa State was on the cusp of winning the Big 12 Championship and challenging for a spot in the College Football Playoff before they were unable to topple Oklahoma for the second time in the 2020 season in the conference championship tilt. However, Matt Campbell has built a program of sustained success in Ames and the Cyclones should be just as dangerous in the 2021 campaign.

The Cyclones were big winners in terms of draft declarations for the simple fact that their biggest contributors on offense all elected to return for at least one more year under Campbell’s watch. Quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Breece Hall — a dark-horse Heisman candidate for next season — and tight end Charlie Kolar will all be back in the fold.

Moreover, Iowa State also has their key defensive leaders, namely linebacker Mike Rose, coming back for another year in the program as well. Outside of Hall, none of these players will register as the flashiest players in the country. However, their experience and success in the program can’t go unnoticed.

Given how good the Sooners should be in the 2021 season, winning the Big 12 will be a difficult task for the Cyclones. But with the veteran presences that they’ll be able to rely on on either side of the ball, there’s no reason to not set expectations for another double-digit win season with College Football Playoff upside.