Iowa
Big 12 football power rankings: Iowa State on top entering final game of season
Thanks to a three-game win streak to end the year, the Iowa State football team finds itself headed to Dallas for the Big 12 Conference championship game.
Awaiting the Cyclones (10-2) will be red-hot Arizona State (10-2), who has also caught fire as the temperatures after dropped.
But where do both ISU and ASU fit in according to the Big 12 power rankings? Glad you asked, as we have compiled just that information for your reading pleasure.
Final Regular Season Big 12 Power Rankings
1. Iowa State (10-2)
2. Arizona State (10-2)
3. Colorado (9-3)
4. Kansas State (8-4)
5. BYU (10-2)
6. Baylor (8-4)
7. TCU (8-4)
8. Texas Tech (8-4)
9. Kansas (5-7)
10. West Virginia (6-6)
11. Cincinnati (5-7)
12. Utah (5-7
13. UCF (4-8)
14. Houston (4-8)
15. Arizona (4-8)
16. Oklahoma State (3-9)
The Cyclones showed their resilience, recovering from a two-game losing skid that could have ended the year for most teams. Instead, Matt Campbell got his team regrouped and refocused, winning the last three to secure the first-ever 10-win season in program history.
Iowa State is playing in the conference championship game for just the second time ever, as they lost to Oklahoma back in 2020.
With a healthy mix of passing and running the football, the Cyclones are equipped to handle any weather or defense. Speaking of that, Iowa State has a defensive of its own that buckles down inside the red zone.
It is honestly hard to not make a case for the Buffaloes and Deion Sanders as not only the best team in the Big 12, but the best option to compete in the College Football Playoff.
Led by likely Heisman winner Travis Hunter, Colorado is explosive on offense with Shedeur Sanders firing the pigskin all over the field. The defense, though, has been the issue for the Buffaloes, which is surprising considering who their head coach is.
If you were to match Colorado up against Iowa State, Arizona State or BYU on any given week, the odds would likely favor the Buffaloes. But they were unable to get the job done when they needed to the most, and will watch from their homes this weekend.
* Keys to victory for Iowa State vs. Arizona State
* Iowa State climbs the latest Coaches Poll Top 25
* Rocco Becht credits 2023 loss with driving Iowa State
* How to watch Iowa State vs. Arizona State for Big 12 title
It’s the last dance at Hilton Coliseum for Cyclone lifer Tamin Lipsey and other Iowa State basketball seniors.
The Cyclones will wrap up the regular season with one final home game on March 7 against visiting Arizona State. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FS1.
Iowa State (24-6, 11-6 Big 12 Conference) is looking to shake off a two-game losing skid after suffering back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Arizona.
Meanwhile, Arizona State (16-14, 7-10) is coming to Ames fresh off of consecutive wins over Utah and Kansas. The Sun Devils upset the Jayhawks 70-60 on March 3.
Here are three things to watch for in Saturday’s game:
Arizona State enters Hilton Coliseum with momentum
The Sun Devils are coming off of back-to-back wins, including an upset of Kansas in their last outing at home on March 3.
The Sun Devils built a 40-20 halftime lead and hung on for the win.
Arizona State also had a 72-67 win over Texas Tech on Feb. 17. It was the game in which J.T. Toppin went down with a season-ending ACL injury in the final six minutes of the contest.
Pepperdine transfer Moe Odum is shining in his first season at the power-conference level. He had 23 points in both games against Kansas and Texas Tech. In the recent win over Kansas, he had a game-high 23 points and shot 5-of-10 from long range, with four boards, six assists and two steals.
The senior guard is averaging 17.3 points, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Sun Devils.
The frontcourt is anchored by 7-foot-1 center Massamba Diop. Diop is one of the top shot-blockers and rim-protectors in the conference, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, second to Kansas’ Flory Bidunga. The freshman center has had three or more blocks in nine Big 12 games this season.
Senior guard Anthony Johnson has developed into a reliable sixth man for the Sun Devils. It’s his first season of Division I basketball after playing the last few years at NAIA-level University of the Cumberlands. Johnson is a two-way contributor off the bench. He is averaging 13.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Primarily a slashing threat, Johnson has shown he can knock down 3s when left open.
Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on increased urgency
Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on team-wide increased urgency.
Arizona State’s towering size
The Sun Devils have plenty of length and size throughout their roster.
According to KenPom, Arizona State has the ninth-tallest roster in Division I basketball in terms of average height across the team.
The Sun Devils’ starting five features three players who are 6-foot-11 or taller.
Aside from the 7-foot-1 Diop, they have a pair of 6-foot-11 forwards in the lineup, sophomore Santiago Trouet and junior Andrija Grbovic.
Although the Sun Devils’ big men might not be as talented as Arizona’s, it will be interesting to see if Arizona State tries to emulate or utilize a similar gameplan defensively as Arizona. The Sun Devils are a good shot-blocking team and they’ll look to use their size up front to make life in the paint difficult for Iowa State.
Despite Arizona State’s size, the Sun Devils are not an exceptional rebounding team, so this can be an opportunity for Iowa State bigs to set the tone on the boards.
Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on emotions of senior night
Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on the emotions of senior night from a coach’s perspective.
Iowa State will salute its seniors
The Cyclones are set to honor five seniors on Saturday afternoon: Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder and Dominick Nelson.
Lipsey, a hometown hero and Ames product, will be playing in his final game at Hilton Coliseum. A senior who has been at Iowa State since the first day of his collegiate career, Lipsey is a rarity in this era of the revamped transfer portal and NIL. He is one of only five seniors in the Big 12 to stay all four, or five (if they redshirted), years at the same school.
Jefferson also will get recognition. In just two years at Iowa State, he quickly blossomed into one of the Cyclones’ top players and fan-favorites after transferring in from Saint Mary’s.
Nate Heise, a sixth-year senior, was already honored in last season’s senior-night ceremonies, but he will be recognized once again on Saturday. Heise chose to return this season for another year due to a season of eligibility stemming from a medical redshirt from a hand injury in the 2022-23 season at Northern Iowa.
Nelson and Mulder, both graduate transfers, will cap senior-day ceremonies.
Iowa State basketball vs. Arizona State prediction
The quest for perfection at home is no longer possible, but expect Iowa State to be able to give Tamin Lipsey and the other seniors the perfect sendoff in the final game at Hilton Coliseum. Although the Sun Devils recently enjoyed a big win, they’ve struggled on the road this year, with a 2-8 record. One last dose of Hilton Magic as Iowa State gets back on the winning side after a two-game losing skid. Prediction: Iowa State 80, Arizona State 64
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night.
The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.
Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.
Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.
The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.
Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.
Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.
Michigan had a 38-25 rebounding edge on the Hawkeyes.
The game was tied at 30 at halftime. Michigan shot 50% from the field, but committed 12 turnovers that Iowa turned into 16 points.
The Hawkeyes were 11 of 31 from the field, with Stirtz especially struggling to make shots. Stirtz, Iowa’s leading scorer this season, made just one of his first nine shots, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 27-second span to give Iowa a 30-28 lead.
Up next
Michigan: Hosts No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday.
Iowa: At No. 9 Nebraska on Sunday.
Wrestling-Women
March 5, 2026
Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship
March 5, 2026
Kylie Welker chats with NCAA Digital’s Sophie Starkey about the success of Iowa women’s wrestling and the possibility of winning the inaugural NCAA sanctioned championship.
U.S. attorney in Miami targeting Cuban Communist leaders with new initiative, sources say
Andris Nelsons out as music director of Boston Symphony at end of 2026-27 season
Broncos Bring Back Two Key Free Agents for 2026
FOLLOWUP: See how SFD’s double-dog rescue ended
Church Stabbing; Liquid Meth Seizure; Starvation Death Conviction: San Diego County Crime Log
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Appeals court declares DC ban on certain gun magazines unconstitutional
‘No deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,’ Trump says
A dead woman’s key fob and two grisly crime scenes: How the Utah triple-murder suspect was tracked across state lines | CNN
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin5 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts4 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Maryland6 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida6 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling