Iowa State strength of schedule
2026 weekly schedule
H · 1 
A · 2 
H · 3 
H · 4 
H · 5 
A · 6 
A · 8 
H · 9 
A · 10 
H · 11 
A · 12 
H · 13 Tougher than average Easier than average · number = opponent's win total
Iowa State 2026 opponents
| Wk | Opponent | Site | Opp wins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeast Missouri State | vs | 1 | Played |
| 2 | Iowa | @ | 9 | Played |
| 3 | Bowling Green | vs | 4 | Played |
| 4 | Utah | vs | 11 | Played |
| 5 | West Virginia | vs | 4 | Played |
| 6 | BYU | @ | 12 | Upcoming |
| 8 | Arizona | @ | 9 | Upcoming |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | vs | 1 | Upcoming |
| 10 | Baylor | @ | 5 | Upcoming |
| 11 | Cincinnati | vs | 7 | Upcoming |
| 12 | UCF | @ | 5 | Upcoming |
| 13 | Kansas State | vs | 6 | Upcoming |
Opponent strength = each opponent's win total in 2025, its last full season (records-based, no betting win totals are used). Schedule and records from CollegeFootballData. See the full conference strength-of-schedule ranking.
Iowa State Cyclones 2026 opponents by win total, week by week. Bars above the 6.4-win FBS average are tougher than average.
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Frequently asked questions
How hard is the Iowa State schedule in 2026?
Iowa State faces a middle-of-the-pack schedule in 2026. Its opponents averaged 6.2 wins in 2025, the 12th-toughest among 16 Big 12 programs (the FBS average is 6.4 wins).
How is Iowa State strength of schedule measured?
Each opponent is rated by its 2025 win total (a full season, so early-season results don't skew it) and averaged across the Iowa State 2026 schedule.