Iowa State's Jimmy Rogers Picked His Own Team for the Big 12 Title Game
The Cyclones were voted last in the Big 12 preseason media poll, but their new coach says he cast the anonymous ballot putting them in the championship game.
New Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers acknowledged this week that he was the coach who voted the Cyclones into the Big 12 championship game in an anonymous On3.com coaches poll — despite his team being picked last in the league's preseason media poll.
"What would you think if I didn't vote on us? You'd wonder why I'm the head coach at Iowa State," Rogers told reporters in Ames, Iowa. "I was brought in to win. Very self-aware. They didn't hire me to come here and not be competitive. I wasn't hired for my disposition. I was hired to create a program that competes and wins and that's the goal. We're not signing up for second place."
Rogers added: "So I know that's a bold statement, and they'll print it everywhere. But the reality is this: the players have to believe in what you say, and you have to act on how you believe. I believe that we can win."
The optimism runs against the roster math. Iowa State returns no starters and saw 55 players enter the transfer portal after Rogers was hired to replace Matt Campbell, who took 24 of the best with him to Penn State.
Campbell left as the all-time wins leader at Iowa State. The Cyclones went 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 in his final season and played in seven bowls over his 10 years, though they opted out of a bowl last season. Iowa State appeared in the Big 12 championship game in 2020 and has not won a conference title since 1912.
Rogers arrives after building a record of success as an assistant and head coach at South Dakota State of the Football Championship Subdivision. In his only season at Washington State, he led a team with 75 newcomers to a 6-6 record and a bowl bid.
Tight end Tyler Fortenberry said the prediction surprised no one in the locker room.
"Coach Rogers does a good job in team meetings making sure we're not focused on what Twitter says, what Instagram says or what the media says about what we're going to finish," Fortenberry said. "They all have us 16th. If you buy into that and believe what the media has to say, you're not going to get anywhere in life."
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.