Peterson: If you're Iowa State, even the slightest national preseason football buzz is significant

Maybe, but it’s important in coach Matt Campbell’s world. To him and the recruiters among his staff, that type of national attention mention means something.

“Anything like that, that shows this program taking the next step — that’s a positive for us,” recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh said Wednesday. “Any time you’re being talked about on the national level, that helps recruiting, and it helps your program’s national image.”

For Iowa State, early-season national buzz is significant — like junior-in-the-fall running back David Montgomery already being mentioned on 2019 mock NFL Draft lists.

And most recently, like USA Today having Campbell’s team among the Top 25 on its premature rankings.

The Cyclones beat a Memphis team in the Liberty Bowl that had two selections in the 2018 NFL Draft … and return a solid starting quarterback … and a very talented receiving corps … and an experienced offensive line … and maybe the school’s best defensive line in a while … and a strong secondary … and Montgomery … and, well, you get the point.

Place the over-under total for wins at 6½ if you want, which seems about right, but 22nd in a pre-preseason Top 25?

If it actually happens when the traditional preseason rankings come out in August, it’d be the first time in 40 years.

That’s right. The last time Iowa State was in a real preseason Top 25 was when coach Earle Bruce’s 1978 team opened at 20th.

That team started 4-0 after beating Rice, San Diego State, Iowa and Drake. That team lost consecutively against Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma. That team had weekly rankings of 19, 20, 17, 15, 20 and 19 before finishing 8-4 after losing against Texas A&M in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bruce coached Ohio State in 1979. Iowa State wasn’t ranked multiple times during a season again until 1981 — and after that, not until Dan McCarney’s 2002 team was in the rankings seven consecutive weeks.

I hear you. Preseason rankings, big whoop — and you’re right.

Except if you’re Iowa State.

If it happens this time, it’d be another example of upwardly trending national relevancy that started with last season’s stunning win at third-ranked Oklahoma, and continued with wins against No. 4 TCU and Top 25 Memphis for Iowa State’s first bowl victory since 2009.

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Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell pumps his fist after Iowa State scored against TCU on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register)

The Big 12 coaches’ preseason picks will come out in July — and expect Iowa State somewhere just below the middle. A probable landing spot would be behind Oklahoma, West Virginia, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Texas — and ahead of Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor and Kansas.

Too high? Too low?

If the Cyclones are rated after a challenging September schedule of, in order, South Dakota State, at Iowa, Oklahoma, Akron and at TCU, that’ll be more significant than any preseason speculation.

Until then, you can debate throughout the summer about the merits of preseason rankings, but for coaches at a school that is starting to make a national splash, it’s significant.

“It comes up in conversation as you’re talking to (recruits),” Golesh said. “But as coach Campbell always talks about, our expectation is to win Big 12 titles, and at the end of it, wherever that ranks us — that’s great.”