First off were you in Ames that season?
I am just asking because that was my Freshmen Year and I remember it pretty well, especially because of that.
Here's what I will say: our #9 ranking was artificial.
It was based on this:
- Losing to the #3 team by 1 TD (but Seneca was really in). In hindsight, FSU wasn't all that great and finished the year 9-5
- Beating Kansas (they sucked back then), Tennessee Tech, and Iowa (Iowa ended up being good and it was a hell of a game, except to Hawks fans).
- After being 3-1, we were #21
- We then beat Troy to move up to #19
- We also beat an overrated Nebraska team who was ranked #20 at the time (they ended up being 7-7). We moved up to #11, because of the perception of beating a traditional power like Nebraska
- We beat a Texas Tech team that sucked at home also, and moved up to #9
- At this point now, we're 6-1. We lost at a neutral site (but it was pro ISU there, very much so), won 1 game on the road (Iowa) and won 5 home games, 3 of which were in a row.
- Then we go on the road. We're the #9 team and we lose to the #2 team 49-3. We drop to #17 and Seneca Heisman talks are basically over
- We then lost a close game to Texas on the Road, and moved to #22
- We barley beat an unranked Missouri team (that ended up being 5-7 that year)
- We get blown out @ K State, lose @ Colorado, and home against UConn.
- We then go to Boise and Lose to #18 Boise State
IMO, be benefited by playing some perceived good teams, and by having 5 of our first 7 games at home, 1 on the road. If you look back, you see that we had a weak schedule at the beginning and a harder schedule at the end.
Can you tell me off the top of your head which team was ranked #9 last year during mid-October? Probably not, because it doesn't matter. IMO, we maybe played stretches like we were a top 25 team, but when you finish 7-5, you aren't as good as you thought you were.