Iowa State coach Dan McCarney says he has always taken the pre-season rankings with a grain of salt and this year is no different. At the Big-12 media day in Houston, McCarney said that while his Cyclones are being touted as a contender in the North division race this year the 2004 season was proof that things don’t always go as expected.
McCarney says they were picked 90th in the country, dead last in the Big 12 and sixth in the Big 12 North.The Cyclones are coming off a victory over Miami of Ohio in the Independence Bowl and with most of the starters coming back I-S-U is getting more respect heading into this season. He says they made people look silly from where they were picked pre-season last year.
McCarney says they finished strong and were a bowl champion, but that’s last year and they have a lot of questions in the lineup for this season.
The Cyclones open the season at home against Illinois State.