It has been 20 years since Iowa State finished ranked in the AP top 25. That No. 25 finish in 2000 was one of just two times in program history the Cyclones finished as a ranked team, with the other a No. 19 finish in 1976.
With that as a backdrop, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against Oregon on Jan. 2 (4 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN App) will be the final game for what will almost surely go down as the best Iowa State (8-3) team ever.
Still, it's fair to question if either team should have received an invitation in the first place.