Iowa's Super Bowl is in Ames This Year

Iowa needs to win that game if they want to have a decent season. I think iowa will be able to run the ball and if the defense has improved it should be a win.
 


I have to tell you it gets a little old hearing Iowa fans talk down the rivalry aspects of the ISU game and how the Big Ten is more important, etc. This is a measuring stick game every year...for a few reasons. One, it's an emotional game (at least for ISU as Iowa fan states over and over) for the players and most fans in the state...so the atmosphere in either stadium is charged. It's good to play and get experience in that type of environment as it does prepare you for B10 play. Second, you can't be considered a good team if you can't beat ISU. I know, the 2002 team is an exception, but for god's sake, as little respect as most Iowa fans have for the Clones, if you can't actually beat them 80% of the time, well, what does that say.

Frankly, I'd love to see the boosters and the fans up in KF's arse for this very reason (losing to ISU). He should have his teams playing their best against an instate rival, and don't give me the evolution crap of we are just beginning or not yet ready to gel as a team. That argument has also gotten old. You have spring ball, summer workouts, and fall camp to get ready...if your team isn't any good by the second or third week of September, it's because you aren't doing something right...so change it. Honestly, I'd like to see us pull an SEC tactic and schedule a non conference game (Iowa State) at the end of the year. Just to break up the Big Ten season and add to making this a more focused rivalry.
 


I have to tell you it gets a little old hearing Iowa fans talk down the rivalry aspects of the ISU game and how the Big Ten is more important, etc. This is a measuring stick game every year...for a few reasons. One, it's an emotional game (at least for ISU as Iowa fan states over and over) for the players and most fans in the state...so the atmosphere in either stadium is charged. It's good to play and get experience in that type of environment as it does prepare you for B10 play. Second, you can't be considered a good team if you can't beat ISU. I know, the 2002 team is an exception, but for god's sake, as little respect as most Iowa fans have for the Clones, if you can't actually beat them 80% of the time, well, what does that say.

Frankly, I'd love to see the boosters and the fans up in KF's arse for this very reason (losing to ISU). He should have his teams playing their best against an instate rival, and don't give me the evolution crap of we are just beginning or not yet ready to gel as a team. That argument has also gotten old. You have spring ball, summer workouts, and fall camp to get ready...if your team isn't any good by the second or third week of September, it's because you aren't doing something right...so change it. Honestly, I'd like to see us pull an SEC tactic and schedule a non conference game (Iowa State) at the end of the year. Just to break up the Big Ten season and add to making this a more focused rivalry.



Is this even possible? Is it just a matter of the ADs agreeing to do it? It seems like the non-conf games are scheduled to precise dates before the conference games. How do the SEC teams do it? I suppose it also means starting conference play or having a bye week earlier in the season.
 


The SEC always has a conference game in the first two games or so. Georgia will sneak in a cupcake at the end of the schedule prior to the annual GT game. I like this personally. But it's a lot of change for the Big 10 to handle, therefore it won't happen.
 


ISU will once again go 6-7 (or slightly worse) and finish in the bottom 1/2 of their conf. Same ol.
Question is, what will Iowa do?
 


ISU will once again go 6-7 (or slightly worse) and finish in the bottom 1/2 of their conf. Same ol.
Question is, what will Iowa do?


ISU won't win 6 games this year. They lost the only solid players they had on an already bad defense. Not to mention their best team leaders. I'd compare their loss of Klein and Knott to Iowa losing guys like Angerer, Roth, or Sanders (I'm not saying Knott and Klein are as talented, I'm just saying they meant a heck of a lot to the ISU football team). At first, you think the team can move on without them, but after awhile you realize just how much they meant to the team's success. It's not only about the plays they are able to make on the field. It's about the way they demand respect from their teammates, and encourage them to go the extra mile because they see how hard they are working.

What I would give for Iowa to have a guy like Angerer back on the team. The Hawkeye defense is in desperate need of an enforcer.
 


ISU won't win 6 games this year. They lost the only solid players they had on an already bad defense. Not to mention their best team leaders. I'd compare their loss of Klein and Knott to Iowa losing guys like Angerer, Roth, or Sanders (I'm not saying Knott and Klein are as talented, I'm just saying they meant a heck of a lot to the ISU football team). At first, you think the team can move on without them, but after awhile you realize just how much they meant to the team's success. It's not only about the plays they are able to make on the field. It's about the way they demand respect from their teammates, and encourage them to go the extra mile because they see how hard they are working.

What I would give for Iowa to have a guy like Angerer back on the team. The Hawkeye defense is in desperate need of an enforcer.

Their offense is suspect at best as well. Sam Dick-son was great when matched up against a horrid Jayhawks defense but he didn't really impress too much against WVU and Tulsa in the bowl game.
 


Their offense is suspect at best as well. Sam Dick-son was great when matched up against a horrid Jayhawks defense but he didn't really impress too much against WVU and Tulsa in the bowl game.

I think he'll be ok this year. A year of experience under his belt. Trouble is, it won't matter if he's Johnny Football. Isu's defense will stop NOBODY this year.

FreedComanche
 


ISU won't win 6 games this year. They lost the only solid players they had on an already bad defense. Not to mention their best team leaders. I'd compare their loss of Klein and Knott to Iowa losing guys like Angerer, Roth, or Sanders (I'm not saying Knott and Klein are as talented, I'm just saying they meant a heck of a lot to the ISU football team). At first, you think the team can move on without them, but after awhile you realize just how much they meant to the team's success. It's not only about the plays they are able to make on the field. It's about the way they demand respect from their teammates, and encourage them to go the extra mile because they see how hard they are working.

What I would give for Iowa to have a guy like Angerer back on the team. The Hawkeye defense is in desperate need of an enforcer.

Hopefully that will be Law and Kirksey. Its too bad Bernstine couldnt have been healthy for multiple years. You get guys who want to hit like that and it gets contagious.
 


Hopefully that will be Law and Kirksey. Its too bad Bernstine couldnt have been healthy for multiple years. You get guys who want to hit like that and it gets contagious.



I hope you're right. Can't say that I'm too confident either one of them can take over that role. Kirksey, Hitchens, and Morris are all pretty solid LB's in their own right. I just haven't seen any of them really have that knack for firing their team up. They all seem like "nice guys". Which isn't a bad thing off the football field, but on the football field I'd like to see a mad man lined up back there.

I think Law could fit that role, but he has to earn a starting spot first. I certainly hope they don't give him the starting role just because he hits hard. He needs to be disciplined in pass coverage as well. If I remember right Lowdermilk came out of spring ball listed #1.
 


I know that the ISU coaches are not really high on the team at this point. They feel like they have pretty solid starters, but ZERO, and I mean ZERO depth behind them. I'm not going to say that the coaches think they will be terrible, but that they feel they have a long ways to go to get to where they need to be.

I said it last year, and have been saying it this year, ISU will struggle this year. They lost too much. I think they lose to Iowa at home, and on the road at Tulsa. I think it will be a looooooong year for ISU.
 


I know that the ISU coaches are not really high on the team at this point. They feel like they have pretty solid starters, but ZERO, and I mean ZERO depth behind them. I'm not going to say that the coaches think they will be terrible, but that they feel they have a long ways to go to get to where they need to be.

I said it last year, and have been saying it this year, ISU will struggle this year. They lost too much. I think they lose to Iowa at home, and on the road at Tulsa. I think it will be a looooooong year for ISU.

What????????? We agree on something?

FreedComanche
 


Iowa State will struggle this year and no amount of offseason puff pieces will make me feel different. Iowa State will struggle to stop the run all year.

As for the iowa game being the benchmark I think it's funny to see this getting perpetuated. A bowl is the benchmark at this point. I think we all agree that Iowa State has a limited ceiling as far as conference success goes. However 6 wins and a chance for a fun trip in the winter can be a solid goal for this program.

If the iowa game was the only benchmark Iowa State fans wouldn't have shown up for every game including the bowl like they did last year. It wasn't always this way and I will grant you that.
 


Iowa State will struggle this year and no amount of offseason puff pieces will make me feel different. Iowa State will struggle to stop the run all year.

As for the iowa game being the benchmark I think it's funny to see this getting perpetuated. A bowl is the benchmark at this point. I think we all agree that Iowa State has a limited ceiling as far as conference success goes. However 6 wins and a chance for a fun trip in the winter can be a solid goal for this program.

If the iowa game was the only benchmark Iowa State fans wouldn't have shown up for every game including the bowl like they did last year. It wasn't always this way and I will grant you that.

McCarney won 7 games or more 5 of his last 7 years, that wasn't good enough at the time. Apparently your fanbase has lowered expectations since then. I guess you have to keep adjusting your expectations in order to find new ways to make Roads look like a successful coach.
 


Iowa State will struggle this year and no amount of offseason puff pieces will make me feel different. Iowa State will struggle to stop the run all year.

As for the iowa game being the benchmark I think it's funny to see this getting perpetuated. A bowl is the benchmark at this point. I think we all agree that Iowa State has a limited ceiling as far as conference success goes. However 6 wins and a chance for a fun trip in the winter can be a solid goal for this program.

If the iowa game was the only benchmark Iowa State fans wouldn't have shown up for every game including the bowl like they did last year. It wasn't always this way and I will grant you that.

I don't know if the Iowa V ISU game is a benchmark as much as it is actually important for both teams. They both will struggle in conference, so getting another win could mean a bowl game or no bowl game.
 


It isn't a bad thing to say this game will be a bench mark for both teams. It very well could be a year where both in-state programs struggle to find wins on their schedule. This game is winnable by both teams so it makes it an important one for each program. Whoever wins will get a nice confidence boost going into the rest of their schedule.

I'm a Hawkeye fan so it probably doesn't mean much because I'm biased, and ISU always seems to find ways to give the Hawks problems. However, I think the strength and experience of Iowa's offensive line combined with a healthy RB situation will just be too much for a very weak and inexperienced ISU front seven.
 




McCarney won 7 games or more 5 of his last 7 years, that wasn't good enough at the time. Apparently your fanbase has lowered expectations since then. I guess you have to keep adjusting your expectations in order to find new ways to make Roads look like a successful coach.

Mac never made a bowl in the years we played ut/ou, and played 4 noncons every season, and the big 12 north was bad when he coached in his prime. Apples and oranges comparison.
 


Mac never made a bowl in the years we played ut/ou, and played 4 noncons every season, and the big 12 north was bad when he coached in his prime. Apples and oranges comparison.

Someone else previously made this claim and I'm calling ******** on this. ISU made bowls for three straight years 2000-2002, there's no way you missed both of those teams for 3 straight seasons. In fact, I remember ISU playing at Oklahoma in 2002, that game put a quick end to Seneca's heisman campaign.
 


Mac never made a bowl in the years we played ut/ou, and played 4 noncons every season, and the big 12 north was bad when he coached in his prime. Apples and oranges comparison.

Why is ISU fan so willing to throw Mac under the bus to stick up for a guy who has yet to accomplish what he did? It would be like Iowa fan sticking up for Alford and throwing Mr. Davis under the bus.....when one was clearly more successful than the other.
 




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