Season

First off, longtime readers know I try to keep my sports expectations, especially in football, reasonable. When you have the smallest budget in your league you can't expect a whole lot.

So based on who Iowa State should beat based on budget, we're looking at 2-10. Only UConn and UNI spend less than our Clonies. (And UConn is certainly within a few cases of athletic tape of ISU- a good accountant could make either school the pauper.)

My annual over/under for football is a modest 4-8, so anything above that is big-time gravy. Beating a school with a larger budget is a double bonus.

With that, my guess at the wins for the year:

UNI
SUI
UConn
Tech
Kansas
KSU

A win in the Pinstipe Bowl over Cincinnati to finish at 7-6.

For entertainment purposes only.

Diss

So Adrian Clayborn, former Iowa DL, dissed Iowa State on Twitter:

@AJaClay That Pitt game should be a good one! All the others will be cake! I mean we are the only university in the state!

The snarky fan would ask if that was the same Clayborn who was seen on the sidelines gasping for air in the fourth quarter as his defense gave up two TD's in a loss to Northwestern, but we aren't that clever.

But part of me says, fine, he never lost to Iowa State, so why shouldn't he make fun of the Cyclones? It's not like he needed to play in the fourth quarter of those games, so congrats! He has scoreboard.

Snarky fan asks if it's the same scoreboard Northwestern has over Iowa.

The only way to earn the respect of opponents is to start beating people. Dumping Iowa would be a good start.

Best Take of a Bad Trophy

Deadspin, of course.

Loser gets stuck with it, right?

Expectations

This isn't the way to keep expectations at a reasonable level.

Wishes

I'm a simple fan, and long time readers know that I have low expectations for ISU athletics. It's all about the dollars, and the smallest budget in a league can't be expected to challenge the big boys each and every year.

But here are my simple hopes for ISU football this fall:

1. Stop getting rolled. There were three games last year we all knew were essentially over at halftime, and at least the Utah game was entertaining for a quarter. Good programs don't multiple games by 20+, let alone 40+.

2. To achieve #1, the offense has to stop putting the defense in lousy situations. Make the other team earn their points by going 65+ yards each drive, not 40.

3. Somehow, some way, get a bowl bid. That will keep the program moving forward in everyone's eyes, and perceptions are reality.

4. Beat SUI. They are going to dump the ISU series the first chance they get- like when the Big Ten goes to a nine game conference schedule- so gets your licks in now while you can. It won't be around forever.

That's all. Now get busy.

Odd School Out

We Cyclones should do our best to become tight friends with Kansas State and Baylor, because when the next big shakeup comes ISU, KSU and BU are going to be without a chair when the music stops.

Follow this link to a proposed 16-team based SuperConference structure, then scroll down for a peek at who ISU will have to pick up scraps with. Roadies to East Carolina and Central Florida, anyone?