Nails

They didn't finish the job against the Wildcats, but I will follow a Cyclone team that gives their opponent everything they want. That's all I ask- be the team nobody wants to play.

And now we get to play Rutgers in Yankee Stadium. A Rutgers team that got crushed by the UCONN club that ISU beat back in September. Sure beats Shreveport.

This is Iowa State's chance not to just win, but to make a statement.

Woulda, Coulda

Naturally, UCONN thinks they should have won. And they are right. Not having one QB they can depend on did them in- and QB play is why ISU won.

Moxie Again

It's hard not to admire the grit of this Cyclone football team. It seems that no amount of horrible play will knock them down emotionally. In a typical year, ISU would have found themselves down 28-7 in the first quarter and would have coasted to a routine 42-14 loss. Instead they salvaged a 10-7 halftime deficit, then muscled the game away from UCONN in the second half. It takes deep courage to fight yourself off the edge of the cliff. Now 3-0, ISU has played a tougher schedule than everyone in the league save OU and has jumped 32 spots in the Sagarin rankings (from 75 to 43). KU and KSU are now in the "should win" category, and wins against Mizzou, Tech and Baylor all plausible. Lots of opportunity ahead. This last spin through the B12 schedule could be very interesting- at this point I'm not putting anything past our Cyclones. Playing more games against UCONN seems like our best remaining option.

Fighting Instinct

Jaded Cyclone fans assume that UCONN will steamroll their team tonight, as the solid football play is left in the central time zone. I'm going with the moxie I saw in both their games this year- enough mistakes were made against both UNI and Iowa to have earned losses, yet the team found ways top win. Normal Cyclone teams would have lost, often in shiv-twisting ways. (Missed FG as time expires? Amateur. Try missing a tying Extra Point in the closing minutes.) Somehow, some way our Clonies find themselves at 3-0. Crazy.

Zero

UCONN managed to almost beat Vandy on the road despite not scoring an offensive TD. That's doing it the hard way. Granted, they turned a blocked punt and a fumble into scores, but that's not exactly how the coaches drew up the game plan. UCONN's offensive possessions yielded only three drives of over 30 yards: 30, 36 and 72 yards, for a combined total of only 3 points. If the Cyclone defense can maintain those struggles, ISU should be in good shape.

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.