Harty: Iowa State needs to improve, but should always be on Iowa’s schedule
IOWA CITY, Iowa – It seems everywhere I go now, I hear the same thing about the Iowa-Iowa State football rivalry.
From the neighborhood grocery store to pumping gas to the premium message board on this website, the thinking is all the same:
Iowa should stop playing Iowa State in football, because quite frankly, the Cyclones aren’t worthy of sharing the stage with the Hawkeyes. It means something when Iowa State defeats Iowa in football, but means nothing when Iowa defeats Iowa State because more times than not the Cyclones are bad.
I don’t share that opinion for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that it comes off as being sort of arrogant.
But I respect, and even admire Iowa fans for thinking so highly of their beloved football program because it is something of which to be proud.
Right now, Iowa State could only hope to become what Iowa is today as a borderline top-25 football program. The Cyclones have had their moments over the past four decades, many at Iowa’s expense, but those moments have been few and far between and don’t include a conference championship.
Dan McCarney had things rolling in Ames about 15 years ago. But he couldn’t sustain it and ultimately was let go after the 2006 season.
So I get it, Iowa State leaves much to be desired as a football program. You could argue that being a member of a power five conference is Iowa State’s only claim to legitimacy.
I also will reluctantly dismiss my theory that Iowa’s 8-10 record against the Cyclones since 1998 as being the real reason some fans want the series to end.
The posters on our premium board are adamant that isn’t the case. So I choose to believe them.
But with all that being said, I still believe strongly that Iowa and Iowa State should play each other on an annual basis in football.
The rivalry needs a shot of adrenaline because sometimes the game doesn’t match the hype. That’s why I suggested recently in another column that Iowa and Iowa State should play in the first college game of the season, sort of an annual kickoff classic that would be held on a Thursday night and two days before the season hits full swing.
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to play your intrastate rival from a different power five conference who often rises to the occasion in this game as an underdog.
The state of Iowa doesn’t have much in terms of population. But on the other hand, it has two major college football programs that are in different power five conferences.
I would choose to celebrate that once a year than ignore it because a lot of states can’t make that same claim.
It would make more sense to dismiss Iowa State if the rivalry were one-sided like it was during most of the 1980s and 1990s under former Iowa coach Hayden Fry. Many of those games were a foregone conclusion, considering Iowa outscored Iowa State 258-50 during five consecutive victories from 1983 to 1987.
The rivalry was a joke back then, whereas now it’s highly competitive.
A victory on Saturday would improve Kirk Ferentz’s record to 9-9 against Iowa State. You can’t get more competitive than that.
One thing I keep hearing is that Iowa plays for conference titles, bowl games and for the national playoff, while Iowa State only plays for pride and stands in the way of progress.
Not only is that a little harsh, it’s not entirely true because Iowa would’ve made the playoff last season if it had defeated Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game. But there wouldn’t have been playoff consideration if Iowa had lost to any opponent on the 2015 schedule.
Iowa is pretty much one-and-done when it comes to having a chance to make the four-team playoff, with or without Iowa State on the schedule. Lose once and the Hawkeyes under most circumstances would fall from playoff consideration, even if the loss were to Alabama.
The only way I would even consider dropping Iowa State from the schedule would be if Iowa planned to fill that slot with respectable opponents from power five conferences.
In other words, don’t replace Iowa State with teams like Kansas, Colorado or Syracuse because what would that accomplish?
The problem with scheduling good opponents, though, is more risk of losing. Iowa would be better off in the long run with a victory over Iowa State than a loss to a better opponent.
The best way to end this debate would be for Iowa State to improve and gain more national respect and credibility.
Should that happen, a victory over the Cyclones would mean something to Iowa fans and to the national media.
But I can’t imagine that deep down many Iowa fans want the Cyclones to get better.