Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry takes on greater importance in expanded College Football Playoff era
In each method, the Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry is without doubt one of the ugliest video games in college football. Final season, the groups mixed for 12 punts and neither crossed 300 yards of offense. Iowa State had an opportunity to tie the sport final 12 months with 83 seconds left however to no avail. The 12 months prior, Iowa missed a game-tying subject aim as time expired. The final six matchups have been determined by 10 or fewer factors. Over that point interval, half had been determined by three or fewer factors.
The Cy-Hawk might be an unsightly mess, however it’s additionally emblematic of the perfect school soccer has to supply. At a time the place folks fret concerning the common season which means much less within the expanded Faculty Soccer Playoff period, Iowa vs. Iowa State — Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) — is a reminder that regular-season video games are literally extra vital than ever.
These two colleges are separated by solely 130 miles in America’s thirty first largest state. They’re applications constructed to pull their opponents to hell with dominant protection and ball-control offense. At a time when school soccer is altering quickly, the Cy-Hawk Trophy is an ideal instance of what the game must protect.
“I believe folks need to watch rivalry soccer video games and nice video games,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell mentioned. “I believe that is what this recreation has actually stood for over the check of time. I believe that is what makes this recreation actually particular. The extra you have a look at what you watch, everyone seems to be tuning into the massive video games and video games that imply so much with so much on the road.”
Iowa and Iowa State first performed in 1894, however Iowa coach Ossie Solem primarily ended the primary run of the rivalry after dodging calls to schedule the subsequent matchup. Forty years later, cooler heads prevailed and the trendy Cy-Hawk Trophy was born in 1977. Exterior of the pandemic season in 2020, these two groups have performed yearly since.
Campbell has led Iowa State to its best interval of success in program historical past. But, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has dominated the rivalry anyway. Since Campbell’s breakout second season (2017), he’s 1-6 towards Ferentz. In all different video games over that stretch, Iowa State is 50-33 with six profitable Large 12 data in seven years.
On this new period, video games just like the Cy-Hawk are considerably extra vital. The rivalry marks a marquee check for each applications, every of whom hope to compete for a CFP bid. For the primary time, the rivalry recreation may have a serious affect on the Faculty Soccer Playoff race because the winner has a good shot at competing for an at-large bid. For the loser, the trail turns into far harder … however hope remains to be alive.
Take Iowa, for instance. The Hawkeyes have just one recreation remaining towards a ranked opponent — on the street towards Ohio State. If Iowa wins all the remainder, it may arrange an 11-2 season with two losses to playoff-bound Ohio State. That is actually sufficient to get within the subject. A ten-3 season after dropping to Iowa State? That workforce will get not noted.
The stakes could also be even increased for the Large 12. If Iowa State beats an Iowa workforce that would end high 15 within the nation, it’s going to dramatically assist the convention’s chase for an at-large bid. A win over Iowa may arrange an 8-0 begin heading right into a stretch of three ranked opponents within the last 4 video games. Whether or not for Iowa State or an opponent, the credibility of beating a high Large Ten opponent is not possible to duplicate.
Exterior of a top-10 matchup in 2021, Iowa vs. Iowa State hasn’t carried nationwide implications in a protracted whereas. Iowa hasn’t gained a convention championship in 20 years or an outright crown since 1985. Iowa State hasn’t gained a convention title of any sort since 1912. The expanded Faculty Soccer Playoff means the nation has to concentrate to this recreation. Each time Iowa punter Rhys Dakin or Iowa State punter Tyler Perkins growth one other punt, the stakes develop even increased.
Maybe simply as vital, although, is that Iowa vs. Iowa State must be a incredible soccer recreation. Iowa State comes into Kinnick Stadium with certainly one of its finest groups ever after main the nation in returning manufacturing. The Cyclones have had strong receivers come by way of this system, however the mixture of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel is perhaps the perfect combo on one roster, at the least since 2017. The protection, in the meantime, stays stout with security Jeremiah Cooper — returning as an All-America candidate — main the best way.
“They have been good on protection right through they usually’ve been good on offense, too,” Ferentz mentioned. “They’ve modified subtly, however they have an identification and a system that works rather well for them. I believe that is why they have been so profitable. They run the ball, management the ball.”
Iowa is up for the problem once more, nonetheless. Linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson mix for one of many high duos within the nation. Extra importantly, freshman broad receiver Reece Vander Zee and working again Kamari Moulton helped tempo a 40-0 win over Illinois State, which ranks as the perfect efficiency by the Iowa offense — in primarily each metric — in a 12 months. Iowa State will decide instantly whether or not this enchancment was actual.
Faculty soccer is at its finest when hated rivalry video games have main stakes for the season. The Cy-Hawk Trophy stands as the primary instance of simply how a lot the expanded Faculty Soccer Playoff will supercharge that dynamic.