Ranking 2019 Big 12 Non-Conference Games, No. 2: Iowa State vs. Iowa
Over the coming days, we will have some fun ranking the top 10 non-conference games in the 2019 Big 12 football season. Of course, there was plenty of debate, but this list was compiled by HCS writers Pete Mundo and Derek Duke. Some we agreed on, others we didn’t, and we simply averaged out our differences to find the top 10 games in September that Big 12 fans will have a chance to start anticipating as the college football season (finally!) approaches.
Previously Ranked
No. 10: Kansas at Boston College
No. 9: Oklahoma at UCLA
No. 8: Texas Tech at Arizona
No. 7: West Virginia vs. NC State
No. 6: Oklahoma vs. Houston
No. 5: West Virginia at Missouri
No. 4: Kansas State at Mississippi State
No. 3: TCU at Purdue
No. 3: Iowa State Cyclones vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
It’s Cy-Hawk and it’s time for Matt Campbell to get over that hump and beat his in-state arch rivals. For all of Campbell’s incredible success in Ames, and there is no way any Iowa State fan who trade the past two seasons for anything, it would be the icing on the cake for Campbell to knock off the Hawkeyes in early September. Well, Campbell will have that chance again this fall at Jack Trice Stadium, in a game that could be a spot for College GameDay and also a spot for a Heartland College Sports tailgate?! (Wait and see).
Meantime, Iowa State has lost some key pieces, including David Montgomery, Hakeem Butler and Brian Peavy. Now, we get to see if true sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy is ready for the big stage without some of his best playmakers. It’s also his first game against Iowa, since he was not starting by this game last season.
For Iowa, Nate Stanley is back at quarterback, but he’s missing two studs in tight ends Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, who combined for 27 touchdown grabs. Also, Iowa returns its top three running backs and the Hawkeyes may have the top pass rusher in the Big Ten in A.J. Epenesa.
This could very well be a Top 25 game and will give us some great early-season insight into whether or not Iowa State can be a party crasher at the top of the Big 12 Conference in 2019. Will Matt Campbell get that first win against the Hawkeyes and first for Iowa State since 2014? Or will Kirk Ferentz continue his recent dominance against ISU?
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