Cy-Hawk takes the field this Saturday, with Iowa State playing Iowa in Iowa City in one of the most underrated rivalries in college football. The Cyclones have won two in a row in this series, but it will have a very different look as ISU is led by first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers, while Kirk Ferentz is in his 28th season with the Hawkeyes.
The Cyclones won their season opener 38-10 over Southeast Missouri State, while Iowa rolled Northern Illinois 40-0 in their Week 1 game. Iowa State vs. Iowa kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC from Iowa City. Here is a prediction, pick and preview of the Big 12 vs. Big Ten showdown in Week 2.
Iowa State vs. Iowa Odds
- Spread: Iowa -14
- Over/Under: 40.5
- Moneyline: Iowa -625/Iowa State +455
Odds as of Tuesday evening. Odds are subject to change.
The Biggest Question: Can Iowa State Beat Iowa at Its Own Game?
The Iowa State Cyclones have a ton of new faces under Jimmy Rogers, the first-year head coach who replaced Matt Campbell, and he will need to see if the pieces he added, at specific positions of strength, can help Iowa State pull off an upset by beating the Hawkeyes at their own game. That means a strong defense up front, and getting their running game going early and often. Jesse Bobbit is a strong defensive coordinator for the Cyclones. His Washington State defense finished 15th in the nation last season and was great against the run. The Cyclones did hold SEMO to 1.5 yards per carry on Saturday, but Iowa comes in with a strong offensive line and running game (shocker, I know). They’re 21-2 over the last four seasons (including Saturday) when getting to 150 yards or more. Can Bobbit and the ISU defense keep them under that number on Saturday? And then on their end, can the Cyclones build a dynamic running game around new quarterback Jaylen Raynor, Cameron Pettaway and Aiden Flora.
Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction and Pick
Prediction: Iowa 20, Iowa State 16
It’s Iowa vs. Iowa State. We know how this game is going to look. But this spread is just too big. Iowa is still unsure of its quarterback situation and has a very limited downfield passing game, if any at all. Iowa State will load the box and dare Iowa to beat them over the top. However, Iowa still has the size up front, and depth in the backfield (11 players had at least one carry in Week 1), that will wear down a solid and stout, but ultimately undersized defensive front for the Cyclones. There aren’t too many players among the Starting 11 who have a ton of time logged in going against big, Power 4 teams, and while I believe the Cyclones will hang tough, that will ultimately be the reason they come up just short.
