What can I say about the game this afternoon? First, Iowa State is in bowl again. At the beginning of the year looking at the
schedule I predicted our team would be 5-7.
They lost one a thought we would win and got a couple of wins that I
didn’t expect. The Big XII is a tough
conference and getting tougher. That
being said, I’ll put on my bowling shoes this afternoon, have a cocktail, and
celebrate the New Year.
On paper this one doesn’t look good for the Cyclones. Tulsa is currently ranked at #20 in power
rankings and Iowa State is ranked #58 of all the bowl teams playing. Tulsa is a different team than the club Iowa
State handled on September 1st with a 38-23 win. Tulsa has three backs with over 750
yards. I expect them to run the ball
frequently much like West Virginia.
Tulsa’s current record is 10-3 and they won their conference title. Tulsa is trending up.
Compare and contrast that with Iowa State who is 6-6 and
slid into bowl eligibility. Iowa State
has yet again a quarterback controversy.
It looks as though Richardson will get the nod and the bulk of the
snaps. But, if things don’t go well
Rhoads will certainly put in Senior Steele Jantz. Since the first game with Tulsa Iowa State
has lost linebacker Jake Knott who recorded 11 tackles in the first match up,
also the Cyclones leading rusher Shontrelle Johnson.
I hope Iowa State wins today. However, win or lose Iowa State is in a bowl
and I’m confident they will make a strong showing. I’ll leave you with a trivia question. How many division one teams have a team
nickname that doesn’t end in an S?
Tulane Green WaveNorth Texas Mean Green
Navy Midshipmen
Marshall Thundering Herd
Stanford Cardinal
Alababm Crimson Tide
NC State Wolfpack
Nevada Wolfpack
Illinois Fighting Illini Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Syracuse Orangemen
And the Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Let me know if you think of more.
