By Adam Hensley
I didn’t think we’d engage in heated football-related discussions this early in spring, but Twitter never ceases to surprise me.
A tweet from Colin Cowherd’s show popped up on my timeline earlier last week, tabbing Iowa the “Fake ID” of college football because of its nonconference schedule after the addition of Middle Tennessee State in 2019.I understand his logic, but I don’t necessarily believe that the Middle Tennessee game in a few years is the main scheduling issue.
One of Iowa’s biggest reputation-killers, a team that just agreed to extend a season series through 2023, lives about two hours away, north on I-35.
The Hawkeye program should think twice about continuation of that series, despite the recent extension. The annual Cy-Hawk football series with Iowa State, no matter the outcome, remains a lose-lose for the Hawkeyes.
There’s a great sum of money and sponsorships involved, which is arguably the biggest factor holding the series in place. The Cy-Hawk game remains one of the few sporting events to captivate the state’s full attention, and the money follows closely.
I’m not here to argue the financial aspect, because from that standpoint, the series makes sense. If Iowa State had a winning football team, the strength of schedule argument would hold up, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
A loss to Iowa State, a team whose win total adds up to 11 over the past four seasons, plants a huge red flag on Iowa’s record. Taking a loss from a top-25 team (or even a top-50 team) lessens the bruising.
The Cyclones need the series more than the Hawkeyes. The money involved, plus the chance to beat an 8- to 10-win team — I completely understand. Iowa State has everything to gain from the rivalry.
Iowa does not; the game is expendable.
Even with a win, the Hawkeyes can’t garner national respect.
Middle Tennessee State gave Cowherd another excuse to bash Iowa’s football program (one of the repeated themes of his show), but it also gives Iowa a solid nonconference opponent compared with Iowa State.
The Blue Raiders aren’t an SEC powerhouse or a high-scoring Pac-12 squad, but they’ve compiled back-to-back bowl seasons and 29 wins over the past four years.
A loss to either team would do significant damage to Iowa’s national standing, and a win wouldn’t do too much for its case, either.
But for those saying the Middle Tennessee State addition is the problem, look closer at Iowa State.
The Cyclones haven’t won more than seven games since 2000. They haven’t topped six wins since 2009 and failed to win more than three games in the past four seasons.
The Blue Raiders haven’t had a losing season since 2011 and have been to three bowl games in the past four years.
The Cyclones haven’t been to one in that same time span.
Middle Tennessee also beat Missouri last season. The Blue Raiders also took down Louisiana Tech and Memphis over the past four seasons, two power teams outside the Power 5.
Regardless of the decision, Iowa’s nonconference schedule needs work; I think we can all agree on that.
The loss at home against North Dakota State drove home a humbling point last season. Just ask Iowa State, which lost to the Bison at home in 2014.
The Hawkeyes can’t afford to play (and lose) to smaller or underperforming football programs if they want to shake the Fake ID notion.
Iowa State could very well improve over the next few years. If the Cyclones grew to a 6- to 8-win football team, I wouldn’t think twice about playing them in the nonconference.
However, there’s no guarantee Iowa State improves, and until then, this discussion remains relevant.