Realignment Megathread (prior USC/UCLA to B1G)

These Pac 12 schools are rookies when it comes to realignment. On the other hand, we are seasoned veterans having lived with this crap for 15 years.

Our local Michigan state fan means well but it’s obvious he’s never been on the doomsday end of this thing.

Big 12 and former Big East fans know the reality. Pac fans are just barely learning what reality is for the first time. ACC fans start learning reality soon. Original SEC and Big Ten fans will never understand.

Under the radar connections to Iowa

The following offbeat connections exist, which I find oddly curious:

While the State of Iowa has had a few UFO/UAP sightings, it is far from a hotbed of reports. However! I have discovered what is more than a couple of connections with the topic and IOWA STATE!

I recently learned Edward Ruppelt, a United States Air Force officer probably best known for his involvement in Project Blue Book and author of the essential "The Report On Unidentified Flying Objects" book, is another Iowa State Grad!

He attended Iowa State College where, in 1951, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_J._Ruppelt

He joins this group (which to me is oddly long) with Iowa/Iowa State Connections::


James McDonald, a highly regarded Atmospheric Physicist has a PhD (1945) from Iowa State in Physics. McDonald believed UFOs were of great importance, especially after his observation of the phenomena. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._McDonald


Donald Menzel was a famous UFO debunker and taught at the University of Iowa for a short time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Howard_Menzel


Philip Klass was another major UFO debunker and was born in Des Moines and grew up in Cedar Rapids. Klass received a degree in Engineering from Iowa State. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_J._Klass


Donald Keyhoe was from Ottumwa, joined the military, and was a proponent of a Government deep-dive into studying UFOs. Keyhoe was a famous author and investigator. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Keyhoe


Brad Steiger was born in Fort Dodge. Studied at Luther College and wrote many UFO-related books. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Steiger

Williams & Blum Pod: Where does Iowa State land in the new Big 12 hierarchy?

I don't get the point, if you don't make the playoff it doesn't matter? It most certainly matters if we an 3 games or 7. 3 wins for several years and everyone gets canned. 7 wins and we all feel like we are in the brink of the playoffs.
I've run the numbers on this in the past. Every single team who's finished in the top 16 has won 9 or more games outside of 2 teams. West Virginia in 2018, who had a game canceled due to weather, and Auburn in 2016 who had a really rough schedule. A number of 9-3 teams missed the cut. 2-3 wins in college football context is a ton of wins. And that's with an uncertain schedule and a need to see what other teams are doing too.

I feel like saying using a 7-5 and Liberty Bowl appearance as a talking point for a big season the next year is similar to someone hyping up their NIT bid. Sure, it's better than nothing. But it's value really won't be much of anything in the long term when so many other programs got something significantly better.

Away game roll call

Deadline to order thru ISU is tomorrow for season ticket holders, get those requests in and don't chance the secondary market! We did that for TTU two years ago and got stuck in a corner (same side, other end from where the students got relocated to...) Drunks trying to pick fights w/ me all game, and my kids were sitting right next to me. Won't be going back to Lubbock anytime soon, and my wife's masters is from there.

For 2023, we're going to BYU and UC. New opponents in conference, gotta get those stadiums visited quick! I still need to get to Waco, Ft. Worth, and Morgantown to complete the quest to go to all B12 stadiums. We did get OU and TX the couple years, and of old B12 we went to kNU a few times.

Williams & Blum Pod: Where does Iowa State land in the new Big 12 hierarchy?

I think the point in all of this is that there is going to be a vacuum with the departure of OU with no real bully that is a dominant program in the conference. I am not going to throw UT in this mix as they consistently win the award for doing less with more and haven’t really been a factor in football for over a decade - although their conference series records since joining the Big 12 are decidedly in their favor - found it surprising that they hold the overall record over OU prior to joining the conference (their historical records against their future SEC foes are respectable as well - which further illustrates the head scratcher that is UT football). I guess top talent and a bottomless pit of resources can only get you so far……..

With no clear cut dominant program there is an opportunity for ISU to fill part of that void, raise the ceiling, and elevate the program.

I also see a conference where the potential for increased parity exists which would make for some exciting conference races, especially if we were in the mix from time to time.

Basketball on the other hand…….woof. If we can hold a middle of the pack standing, that should get us into the tournament most years with a solid seed. Then it is about matchups and seeing if you can get hot, go on a run, catch a break, and see what happens.
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*** Cyclone Fanatic Sitcom Tournament: Round of 64 ***

A few facts from the first round.

First 2 regions amassed 1,614 votes for avg of 100 votes per matchup

and despite being hidden on page 5 the other 2 amassed 1,230 votes for avg of 76 per region.

Speaking for the committee we are blown away by the participation. But then again nothing should surprise me about the amazing people we have here at CF.
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