What was the biggest game in ISU's history

[SpokaneCY]

I think Saturday's game is the biggest game we've had. VERY few people agree so my questions:

What was the biggest game.
What was the result of that game.
What impact did it have on the trajectory of our program over time.

We have had more than a few "statement" games that we've either crapped the bed, or failed to capitalize. I think Saturday could be a defining moment in the CMC era with a win. Nationally televised game. Multi-hour lead-up for that national audience. Ranked opponent and our bitter rival. We lose and we've merely lost a game. We win and large swaths of the college football public, and recruitable athletes, and national media take notice and we get lots of publicity.

 

[mctallerton]

2002 Oklahoma, 9 vs 2, destroyed 49-3, season fell apart.

 

[KCClone1]

I think Saturday's game is the biggest game we've had. VERY few people agree so my questions:

What was the biggest game.
What was the result of that game.
What impact did it have on the trajectory of our program over time.

We have had more than a few "statement" games that we've either crapped the bed, or failed to capitalize. I think Saturday could be a defining moment in the CMC era with a win. Nationally televised game. Multi-hour lead-up for that national audience. Ranked opponent and our bitter rival. We lose and we've merely lost a game. We win and large swaths of the college football public, and recruitable athletes, and national media take notice and we get lots of publicity.

The Texas game last year was much bigger. We lost, but it was for a spot in the title game.

 

[CyTwins]

I think Saturday's game is the biggest game we've had.

Lol no

 

[Gunnerclone]

Alamo Bowl last year was WAY bigger than this game. Honestly both fan bases are right when they say this game doesn’t really matter that much in the grand scheme for either program.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

We've had our share of upsets over the years that we never built off, but that win at OU a few years ago changed a lot of people's perception of the program.

 

[MartyFine]

‘76 @ Okie St for Orange Bowl bid
‘04 vs Mizzou for Big 12 North outright
‘05 @KU for Big 12 North outright
‘18 @texas given standings at time

All these were easily bigger games off the top of my head. Unfortunately all turned out the same...

 

[Jerms]

The Texas game last year was much bigger. We lost, but it was for a spot in the title game.

Curious what would be the biggest game for ISU that we won? Not counting games that were big because we won (i.e. @Oklahoma), but were games we were thinking were big games before hand and we ended up coming out with the victory.

 

[Clone9]

I agree on Texas last year. We lost but a win there would have done way more for us than this game. WVU last year went a long way as well.

That said, I'm totally fine recognizing this week's game as being very important. Not so much because it is GameDay or because it is Iowa, but because we will see if "the most anticicpated season in Iowa State football history" is legit or if the UNI game was a sign of things to come. GameDay is only here because people have expectations for Iowa State this year. This weekend will be an opportunity to see if those expectations are realistic or not. If the expectations are legit, we should beat Iowa at home.

 

[JM4CY]

‘76 @ Okie St for Orange Bowl bid
‘04 vs Mizzou for Big 12 North outright
‘05 @KU for Big 12 North outright
‘18 @texas given standings at time

All these were easily bigger games off the top of my head. Unfortunately all turned out the same...

Screw you for reminding me about those mizzou and ku games

 

[CloneFan4]

The Pinnacle: 2002 @ #2 OU / 2018 @ Texas

Win that and we reach heights never seen before by our program.

Most Meaningful Win: 2017 @ #3 OU

This is the game where you could see the dynamic of thinking change for the program, fans, players, coaches, etc. For the first time ever I truly believed we could win any game with our current head coach.

The Iowa game does not even come close to either of those games. A non-conference game doesn't have Big 12 title implications, which is the next step to hurdle for this program. We can lose to Iowa, but still accomplish this.

 

[awd4cy]

Texas game last year was the biggest of my lifetime. That goes only back to early 90s. OU 2002 was huge too though. Alamo Bowl also up there.

 

[FOREVERTRUE]

Curious what would be the biggest game for ISU that we won? Not counting games that were big because we won (i.e. @Oklahoma), but were games we were thinking were big games before hand and we ended up coming out with the victory.

I would say the TCU game 3 weeks later as it showed that the win over Oklahoma wasn't just a fluke and we were a team not to be taken lightly. I would consider that a more important game than this Saturday, but not as big an event.

 

[Go2Guy]

1972 Nebby game 23-23 tie. Missed an extra point. Nebby was 1971 National Champs.
1976 Okie St. Lost big time. If we won, we would have finished 9-2 and 5-2 B8, tied with OU. Probably would have gotten an Orange Bowl bid.
1977 Iowa. Regional ABC game - a big deal and our first ever. First game after a 34-yr hiatus from the series; I was in attendance. This Sat is as big as the '77 game.
2005 Missouri. Lost. Blew our chance to be B12 North champs.

Yes, it's a big game and it would be nice to win, for a change.

 

[80sClone]

I think this may be the biggest MEDIA game we've ever had ... but not on the field most important. Huge game for drawing the attention key recruits.

 

[CYdways432]

This is a huge game. A good showing on the field would just be the next step!

 

[Remo Gaggi]

1972 Nebby game 23-23 tie. Missed an extra point. Nebby was 1971 National Champs.
1976 Okie St. Lost big time. If we won, we would have finished 9-2 and 5-2 B8, tied with OU. Probably would have gotten an Orange Bowl bid.
1977 Iowa. Regional ABC game - a big deal and our first ever. First game after a 34-yr hiatus from the series; I was in attendance. This Sat is as big as the '77 game.
2005 Missouri. Lost. Blew our chance to be B12 North champs.

Yes, it's a big game and it would be nice to win, for a change.

That 72 game made me a lifetime fan.

 

[Go2Guy]

That 72 game made me a lifetime fan.

Is my memory correct; the missed extra pt was Tim Goedjen's only miss of his 4-yr career at ISU? talk about a nutt-cup loss.

 

[GoCubsGo]

2002 Oklahoma, 9 vs 2, destroyed 49-3, season fell apart.

This one immediately came to mind for me. Top ten ranking and a Heisman contender at QB with a chance to move to even greater heights.

The biggest game we won was probably the Insight Bowl against Pittsburgh in 2000. First bowl win, and broke a long drought in bowl appearances.

 

[aauummm]

Is my memory correct; the missed extra pt was Tim Goedjen's only miss of his 4-yr career at ISU? talk about a nutt-cup loss.

Correct. I was at that game and when we scored to tie the game, absolute bedlam broke out. Fans went nuts, the players went nuts and probably the coaches too. By rights, Majors should have called a timeout after the touchdown and calmed things down a bit and get the players focused. Then Goedjen and the holder probably wouldn't have had any problem with the extra point.