We were in the US Navy together, NAS Lemoore, California (1985-1989), marriage still holding...

. I don't know that much about the rivalry between Iowa/Iowa State......is it that heated? Our biggest rival is of course SC, and the roots of the hatred are sometime a city vs. a country school kind of thing; is the State/Iowa rivalry similar?
Out of Stater now but ISU grad. If I get any of the following is wrong, hope to be corrected. >> Iowa State and Iowa both are AAU accredited and research schools. Iowa State is a land grant school, heavy in Engineering, Vet Medicine, Agriculture, Design, Business, Liberal arts, etc., Big 12 member. // Iowa is a Med School, Business, Law School, Liberal Arts, etc., Big 10 member.
ISU campus much prettier (IMO), segregated nicely from city and traffic. ISU students and fans of course are more intelligent and worldly. Many rabid Iowa fans we might call Wal-mart fans or Tavern Hawks and did not actually attend 'their' school (seems like a high percentage anyway). They appear intellectually challenged. There is not much love lost between the two schools when competing athletically. Iowa fans are often snooty, entitled, arrogant, boastful, insolent, superior, condescending, lacking of the social graces. Not all of them of course but JMO otherwise.
Iowa has the greater athletic budget and resources financially, but Iowa State is/was catching up (getting ready to fall behind more now due to lower media package agreements of Big 12 vs. Big 10/SEC, etc.)(I'm sure you are well aware of all this).
There might be some analogy to the smaller, more rural (Clemson/Iowa State), vs. larger, big city (South Carolina) rivalry you alluded to. Although Iowa City (Univ. of Iowa) certainly not a large city.
Hoping for a great game, and a healthy one for the athletes. If Iowa State does not play conservative and predictable (a problem this year) I'm hoping for a 34-27 I-State victory. Maybe Venables being gone now will hurt the Clemson D?
Will Venables be coaching in the game? If not who will be taking his place?