Exactly. ISU was an NCAA Tournament team last season and Auburn was a dumpster fire that didn't even get to double digits in wins. Someone will have to explain to me how this is a balanced matchup. I thought the goal for these Big 10/ACC or Big XII/SEC challenges was to make the matchups as even as possible but that apparently is not the case. Instead we get the 4th place Big XII team from last season matched up against the SEC team that finished dead last. If these games were actually scheduled properly ISU would be facing Ole Miss, Alabama, or Kentucky based off of last seasons SEC standings.
I might understand if Big 12/SEC schedule was set two seasons ago, but when was it — May? As you said, Ole Miss, Alabama (even Vanderbilt, although that team is probably middling at best this season) would make more sense (unless everyone thought ISU was going to drop completely off the map. I would take LSU or Missouri, too.
Oh well, just crush 'em and move on.