That's the only way to know, true.
I'm not about to say ISU will (or even should) dominate Iowa, based on what we've seen so far. ISU hasn't faced a team on Xavier's level yet. Iowa's win over 'Bama looks marginal at this point, but the SDSU loss I doubt would happen if it was played a month later.
I also see no reason to think ISU shouldn't be able to win in IC. If the game was played today, I would expect it —*possibly close-shaved, but I think Iowa State has its parts moving together better right now.
This, I can agree with. Is ISU better at this point? Probably. In fact, I would be concerned otherwise. ISU has a lot more experience playing this year than Iowa does.
My only beef is with the guys who think it's going to be a cakewalk in Iowa City. It's funny, these are the same guys who predict a win against Iowa in football every year. They're also the first to throw temper tantrums when the wins don't pour in like they're expected to.
Fan expectations is great. But realistic expectations keeps fans from going off the deep end, and makes the sport that much more enjoyable.
For the record, I pick this very same bone with Hawkeye fans. HR is infested with this type. The type that thinks Iowa, as a program, should be perennially disappointed with an 8-4, or 9-4 season, even though historically those would be some of the better ones.
The Hawkeye bball team is improving. Climbing back to within 8 of Xavier after being behind 22 was something we wouldn't have seen the past 3 years.
Iowa's bench scored over 32 points today. That's showing a lot of promise.