Longtime Cyclone fans are in shock when we roll over SDSU handily. True freshmen get substantial playing time, and most pencil this in as the first of their “Four”.
Hawk fans throw a fit when Matt Campbell beats Kirk Ferentz comfortably. Doesn’t matter how many other games Iowa wins this season, they’ll have fits about a Kinnick loss to ISU for the next decade or so.
The college football world is shocked when Iowa State beats Oklahoma for the second year in a row. By the end of the game, it’s clear who’s in command in Jack Trice. Sooner fans put plans for a Lincoln Riley statue on the back burner.
Akron is a welcome respite from the emotional rollercoaster of the past couple weeks. Still manages to be the freshmen’s Game Two of Four.
The first serious road trip, the Cyclones go into Fort Worth and pull off a win due partly to to the loss of Blacklock, partly to Horned Frog turnovers. Max Duggan licks his chops at the prospect of starting as a true freshman.
(Easton Dean sits in front of his TV content in the knowledge that he made an even better choice)
The Cyclones go into Stillwater ranked well into the Top Ten and on a swell of emotion. The dizzying heights prove too much. The Cowboys get their revenge for 2011.
West Virginia comes to (MidAmerican Field at) Jack Trice the next week. Will Grier & Co are the real deal, but the Cyclones have a complete team, are playing at home...and are really, really ticked off.
ISU gets a bye week before Homecoming against Texas Tech. Who needs a bye week to prepare for Te—Er, I mean, ISU gets an extra week to prepare for a unnaturally tough Tech defense. The Homecoming crowd goes home happy...as do the true freshmen, Game Three of Four.
Cyclones go into Lawrence, and the biggest challenge is maintaining focus, and not being cocky. The Jayhawk grumble starts that Beaty is on the hot seat.
Back to Jack Trice for Baylor. Some folks think that the Bears may be a threat to some teams this season, and I agree. In Waco. The biggest threat in Ames is not looking ahead to Texas. Campbell has to decide whether this is Game Four for the freshmen or not.
Cyclones swing into Austin for what is a titanic battle of highly ranked teams...that the networks don’t get to squabble over. The Cyclone offense is slightly better than the Longhorn version, ISU triumphs on a late interception.
On a cold Turkey Day weekend, ISU fans celebrate the end of decades of frustration, as ISU rolls by an outmanned Wildcat squad. Some Cyclone fans filing out of Jack Trice are heard complaining about having to play OU again in the Big XII title game “because we already beat ‘em once!”
Oh, and there is much cursing going on in front of TV sets that they didn’t get season tickets this year!
