The Iowa State Cyclones’ big win over a previously undefeated Oklahoma St. Cowboys team was so huge that it ranked as a top 2 sports moment in the state of Iowa history (according to ESPN the magazine). And it just tells you that not much happens in the state of Iowa- sports wise. Other than the Hawkeyes teams of Chuck Long and Hayden Frey, and the fictional Field of Dreams, not much else comes to mind.
Yes, you sent in the ‘clones to knock Ok St out of the national title picture, but they still finished 6-7 with a less than impressive Pinstripe Bowl loss.
2011 was: see above, rather blah, pedestrian with one very exciting, unexpected moment. Don’t expect another chapter of Iowa sports history to be written in Ames this fall.
2012 will go smoothly if: Knott and Klein are as good a 1-2 punch as you’ll find at LB anywhere in the country. There’s also a lot of depth and talent at WR and RB. But who will get them the ball? The ‘Clones haven’t won a conference title since 1912, when they were still part of the Missouri Valley Conference. But they have been to a bowl three of the last four years.
2012 will be rough if: they don’t find people to step up in their D Line. Where there’s very little experience and only one starter returning. Oh and they don’t have the QB situation resolved, which is only the most important position in all of sports. This isn’t a very exciting team to read about, let alone write about. Something’s lacking here.
BMOC: RB James White, WR Josh Lenz, LBs A.J. Klein and Jake Knott
All-name team: Kurt Hammerschmidt NEIN! VERE ARE YOUR PAPERS?
Bottom Line: There are a plenty of questions on both sides of the ball, so reaching a bowl is a probably not going to happen. Especially with this schedule. The Big 12 is going to be very rough to them. They won’t be gentle, sensitive and caressing. This just seems like an unexciting 6-6 at best team, nothing more, but very likely something less.
Rankings Athlon- 75 Lindy’s- 58 Phil Steele- 66
All the 77s
#67 Southern Miss
#73 Kansas
#76 Minnesota
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, MSN, Walter Football and Yardbarker
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too