Iowa State Now 3-0

A Jack Trice Stadium crowd of 55,783 — the fourth-largest in school history — came alive as the Cyclones scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and then cruised past Western Illinois 37-3.
Iowa State now stands 3-0 as the Big XII season gets underway.

Western Illinois never advanced beyond Iowa State’s 44-yard line in the first half and finished with an average of 2.7 yards per rush and a total of 75 passing yards.

The Cyclones have a week off before hosting Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener Sept. 29.

Iowa State Hosts Oklahoma State on Friday Night Football

One team is playing for history, the other is playing for a spot in a minor bowl game and to not be embarrassed in a nationally televised football game.

It's Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State on ESPN Friday Night football.

"It doesn't even have to be said," Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden stated. "At this point, with where we're at, I don't think anything has to be said. Four years ago, guys might have needed a little pep talk. Guys might have been a little tight. This team won't get tight."

For the Cowboys, ranked No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, a meeting with Iowa State has never been this meaningful. With a win in Friday's contest at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Oklahoma State would be 11-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big 12.

"Any time you play a team this good, you get excited," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said. "We are playing against a team competing for a national title."

The Cowboys don't again until Dec. 3, when OU visits Stillwater for a prime-time, nationally televised spectacle at Boone Pickens Stadium. But first, OSU encounters an Iowa State team (5-4 overall, 2-4 in the conference) in a game that most say will be one-sided.

"They play hard. They are in the right spot," Gundy said of the Cyclones. "They are well-coached and they play hard. Like any other game, we ask our players to respect everybody we play and prepare and go play with great effort."

One week after stifling Texas Tech's passing offense, the OSU defense competes against a Cyclone team that rushes for 183 yards per game and 4.3 per attempt.

The line tonight is Iowa St. getting 27 points at home.  In Ames, Iowa the weather will be cool (temps in 40s) and windy.  I guess anything could happen, but I like those 27 points.

Iowa State Releases 2011 Football Schedule

It may be a new conference, but the Big XII just got tougher for the remaining teams from what was once known as the Big XII North.

My team, Iowa State released their 2011 schedule today and with 9 conference games now it is tough.  At least we don't have to play Oklahoma and Texas on the road every other year.

Texas is played early on, and Oklahoma is played in November.  Maybe we can have some nice cold and windy November weather to welcome the Sooners to Ames.  It has also been known to snow that time of the year.

I for one am looking forward to the new Big XII, if that is what they are going to continue to call it.

Here's the schedule:

Sept. 3 - Northern Iowa
Sept. 10 – Iowa
Sept. 17 -@ UCONN
Oct. 1 - Texas
Oct. 8 - @ Baylor
Oct. 15 – @ Missouri
Oct. 22 - Texas A&M (Homecoming)
Oct. 29 - @ Texas Tech
Nov. 5 – Kansas
Nov. 12 - @ Oklahoma
Nov. 19 – Oklahoma State
Nov. 26 - @ Kansas State