Originally Posted by rahtotheames 
Three teams I think are most "comparable" to Iowa State are Virginia, NC State, and Arizona. When I say this I mean teams in BCS conferences that usually hit around the same level as far as prestige, talent, and national interest go.
After reading the thread's title, but before reading your post, the U of Arizona was the first team that came to mind. Like
ISU they play in a state where they struggle competing for the state's top recruits with the other D1 state university. Like
ISU they'll have an occasional 6 or 7 win season and go to a mediocre bowl, but they can't seem to get over the hump. Also, both now have hired young assistant coaches from top D1 schools to try to turn the program around. Although it is taking Stoops a while to turn U of A into a consistent winner, I think he's on the right track. Last season they won 3 of their last 4 with wins against Cal and Oregon, with a sophomore quarterback. I don't think any coach is going to come into
ISU and turn things around overnight. We need to be patient with Chizik and give him at least 4 or 5 years before we judge.
