Baylor or UNI? Which team is less important to ISU?

[jdoggivjc]

Northern Iowa is obviously less important to ISU. At least Baylor is in-conference. While state rivalries are fun, in football they're not even in the same division (making the game completely irrelevant unless we lose), and in basketball the game has virtually zero impact on whether we would make the NCAA Tournament or not.

Baylor, on the other hand, is a conference foe that we play every year at least once in basketball (depending on how conference tourneys shake out) and twice every four years in football. Ws and Ls mean much more towards conference championships in all sports playing Baylor.

[tejasclone]

What I'm saying, is that I think many people are wanting to dismiss UNI simply because they aren't BCS (or whatever) in football. Should we lose to them again this year, I fully expect to see a few remarks along the "it was their superbowl". And there is a quite obvious "little brother" mentality to them as well. That I'm afraid, is plain as day.

And that feeling towards them (the BCS thing), some how and for some reason, carries over to the other sports that we play them in - perhaps play them more often in - where they are D1.

I am dismissing UNI because they simply do not matter at all to our success in the Big XII Conference, which should be our priority.

Take the 2005 football team for example. I know we did not play UNI, but we did play Illinois State, who is also in the Gateway Conference. That year, we beat Illinois State but lost to Baylor. We finished 7-4 (4-4 in the Big XII) and lost out on a chance to play in the Big XII championship. If you swap those results--let's say we lose to Illinois State but beat Baylor--then we are still 7-4, but 5-3 in the Big XII and we win the North.

As long as Baylor is in our conference, beating them will always be more important.

[Cycloin]

I think it is fair to discredit UNI's relevance to ISU "simply" because they are not even in the same division, let alone conference. Take out the names and generalize the situation. Which of team Y, Z, and n is more relevant to Team X?

Team X: plays DI, in BCS conference A, has a history of poor seasons, and splits games with Y, and Z. Once every decade they may lose to Team n. Competes for recruits with Team Y and Z.

Team Y: plays DI, in BCS conference A, has a history of poor seasons, and splits games with Team X. Competes for recruits with Team X, maybe Team Z once and a while.

Team Z: plays DI, in BCS conference B, has a recent history of average to good seasons, and splits games with Team X, never loses to team n. Competes for recruits with Team X, maybe Team Y once and a while.

Team n: plays DI-AA, has a horrible record against Team X and Y. Does not compete for recruits with Team X, Y, Z.

Thanks for the math problem, swarthmore. I came up with 54. Is that correct?

[swarthmoreCY]

Thanks for the math problem, swarthmore. I came up with 54. Is that correct?

LOL, it does appear I was trying to utilize linear algebra.

[Cycloin]

LOL, it does appear I was trying to utilize linear algebra.

In retrospect, I forgot to carry the 1. So here is the new answer: 1/58.

[egami]

New math ruined planet Earth.

[Cycloin]

New math ruined planet Earth.

Not to mention any shot at my kids thinking I am really smart past their 3rd birthdays.

[pujolsman]

UNI, we need to win conference games.

[Haverhill]

UNI, we need to win conference games.

Mythical state titles are great, but Big Twelve Conference Champs allow banners to be hung in Hilton Coliseum

[heitclone]

I could really care less about Baylor. I think its funny that Cyclone fans act like they don't care about UNI. You are just feeding in to the same theory Hawkeye fans use to downplay our rivalry with them.

[swarthmoreCY]

I could really care less about Baylor. I think its funny that Cyclone fans act like they don't care about UNI. You are just feeding in to the same theory Hawkeye fans use to downplay our rivalry with them.

So how Iowa fans think about you dictates how you perceive things? Who cares how Iowa views the rivalry, we are both in BCS conferences, recruit the same players, etc, same as with Baylor. Not the case with UNI.

[WalkingCY]

I could care less about each. But, since we play Baylor more often then UNI, I would have to say UNI is less important.

[heitclone]

So how Iowa fans think about you dictates how you perceive things? Who cares how Iowa views the rivalry, we are both in BCS conferences, recruit the same players, etc, same as with Baylor. Not the case with UNI.

Thats not exactly what I said. I meant thats how the Iowa fans justify losing to us they have a "we only care about big 10 games", I think its a cop out, and hate to see Cyclone fans display the arrogance of Hawkeye fans. In fact this whole thread reaks of that.

[CycloneErik]

Thats not exactly what I said. I meant thats how the Iowa fans justify losing to us they have a "we only care about big 10 games", I think its a cop out, and hate to see Cyclone fans display the arrogance of Hawkeye fans. In fact this whole thread reaks of that.

Yup. When UNI wins those games, we get ticked off, and show that exact arrogance you're talking about.

And then, for some reason, Panther fans like to poke at us, almost like we've been arrogant and condescending towards them for a pretty long while. Wonder why that happens?

They both matter. UNI fans are people you have to deal with, the Baylor game is important in conference. I think they're both important, and we need every win we can get.

[heitclone]

I could care less about each. But, since we play Baylor more often then UNI, I would have to say UNI is less important.

I'd say we play them both nearly an equal amount of times, we play both 1 time each year in Bball and we only play Baylor 2 out of 4 years in football which isnt too much more often than we play UNI. I looked it up and since Big 12 play started we've played Baylor 7 times and UNI 6. So its basically even.