If we don't win by 3 TDs, i'll be shocked. This team is on a mission.
The West Virginia game is HUGE
- Thread starter AppleCornCy
- Start date
I agree about being nervous. Been a Cyclone fan too long. WV is good. But we are very good, and seem to be playing well. I think if we protect the ball and play decent special teams we win. I think it will be relatively low scoring - both teams in the 20’s.
there has never been a 2-loss playoff team, if i read Wikipedia right, and it's unlikely that ISU would be the first 2-loss team that makes it.
that being said, this would be the year, with all the crazy scheduling. and i have to think that some on the committee might enjoy having a somewhat plausible reason (conference champs on a long win streak, which would hold for OU too if they beat ISU) to shut OSU out.
I just looked back at the 1976 team. They ended up losing that last game at Okie State to finish the season 8 and 3. They beat two top ten teams that year (Mizzou and Nebraska).
They were 8 and 3 and did not receive a bowl invitation?!
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They have been close at times. In 1938 they were 7-0 (3-0 in the Big 6) going into the last two games. They tied K State on the road and then hosted #4 OU at Clyde Williams only to lose the championship in that last game finishing 2nd. Since 1912 they have been alone or tied for 2nd seven times not counting the times they just missed out on the championship game in 04 and 05.
Yeah, I know, still not good.
We were thinking Orange Bowl right after this huge win I believe (see below), and in those days you had to accept your bowl invites early or you risked missing out...
There were like 1.5 bowls back then.
They have been close at times. In 1938 they were 7-0 (3-0 in the Big 6) going into the last two games. They tied K State on the road and then hosted #4 OU at Clyde Williams only to lose the championship in that last game finishing 2nd. Since 1912 they have been alone or tied for 2nd seven times not counting the times they just missed out on the championship game in 04 and 05.
Yeah, I know, still not good.
Lets be real, the 04/05 teams took advantage of Big12 north and unbalanced schedules and would have gotten whopped in B12 CG.
Spread vs Texas might have been -28 that year in a CCG vs this year probably somewhere in the -3.5 to -6.5 OU range.
Back then if there was a tie for first place in the Big 8 regular season, the team who had not gone to the Orange Bowl most recently was chosen to go. ISU went from possibly being in the Orange Bowl to no bowl. I wonder what the melt down on CF was like around this time in 1976?
Four teams from the Big 8 went bowling:
#8 Oklahoma (5-2)
#12 Colorado (5-2)
#13 Nebraska (4-3)
#14 Okie State (5-2)
Nebraska started the season #1 so they had a head start in the national rankings over Iowa State who also finished 4-3 in conference. Somehow Nebraska managed to play 12 games before bowl season when everyone else was playing an 11 game season. Nebraska was 8-3-1 before bowl while ISU was 8-3. Nebraska had a post conference game at Hawaii on December 4th.
ISU had losses to #3 OU, #16 OSU and unranked CU (all the teams to tie for first).
Nebraska had losses to #8 OU, #17 MU and unranked ISU and tied LSU to start the season.
(All rankings at game time.)
ISU had a key win against Nebraska.
Nebraska had key wins against Colorado and Okie State.
I know you say it sarcastically, but I truly wonder how many National championships we would have to win before people stop believing that dumb line.
I'll be shocked if it doesn't come down to the last possession or two.
I think WV is being undervalued and that tends not to go very well from fans' perspective.
I watched only the WV/TCU game and the way their defense plays is what gives Purdy/Manning fits from what I can tell. Some erratic blitzing and not giving up much to the outside.
I think some of their close wins/losses are similar to ISU's vs. the same teams that could be flipped with a couple of plays here and there.
They're a talented team in year two of their coach and may have 'found it' vs. TCU. Winnable game but it's not like ISU is good enough to just have to be there to make it happen.
ISU is simply better than WVU. Better TEs, RB, QB, LBers, DL, OL. WVU is probably better at special teams and the DL thing is close, but I give the edge to ISU because they can play so many guys. Just need to stay away from stupid penalties, TOs and special team disasters and they will win this game.
As a Concorida-Nebraska student, it's always a good time for a jab at Dordt haha!
