Iowa is better than Iowa State this year and much like last week, we're facing a weaker opponent that we have no business losing to. If we played them 10 times, we'd beat them 9. Problem is, we're only playing them once and you never know which of those 10 games is going to happen. The 9 where you do what you're supposed to do and take out the weaker opponent -- or the other one. The one where you fumble the opening kickoff, you get flagged for being offsides on 3rd & 4, and you have a tipped pass in the end zone get intercepted. Your linebacker drops a certain pick 6 and your quarterback leaves the game in the 3rd quarter with a thumb injury. You just never know.
The reason football is the greatest game is because of the ball itself. It's shaped funny and when it hits the ground it does funny things. It's unwieldly and uncontrollable, like the sport itself. You drop a basketball and it bounces right back into your hands. You pick up a baseball and it fits perfectly in your palm. You kick a soccer ball and it goes straight as you can point. Football isn't like other games. You drop the football, or kick it, or even try to take a snap and you don't know what it will do. You just never know.
Rivalry games are funny. Doesn't matter whose name is on the back of the jersey, who's calling the plays, or what the spread is. History, pedigree, and records don't mean shit. You can run off 15 in a row but no matter what the score is, nothing comes easy in a rivalry game. The hits are harder, the crowd is louder, and the pain after a loss never hurt so badly. Once that ball is kicked off you'd be lying if you said you knew who was going to win. You just never know.
There is no way we're losing to Iowa State this year. There is no way we're losing to Iowa State this year. There is no way we're losing to Iowa State this year. We're going to pressure Brett Meyer and knock him out of the game. We'll have a great game from special teams. Albert Young will have 150 yards and 2 TD's. We'll beat them 30-10. The experts know it. The coaches know it. The fans know it. I know it.
But you just never know.