Iowa Football: 3 reasons the Hawkeyes will upset Iowa State in Week 2

One of the more underrated rivalries in college football is the annual battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy between Iowa State and Iowa football. Because of the pandemic, these two rivals did not get to play last season and that is a shame because it would have been a great game.

Not only are we getting the first-ever game where these two teams are meeting while both ranked, but they are also both ranked in the top 10 of the latest AP Top 25. This is going to be a high-stakes game and the winner can emerge as a potential playoff contender.

Both teams are coming off of very different performances in their first game last week. Iowa State hung on to beat FCS opponent Northern Iowa 16-10 and they looked very sluggish the entire game. Iowa on the other hand had one of the most impressive outings in Week 1 by routing No. 17 Indiana 34-6.

Matt Campbell has done a very impressive job in turning around the Iowa State football program. This was considered one of the hardest jobs in the country and entering his sixth season in Ames, he has the Cyclones poised for what might be the best season in school history with the most talented roster in school history. One thing that Campbell has not been able to do is to beat Iowa. Now would be the perfect time for a breakthrough.

Iowa has dominated this series and it’s hoping that another win over a ranked opponent to start the season will get them the respect they feel they deserve. Iowa played like one of the best teams in the country over the final stretch of the season in 2020 and the Hawkeyes look like they have carried the momentum into this game.

I expect this to be a close game but the Hawkeyes will get the upset in Ames. Here are three reasons that I think Iowa will upset Iowa State.