Iowa Versus Iowa State Is Now a Battle of Top 10 Teams
October 1, 1894, was the first time Iowa and Iowa State met on the football field. Iowa State was actually known as Iowa Agricultural College that day when they made the trip to Iowa City and defeated Iowa 16-8. This Saturday will be the 68th time the two schools have met and the first time ever they've both been ranked going into the game.
On Saturday, September 11, 2021, when they take to the field at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, both Iowa and Iowa State will be Associated Press Top Ten teams.
In the new AP rankings released today, Iowa State is ranked #9, down two spots from the preseason poll. Iowa State defeated the University of Northern Iowa 16-10 last Saturday in Ames.
On the strength of a dominating defensive performance in their 34-6 season-opening win over #17 Indiana, the Iowa Hawkeyes leaped eight spots in the new AP poll, to #10.
If you're a fan of either one of these teams and your adrenaline isn't already pumping, check to see if you have a pulse. As far as hype goes for an Iowa-Iowa State matchup, this year's game was already unparalleled, for obvious reasons. Today's new AP rankings pegged the hype-meter and it won't be letting up, especially with ESPN GameDay rolling into Ames for the second time. The bright lights were there two years ago for a game that no fan will soon forget... an 18-17 Iowa victory.
Sure this Saturday will be stressful for die-hard fans like me but enjoy it. We truly are in unchartered territory. I swear I can already hear the roar of 61,500 fans in Ames for what I hope will be a tremendous football game. The kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon on ABC.