College Football Odds – Iowa Hawkeyes at Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa Hawkeyes at Iowa State Cyclones
Saturday, September 12- 12:00 p.m.
College Football Odds: Iowa -6.5, Total 45.5
One of the biggest headlines in Week 1 of the college football season came in one of its earliest games. The Hawkeyes (at the time ranked No. 22 in the country) needed two blocked field goals at the end of regulation to hold on and beat FCS opponent Northern Iowa 17-16 (and for those of you wondering, no, Kurt Warner was not available to play for UNI. His eligibility at the school ran out in 1994).
So with the Iowa Hawkeyes holding on for dear life in Week 1, they now have to travel to play their cross-state rivals Iowa State, a team which has beaten Iowa at home the last two times these teams have played. The Cyclones won their season opener 34-17 against North Dakota State, which also doubled as coach Paul Rhoads’ first career game on the sidelines as head man in Ames.
If Iowa is looking to rebound against the Cyclones, they’ll need to be much better on both sides of the ball. While most of the Week 1 blame fell on an anemic offense which only generated 87 yards on the ground, the defense was equally responsible as well. For a unit which returned eight starters off of one of the Big 10’s best defenses last year, they were surprisingly inefficient, allowing 354 total yards, including 270 in the air.
That will need to be much better against Iowa State Cyclones, and it’s newly implemented spread offense. In their opening season win, the Cyclones looked surprisingly comfortable in their new offense, as quarterback Austen Arnaud completed 16 of 28 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns against North Dakota State. The offense as a whole rang up 442 total yards.
With all that said, Iowa should still cover the spread in this one.
Don’t put too much merit into Iowa’s opening game; this is an experienced and talented team, and a team that simply didn’t show up in Week 1. They also entered the game with uncertainty, as it was announced just days before kickoff that Jewel Hampton- the expected starter at running back- would not be available to play. Backup Adam Robinson might not have been mentally ready in Week 1, but make no mistake, he’ll be fully locked in for Saturday’s trip to Ames.
So while most of the early action seems to be going toward the home team, don’t be fooled. Iowa is going to go into Jack-Trice Stadium, and not only get a win, but cover the -6.5 spread as well.
Aaron’s Play: Iowa -6.5
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