2022 WRNL Digital Game Program III: Iowa State vs. Ohio
Can the Cyclones make it to 3-0 heading into Big 12 play?
Betting the Big 12: Week 3
After a great week and a bad week, let’s see about finding some middle ground.
College football might not get another year like 2007, where everyone from Boston College, South Florida, and Kansas(???) spent time ranked in the top 5, but if that model was going to be followed, wouldn’t it look a lot like what we’ve seen through the first 2 weeks of the season? Kansas is 2-0. Appalachian State pulled another road upset against a perpetually overrated team. Notre Dame is 0-2. Heck, even Iowa State won the CyHawk game that year with almost no offensive output. Alabama isn’t going 7-6 this year with a loss to a Sun Belt school, but perhaps they’re a little more vulnerable than we thought? Could a school like BYU go on the road and beat Oregon this weekend to set up for an undefeated run and push for a playoff bid? It’s nice to feel like there are possibilities for once.
If we’re going to have an unpredictable season, there will be gambling land mines around every turn. Last Saturday was a nice little reminder. The column took some hits in the CyHawk game and Kansas inexplicably winning a conference road game. This weekend feels eerily similar. Week 1 was a roaring success, and Week 2 was a step backwards. The Week 3 slate doesn’t seem great, but those are the days that bring the most excitement. Let’s tread carefully with our bets and try and find some consistency.
THE GAMES
#6 Oklahoma (2-0) at Nebraska (1-1)
Kickoff: 11:00am | TV: FOX | The Line: Oklahoma -11
Nebraska made this one easy for us. We get to hop onto one of the most reliable gambling trends out there. It’s the fired coach bounce! Let’s see what we’re working with on the interim...
Perfect. Old school rah rah guy. Nebby will be happy to have Scott Frost gone and rally behind Mickey Joseph for at least 1 week.
Pick: Nebraska +11
Texas State (1-1) at #17 Baylor (1-1)
Kickoff: 11:00am | TV: FS1 | The Line: Baylor -30
This is an interesting spot for Baylor after an emotional loss. My head says Texas State is no good, even though the Sun Belt is dangerous. Take Baylor in a “get right” spot.
Pick: Baylor -30
Towson (2-0) at West Virginia (0-2)
Kickoff: 12:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: West Virginia -39
I know it’s an FBS vs. FCS game but West Virginia hasn’t shown enough defensively to win a game by 40 points.
Pick: Towson +39
Ohio (1-1) at Iowa State (2-0)
Kickoff: 1:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: Iowa State -18.5
Call this a pessimistic view. Emotional letdown spot after an enormous rivalry win with an early afternoon start against a MAC school with a bunch of players beat up. The vibes aren’t great. Iowa State wins but it’s closer than expected.
Pick: Ohio +18.5
Tulane (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0)
Kickoff: 2:00pm | TV: ESPN+ | The Line: Kansas State -14.5
Iowa State fans might have to accept the fact that Kansas State is good. This is Tulane’s first step up in weight class after a 2-0 start against UMass and Alcorn State. Kansas State can run the ball and completely shut down Missouri last weekend. This should be another comfortable victory.
Pick: Kansas State -14.5
Kansas (2-0) at Houston (1-1)
Kickoff: 3:00pm | TV: ESPNU | The Line: Houston -8.5
Kudos to Kansas. I see the Jayhawks catching a bunch of the sympathy that Iowa State did 5 years ago for getting better at football. With that said, Houston is mad about blowing the Tech game. Kansas can’t really keep doing this, right???? If they pull this one off, we’ll officially start worrying about the Cyclones trip to Lawrence in October.
Pick: Houston -8.5
Texas Tech (2-0) at #16 NC State (2-0)
Kickoff: 6:00pm | TV: ESPN2 | The Line: NC State -10
Call it a hunch but Texas Tech is above average and NC State is still a little bit overrated.
Pick: Texas Tech +10
UTSA (1-1) at #21 Texas (1-1)
Kickoff: 7:00pm | TV: LHN | The Line: Texas -12.5
This is a very dangerous spot for the Horns Down gang. They’ve spent more time complaining about the officials and injuries. UTSA is no joke. Texas has questionable QB health at best and the Roadrunners can score to keep up with anyone. Meep meep.
Pick: UTSA +12.5
BEST BET AROUND THE COUNTRY
Nevada +23 at Iowa
I mean, it has to be, right? Iowa has scored 14 points through 2 games. This is a good spot for them, but what is a good offensive day? Can they get to 24 points?
NFL PICK OF THE WEEKEND
Ravens -3.5 vs Dolphins
I just have a good feeling about the Ravens this year. Starting QB is in a betting on himself in a contract year. Last time that happened? 2012 when Joe Flacco lead them to the Super Bowl.
PROP OF THE WEEK FOR WEST VIRGINIA FANS
Next West Virginia Head Football Coach?
Tom Herman +200
Jamey Chadwell +250
Shawn Clark +500
Rich Rodriguez +1000
Scott Frost +5000
Season record: 12-9-1 (+2.1 units)
Players to Watch: Ohio
MAC-tion
By dylanpaul
Iowa State
Offense X gon’ give it to ya. The only Cyclone touchdown in Iowa City came at the hands of Xavier Hutchinson, and a few feet above Riley Moss that tripped over the goal line to give up the go-ahead score. Hutch also had a beauty of a catch near the end of the first half where Dekkers threw back-to-back dimes in a passing display that the Hawkeye faithful aren’t likely to see anytime soon in Kinnick.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again Hutchinson is the best thing that could happen for Dekkers. Having that much trust in a receiver as a first-year quarter back is a huge deal. Also, Ohio’s pass defense is abysmal. Giving up 350 yards on average in their first two games, I expect it’ll be an active day for the Dekkers-Hutchinson connection.
Defense Colby Reeder, the transfer from Delaware, was all over the field last week. It was good enough to get him Big 12 Newcomer of the week. He only had 4 tackles but a huge interception that set the Iowa State offense up in the redzone. You watched the game, that turnover did not turn into points, but it was a huge momentum shift. I expect big things from number 4 going forward.
Ohio
Offense Kurtis “with a K” Rourke might be the best QB the Cyclones have seen so far. He has 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions on the season and a career ratio of 18-7. With a better than average 64% completion rate to boot. Ohio played Penn State in a blowout loss last week, but Rourke’s numbers didn’t really take a hit. We’ll see what he can do Saturday.
Defense or lack thereof, as alluded to Ohio has a real hard time stopping the pass.
I think if Iowa played Ohio the world would just buckle in on itself and explode. It’s like the stoppable force against the movable object, a nightmare game that I would love to watch as a bowl game in a few months. Jokes aside, I think Iowa State has a DAY passing the rock. I hope we open up that playbook and start throwing some bombs often and early. Let’s really see what this Dekkers arm is made out of.
2022 Tailgate Preview II: Ohio
Post-CyHawk win tailgates rule.
By Meg A. Tron
Don’t look now, but your Iowa State Cyclones are coming into the second home game of the season undefeated for the first time in the Matt Campbell era (and probably even longer than that, but looking at records pre-Matt Campbell is a real bummer). 2-0 looks mighty good on our favorite team, so let’s celebrate and cheer them on to 3-0!
Weather - Uh...maybe fine?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, so everything looks just great for Saturday! At least you won’t get a sunburn this time, right? Soggy conditions didn’t seem to dampen the Cyclone efforts last weekend, so don’t let it spoil your fun. Pack a raincoat just in case and hope for the best.
Football - Bacon Cheeseburger Skewers
What’s better at a tailgate than handheld food you can pop into your mouth utensil-free? These bacon cheeseburger skewers are so, SO cute and easy to put together. They’re also completely customizable - I’ll take mine with pickle and mustard, please.
Drink - Tailgate Tea
There’s something about throwing together some booze, juice, and fresh fruit to serve up to a crowd that just screams “tailgate” to me. This Tailgate Tea checks all those boxes and could also be made the night before, leaving more time for putting together little bacon cheeseburger skewers while refreshing Twitter to see if the uniform combination has been announced yet.
Game - Beer Pong
Surely you know how to play this, right? Well, if you look at the “official” rules, you may learn something new. Take it or leave it. I laughed out loud at the “Deciding Who Goes First” section and stopped reading when I got to “Fingering/Blowing”. If the people you’re playing with yell about rules and insist the way they play is the right way, pour yourself a cup of Tailgate Tea and go find a different tailgate. You don’t need to put up with that insufferable behavior.
Song - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Really? Another bridge song? You’re goddamn right another bridge song.
Enjoy.
2022 Game Preview III: Ohio
Can Iowa State avoid the hangover?
By Matthias Schwartzkopf@MatthiasWRNL
Iowa State (2-0, 0-0) at Ohio (1-1, 0-0)
Date: September 17th
Time: 1 P.M
Place: Jack Trice Stadium
Capacity: 61,500
Line: ISU (-18)
TV: ESPN+
When we last left off...
Well, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. The 69th(nice) Cy-Hawk game was an absolute shit show. It was fueled by turnovers, sloppy play, and some rain. It had the makings of “burn the tape and move on”. Nonetheless, Iowa State was finally able to snap its skid in the series and come away with a 10-7 victory in Iowa City.
Iowa State was able to put up 313 yards on the Iowa defense but two costly red zone turnovers kept them from making a bigger splash in this game. Hunter Dekkers threw for 184 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Xavier Hutchinson was a man once again. The Cyclone star hauled in 11 receptions for 98 yards and the game-winning touchdown against Riley Moss.
One of the notable bright spots was the rushing attack. Before Iowa State basically tried killing the clock, Jirehl Brock was averaging 5.2 yards per carry against a stout Iowa front. He ended the day rushing for 100 yards and hauled in 5 receptions on the afternoon.
The Iowa State defense did its thing all afternoon once again. After giving up an early touchdown on a short field to start the game, Iowa didn’t seemingly pass the 50-yard line until the last drive of the game. Things that plagued the Cyclone defense a week ago, were cleaned up and as a unit, they were disruptive and finally forced some of those illusive Cy-Hawk series turnovers.
Ohio Tidbits
The Ohio Bobcats are 1-1 on the season. They took on Florida Atlantic in their first game, winning 41-38. Last weekend they took the trip to Penn State and things didn’t go as well there. The Nittany Lions took them to school pounding Ohio 46-10.
Tim Albin is entering his second season as the Ohio headman. He took over for Frank Solich, who stepped down for health reasons. Solich coached Ohio for 16 seasons and prior to that, he was at Nebraska. Albin has been part of the Ohio program since 2005 when he joined the staff as an offensive coordinator. This is his 18th season in Athens.
The Series
Iowa State leads the all-time series 7-0 over Ohio. The last time these two teams faced off was in 2003, Dan McCarney was still leading the Cyclones. Austin Flynn threw for two touchdowns and had 330 yards in total offense, while Michael Wagner rushed for 115yards and two scores as Iowa State beat Ohio 48-20.
Iowa State Offense
While the offense didn’t put up the fireworks that some may have wanted. The Iowa defense may be the best defense that Iowa State will face all season long. While the scoreboard and the box score weren’t the sexiest there were a few things that Iowa State could take away from this game and some things that they could work on.
First, the run game took a big step forward against Iowa. Typically you see Iowa State struggling to run the ball against the Iowa defensive front. The Cyclone offensive line showed some major improvement from the Southeast Missouri game. Iowa State held its own and was able to open up some big holes to allow Jirehl Brock to run freely. Before the rain came down hard and Iowa State virtually didn’t push the envelope, Brock was able to hit 5.2 yards per carry. Which says a lot about the blocking against a stout Hawkeye front.
First Key To The Game - Get A Rhythm
Iowa State needs to find itself back in rhythm after a sloppy and just survive type of game last Saturday. It will go a long way to get them ready for the Big 12 slate.
Ohio Defense
Ohio may have one of the worst defenses in the entire country. The Bobcats are the 128th overall defense. They are the 199th passing efficiency defense, tied for 127th in passing touchdowns allowed and 130th in passing yards allowed. As for the run game, Ohio is a bit better in that department. They are the 98th ranked rushing defense in the NCAA. They give up over 5 yards per rush and 167 yards per game on the ground.
Saturday in their trip to Penn State the Bobcats were gashed all over the field. They allowed 338 yards passing and 234 yards on the ground. In their first game against Florida Atlantic, things were not much different as the Owls threw for over 350 yards. Ohio ultimately won the game but the defense came away licking their wounds.
Ben Johnson is the man on the Ohio defense. He is the Bobcats leading tackler and plays all over the field from the safety position. This is a team that doesn’t really take the ball away just yet so no one really has stood out defensively as much as Johnson has. With that said I don’t think he is a scheme-around type player for Ohio.
The Verdict - Iowa State
Iowa State should be able to have their way offensively in this one. The Bobcats just don’t have the horses to compete with the Iowa State offense. Barring any sort of major hangover from Iowa City, Hunter Dekkers should have a decent day through the air. I expect to see the run game develop a bit more and build off their outing against Iowa.
Iowa State Defense
Last weekend the Cyclone defense held Iowa to 150 total yards and forced three turnovers. The lone score against the Cyclones was early on in the game when Iowa had a short field after a blocked punt. Granted, you may not be able to take much away from this game defensively for Iowa State because the struggles from Iowa are far greater than anyone can imagine.
What you can take away is a ton of guys are stepping up into their roles that had a lot of question marks going into this game. T.J. Tampa, Colby Reeder, and Myles Purchase all had solid afternoons and looked comfortable with what this staff is asking them to do. Now the pressure starts to build as Ohio has a bit more offensive firepower and Baylor waiting in a week.
Second Key To Victory - Avoid Mistakes
The Cyclone defense may be without a few key players as some guys were dinged up, we should know more as the game draws closer. With that said, we are probably going to see a few moving parts and that can lead to mistakes that can keep a team like Ohio in a ballgame. Iowa State has to play with good fundamentals and keep Ohio from building any sort of momentum in this game.
Ohio Offense
The Bobcat offense is sitting middle of the road nationally. They certainly have moved the ball and scored more points than Iowa, which should give Iowa State a decent warm-up test (or at least better than Iowa) before Baylor next week.
On the season they are averaging 25.5 points per game, with a bulk of those points being scored against Florida Atlantic. They are averaging 5.2 yards per play, 3.7 yards per rush, and 6.9 yards per pass. All of those stats are middle-tier nationally as already mentioned.
The Bobcats are lead by a Canadian gunslingger, Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio quarterback has thrown for 464 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Last week against Penn State Rourke was held in check passing for 119 yards and no scores on the afternoon. He does possess the ability to get out of the pocket and use his legs to get out of trouble. Something the Cyclone defenders had an issue with against Southeast Missouri State.
The Bobcats will also look to utilize freshman running back Sieh Bangura. He put up the only touchdown against Penn State last weekend but he was able to rush for over 100 yards against Florida Atlantic two weeks ago. Someone Iowa State will need to bottle up to avoid any issues there.
The Verdict - Iowa State
While I think this Ohio offense will move the ball better than Iowa did a week ago. The Cyclones still are far more talented compared to the Ohio offense. Iowa State will really need to get home with their pass rush and not allow Kurtis Rourke to get comfortable and in rhythm. Ohio will have to make this game a shootout to keep with the deficiencies their defense has and I am not sure they will be able to do that.
Special Teams
The Cyclone special teams have some things that they need to clean up. Specifically, punt protection. The Cyclones allowed Iowa to block two punts on Saturday and luckily it wasn’t final blows to their chances of winning. They may need to go back to the traditional method of using three linemen for wall protection just before the punter. O’Rien Vance found himself on some punts and was giving up some pressure on the kicks. It was also nice to see Jace Gilbert get his first field goal of the season out of the way and now he can just build from there.
The Verdict - Iowa State
Iowa State should be fine on special teams in this one. I don’t foresee it being a major factor in this game. No this is not a jinx either.
Winning Scale from 1 to 10
I am going to have the convenience store wars started in this section alone before the season is over. Casey’s pizza is average and so is this Ohio team. I give the Iowa State Cyclones a Kwik Star’s chance in winning this one. ELITE!
Final Analysis
Iowa State really needs to use this week as a final prep for Big 12 play as next week it gets real in a hurry. As I have mentioned before, Ohio will probably make some plays on Saturday and make things just a bit uncomfortable at times. Though at the end of the day, the Ohio defense is going to be completely outmatched and Hunter Dekkers and company should put up a fair amount of points. Give me Iowa State pulling away in this tomorrow.
Final Score
Iowa State- 38
Ohio- 17