Iowa will look to hoist the Cy-Hawk Trophy for the first time since 2023 when the Hawkeyes host archrival Iowa State this evening at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC).
While the Cyclones have won the last two Cy-Hawk games, my Iowa State vs. Iowa combos and college football picks project this Saturday, Sept. 12, matchup to be dominated by the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium, especially with Matt Campbell no longer in Ames.
Best Iowa State vs Iowa combos for Week 2
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Iowa State vs Iowa combo
The recent Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry history has featured low-scoring games, with six of the last seven contests hitting the Under. The trend should continue this year, even with Iowa set to dominate both sides of the ball.
Iowa State will struggle to score even 13 points against an Iowa defense ranked 11th by SP+. Eight of the Cyclones' 11 offensive starters are Group of Six or FCS transfers, and they managed just 303 total yards last week against a Southeast Missouri State team coming off a 4-8 season.
In four starts against P4 defenses while at Arkansas State, Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor threw just one touchdown and had 11 turnover-worthy plays.
This rivalry also hasn't been kind to first-year head coaches on the Cyclones' sideline. During Hayden Fry's and Kirk Ferentz's tenures, Iowa is 6-1 straight-up against Iowa State head coaches in their first Cy-Hawk game, beating them by an average score of 35.1 to 9.1.
Iowa State vs Iowa player prop combo
The biggest reason my Iowa State vs. Iowa prediction projects a 27-10 home win for Iowa is due to the Hawkeyes' offensive advantage.
Iowa State's defense is starting seven players who were playing at the G6/FCS/JUCO level last season, while Iowa has its best set of playmakers in years.
Not only do the Hawkeyes boast a top offensive line led by preseason All-Americans Trevor Lauck and Kade Pieper, but the offensive trio of Kamari Moulton, Tony Diaz, and DJ Vonnahme are All-Big Ten talents.
Moulton led the country in 15+-yard runs in Week 1 (4), thriving in Tim Lester's Shanahan zone scheme behind this O-line. That only made things easier on Diaz and Vonnahme, who combined for 11 receptions for 126 yards last week, despite Iowa running a two-QB system.
Diaz's big-play ability and Vonnahme's versatility should create mismatches against an Iowa State back seven featuring six new starters.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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