The good news for Iowa State is that doubts about Jon Heacock’s defense may have been unfounded. It’s dangerous to pin too much on a game against Kansas, even this year’s Kansas, but the defense had a great game, keeping the Cyclones in it, and that’s reassuring after a rough one against Baylor last week.
The bad news is that Hunter Dekkers and the offense had a bizarrely tough time, and the worst news is that Iowa State lost a game they really needed to win were they to make something special of this season.
There were missed field goals, and Iowa State generated tons of chances, but the offensive line looked inept and Dekkers seemed to lack composure, something which previously had been a good asset for him. This would have felt fine had Iowa State escaped Lawrence. But Iowa State didn’t escape Lawrence. They fell to the Jayhawks, dropping to 0-2 in conference ahead of a visit from deservedly-ranked Kansas State. Only one game remains on the schedule which the Cyclones clearly should win. Missing a bowl is a real possibility.
We’re too far away from the potential bowl miss to talk about what it would mean for the program. For the time being, it’s on to Kansas State, and I’d imagine the Cyclones won’t be a large underdog at home against an inconsistent team like the Wildcats. Win that game, and we’re back into more comfortable territory. But we’re getting really close to testing the theory that beating Iowa constitutes a successful season.
Packers vs. Patriots
The Packers host the Patriots this afternoon, and even with Mac Jones (who’s out for New England), this would be a take-care-of-business game for Green Bay. The Pats are down bad.
Still, it’s the NFL, every game is losable, and there’s a lot you’d hope to see from the Packers, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Sammy Watkins remains out, but the rest of the receiving corps should be active, and while Jaire Alexander is questionable with his groin injury, the defense is good enough that it’s not a question of whether it’s capable as much as it’s a question of whether it can keep showing up for every shift.
Danger: NASCAR
These are going to be published too late to say anything about the F1 race before it starts, though our bets did cover our thoughts a little. NASCAR, meanwhile, has gone off the rails a little bit. Another driver, Alex Bowman, is out of the playoffs (at least for a week) with a concussion, and drivers all over the circuit are complaining about the new car not absorbing hits very well, which seems like one of the first things you’d worry about if you were NASCAR. At the same time, the new car might be too competitive, at least right now. The best drivers won races early in the year, for the most part, but it’s getting wackier as the playoffs go on, and Talladega was already wacky, so today’s a real crapshoot. You need to find the competition middle ground. This is true in all sports, but in motorsports, it’s lacking the most right now.
More Tomorrow
We’ll catch up on the rest tomorrow. Hit the week running and all that. Our college football model is running right now, so we’ll have the week’s recap tonight or tomorrow when it’s done doing its thing.
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Viewing schedule for today, second screen rotation in italics:
MLB (of playoff race and home run chase significance, plus the Cubs):
- 1:35 PM EDT: Baltimore @ New York (AL), Bradish vs. González (MLB TV/ESPN+)
- 1:35 PM EDT: Philadelphia @ Washington, Wheeler vs. Corbin (MLB TV)
- 1:37 PM EDT: Boston @ Toronto, Wacha vs. Gausman (MLB TV)
- 2:10 PM EDT: Tampa Bay @ Houston, Kluber vs. Garcia (MLB TV)
- 2:10 PM EDT: Miami @ Milwaukee, López vs. Peralta (MLB TV)
- 2:20 PM EDT: Cincinnati @ Chicago (NL), Anderson vs. Stroman (MLB TV)
- 4:10 PM EDT: Chicago (AL) @ San Diego, Lynn vs. Snell (MLB TV)
- 4:10 PM EDT: Oakland @ Seattle, Kaprielian vs. Ray (MLB TV)
- 7:00 PM EDT: New York (NL) @ Atlanta, Bassitt vs. Morton (ESPN)
NFL (of interest, plus the Packers):
- 9:30 AM EDT: Minnesota vs. New Orleans (NFL Network)
- 1:00 PM EDT: Washington @ Dallas (FOX)
- 1:00 PM EDT: Jacksonville @ Philadelphia (CBS)
- 1:00 PM EDT: Buffalo @ Baltimore (CBS)
- 4:25 PM EDT: New England @ Green Bay (CBS)
- 4:25 PM EDT: Denver @ Las Vegas (CBS)
- 8:20 PM EDT: Kansas City @ Tampa Bay (NBC)
Motorsports (that we cover):
- 8:00 AM EDT: F1 Singapore Grand Prix (ESPN2)
- 2:00 PM EDT: NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega (NBC)
Soccer (of direct interest to our futures portfolios):
- 7:00 AM EDT: Watford @ Stoke City (ESPN+)
- 9:00 AM EDT: Manchester United @ Manchester City (Peacock)
- 11:30 AM EDT: Aston Villa @ Leeds (USA)
