"Welcome to Week 10’s Upset Watch, where I might get exposed for my undying (read: month-old) loyalty to Iowa State. The Cyclones are my favorite team to consider in this column each week, and I will fight for them until they are favored on the road—which better happen in two weeks, when they head to Baylor. For now, I’ll combat the injustice that is the 2.5 points they’re getting at West Virginia according to most outlets.
In other corners of the Upset Watch, we’ll travel to the ACC, where we’ll consider the two teams widely regarded as the conference’s best back in September. I’m picking against both of them, for very different reasons. Read on.
Iowa State over West Virginia: At this point, I can’t bring myself to pick against the Cyclones, and I’m riding out their hot streak until it crashes and burns—which I don’t think will be this week. Iowa State has proven itself plenty capable of winning on the road this season; in fact, it’s won all three of its road games, over Akron, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. West Virginia has struggled to run the ball and struggled to stop anyone, and they have not played well against physical teams. Iowa State will need to show the same mettle that it did last week against TCU, especially on defense, where it was close to perfect, keeping the Horned Frogs out of the end zone outside of a 94-yard kick return."
Nice.
In other corners of the Upset Watch, we’ll travel to the ACC, where we’ll consider the two teams widely regarded as the conference’s best back in September. I’m picking against both of them, for very different reasons. Read on.
Iowa State over West Virginia: At this point, I can’t bring myself to pick against the Cyclones, and I’m riding out their hot streak until it crashes and burns—which I don’t think will be this week. Iowa State has proven itself plenty capable of winning on the road this season; in fact, it’s won all three of its road games, over Akron, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. West Virginia has struggled to run the ball and struggled to stop anyone, and they have not played well against physical teams. Iowa State will need to show the same mettle that it did last week against TCU, especially on defense, where it was close to perfect, keeping the Horned Frogs out of the end zone outside of a 94-yard kick return."
Nice.
