Iowa's Schedule, Worst to Best: No. 12 Missouri State

I'm on vacation, but the Hlog is not. Through the power of time-stamping, while I'm gone this blog will publish a ranking of Iowa's 12 football games in 2013 in terms of being interesting.

My ranking will surely differ from yours. But if we all thought alike, can you imagine how horrible it would be like to live on this planet? Of course, there are some who would find that deeply rewarding. More's the pity. Anyhow, we start the ranking today with ...

No. 12. Missouri State. Game #2, Sept. 7.

There's little doubt this is the most-unattractive game on Iowa's schedule. The reasons:

1. It's an FCS opponent.

2. It's not a great FCS opponent.

Not that the Bears of Springfield might not be surprisingly competitive this season. They started last season 0-6, and that included two whompings from FBS teams. It was Kansas State 51, Missouri State 9. Then Louisville beat the Bears, 35-7.

As memory serves, K-State and Louisville were plenty good last season. Terry Allen's team didn't quit after that nightmarish first-half of the season, which certainly says something. The Bears bested then-No. 11 Illinois State on the road, and lost to eventual FCS-champion North Dakota State by just 21-17. So, with a chip on their shoulders, the Bears will probably show up at Kinnick Stadium ready to make their mark. That in itself doesn't prevent this from being the least-enthralling game on Iowa's schedule.  In fact, it only makes it less captivating.

Missouri State was 3-8 last year, 2-9 in 2011. Missouri State has played at least one FBS team each year since 1998. It has never come closer than within two touchdowns.

The Bears were picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It's a 10-team league. Northern Iowa was picked third.

Missouri State will travel to Coralville via bus. That's 387 miles, one way. The 387 miles going home will probably feel like 774.

Here's the only way Iowa ever goes 387 miles via bus for a football game: The FAA suspends all flights.

But the Bears don't want to burn up a lot of their paycheck for playing at Iowa on a chartered jet. Seems prudent to me.

Here's a weird factoid: UNI never had a losing conference record in Terry Allen's eight years as the Panthers' coach. But Missouri State has never had a winning conference mark in its seven seasons under Allen. He is 0-7 against UNI. He was 7-1 against Missouri State when he coached the Panthers.

If Iowa beats Northern Illinois in Game #1, the mood will be light in the Kinnick Stadium parking lots before this game and fans will be enjoying the chance to be 2-0. If NIU topples the Hawkeyes, good luck trying to get anyone interested in coming back to Kinnick the week after for Missouri State.

For a truly impressive feat by a bear, check out this: