A non-BCS Iowa State?

This is a few moves down the chess board, but let's allow ourselves this blog post to speculate the explosion of the Big 12 Conference and what it could mean for the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry.

In the Pac-10 scenario, Iowa State becomes a free agent, whether it wants to or not. If the Big 12 big boys run to an amalgam of Pac-10 and Big 12, that's bad for ISU and begs the question, what if ISU falls out of BCS status?

Again, few moves down the chess board, but don't think it's not on the mind of ISU's administration.

“The entire issue of all the discussions related to conference realignment create instability discussions,” ISU president Gregory Geoffroy told Scott Dochterman at the Big 12 meetings Thursday. “We're confident that the Big 12 Conference is going to remain strong and be one of the best conferences in the nation and we'll do everything we can to keep it that way.”

So, how would this affect the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry, rifling the topic to the main topic of this blog?

Probably not at all.

First, there's the practicality of contract.

Iowa State Athletics Director Jamie Pollard and Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta signed a 10-year contract in 2008 after the schools disagreed over the previous contract's expiration date.

The current contract lasts through 2017.

Second, it's the state's game. It's rivalry and tradition. After 15 years of Iowa victories, Dan McCarney willed the Cyclones to a breakthrough in 1998. In the 12 games since, ISU leads the series 7-5.

This season's game, between two bowl-winning squads, is slated for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC, still a prime spot in college football.

That shows this game has cachet with some interest trickling outside of the state. It's intersectional between Big Ten and, for now, Big 12.

This could -- COULD -- mess with Iowa's non-conference formula of two BCS schools and two gimmees. This season, the Hawkeyes travel to Arizona (BCS), host ISU (BCS), host Eastern Illinois (non-BCS, FCS) and host Ball State (non-BCS, MAC).

In 2011, it's ISU and Pitt with Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe (I think it's ULM, but the official site doesn't list it).

"For the most part what we're looking for is a balance for a mid-major school, opponents and then BCS competition," Mark Abbott, Iowa's associate athletics director who handles much of the scheduling, said in a 2008 Gazette story.

"Obviously, we want to have seven home games as much as possible so that dictates the schools that we're looking at for other games. If Iowa State is (at Kinnick Stadium) and we have a BCS home-and-home, it would be on the road so our other two games are going to be home."

Could playing a non-BCS Iowa State hurt Iowa in the BCS standings? Yes. SOS (strength of schedule) is a component in BCS . Depends on which website you go to, but last season, the Hawkeyes' schedule ranked 12th in the nation, according to CBSSportsline.com, and might've been a factor in Iowa beating out Penn State for a BCS bid. CBS had Penn State's SOS ranked 47th.

Iowa played ISU, Arizona, Northern Iowa and Arkansas State. Penn State played Temple, Syracuse, Akron and Eastern Illinois.

SOS is significant. Significant enough to unplug the state rivalry? No, no way. No one -- at Iowa or Iowa State -- would want to lay claim to "the man who killed the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry."

That guy's house is getting egged.

Plus, Iowa fans, you know how your coach feels about rankings and BCS.

Asked last November if he'd rather be ranked fourth than eighth in the AP poll, Ferentz snorted.

 "I don't care," he said. "It doesn't matter.

"I do understand there is a reason coaches politic or people politic, because I guess it does matter. But I'm not worried about that. I'm just not worried about that.

"If we end up being Auburn (unbeaten in 2004, but excluded from the BCS title game), if that ends up happening to us, in some ways I'm not going to be too upset. Because I don't know how you get too upset when you're undefeated. But that is so far down the road, wow. I'm just, you know, just hope we can get by Saturday."

Clones and Hawkeyes are something the BCS can't tear asunder.