Iowa-Iowa State rivalry remains college football’s worst ... name-wise, that is

Now that the Week 1 preliminaries are over, it’s time to turn our focus to Saturday’s Iowa-Iowa State game. But first, let’s dwell on the problem that just won’t go away.

Namely, the name of this rivalry.

Every year, I complain here about the name “Cy-Hawk.” The reason, as you all know, is that the game’s name is lame.

It’s no Bedlam or Holy War, no Egg Bowl or Apple Cup. It is the worst rivalry name in college football, bar none.

Even FCS rivalries have vastly superior handles than “Cy-Hawk.” Montana and Montana State play in Brawl of the Wild. Perfect. How can you not love Alcorn State meeting Jackson State annually in the Soul Bowl?

The trouble is, no wonderful name has ever emerged for Iowa-Iowa State. Last year, I implored readers to offer suggestions. Many were received. None were grabbers.

The problem was, nothing seemed organic. “Organic,” by the way, is a word your ancestors would have called you soft and stupid for using. Just call it “natural,” they would have said, assuming they spoke English.

Many of the contributors had corn in the name of their proposed replacements for Cy-Hawk. That’s a disqualifier. Corn gets enough attention every time an Iowa or Iowa State game is on national television and the opening montage includes a farm field.

It’s like the U.S. Open tennis coverage on ESPN always showing us shots of the Manhattan skyline. Just once, feature a deli or bodega in Queens, where the tournament is actually held.

But what else is there from which the Iowa-ISU series could draw? Until this year, nothing seemed a logical fit. Until this year.

This offseason’s pinches of Iowa and Iowa State athletes for betting on sportsbook websites brought common ground to the two schools, ground that didn’t have corn growing on it.

All the college football players in America who have pinched for sports betting apparently are in Iowa. So that’s ours. It makes us unique. It gives us recognition without an ear of corn attached. So let’s own it, let’s run with it.

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Now all we need is a name. The BetMGM Leo the Lion Game? The Iowa/Skunk BetRivers Battle? The FanDuel Duel for the Fans? Nah.

How about the DK (DraftKings) Whopper? Perhaps not.

This is silliness, of course, but come on. For all the floods of analysis and analytics, all the premature polls and pointless bowls, all the zillions of dollars of television money, this college football stuff shouldn’t be taken too seriously, should it?

Consider this: Rocky Lombardi scored on a quarterback keeper in overtime to give Northern Illinois a win at Boston College Saturday. Lombardi grew up in Cedar Rapids and played high school ball in West Des Moines, so Iowa angle, fine.

But the best part is Rocky Lombardi, who may have the best football name in the history of the world, is a seventh-year collegian. He’s 25, older than eight NFL starting quarterbacks including Brock Purdy, who played for four years at Iowa State. That’s marvelous.

Consider this: Colorado, a 21-point underdog, won at TCU Saturday. The Buffaloes were 1-11 last year, TCU reached the national-title game.

That’s a hoot in itself, but the best part is first-year Colorado coach Deion Sanders has just 10 players who were on the Buffs last season. He ran off dozens of his inherited players and brought in an entirely new team. That’s beautiful.

Consider this: Iowa’s first two touchdowns Saturday were thrown by a transfer from Michigan who connected with a wide receiver who transferred from Charleston Southern and a tight end transfer from Michigan.

Part of what lured them to the Hawkeyes was an NIL collective that is financially supported by a casino and a brewery. That’s fantastic.

Weeks ago, I asked Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz how the Big Ten seizing four Pac-12 schools made college football look.

“Let’s just call it what it is,” Ferentz said. “It’s entertainment.”

In the meantime, we’re stuck with the Cy-Hawk name for now. But we’ll get a better name for it one day. We must. This matters way too much to ever give up the fight.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com