QUESTIONS WITH THE ENEMY: Iowa State Cyclones

Our friends at Wide Right Natty Light (which might be the best sports blog name EVER) were kind enough to respond to our inquiry, so here you go...be watching for our responses here. BTW...they only agreed to participate if King downed some shots and participated in some friendly banter. Makes me start to question just what kind of relationship King has with Ames.

1. Your power rankings didn't give a lot of love to OSU's defense. Based on the Baylor game, what are you expecting from Richardson and the offense in Stillwater? ​

Baylor might have the best defensive line in the country, and if not they definitely have the best one in the Big XII. Oof, that hurt to type.

[takes a powder, because powder is what is involved when delousing one's self]

Ok, now that I'm clean and level headed I still think my statement is mostly true. They're athletic, big, and mean. Two 300 pound Biggie Smalls reincarnates in the middle that are paired up with a guy that should be playing basketball makes for tough sledding for any offensive line. How's this relevant to Oklahoma State you ask? Because Oklahoma State has similar size, but not completely freaks of nature manning the trenches. The Cowboys rank 32nd nationally against the run but have achieved that by facing a couple of overmatched teams, one that plain refuses to run, and one that employs the "pass the crab legs" strategy. That's not saying the Cowboys are soft, far from it, but there will be opportunity up front for the Cyclones. That's all a long winded way of saying that if the Cyclones and Richardson are to get back on track they have to run the ball with some modicum of success. Iowa State doesn't need to hit 200 yards on the ground to win, but taking the pressure off Richardson and getting at least one back in the 75 yard range will mean the offense is moving the ball and giving themselves chances. I fully expect Oklahoma State to press the receivers, sell out to the run on early downs, and open the middle of the field for quick hitting slants out of the slot where guys aren't normally pressed. If the Cyclones can execute that and pull the linebackers off the line of scrimmage then Stillwater will be their oyster.

2. King wants a reason to fear Iowa State other than your coach eating his soul (and we're talking about Rhoads...or Rhodes...or Roads...however the hell you spell his name. Mangino would just swallow King whole).

You can fear... our coach's enthusiasm. He's one bad ref call away from the first ever "Big XII Ref Fatality" where instead of going all air guitar like a few years ago he picks up some unassuming line judge and smashes him over his knee. Full on Bane destroying Batman style.

But let's all get down to the real heart of the problem: Big XII officials are the worst in the country.

3. Do you feel relief that Charlie Weis is now gone, saving the foundation at Jack Trice?

Weis didn't bring the house down last year in Ames, but the ice on the field served as a reinforcement to the stadium. I think my biggest concern is now that Kansas got rid of their track at the stadium and fired Weis. What will their fans have to complain about?

4. What ever happened to Steele Jantz?

No one knows. Seriously. Another Iowa State blog tried to find him to interview him about his five (5!!!) touchdown performance against Baylor two years ago and came up nada. Zip. Zero. Nothing. They even asked contacts in the AD about it and no one knows where he is. If I were a betting man I'd say he's out west fighting wild fires, curing California's drought, and pulling tail in the back of his truck after showing them tape of the 2011 Iowa game.

5. In the battle of beers, rank your top three? And choosing Natty Light in bottles, cans, and solo cups doesn't count.

I'll be sure to alert our staff to this question so they can come inundate CRFF with their opinions. My personal favorites vary by season, and right now we're in the fall and prime Oktoberfest season. My top in that category is hands down New Glarus Brewing's Staghorn, and can only be found in the great state of Wisconsin (con), but my sister-in-law lives in the town of New Glarus (mega pro). All-time top three at this point in time though, here's my best shot:

1. Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad - Not for the faint of heart as it's aged in bourbon barrels for up to three years, this Belgian Quad packs a sweet, bold flavor that will knock you on your ass and impregnate your wife while you're out cold.

2. Surly's Abrasive Double IPA - Made by Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, MN this beer is actually brewed in an old abrasives factory. I'm not sure what the abrasives were, but they were used in manufacturing, and when the son inherited the business he thought selling beer was a better long term solution. I think we can all agree with that sentiment.

3. Staghorn - It's cheating to mention it above and then list it here, but I could drink this year round.

6. How many more beers do we need to drink to finally erase the memory of November 18, 2011? (This question was not approved by the staff, but somehow slipped past our "nightmare avoidance" committee)

No amount of beer will kill those memories. Only vanquishing Paul Rhoads and Jared Barnett, followed by beating Satan himself in the Playoff, will erase those memories. Trust us, we're still lamenting Mateen Cleaves and Michigan State's theft of our basketball national championship in 2000.

Great stuff as usual from our buds at WRNL. In fact, I think some of them are headed our way this weekend, so make sure to show them some Stillwater hospitality!