4. Iowa State Cyclones (Ames, IA)
I know some Iowa football fans may scoff at this, but Iowa State is good this year, and as Matt Opad pointed out in his blueprint for winning the West article, it is important for Iowa to win this game, if for nothing else, to build momentum.
What’s ridiculous about this game being ranked second easiest on this list is Jack Trice has been difficult for ranked teams in recent years, and regardless of how talented Iowa State is, they typically give the Iowa football team quite a battle.
Yet, this isn’t even close to being the toughest road challenge Iowa faces, and it’s because it won’t be an away game. The Cy-Hawk Trophy Game is one of the biggest events of the year in the state of Iowa, and it truly feels like the entire state turns out to tailgate and watch this game.
There will be a lot more Iowa football fans in the stadium than you will see in Michigan or Wisconsin for that matter. For this reason, the Iowa State game is ranked 4th on this list.