How the Iowa Hawkeyes Are Preparing for Onslaught of Iowa State Unknowns

Iowa has always known Iowa State intimately, but this year is more unknowns than in the past with a new head coach and revamped roster.

Sep 5, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Jimmy Rogers watches his teams pre-game routine before their game with the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa Hawkeyes enter the Cy-Hawk in a bit of unfamiliar territory this year. After years of growing extremely familiar with the Iowa State Cyclones, their players, and their coaching staff, all of that has changed this year.

Matt Campbell is gone. Jimmy Rogers is in. The roster is completely overhauled. Iowa has to toss out the old film and prepare for an Iowa State team full of unknowns coming into Kinnick Stadium.

How Iowa is preparing for Iowa State

"It's early-season football, modern-day football, early season. Two things: We have game film to look at, which is really nice. Didn't have that last week, so that's at least better. Once we get to October, that won't be an issue anymore.

"Then the other thing, the other good thing, is there's a lot of carryover. A lot of the guys on the roster now that we're playing Saturday were playing at Washington State, so at least you get to watch them in operation and the schemes that they'll be playing in," Ferentz said of Iowa State's revamped program.

One way to prepare for new players is exactly what Iowa is doing. In a way, Iowa can treat a lot of this Iowa State team and style as if it were the Washington State Cougars from last season. It's not a perfect one-to-one game plan, but it will still show areas Iowa can attack on certain players or looks.

"They have some really good young guys. The defensive end is a really good football player. This guy is jumping out. The young middle linebackers did a bad job. I think he was a true freshman a year ago. And some big defensive tackles that have done a good job.

"At least you're seeing some guys that - you're seeing them in the schemes playing, so it's not perfect, but at least it's better than last week," added Ferentz about the game plan for Iowa State.

How much do this many new faces matter?

Truth be told, I think that the amount of new faces is something coaching staffs have had to adjust to over the last few years and is less of an impact than it is made out to be.

With the transfer portal and the constant shuffling of rosters, this is something Iowa is used to handling, specifically Phil Parker on defense.

The offense is going to run its scheme and adhere to its responsibilities. That's what Iowa does and will continue to do. The new faces create some increased focus for the offense, but at the end of the day, it falls back on the scheme.