Kansas State vs. Iowa State should make for thrilling Farmageddon

Are you ready for some Farmageddon?

The football rivalry between Kansas State and Iowa State appears ready for upgraded billing.

For the first time since 2012, both teams are headed to bowls. If K-State claims one more victory, both teams will finish with winning records for the first time since 2009. This game is always close, but this year it means a little more and people outside the region are taking notice. Farmageddon will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. (for once no morning start) and ESPN2 will carry the game nationally.

A K-State victory could vault the Wildcats (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) up the Big 12 order, making them a candidate for the Cactus, Liberty, Texas or Camping World bowls. A loss could send them to the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

An Iowa State win, combined with a TCU loss, could earn the Cyclones (7-4, 5-3) a spot in the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma.

There was even some playful banter this week about making K-State vs. Iowa State a trophy game.

“I would love one,” K-State right tackle Dalton Risner said. “I don’t know about a tractor, but if we could have a gold corn stalk to hold up or something fun ... I would kill to have a cool rivalry game where we got to hold up a cool trophy. The Governor’s Cup with Kansas has been a long tradition, but it is just a cup and we have had it for a while. I think it would be really cool to have one with Iowa State. It’s Farmageddon.”

K-State and Iowa State are used to playing tight games. Though the Wildcats haven’t lost to the Cyclones since 2007, eight of their past nine wins came by a single score.

In most Big 12 games, K-State is the polar opposite of its opponent, trying to grind out yards and play strong defense rather than light up the scoreboard with a spread attack. But Iowa State mirrors K-State in many ways. The Cyclones are methodical on offense, and they don’t make mistakes. They take pride in defense.

“Every game we have played is a tight, grind-it-out type of game,” K-State linebacker Trent Tanking said. “Both games there (in Ames) I have played in my career, we have won in the last minute or two minutes. The game two years ago here we won in miraculous fashion with Will (Geary) stripping the ball out. I know this game will be a grind. I compare them to us and how similar they run their program. They are very tough and hard-nosed. It is going to be a dog fight.”

What makes this year’s meeting more important is Iowa State’s rise under Matt Campbell.

The second-year coach has led Iowa State to seven victories, including upsets over Oklahoma and TCU. Many were surprised by those results. Not K-State coach Bill Snyder.

“I thought they were a very fine football team last year and the year before that,” Snyder said. “The staff has done a wonderful job of coaching them. They have the right approach to develop another program. It is not something that just happened. It has been in development for a period of time. They are doing it the right way. They have young guys that have that Midwestern work ethic and they are disciplined. I have seen the progress over the years because of the kind of the youngsters they have and how good of a job they are doing coaching them.”

KU remains the top rival in Manhattan, but K-State players spoke this week as if Iowa State has risen to No. 2.

Much like the rest of us, they are looking forward to Farmageddon with more enthusiasm than usual.

“Despite (Iowa State) being one of our rivals, I am extremely proud of them,” Risner said. “Since I have been here I always thought they were a team that goes out and gives their all every single game. It’s been cool to see a team like that go out and have success. This game is going to be a battle.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Kansas State vs. Iowa State should make for thrilling Farmageddon."