Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy has never hidden his affinity for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. For nearly that reason alone, the outspoken personality is picking Iowa to beat Iowa State in the heated Week 2 college football rivalry game.
Portnoy was in Iowa on Saturday, where the Barstool College Football Show was for the week. After beginning the broadcast with an Iowa State football hat, Portnoy shocked and disgusted the crowd by taking off his hoodie to reveal an Iowa basketball jersey. From that point, it was clear which side he was on.
“Iowa has come in here and the road team has dominated the series,” Portnoy said. “I think it continues [and] I expect the quarterback [Mark Gronowski] to be much better. I talked to Caitlin on the phone, she said, ‘Trust me, the Hawkeyes are going to win this game.' I'm taking the Hawkeyes.”
I talked to @CaitlinClark22 on the phone, she said trust me the Hawkeyes are gonna win this game pic.twitter.com/IxpgJIgWgV
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) September 6, 2025
Continuing to add salt to the wound, Portnoy said that “Caitlin grew up in Des Moines and still went to Iowa.” Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa, roughly 45 minutes from Des Moines. Conversely, Iowa is in Iowa City, an additional 30 minutes away from Des Moines.
Clark notably attended Iowa from 2020 to 2024, where she was a two-time Wooden Award winner and became the all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball.
Iowa, Iowa State kick off college football rivalries in Week 2
Despite being one of the most heated rivalries in college football, Iowa and Iowa State continue to meet early in the season. The Hawkeyes and Cyclones have a lot on the line in 2025, with both expecting to compete in their respective conferences.
Iowa State enters Week 2 ranked No. 16 in the AP poll and the 3.5-point favorite to take the next chapter in the rivalry. The Cyclones are already 2-0 with wins over Kansas State in Week 0 and South Dakota in Week 1.
Iowa also enters the matchup undefeated after beating Albany 34-7 in Week 1. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz has a lot on the line in his own career and can break the school record for most wins as a head coach with his next victory. He is currently tied with Woody Hayes after collecting his 205th win against the Great Danes.
