Michigan vs. Oklahoma is the only top-25 matchup in Week 2 of the 2025 college football season, but the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry carries significant weight as a marquee matchup. Although most eyes will be on the clash in Norman, Joel Klatt believes the Hawkeyes and Cyclones will engage in a “war.”
ESPN's College GameDay will be on the campus of Oklahoma for the big game, but FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will focus on the Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry. Klatt, who will likely be on the broadcast as an analyst, broke down the matchup on ‘The Joel Klatt Show.'
“This is one of the most underrated, quality rivalries in all of college football,” Klatt said. “This is going to be a war.”
"This is going to be a war."@joelklatt with more on what to expect from the Cy-Hawk game this weekend. pic.twitter.com/WMux6nr1ja
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) September 4, 2025
Klatt broke down Iowa State, a team that has impressed him two games into the 2025 college football season. The analyst was specifically fond of quarterback Rocco Becht, whom he called a “huge advantage” for the Hawkeyes ahead of the pivotal matchup.
“Rocco Becht, their quarterback [is an] experienced guy,” Klatt said. “This is a guy that I think is one of the better players in college football, and in particular, when it comes to crunch time. In fact, if you look back through his career, he's got five fourth-quarter comebacks… He's one of those guys that the entire program, they believe that Rocco Becht will make the plays necessary to win the games when it's tight late in the game. And that's a huge advantage when you're talking about playing a game that we expect to be a tight game.”
Joel Klatt breaks down Iowa ahead of Iowa State clash
While he seemed to favor the Cyclones, Klatt was also complimentary of Iowa. He notably highlighted head coach Kirk Ferentz, who can surpass Woody Hayes for the most wins as a head coach in program history with his next victory.
“Iowa, with Kirk Ferentz, has a chance to do something historic this week,” Klatt said. “Kirk Ferentz has 205 wins in his career. You talk about consistency; Kirk Ferentz has been consistent. Such a tough team to beat, and, in many ways, mirrors Iowa State in a sense that you're always gonna get a team that's fundamentally sound. They're gonna tackle well, they're gonna play hard, and they're gonna play physical, and they know their identity.”
Iowa State bumped up six spots to No. 16 in the AP college football rankings' Week 2 release. Iowa remains unranked, but received 23 votes in the coaches' poll. The Cyclones are closing as 3.5-point favorites to move to 3-0 and beat their in-state rivals for the second consecutive season.
