Love thy neighbor as thyself has no meaning this week.

Especially if thy neighbor happens to be an Iowa fan.

Screw them.

This is the week that Cyclone and Hawkeye fans alike have been looking forward to for a year.

Not only is this the first game circled on both team’s calendars each season; the 2005 intrastate battle is one of the most promising in the long rivalry.

Iowa enters the game ranked eighth in the Associated Press poll, while Iowa State is one big win from cracking the top 25 for the first time since Nov. 2002.

This year’s battle is the biggest in the rivalry’s history and most crucial for both teams.

A win for Iowa State would give the team momentum as it hits a difficult but manageable Big 12 schedule. The Cyclones are legitimate contenders for the Big 12 North title, an honor they split with Colorado one year ago.

Beating the Hawks would give them momentum and confidence as they start their conference schedule at Nebraska.

On the other sideline, this game means just as much to the Hawkeyes.

A loss to Iowa State in 2002 was the only Iowa loss that season, keeping them from any serious consideration for that year’s national championship game. If you listen to the many football pundits, Iowa is in a position for a run at not just a BCS game but possibly a national title this season.

(Please don’t listen to those pundits, because they have no idea what they are talking about. An Iowa national championship is about as likely as a postseason appearance by the Chicago Cubs.)

Falling to Iowa State would dramatically hurt Iowa’s case for a return to a BCS game, as games with Michigan and at Ohio State could easily swing both ways. For Iowa to come out of those two conference games with a pair of victories would be a miracle.

The Hawkeyes would be able to overcome one loss on the year (especially a conference one), but a loss to the Cyclones and the inevitable Big 10 setback would certainly knock them out of the running for an at-large BCS bid.

Aside from the critical nature of the game, there are other similarities on both sides.

• Both teams are led by mobile, young quarterbacks who used their team’s bowl game last year to achieve national recognition.

• Both have head coaches who received their starts with Iowa, and continue the philosophy of physical football where dominating offensive and defensive lines control the pace of the game.

• Both teams have a host of in-state players who want nothing more than to walk around with bragging rights for the next year.

• Both teams need the win.

This game is as crucial as any nonconference matchup in the nation. The winner will enter their conference schedule with confidence and an unbeaten mark, as both teams will roll to victory in their next game.

Both teams know the importance and will be ready to play.

And when Iowa fans leave Ames with their heads down and dreams of a national championship in tatters around them, I will give them a pat on the back.

Better luck next year, neighbor.