It is coming.

T-minus 36 days until the Illinois State Redbirds venture west for the Cyclone football opener. The excitement is brewing and so is the cheap beer. Everyone across campus is honing their tailgating skills, mastering the art of flippy cup and setting personal bests in the keg stand.

But let’s not fool ourselves, the opener will merely be a dress-rehearsal. It is the Lil’ Bow Wow in preparation for the Jay-Z that lies ahead. Sept. 10 is the real start of the season.

On this day, the dark-side and their militant following will attempt to take over Ames. Anybody that has a pulse can sense the magnitude of this contest. Two teams arguably at their historical peaks, fighting for state bragging rights. It should be a clash for the ages. There is no questioning the importance of the Hawkeye game. Iowa State needs to have bigger aspirations, however. Hawk fans may take this as a Robert Gallery-sized slap to the face, but this year another victory over Iowa will not make the season a success.

Let’s break down the numbers. In the last seven years, Iowa State is 5-2 against the Hawkeyes. In that same time period, the Cyclones are 0-3 against Texas A&M, 1-6 against Kansas State, 1-6 against Colorado and 2-5 against Nebraska. Iowa State has already proven they can beat Iowa, but in order to prove they can win a more impressive league title, they have to be victorious against these conference foes.

I realize how enjoyable it is to talk junk to Iowa fans. Telling them that their former “little brother” is the last team to win at Kinnick Stadium or that the Cyclones have the most wins of any team against Kirk Ferentz never gets old. The fact remains Iowa State hasn’t won a league title since 1912. That stretch makes the Boston Red Sox streak of ineptitude seem as long as Brad Banks’ NFL career.

In 1912, the Titanic sank, Babe Ruth was only l7 and Julio Franco hit .325. Seriously, it is extremely difficult to not win a conference title in 93 years. Thankfully, there is no inane curse of Woodrow Wilson (elected 1912) or the tank (invented 1912), but needless to say, the Cyclones are due.

This year, the Cyclones find themselves favored by some to win the Big 12 North. They have the talent to win the title. Everything seems to be setting up for a great season.

Iowa State is better on paper now than a year ago when they should have won the Big 12 North — I don’t consider a tie a win. But don’t think the North will be as awful as it was last year. Recent powers Nebraska and K-State have reloaded with impact players, Kansas is prepping for its best year in ages, and Missouri still has Brad Smith, who I think actually played against Jack Trice.

If Dan McCarney and Iowa State want to take the program to the next level, they need to do more than just beat the Hawkeyes and win a conference title.