5-69-2: The Rivalry That Never Was

5-69-2

Those numbers say it all. That is the all-time record of Iowa State against Oklahoma. Domination so one-sided and so lopsided that it didn't even escape Marty McFly and that jerk Biff. Hey, at least Iowa lost too.

5 wins... ever.

1928: W 13-0 (First game ever between the two schools. We got off to a good start!)
1931: W 13-12
1960: W 10-6
1961: W 21-15
1990: W 33-31

That's it, five wins spaced out over three quarters of a century. Hell, 80% of ISU's wins against OU came before 1962. Even more incredible, ISU is 1-40-1 against OU since 1962 and has not won in Ames in 52 years. The average score of the series is a pathetic 30-9. In fact, ISU has been shutout an amazing 14 times in the series and from 1952 to 1956, ISU lost 5 straight by a combined 220-0 score. Ouch.

By far, Iowa State versus Oklahoma is the most lopsided "rivalry" among teams that have played more than 50 times. The only other series even close is Kentucky's pathetic 2-35-1 record against Alabama. I guess it could it be worse, the Washington Generals only won 6 times against the Harlem Globetrotters while amassing over 13,000 losses. If you really want be depressed, Kirk Haaland took a more in depth look into the pathetic series last season.

And since the ineptitude of the series is of such great magnitude, it seemed necessary to review what was happening in the world when ISU last beat Oklahoma in Ames on November 5th, 1960.

- The same day ISU won in glorious fashion, Johnny Horton dies at age 33. The British are still a runnin'.

- 3 days after ISU's historic win, John Kennedy is elected President beating out Tricky Dick.

- Bill Snyder was a spry 53 years old.

- The first nuclear submarine, the K-19, is completed. Harrison Ford is named captain.

- The Interstate system was 4 years old.

- Steele Jantz was negative 29 years old, but still ran a stable of co-eds.

- The Andy Griffith Show premieres in October 1960. Ron Howard is 6 and believes the Da Vinci Code has something to do with an Ovaltine promotion.

- The price of gold spikes to $40 an ounce. Today it's at $1,712.

- Bob Dylan was known as Robert Allen Zimmerman and would not sing about changing times for another 4 years.

Needless to say, the world was a very different place, but throughout all the years there has been one constant, Oklahoma bitch slapping Iowa State. That is also why next Saturday might be the ultimate Paul Rhoads special. A win over Oklahoma would be a historic milestone. The biggest ghost that has haunted the Iowa State football program through the years has been Oklahoma. And to exorcise that demon would mean bowl eligibility for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Times, they are a changing.