PETE: We need more off-the-script coaches Mike Gundy

Here’s my lock of the day:

No coach will respond after Saturday’s games, like Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy did 48 hours or so after his Cowboys beat Arkansas last week.

I hope I’m wrong. I like it when coaches speak their minds, no matter how many administrative cringes follow.

Do you think phrases like “he was very inexpensive,” and “a number of players we can’t afford,” and “he was a good buy” will be among postgame responses during college football’s Week Three? Not unless it’s from the Big 12’s most tenured football coach.

Did you catch Gundy’s response to Jenni Carlson’s question about the back-story of Division II transfer linebacker Obi Ezeigbo ending up a Cowboy?

“Do you want me to go back into coach talk, or do you want the truth?” Gundy responded, to which Carlson promptly responded truth. “He was very inexpensive. The number of players that we go after -- that were ready to play at this level -- we can’t afford.”

You go, coach.

Remember, the NCAA, at the last moment, squashed Gundy’s idea of placing QR codes on the backs of his players’ helmets – harmless codes that would allow fans to contribute to the athletes' NIL funds.

You can put corporate logos on the field to help pay for future athlete revenue sharing, but a small QR square just above the corporate Riddell logo on the back of a helmet?

We need more outspoken coaches like Gundy. We need more coaches like Mike Leach, may he rest in peace.

You can’t handle the truth, Jack Nicholson’s character in A Few Good Men told us.

Sure we can.

Try us.

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CYCLONES CAN RISE, WITHOUT PLAYING

Don’t be surprised if 21st-ranked Iowa State moves up the polls, despite not playing this weekend. That’s not a prediction, mind you. It’s just a fact that yes, it can happen.

What if 18th-ranked Notre Dame (1-1) loses at Purdue? And what happens if 1-1 LSU gets thumped by 2-0 South Carolina? No. 14 Kansas State (2-0) against 20th-ranked Arizona (2-0) in Manhattan?

Ratings are important, in this age of the 12-team College Football Playoff. That’s one of the reasons Saturday’s Cy-Hawk was way more than just a non-conference game – and please, don’t give me that garbage about it being someone’s Super Bowl.

In the ratings respect, the Hawkeyes dropped out – from 21st. Their best path to the CFP is to win the Big Ten Conference, which (I presume) still is possible. I also presume Kirk Ferentz’ team will bounce back in a big way during Saturday’s 3 p.m., home game against 0-2 Troy.

And who’s next for America’s Most Over-Hyped team? That’d be Colorado -- at Colorado State. I guarantee there’s no love lost between those programs.

Did you catch the CBS Sports’ web site College Football Playoffs weekly projections? Iowa State was No. 4 – behind Georgia, Ohio State and Miami of Florida. Here’s what the website said:

Could the Cyclones win the Big 12? The conference looks wide-open and through two weeks, Iowa State has the league's best win after beating arch-rival Iowa in Iowa City. Quarterback Rocco Becht is trending towards household name status, and his duo of star receivers is going to make the Cyclones awfully dangerous on offense. Utah and Kansas State are serious contenders here, but the Utes are already dealing with a Cam Rising hand injury (he should be fine but you never know) and the Wildcats have not been inspiring through two weeks. For now we go with the 'Clones.”

Interesting.

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AND FINALLY . . .

I just realized that UNI (2-0) plays on Saturday at 2-0 and No. 23 Nebraska. You know who’s the Cornhuskers’ athletics director, right?

That’d be Troy Dannen, AD at Northern Iowa between 2008 and 2015. Saturday’s 6:30 p.m., game that’s on the Big Ten Network was scheduled before Troy became Nebraska’s AD, by the way.

Northern Iowa is getting $600,000 for the game.

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© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

IOWA EVERYWHERE JURY IS STLL OUT ON CADE

TROY AT IOWA

3 p.m., Kinnick Stadium, FS1

Randy Peterson: I wonder how much leash Cade McNamara will have? Probably a lot, because facing a winless non-conference opponent is the best way to continue the knocking off the rust process. This also should be a good game for Hawkeyes backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan. Iowa 38, Troy 0.

Chris Hassel:Troy is one of the better Sun Belt teams, and much better than Illinois State. I worry Iowa may not put this game away until late. Cade looks better, but still not great. Iowa 27, Troy 10.

Matt Van Winkle: After losing the Cy-Hawk game, Iowa will enact revenge on lowly Troy. Brendan Sullivan plays the entire fourth quarter and looks good. The chirping will get louder. Iowa 45, Troy 3.

Chris Williams:Is Iowa’s offense still that bad, or is Iowa State’s defense just pretty good? It’s somewhere in the middle. Iowa will have its way with Troy. Iowa 34, Troy 3.

Andrew Downs:Iowa recovers against a bad opponent, but doesn’t make the fans feel any better. Iowa 31, Troy 6.

Jake Brend: The cupcake between Cy-Hawk and the conference schedule always has trap potential, but a pissed Iowa defense won’t allow Troy to do anything. In fact, the defense will score two touchdowns to make up for a lackluster day from Cade McNamara. Iowa 34, Troy 6.

ARIZONA AT KANSAS STATE

Peterson: Kansas State 34, Arizona 31.

Hassel: Kansas State 30, Arizona 24.

Van Winkle: Kansas State 35, Arizona 28.

Williams: Kansas State 30, Arizona 17.

Downs: Kansas State 24, Arizona 17.

Brend: Arizona 31, Kansas State 30.

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COLORADO AT COLORADO STATE

Peterson: Colorado State 28, Colorado 24.

Hassel: Colorado State 24, Colorado 23.

Van Winkle: Colorado 28, Colorado State 27.

Williams: Colorado State 35, Colorado 34.

Downs: Colorado State 21, Colorado 10.

Brend: Colorado State 33, Colorado 30.

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UNLV at KANSAS

Peterson: Kansas 38, UNLV 31.

Hassel: UNLV 27, Kansas 24.

Van Winkle: Kansas 38, UNLV 27.

Williams: Kansas 42, UNLV 20.

Downs: Kansas 34, UNLV 14.

Brend: Kansas 27, UNLV 17.

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NOTRE DAME AT PURDUE

Peterson: Notre Dame 30, Purdue 24.

Hassel: Notre Dame 23, Purdue 14.

Van Winkle: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 10.

Williams: Notre Dame 24, Purdue 10.

Downs: Notre Dame 27, Purdue 17.

Brend: Notre Dame 20, Purdue 10.

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ALABAMA AT WISCONSIN

Peterson: Alabama 34, Wisconsin 17.

Hassel: Alabama 30, Wisconsin 10.

Van Winkle: Alabama 27, Wisconsin 13.

Williams: Alabama 34, Wisconsin 14.

Downs: Alabama 28, Wisconsin 10.

Brend: Alabama 35, Wisconsin 13.

(Randy Peterson can be reached at randypete4846@gmail.com or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close)