Sports : How the Cyclones can claim to be No. 1

Cheer up, Cyclone fans. I’ve got some good news for you.

Sure, 75 percent of last season was as disappointing as the Rose Bowl was for Hawkeye fans, but I’ve got some news that should inspire Coach Campbell and the rest of the Crimson and Gold Nation for 2016 and beyond.

The next few lines may get monotonous, but then again you survived another long season, so you are probably prepared for motonony.

So, here goes:

Alabama defeated Clemson to win the NCAA Championship.

However:

Bama had earlier lost to Old Miss, which lost to Memphis, which lost to Navy, which lost to Houston, which lost to Connecticut, which lost to USF, which lost to Western Kentucky, which lost to Indiana, which lost to Rutgers, which lost to Maryland, which lost to Bowling Green, which lost to Georgia Southern, which lost to Appalachian State, which lost to Arkansas State, which lost to Louisiana Tech, which lost to Southern Miss, which lost to Marshall, which lost to Ohio (the Bobcats, not Buckeyes, of course).

Take a break.

Now, read on:

Ohio lost to Western Michigan, which lost to Northern Illinois, which lost to Boston College, which lost to Duke, which lost to Wake Forest, which lost to NC State, which lost to Virginia Tech which lost to East Carolina, which lost to Cincinnati, which lost to San Diego State, which lost to S. Alabama, which lost to Texas State, which lost to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, which lost to New Mexico state, which lost to the UTEP Miners, which lost to USTA (the University of Texas-San Antonio), which lost to Colorado State, which lost to Nevada, which lost to Utah State, which lost to New Mexico, which lost to Arizona State, which lost to Washington State, which lost to Portland State.

And on Dec. 5, as all Panther fans know, UNI beat Portland State in the FCS playoffs.

Yet all Cyclone fans remember well the opening Saturday of the 2015 season, when the Cyclones defeated UNI, 31-7.

So, my weary Cyclone fans, take hope. Your team beat the team which beat the team (repeat those three words 40 more times) that beat the NCAA champion.

You’re the best.