The Hawkeyes took care of Maryland this weekend as they got a little healthier off of their bye week and they are 8-0 for the second time under Kirk Ferentz. To say that the Hawkeyes aren’t getting a lot of respect is an understatement and ESPN’s band of idiots are leading the way. The numbers don’t actually support any of the claims that Iowa’s schedule is weak at least not so far. Yes the rest of the schedule isn’t very difficult but if you are to believe the talking heads somehow Iowa’s wins against Pitt (6-2), Wisconsin (7-2) and Northwestern (6-2) are in some way inferior to Alabama’s wins over the same Wisconsin team and let’s see who else, oh yeah Georgia (5-3), Tennessee and Arkansas (both 4-4). They did beat a 7-2 Texas A&M team but they also lost to Ole Miss (in case you forgot like ESPN has Iowa hasn’t lost this season). Clearly Stanford is better as they have beaten that juggernaut that is USC (5-3) and the mighty Bruins of UCLA (6-2) (a team that just about lost to Colorado this last weekend). Oh yeah and they lost to a Northwestern team that Iowa destroyed 40-10. Certainly Notre Dame has played a much tougher slate and done terrifically against it, right? Let’s see, beat that same USC team and they gave Navy (6-1) and Temple (7-1) their only losses on the season, clearly the fighting Irish would dominate the American Athletic Conference. Notre Dame is getting a whole lot of credit for their close loss to Clemson (it’s still 1 more loss than the Hawkeyes have). I’m not arguing Iowa deserves more respect than Alabama, Stanford or Notre Dame but they deserve at least as much, they have earned it.
If we look ahead it is absolutely true that Iowa’s schedule looks easy. The game this coming weekend at Indiana (4-4) is the toughest and it shouldn’t be that tough. Iowa is taking a beating because somehow it is their fault that the Big Ten schedule has them avoiding Ohio St, Michigan and Michigan St. It seems to get glossed over that Alabama doesn’t have to play Florida this season (a team that is surprising good) and Stanford doesn’t play the only other PAC-12 team worth a damn Utah because that’s the way scheduling goes sometimes when you have divisions. By the way Notre Dame chose to stop scheduling Michigan so it could schedule ACC teams like Wake Forest and Virginia at least they are going to have to beat Pitt this weekend. In case you are wondering I am becoming the biggest Pitt and LSU fan this weekend (the Tigers get Alabama).
The whole thing is going to work itself out if Iowa can remain undefeated. #1 Ohio St. plays #6 Michigan St. (not to mention Michigan) and the winner is likely Iowa’s opponent in Indy. #2 Baylor, #5 TCU and #12 Oklahoma St. all still have to play each other, #3 Clemson gets #17 Florida St. this weekend. #4 LSU plays at #7 Alabama (Go LSU) this Saturday also. And #8 Notre Dame and #9 Stanford play the last weekend of the regular season. If Iowa can get to 12-0 and head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game there is no telling what will happen. The Hawkeyes running game is as good as anyone’s and the defense is playing at a fantastic level. Desmond King is an All-American and has been making game changing plays on an almost weekly basis and while I would certainly rather play Michigan St. because of Ohio St.’s ridiculous talent level I think Iowa can play with anyone. And if the Hawkeyes have to play Ohio St. can we please make sure Cardale Jones is starting at QB and not JT Barrett, thanks. As for all the consternation about what will happen to the Hawkeyes I will say this one thing for sure, if Iowa goes 13-0 by beating either Michigan St. or Ohio St. in the Big Ten Championship game there is no way the College Football Playoff committee leaves the Hawkeyes out. That kind of thing only happens to Big 12 and PAC-12 teams.
College Football Hott Reads
- I think Clemson beats Florida St. this weekend and LSU takes down Alabama and then those two teams win out and secure two of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. The other two spots go to the Big Ten Champion (as long as it’s an undefeated Ohio St, Michigan St or Iowa) and the Big 12 Champion (as long as it’s an undefeated Baylor, TCU or Oklahoma St). The PAC-12 isn’t strong enough for a 1-loss team to end up ahead of four undefeated teams (doesn’t matter if it’s Stanford or Utah). It would help if Notre Dame loses to Pitt this weekend and then takes down Stanford later this month and then Stanford knocks off Utah in the PAC-12 Championship game. That would knock all of them out.
- Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer announced that he is retiring at the end of the season after 29 years as head coach of the Hokies. Beamer is a legend and deserves to go out on his own terms and even though VA Tech isn’t having the type of season I’m sure he wishes to go out on his legacy is secure. He made the program what it is and the next coach will benefit from the blood, sweat and tears Beamer invested to build the program.
- Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill retired this week effective immediately due to health issues. His epilepsy has become too much of an issue and Kill had to put his life and his health first so he did not get to end his career on his own terms and it’s a shame. Golden Gopher football existed before Kill but he had done a wonderful job in his time in Minneapolis and he is more than a good coach he’s a good man. His press conference was heart-wrenching to say the least. Best wishes to Coach Kill and I hope he lives a long and happy life.
- There is another coaching vacancy as Hawaii fired Norm Chow after they were destroyed Saturday by Air Force. Chow made his name as a long-time, successful offensive coordinator but his tenure as Hawaii’s head man was less than spectacular. Hawaii is a tough coaching gig due to a lack of resources and distance from any real recruiting ground so good luck to next coach at least he gets to live in Hawaii.
- Speaking of coaches on their way out have you seen what Mark Richt is doing at Georgia? I’ve always liked Richt and I think he’s gotten a bad shake from the Bulldog faithful but he’s not helping himself this year as the team has underachieved and his handling of the QB position is ridiculous. Did someone find him a three sided coin that he could flip because going between 2 QBs is bad enough but 3 is just crazy? With all of the very good coaching jobs that are already available and the ones that could still become available it might be best for everyone if Richt finds himself a nice soft landing spot (Miami should have his agent on speed dial).
- Speaking of stupid 3-way QB battles what is Kevin Sumlin doing at Texas A&M? Kyle Allen, Kyler Murray and Jake Hubenak are apparently locked in a battle Sumlin can’t figure out. Maybe Richt can loan him that three sided coin he found. The old football saying goes “if you have 2 QBs that means you don’t have one” but I’m updating it and say “if you can’t decide between your 3 QBs your head coach is an idiot”. It’s not very often that I get to say this but these coaches should take a page out of Kirk Ferentz’s handbook and pick their guy and go with him, seems to be working for the 8-0 Hawkeyes.
- I am not one that can’t admit when I’m wrong so congrats to the Cyclones on their big win over Texas, you certainly drove one more nail in Charlie Strong’s coffin (he may not be dead though). The Cyclones could potentially beat Kansas St. and West Virginia as neither team has looked particularly strong but they would need to upset either Oklahoma or Oklahoma St. to get bowl eligible. I know they knocked off a ranked Cowboys team once before but don’t think for a second Mike Gundy and his boys don’t remember that one. I can always hope they win just enough to keep Paul Rhoads around.
- The ACC suspended officials after they completely botched the crazy ending of the Miami-Duke game and cost Duke the win. If you haven’t seen the 8 lateral free-for-all it’s worth a look and while everyone is up in arms about all the penalties the officials missed it is the fact that on the field and using replay they didn’t recognize a tackle when they saw it. Pretty basic call for an official, players knee is down he’s down. In the NFL he must be down by contact but not in college football; knee down=play over. Oh yeah, he was actually down by contact too. This is not surprising to me because this ACC crew is the same crew that worked the Iowa-Pitt game back in September and they were atrocious. Iowa pulled out that win, I’m glad this officiating crew didn’t cost the Hawkeyes a victory.
NFL Hott Reads
- I’ve said before that I always want to root for former Hawkeye Jim Caldwell the current head coach of the Detroit Lions but that “current” part is tenuous at best. The Lions fired their offensive coordinator and offensive line coach last week (it wasn’t the line coach’s fault he can’t make chicken salad out of of chicken feathers). The Lions went to London this week and looked even more hapless against the Chiefs (not exactly a juggernaut themselves) and I’m sort of surprised Caldwell got a ride back from London with them. He is not cut out to be a head coach and his days are numbered in Detroit.
- Colin Kaepernick is terrible and the 49ers are terrible with him and now they are benching him for Blaine Gabbert. Read that last part again, they are benching him for BLAINE GABBERT. Changes have to be made in San Francisco and it starts at QB. Of course they may want to start with a new GM that can pick their new QB and then maybe a that GM can pick his new coach. It’s not good when you have traded places with the Raiders and they are now the functional franchise in the Bay area.
- The Jets need a QB. Badly. And surprisingly it’s not because Ryan Fitzpatrick is bad it’s because he got hurt. Geno Smith is either still hurt or just as terrible as I always thought. I hope they have Tim Tebow’s number handy. They can try Ryan Mallett but he might miss his flight.
- Two teams are surging behind the play of their two young signal callers. The Raiders and Vikings have found the future of their franchises in Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater. Both teams are potential playoff contenders and while play makers like Amari Cooper and Adrian Peterson deserve their credit too it’s the QBs that run the show and have given these teams legitimacy.
- Week 8 may be a turning point in the season for some teams and not in a good way. Injuries took a particularly hard toll this week and it started Thursday night when the resurgent Dolphins defense lost Cameron Wake to a torn Achilles. On Sunday a torn Achilles possibly ended the career of Steve Smith even though he is now saying he won’t retire and plans on returning next season. The Steeler’s Le’Veon Bell torn up his knee as did Reggie Bush of the 49ers and both are likely done for the year. Matt Forte hurt his knee but the Bears are being coy with any details. Calvin Johnson got hurt too although it might not be too bad. Seahawks WR Richardo Lockette sustained what must be a pretty serious concussion as he was out cold for a time on the field and taken off on a stretcher. It seems like he didn’t suffer any sort of spinal damage that we know of but his was one of those scary injuries where he didn’t move for quite some time and was strapped to the stretcher before raising his hand on he way out of the stadium giving a sign of hope that his injury wasn’t life threatening. Reports on Monday are that he injured ligaments in his neck but it doesn’t seem like he had structural damage to his neck. Football is a violent game and this week was a stark reminder.
- The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday November 3rd and while lots of names will be talked about very little will happen. Matt Forte’s name has been a prominent one but with an injury this weekend that should end that speculation. The Browns are supposedly ready to deal everyone including All-World LT Joe Thomas but I suspect they will ask far too high of a price and will make very few deals. No one wants the over bloated contracts of C Alex Mack and OLB Paul Kruger and OLB Barkevious Mingo has been less than impressive in his career. TEs are a hot topic on the trade market as Vernon Davis, Jared Cook and Martellus Bennett are (or were) on the market. The 49ers have sent Vernon Davis to Denver and while Davis hasn’t been great in the last two years I don’t think trading him away is going to help Colin Kaepernick…err…Blaine Gabbert. He is an upgrade to the Broncos TE depth chart though. Cook is overpaid and under productive in St. Louis. Bennett would probably get Chicago some nice return on the market.
- I guess I was premature on the Peyton Manning career funeral as the Broncos pounded the Packers on Sunday night. It certainly helps Manning that the Broncos found a running game and even if it was just for one night it was nice to see Manning looking good again. He deserves to go out playing well and I do think regardless of how this season finishes he’s probably retiring at the end of the year.
- Funny thing happened when the Giants took on the Saints on Sunday, an Arena League game broke out. Eli Manning threw 6 TDs while Drew Brees threw 7. And of course the game came down to the Saints kicker hitting a 50-yarder to win it, I hate that ending for a game like that.
The Hott Read 