10-0 and on the brink of the B1G West Title

Congratulations to Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes because no matter what happens from here on out this has been a season for the ages.  Ferentz has pulled off a turnaround that no other college coach has ever done.  He went from overpaid hot seat coach to a guy that has cemented his legacy at Iowa.  He turned his program around not once (when he first arrived and Hayden had left the cupboard pretty bare), not twice (when the highs of the early 2000’s teams turned into the slump from 2005-2007) but three times (after the low point of 2012’s 4-8 record was followed up with two lackluster seasons).  The offense is better, the defense is better (the Indiana and Minnesota games not withstanding) and the special teams has been fantastic.  In a few instances Ferentz has had no choice but to play players that are major upgrades over last year’s team.  No offense to Mark Weisman but LeShun Daniels, Jordan Canzeri, Akrum Wadley and Derrick Mitchell are all better options at RB.  At punt returner Desmond King is in a completely different league than Kevonte Martin-Manley was and the graduation of John Lowdermilk was a gift as Miles Taylor is a gigantic upgrade.  Ferentz made some choices, none bigger than the one to go with CJ Beathard over Jake Rudock, and it was as much about him making a choice as it was about whom he chose.  Picking Dillon Kidd over Connor Kornbrath at punter doesn’t get as much attention but it has been a huge change for special teams.  Back in January when Ferentz said that he needed to “spend more time in the building” meaning he had somewhat gotten away from his coaching duties and he felt he needed to put more emphasis on it I thought it was just more coachspeak but now I don’t think it was.  Ferentz has always been a good man and I think the disappointment of last year was his wake up call and he realized that he wasn’t coaching he was just being Coach.

The game against Minnesota was a contrast because it was a thing of beauty to watch Iowa’s offense bulldoze over the Gophers and watching a healthy LeShun Daniels run downhill all day long is just fun.  That was in stark contrast to watching the Iowa defense look like they were on skates and rolling backwards all day as Minnesota scored almost at will.  The Hawkeyes should have had the game put away a number of times but the defense played it’s worst game of the year.  Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner looked like a Heisman candidate and Iowa’s defensive line couldn’t touch him.  It didn’t help that LB Cole Fisher and CB Greg Mabin couldn’t cover anyone, I’m still trying to figure out how they were so consistently blowing coverage.  I don’t mean to call out two guys and blame everything on them because it was a collective terrible effort by the defense those two just stuck out a little bit more than others.  The defensive line couldn’t get pressure and both DTs Jaleel Johnson and Nathan Bazata were dominated inside like they haven’t been all year.  I guess this time it was the offense’s turn to bail out the defense and it’s not like they didn’t owe the defense one (remember the Wisconsin game).

This weekend the Hawkeyes can clinch the B1G West Division title with a win over Purdue.  The Boilermakers have played a few teams tough but this Iowa team is built to destroy them.  Purdue is 113th out of 128 teams against the run and they give up over 210 yards per game.  They are middle of the pack on offense and while they lit up Nebraska’s defense Iowa’s D is much better (assuming they play better than they did against Minnesota).  They have a new QB David Blough that has given them a spark but he’s a redshirt freshman and doesn’t have a ton of experience.  Their offensive line is not nearly as good as the Indiana or Minnesota lines Iowa just faced.  It’s supposed to be cold and windy and the exact type of game Iowa is built to win.  Run the ball, sustain drives and play shut down defense and West Title is Iowa’s.

I find it funny that people are worried about going on the road to Nebraska on Black Friday because Nebraska will be motivated to play spoiler, end Iowa’s undefeated season and they will be playing for bowl eligibility.  Somehow playing for a chance to make the Heart of Dallas Bowl is going to be a bigger motivating factor for the Huskers than Iowa playing for an undefeated regular season and worst case scenario going to the Rose Bowl?  I’m ready to watch the Hawkeyes run all over Purdue (the betting line started at Iowa as 17 point favorites, Vegas isn’t scared of the Boilermakers) and then we can worry about Black Friday.

College Football Hott Reads  (short and sweet)

• Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel announced he is retiring after the season because he has cancer and while it’s treatable and his prognosis seems good he wants to devote his time to beating the cancer and spending time with his family.  Pinkel is 63 years old and I wish him the best.  Not a lot of coaches would walk away but he has his priorities straight and he’s earned his time with his family.
• The Heisman voting is going to be interesting.  Early front runner Leonard Fournette has gone MIA in LSU’s two big LOSSES.  TCU’s Trevone Boykin is injured and they lost ugly too.  It might be Alabama RB Derrick Henry, it might be Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield or it might be Clemson QB Deshaun Watson but my vote is still going to Iowa CB Desmond King.  Okay I don’t actually get a vote but I still have an opinion.

NFL Hott Reads

• Peyton Manning was benched this week and while he is now out with a foot injury, trust me it wasn’t the foot that got him benched.  Manning completed 5 passes for 35 yards and threw 4 picks and he was benched.  The end is near, like standing behind you tapping you on the shoulder near.
• Brian Hoyer had been playing pretty well for the Texans and then he got knocked out of this week’s game with a concussion.  Things are so bad in Houston at QB they signed Brandon Weeden.  Yikes.  Bill O’Brien will draft a new QB in 2016 unless he decides to head back to the college game.  With so many top job openings O’Brien will have many options if he lets it be known he’s interested.
• The Titans fired Ken Whisenhunt before he even made it two years as head coach.  Mike Mularkey is the interim coach and while he hardly is exciting things were not going in the right direction with Whisenhunt and the Titans can’t allow Marcus Mariota to suffer with a coach he doesn’t fit with.
• The Saints finally put defensive coordinator Rob Ryan (yes Rex’s twin brother) out of his misery, maybe it was Sean Payton’s misery, it certainly was Saints’ fans misery because the defense was awful.  Former Raider head coach (and one time very good Bronco defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen was given the task of fixing the defense.  Good luck to him, the Saints defense is the third biggest disaster to hit New Orleans, right after Katrina and the oil spill.