Today was interesting on so many levels. I witnessed a man in the press box refuse to stand up for the national anthem (that didn't go over well), a reporter got arrested and had his press pass taken away, the four people representing Minnesota's athletic department were some of the most arrogant, ignorant people I've ever seen in a professional setting, and it was the end to my run covering the Iowa Hawkeyes (barring a bowl game press pass miracle).
This has been one heck of a season, and I feel as if I'm one of the luckiest people in the world to have had the opportunity to cover it. Everything came to a climax when I was standing on the field, AP and ESPN reporters around me, surrounded by fans, watching a 'season highlight' video on the big board right after the game.
Hearing the crowd react to every big play as if it were happening right then, seeing the amazing moments I've been privy to all season, and, at the end, hearing the "BCS, BCS" chants left me with the chills for probably five minutes straight. Unbelievable, and it perfectly summed up the entire experience I've had as a beat writer for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Injury News - Per Ferentz, Robinson re-tweaked his high ankle sprain and would likely not play if they had a game next week, but should be fine for the bowl.
Dace Richardson is also likely to return for the bowl, as is Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi had his brace removed, so he's walking without assistance now and should be good to go come January.
Orange Bowl in the house - The Orange Bowl representatives weren't the only bowl people at the game – I picked up a brochure on the Outback Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl was also supposedly in the house – but they were the ones I ran into and talked with.
The Orange Bowl likes Iowa. I mean, really likes them. They've experienced first-hand how well this team travels, and Larry Gautier, the Orange Bowl Football Committee member I spoke with, implied that Iowa is one of two or three times they'd be choosing between come Dec. 6.
BCS Bound? - The answer right now is a very apprehensive maybe. At least two BCS bowls love Iowa, but will they really select them over the teams ahead of the Hawks? Don't be surprised to see Iowa in the Outback or Capital One bowl, but if things shake out a certain way these last few weeks, the BCS could definitely happen.
There are a bunch of teams I'd put into a BCS bowl before Iowa. They are:
Florida
Alabama
Texas
TCU
Cincinatti
Boise State
Georgia Tech
Pittsburgh
Ohio State
Oregon
That's 10 teams, which is exactly the number the BCS can take. I had Iowa 12th, but when LSU lost today they dropped out of the picture completely. Oklahoma State is iffy to me, but without Dez Bryant I'd pick Iowa over them.
If TCU, Cincy or Boise lose (all doubtful), Iowa would get in over them. Cincy does play Pitt, and, for Iowa's sake, they better hope the Bearcats win. Would Iowa make it in over a 1-loss Cincy team? I doubt it. Would Pitt make a BCS bowl if they lose again? No way.
The best hope for Iowa is to have Boise or TCU lose and have Cincy beat Pitt. I don't know what bowl Iowa will go to, but the experts are all predicting the Fiesta. We'll know in two weeks, but my prediction after talking to Gautier today ...
Iowa vs. Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
A fitting way to end for Iowa
By Brian Heinemann
For the Herald
IOWA CITY ––– With the way the Iowa Hawkeyes have been turning “what ifs” into “what is” this season, it’s fitting that a BCS dream that looked nearly dead in the water a week ago is still very much in the realm of reality.
The “what if” game doesn’t particularly appeal to the Hawkeyes or their coach, Kirk Ferentz, though. They don’t like talking about what might have been or even what could be.
All that separated the Hawkeyes from a perfect season and a trip to Pasedena – for the Rose Bowl or National Championship game – was 10 points and two close losses.
What if?
Iowa lost key starters throughout the season to injuries, ranging from a slew of running backs – Jewel Hampton, Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher – to a potential All American tight end in Tony Moeaki, a starting safety in Brett Greenwood and an emotional leader in their quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
What if?
The Hawkeyes finished their regular season 10-2 (6-2 Big Ten), taking down Minnesota 12-0 Saturday in a defensive struggle that featured season lows in a multitude of offensive categories for Iowa, keeping their names firmly entrenched in the BCS discussion.
So, what now?
Now, Iowa plays the waiting game. The National Championship game and the Rose Bowl are out of the question, yet the Hawkeyes can end up anywhere from the Fiesta Bowl, to the Orange Bowl, to the Outback Bowl.
“Right now, we can’t worry about that because we’ve done all that we can,” said senior linebacker A.J. Edds, who finished with eight tackles and an interception in his final game at Kinnick Stadium. “We just kind of have to sit back and let the rest of the country shake out and see what happens. But I think at the same time we’ve done enough to get into that conversation.
“Look at our body of work, especially on the road. But it’s not our decision to make. We’re 10-2 and we’ve played pretty well, so let everything kind of figure itself out from here and go from there.”
It’s hard to get the Hawkeyes to talk about the whole BCS thing and the possibilities that await. That attitude starts from the top and makes its way downward, as Ferentz will be the first to admit that he doesn’t pay much attention to the BCS and isn’t overly concerned with where his team heads this bowl season.
He’s just “absolutely amazed” his team won 10 games with all the adversity and incredible situations they encountered and endured this season. Two blocked field goals to survive a scare from UNI, a tight win against Arkansas State, the last-second heroics in East Lansing, the huge comeback to best Indiana – the Hawkeyes have come through so much that Ferentz is just happy to enjoy only the fourth double-digit win season of his Iowa career.
“I’m happy with where we are at,” said Ferentz. “If we don’t go (to a BCS game), we don’t go. That’s the way it goes. I’m just happy we got 10 wins.”
Most of the players chose to let the BCS system and bowl committees handle the situation rather than give their own opinions, with only a few Hawkeyes straying from the general “we did all we can do, it’s out of our hands” philosophy that was prominently displayed Saturday.
And with everything they’ve faced this year – and the fact that Ferentz believes they played their best game of the year on the road in the overtime loss to Ohio State last weekend – the Hawkeyes feel that they can compete with anybody the bowl process pits them against.
“We don’t back down from any challenge,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt, who had one catch for 28 yards against the Golden Gophers. “We feel like we can play with anybody in the nation.”
They’ll get the chance to likely play one of the best the nation has to offer sometime in the first week of January. And while the destination and opponent remain unclear, the important thing is that the Hawkeyes have their foot in the door and their name in the conversation.
“It’s a very special team with very special players,” Larry Gautier, an Orange Bowl representative who likened this years Iowa team to the “team of destiny” from 2002, said of the Hawkeyes.
“Iowa is clearly in the mix, there’s no question about it.”
For the Herald
IOWA CITY ––– With the way the Iowa Hawkeyes have been turning “what ifs” into “what is” this season, it’s fitting that a BCS dream that looked nearly dead in the water a week ago is still very much in the realm of reality.
The “what if” game doesn’t particularly appeal to the Hawkeyes or their coach, Kirk Ferentz, though. They don’t like talking about what might have been or even what could be.
All that separated the Hawkeyes from a perfect season and a trip to Pasedena – for the Rose Bowl or National Championship game – was 10 points and two close losses.
What if?
Iowa lost key starters throughout the season to injuries, ranging from a slew of running backs – Jewel Hampton, Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher – to a potential All American tight end in Tony Moeaki, a starting safety in Brett Greenwood and an emotional leader in their quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
What if?
The Hawkeyes finished their regular season 10-2 (6-2 Big Ten), taking down Minnesota 12-0 Saturday in a defensive struggle that featured season lows in a multitude of offensive categories for Iowa, keeping their names firmly entrenched in the BCS discussion.
So, what now?
Now, Iowa plays the waiting game. The National Championship game and the Rose Bowl are out of the question, yet the Hawkeyes can end up anywhere from the Fiesta Bowl, to the Orange Bowl, to the Outback Bowl.
“Right now, we can’t worry about that because we’ve done all that we can,” said senior linebacker A.J. Edds, who finished with eight tackles and an interception in his final game at Kinnick Stadium. “We just kind of have to sit back and let the rest of the country shake out and see what happens. But I think at the same time we’ve done enough to get into that conversation.
“Look at our body of work, especially on the road. But it’s not our decision to make. We’re 10-2 and we’ve played pretty well, so let everything kind of figure itself out from here and go from there.”
It’s hard to get the Hawkeyes to talk about the whole BCS thing and the possibilities that await. That attitude starts from the top and makes its way downward, as Ferentz will be the first to admit that he doesn’t pay much attention to the BCS and isn’t overly concerned with where his team heads this bowl season.
He’s just “absolutely amazed” his team won 10 games with all the adversity and incredible situations they encountered and endured this season. Two blocked field goals to survive a scare from UNI, a tight win against Arkansas State, the last-second heroics in East Lansing, the huge comeback to best Indiana – the Hawkeyes have come through so much that Ferentz is just happy to enjoy only the fourth double-digit win season of his Iowa career.
“I’m happy with where we are at,” said Ferentz. “If we don’t go (to a BCS game), we don’t go. That’s the way it goes. I’m just happy we got 10 wins.”
Most of the players chose to let the BCS system and bowl committees handle the situation rather than give their own opinions, with only a few Hawkeyes straying from the general “we did all we can do, it’s out of our hands” philosophy that was prominently displayed Saturday.
And with everything they’ve faced this year – and the fact that Ferentz believes they played their best game of the year on the road in the overtime loss to Ohio State last weekend – the Hawkeyes feel that they can compete with anybody the bowl process pits them against.
“We don’t back down from any challenge,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt, who had one catch for 28 yards against the Golden Gophers. “We feel like we can play with anybody in the nation.”
They’ll get the chance to likely play one of the best the nation has to offer sometime in the first week of January. And while the destination and opponent remain unclear, the important thing is that the Hawkeyes have their foot in the door and their name in the conversation.
“It’s a very special team with very special players,” Larry Gautier, an Orange Bowl representative who likened this years Iowa team to the “team of destiny” from 2002, said of the Hawkeyes.
“Iowa is clearly in the mix, there’s no question about it.”
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hawkeyes still control destiny despite loss
By Brian Heinemann
For The Herald
IOWA CITY –––– The dream for the Iowa Hawkeyes isn’t completely over yet.
They’ve just gotten much closer to awakening from it.
Sure, Saturday’s 17-10 heartbreaking loss to Northwestern knocked them out of the national championship picture, plummeting them to the tail end of the top ten in the newest BCS standings.
But they still control their own destiny, as a win this weekend would give the Hawkeyes the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
That they have to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on an Ohio State team that is tied with Iowa for the Big Ten lead, would be tough enough. Doing so without starting quarterback and emotional leader Ricky Stanzi stands to make things much more challenging for the Hawkeyes.
The reigns – and the hopes of the Hawkeyes – are now in the hands of redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, after a game- and season-changing play left Stanzi crumpled up in his own end zone with a severe high ankle sprain.
“Ready or not, here he comes,” said wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. “He has no choice now. We lost our captain, our leader. That’s unfortunate and that hurts a lot, and the loss hurts a lot.”
The Hawkeyes had jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and had the ball again before Stanzi went down, fumbling the ball into his own end zone. Northwestern recovered for a touchdown, and the Iowa offense effectively hit a wall, leading to their first loss in over a calender year.
“You know, it’s hard when you lose your leader like that,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt. “But at the same time, we know Vandenberg can produce and we know what he can do. We don’t have any excuses.”
For his part, Vandenberg did admit to being too amped up and having happy feet in the pocket, leading to some overthrows. He finished 9-of-27 for 82 yards and one interception – which came on his first throw – in a performance that can’t be repeated if the Hawkeyes hope to upend the Buckeyes Saturday.
Iowa still believes, both in themselves and their new quarterback. But what they need now is a bit of memory loss and the 19-year-old Vandenberg to transition to team leader as seamlessly as possible.
“I have a lot of confidence and I know these guys have confidence in me,” said Vandenberg. “They helped me out so much that I’m ready to step into this role and lead this team, because that’s what we need. I mean, we can’t settle into a lull because of this loss. We still have to go, because we know there’s a lot at stake.”
This season has been rife with comebacks and resiliency, but the Hawkeyes now face their two toughest tests yet – moving on without their leader and coming off a devastating loss.
As they’ve done most of the season, though, the Hawkeyes are keeping their heads up and expecting success. Vandenberg said there was no crying or pouting in the locker room after the loss. The attitude was clear.
No more second chances.
“We know there’s a lot out there. There’s a Big Ten championship still out there,” said Vandenberg. “It’s not like all hopes lost, so there’s no reason to dwell on this. We’ve got to move on and get back to work.”
“It’s not the end of the world,” added free safety Joe Conklin, who started in place of still-injured Brett Greenwood. “We have to move on and get ready for Ohio State next week.”
Ohio State will be ready, and they’ll certainly know that the Hawkeyes have an inexperienced young quarterback under center. Johnson-Koulianos expects the Buckeyes to do whatever they can to confuse the youngster, which he knows will make things tougher for the offense.
Until Northwestern came to town, Iowa had passed every test thrown its way. Even as the minutes slowly ticked away against the Wildcats, they firmly believed they would make something happen to pull out another improbable win.
But it didn’t happen, and now comes the true test – can the Hawkeyes, who have believed in the impossible all season, maintain that belief after the rug was pulled out from under them?
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” said Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz. “We’re going to try to get back on our feet and see if we can’t win next weekend. That’s going to be a tough task. We know that already.”
For The Herald
IOWA CITY –––– The dream for the Iowa Hawkeyes isn’t completely over yet.
They’ve just gotten much closer to awakening from it.
Sure, Saturday’s 17-10 heartbreaking loss to Northwestern knocked them out of the national championship picture, plummeting them to the tail end of the top ten in the newest BCS standings.
But they still control their own destiny, as a win this weekend would give the Hawkeyes the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
That they have to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on an Ohio State team that is tied with Iowa for the Big Ten lead, would be tough enough. Doing so without starting quarterback and emotional leader Ricky Stanzi stands to make things much more challenging for the Hawkeyes.
The reigns – and the hopes of the Hawkeyes – are now in the hands of redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, after a game- and season-changing play left Stanzi crumpled up in his own end zone with a severe high ankle sprain.
“Ready or not, here he comes,” said wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. “He has no choice now. We lost our captain, our leader. That’s unfortunate and that hurts a lot, and the loss hurts a lot.”
The Hawkeyes had jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and had the ball again before Stanzi went down, fumbling the ball into his own end zone. Northwestern recovered for a touchdown, and the Iowa offense effectively hit a wall, leading to their first loss in over a calender year.
“You know, it’s hard when you lose your leader like that,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt. “But at the same time, we know Vandenberg can produce and we know what he can do. We don’t have any excuses.”
For his part, Vandenberg did admit to being too amped up and having happy feet in the pocket, leading to some overthrows. He finished 9-of-27 for 82 yards and one interception – which came on his first throw – in a performance that can’t be repeated if the Hawkeyes hope to upend the Buckeyes Saturday.
Iowa still believes, both in themselves and their new quarterback. But what they need now is a bit of memory loss and the 19-year-old Vandenberg to transition to team leader as seamlessly as possible.
“I have a lot of confidence and I know these guys have confidence in me,” said Vandenberg. “They helped me out so much that I’m ready to step into this role and lead this team, because that’s what we need. I mean, we can’t settle into a lull because of this loss. We still have to go, because we know there’s a lot at stake.”
This season has been rife with comebacks and resiliency, but the Hawkeyes now face their two toughest tests yet – moving on without their leader and coming off a devastating loss.
As they’ve done most of the season, though, the Hawkeyes are keeping their heads up and expecting success. Vandenberg said there was no crying or pouting in the locker room after the loss. The attitude was clear.
No more second chances.
“We know there’s a lot out there. There’s a Big Ten championship still out there,” said Vandenberg. “It’s not like all hopes lost, so there’s no reason to dwell on this. We’ve got to move on and get back to work.”
“It’s not the end of the world,” added free safety Joe Conklin, who started in place of still-injured Brett Greenwood. “We have to move on and get ready for Ohio State next week.”
Ohio State will be ready, and they’ll certainly know that the Hawkeyes have an inexperienced young quarterback under center. Johnson-Koulianos expects the Buckeyes to do whatever they can to confuse the youngster, which he knows will make things tougher for the offense.
Until Northwestern came to town, Iowa had passed every test thrown its way. Even as the minutes slowly ticked away against the Wildcats, they firmly believed they would make something happen to pull out another improbable win.
But it didn’t happen, and now comes the true test – can the Hawkeyes, who have believed in the impossible all season, maintain that belief after the rug was pulled out from under them?
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” said Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz. “We’re going to try to get back on our feet and see if we can’t win next weekend. That’s going to be a tough task. We know that already.”
Sunday, November 1, 2009
My Top 25, Nov. 1
No time to do comments this week, but here are the rankings.
Last week ranking after record. Ranking of opponent is AP's ranking from last week.
1. Florida (9-0, #1) - W 41-17 over Georgia
2. Texas (8-0, #2) - W 41-14 over #14 Oklahoma State
3. Alabama (8-0, #3) - OFF
4. Cincinnati (8-0, #4) - W 28-7 over Syracuse
5. TCU (8-0, #6) - W 41-0 over UNLV
6. Iowa (9-0, #9) - W 42-24 over Indiana
7. Boise State (8-0, #7) - W 45-7 over San Jose State
8. Oregon (7-1, #11) - W 47-20 over #5 USC
9. LSU (7-1, #8) - W 42-0 over Tulane
10. Penn State (8-1, #10) - W 34-13 over Northwestern
11. Georgia Tech (8-1, #13) - W 56-31 over Vanderbilt
12. Ohio State (7-2, #16) - W 45-0 over New Mexico State
13. USC (6-2, #5) - L 47-20 to #10 Oregon
14. Miami (6-2, #15) - W 28-27 over Wake Forest
15. Notre Dame (6-2, #21) - W 40-14 over Washington State
16. Houston (7-1, #18) - W 50-43 over Southern Miss
17. Pittsburgh (7-1, #17) OFF
18. Oklahoma State (6-2, #12) - L 41-14 to #3 Texas
19. Utah (7-1, #19) - W 22-10 over Wyoming
20. Oklahoma (5-3, #24) - W 42-30 over Kansas State
21. Arizona (5-2, #22) - OFF
22. Texas Tech (6-3, UR) - W 42-21 over Kansas
23. Cal (6-2, UR) - W 23-21 over Arizona State
24. Wisconsin (6-2, UR) - W 37-0 over Purdue
25. Virginia Tech (5-3, #14) - L 20-17 to North Carolina
Dropped Out - West Virginia, South Carolina, Central Michigan
Last week ranking after record. Ranking of opponent is AP's ranking from last week.
1. Florida (9-0, #1) - W 41-17 over Georgia
2. Texas (8-0, #2) - W 41-14 over #14 Oklahoma State
3. Alabama (8-0, #3) - OFF
4. Cincinnati (8-0, #4) - W 28-7 over Syracuse
5. TCU (8-0, #6) - W 41-0 over UNLV
6. Iowa (9-0, #9) - W 42-24 over Indiana
7. Boise State (8-0, #7) - W 45-7 over San Jose State
8. Oregon (7-1, #11) - W 47-20 over #5 USC
9. LSU (7-1, #8) - W 42-0 over Tulane
10. Penn State (8-1, #10) - W 34-13 over Northwestern
11. Georgia Tech (8-1, #13) - W 56-31 over Vanderbilt
12. Ohio State (7-2, #16) - W 45-0 over New Mexico State
13. USC (6-2, #5) - L 47-20 to #10 Oregon
14. Miami (6-2, #15) - W 28-27 over Wake Forest
15. Notre Dame (6-2, #21) - W 40-14 over Washington State
16. Houston (7-1, #18) - W 50-43 over Southern Miss
17. Pittsburgh (7-1, #17) OFF
18. Oklahoma State (6-2, #12) - L 41-14 to #3 Texas
19. Utah (7-1, #19) - W 22-10 over Wyoming
20. Oklahoma (5-3, #24) - W 42-30 over Kansas State
21. Arizona (5-2, #22) - OFF
22. Texas Tech (6-3, UR) - W 42-21 over Kansas
23. Cal (6-2, UR) - W 23-21 over Arizona State
24. Wisconsin (6-2, UR) - W 37-0 over Purdue
25. Virginia Tech (5-3, #14) - L 20-17 to North Carolina
Dropped Out - West Virginia, South Carolina, Central Michigan
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