Can you feel it in the brisk Iowa air this week? It's a sense of dread, a sense that something is going to go terribly wrong this weekend. A sense that, despite all common sense and logic, somebody is going to do something incredibly stupid.
I know I feel it. I've felt it for weeks, and the feeling just keeps getting stronger. The Penn State Nittany Lions are in full "beg-and-whine" mode, the P.R. machine spinning it's over-sized wheels at a ridiculous rate.
And what that boils down to is simple – Iowa is going to get left out of the BCS come Sunday.
Even if Iowa is doing it's part – and it doesn't appear to be pushing very hard for a bid – previous history of the Hawkeyes' P.R. attempts this season don't exactly inspire confidence. The e-mail sent to the national media after Iowa improved to 9-0 was a sorely misguided attempt to sway national opinion on the Hawkeyes, and that kind of "let me tell you why you are wrong" attitude isn't going to work on bowl reps.
This shouldn't even be an option if the Fiesta, Orange or Sugar Bowl wants a Big Ten team for an at-large spot. Penn State shouldn't even be in the conversation, yet it looks like they've taken it over and now have a leg up on the Hawkeyes.
The fact is, Iowa beat Penn State on JoePa's home turf. Iowa went into Beaver Stadium and for the second straight year knocked off an "elite" Penn State team, yet seemingly everybody outside of Iowa has forgotten that fact.
A head-to-head victory isn't the only determining factor. If Iowa was 8-4 and Penn State was 10-2, Penn State would logically get the bid despite losing to Iowa. But the teams played to a tie in both overall and conference play.
That is a perfect example of when head-to-head should matter most. Everything ended up equal (although Iowa's strength of schedule was tougher), and Iowa beat Penn State.
It seems so easy, but it's just not the way college football works. After all, Penn State is ahead of Iowa in all the human polls.
This is about greed. Whatever bowl has to choose between Iowa and Penn State will see a legendary coach in perhaps his last shot at a BCS game, a team that delivers fantastic TV ratings and a team that is more nationally prominent and relevant.
And no, I'm not talking about Iowa.
Sure, Iowa travels well. The bowls love that. As Iowa's Phil Haddy said this week, they could probably sell out the Fiesta Bowl without sending any fans that currently reside in Iowa, because there are so many transplanted Iowans living in Arizona.
But they play, and win, ugly. Very ugly. Yes, it's exciting for fans, but it's not exactly a big selling point in the eyes of these major bowls. Penn State has blown away teams that Iowa barely could scrape by. They are more explosive and, depending on your viewpoint, more fun to watch.
There's still a chance the Fiesta or Orange Bowl does the right thing and picks Iowa, but it's looking less likely even after potential at-larger's Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh lost last weekend.
I know I don't want to be there Sunday, hearing that I need to pack my bags and head to Orlando come January.
Florida's nice and all, but I'd rather be in Miami. Or Tempe.
Showing posts with label Fiesta Bowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiesta Bowl. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Where Iowa is going bowling and other random thoughts
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.
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.
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.”
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