The Hawk Spot

My Three Sons - or as I like to call it - FERENTZAPALOOZA!!!!

2012-02-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

The pieces keep falling into place. But finally someone from "outside" the program was added to the coaching staff. Well, not really from outside, unless you consider the coaches son to be from "outside". The worst kept secret in Hawkdom is now a reality. Brian Ferentz is now officially an assistant coach at Iowa. He will take the job that Hayden offered to his father 30 years ago.

So how does GoldenHawk feel about all the changes?

Rick Kaczenski leaving was addition by subtraction.

Phil Parker may not be blood-related to Norm Parker, but they are related in terms of their priorities and philosophies. Both men understand that fundamentals determine how good a defense is, so I'm predicting Phil will do just fine but there is one caveat to my prediction. Phil will be working with a defensive coaching staff that is new to their assignments. So a lot is riding on how these new coaches handle their new roles within the organization. Reese Morgan is a smart and proven coach so it's fair to assume the DL will remain a strength under the "new" Parker. Same can be said about Darrell Wilson, who will take over Phil's role as defensive backs coach. LeVar woods is unproven as an Iowa coach, but everything he has shown indicates he will live up to expectations. Overall I like what I see on the defensive side of the ball.

As far as Brian Ferentz goes, he brings many things to the table. Like Woods he is relatively young (Woods and BF were both born in March and will be 34 and 29 very soon) and full of energy and ideas. The two youngest additions to the staff should help in recruiting. But there are some risks with Brian Ferentz. Nepotism can poison any professional environment and Kirk seems to have a blind spot in this area. To this day Kirk and Brian do not see any ethical problem with a millionaire's son taking advantage of a legal loophole and living in taxpayer subsidized housing. Also, there are questions regarding Brian's meteoric rise from lightly recruited high school football player to D-1 starter and NFL assistant.

Overall I think bringing in Brian will be a good thing. But he'll need to have the courage to challenge his father's ultraconservative ways and there are two schools of thought in this area. First, he is in a unique position to be candid with his father when talking about Kirk's blind spots so that's a positive. Second, loyalty often forces men into silence when being outspoken is called for, so that could become a negative. Brian will need to be brutally honest with his father when the time comes for candid discussions on how to improve Iowa's win total. And for those of you saying, "The O-line coach doesn't have two-way communication with the head coach", puhleeze. The father and son connection will transcend their professional relationship and any Hawkeye fan is well aware of that from watching the program when Brian was a student-athlete.

Next season will have some added political intrigue with the Ferentz on Ferentz angle. Kirk will be Brian's boss. Brian will be James' boss. Steve Ferentz will be the pleep with James being his mentor in certain ways.

Once upon a time there was a popular TV show called "My Three Sons". The Hawkeyes will have their own version of that starting in the fall of 2012, with Kirk Ferentz playing the role of Fred MacMurray. Will it be a drama? Will it be a sitcom? Will it be a dramedy? As of right now nobody really knows. Iowa could benefit greatly from this explosion of Ferentz DNA. But if Iowa stumbles toward another 5/6 loss season, the media and fans won't be shy to say, "It looks like the Ferentz family finances are a greater priority than the health of the Hawkeye football program."

Did we finish strong with this football class? Hell yes we finished strong!

2012-02-16T00:19:00.000-08:00

Iowa finished strong during the final lap of the race that included Jan/Feb. January started off with Iowa gaining the commitment of a 4-star Semper Fidelis All-American athlete who hails from PA. They followed that up with a Rivals 3-star O-lineman from IWCC tailor-made to star at the center position. Next came a local RB who also happens to be a Parade All-American. On January 30th Iowa found another diamond in the rough right in its own back yard. The kid reminds me of James Morris only bigger! On that same day Kirk stole a 3-star QB out of SEC country when a TN local flipped from Ole Miss to Iowa. A day later Glenville supplied Iowa with a tall 3-star cornerback. On February 1st the Iowa coaches heeded the recommendation of Mitch Keppy when they acquired the services of another Illinois prospect who has the size to play on either side of the line and the talent to dominate on the wrestling mat. That same day Iowa found itself in the enviable position of hearing the word "yes" from a legacy recruit who fills Iowa's need for a versatile 6'4" athlete who can play multiple positions on both sides of the ball. And finally, Iowa finished off February the same way it started January, by gaining the services of a highly sought-after Semper Fidelis 4-star All-American who happens to reside outside the state of Iowa.

So when you do the math, Iowa gained 10 new recruits while racing down the final stretch. Of those 10, three of them were All-Americans; 6 of them had multiple FBS offers and an equal number of them came from out of state. That is a pretty damn good way to finish off the 2012 recruiting cycle.

ALEX KOZAN 6-4 295 - Highlands Ranch, CO - (ESPN #23 OG/4-stars/79) One of three Semper-Fidelis All-Americans in this class, he had a barrel-full of elite offers and decided to become a Hawkeye. At the end of the recruiting process Auburn started pulling some cyber-shenanigans, orchestrating a disinformation campaign in a vain attempt to convince the kid to come to CHEATER-U. But Alex proved how smart he was by ignoring them. And that intelligence along with his natural physical talents is why Kirk made him a top priority for the Hawkeyes. It will be fun to watch him follow in the footsteps of Reiff and Bulaga on draft day.

GEORGE KREIGER-KITTLE) 6-4/200 - Norman, OK - (Rivals 3-star WR) Kittles father is the former Co-Captain of the 1982 Hawkeye Rose Bowl Team and he is currently the Tight End/OL coach at Oklahoma under Bobby Stoops. Kittle is an athlete with speed and size who has excelled at multiple positions while playing high school football in B-12 country. He reminds me of AJ Derby without the delusions of grandeur. Stoops may have won the Insight Bowl, but Iowa came away with the services of a young man who will help the Hawkeyes beat the Sooners in their bowl rematch in 2015.

REID SEALBY) 6-4/250 - Byron, IL - (Lineman/2-star Diamond-in-the-Rough) Oh I know what you're thinking: FALLBACK RECRUIT! Well this kid has the character and brains that made the Air Force Academy offer him a scholarship. And he has the strength; tenacity and quickness to beat Mitch Keppy on the wrestling mat. If this kid turns out to be another Yanda or Klug don't say I didn't predict great things for him.

SEAN DRAPER) 6-1/180 - Cleveland, OH - (ESPN #41 CB/3-stars/77) You know I read a lot of comments in cyberspace saying Iowa would never get another kid from N.J. because we turned away TEVIN SHAW. Well then explain how we got Draper considering every player we have gotten from Glenville either quit and/or has a sad story to tell. If former Glenville product (and Iowa defensive back) William Lowe doesn't scare away a guy like Draper, who had several D-1 options, then the Tevin Shaw story ain't scaring away any future N.J. recruit.

C.J. BEATHARD) 6-2/180 - Franklin, TN - (ESPN #33 QB/3-stars/79) Can you say "C.J. connects on a 50 yard pass to C.J. Another touchdown for the freshmen QB and the senior tight end!"? Okay okay, I know that CJ to CJ will never happen. But you knew I wasn't going to ignore the chance to invoke their identical initials. We poached a QB from the SEC with impressive bloodlines (grandson of a legendary NFL General Manager). This is a fine catch. If we had poached someone from the MAC then maybe I'd let you complain. But since we didn't, I won't!

NATE MEIER) 6-2/235 - Tabor, IA - (247 ILB/2-star/72) Can you say, "James Morris on steroids!" Because that's who this kid is. And if I'm wrong it's because he is actually Mitch King part deaux! He is OFFICIALLY the sleeper of this group, getting a 2-star rating from everyone. 4 years from now he is the feel-good story of this recruiting class. I know you're hearing he will play RB but don't you believe it. He's going to play on the DL and he is going to be special.

BARKLEY HILL) 6-0/200 - Cedar Falls, IA - (247 RB/3-stars/85) Can you say, "A cautionary tale of two Iowa running backs"? Can you guess who the other one is? That's right, once upon a time Michael Malloy was going to be the Hawkeye running back from within Iowa's borders. But quick as you can say - Adam Robinson - he got busted with drugs and then fell victim to injury. Out with Malloy, in with Parade All American B. Hill. Did I mention that we poached him from Iowa State? Isn't that just the cherry on top of this recruiting tale.

ERIC SIMMONS) 6-3/300 - Council Bluffs, IA - (3-star O-lineman on 247/87 rating) Does the name Brian Bobek rign a bell? He was the kid Iowa needed to create some depth at the center position. As much as I love Conor Boffeli he is not a natural center. Bobek was, and Kirk apparently couldn't handle his son having a little competition at that position. How much you want to bet Simmons red-shirts next season so James gets to finish out his career without ever having to look over his shoulder.

GREG GARMON) 6-2/200 - Erie, PA - (ESPN #23 Athlete/4-star/80) Another Semper Fidelis All-American who happens to hail from the same area as Bob Sanders and Ed Hinkle. He's targeted for running back but he has the natural gifts to play any skill position at Iowa. He and Faith Ekakitie discovered a natural rapport while participating in the Semper Fidelis game together. He may play as a true freshman.

CODY SOKOL) 6-2/205 - Born in Iowa and raised in Arizona - (3-star QB on 247/rating of 80) He had offers from Cincinnati; Maryland and Arizona among others. His connection to Iowa helped Kirk gain his talent. He will red-shirt because Kirk will not open up the QB position to anyone but JVB. He will provide crucial depth after Vandy graduates.

TEVAUN SMITH) 6-1/180 - Toronto Ontario Canada and Kent, CT - (3-star WR) The less heralded of the two Canadians in this class, Tevaun still was a nice catch for Kirk and a valuable tool for Rudock down the road. "Returning at wide receiver is 2011 IFAF World Team MVP, Canadian TEVAUN SMITH, who scored the first ever touchdown conceded by the U.S. U19 national team in all competitions when he returned a kickoff 79 yards to the end zone when the teams met in February 2011. Smith plays at the Kent School in Connecticut (post-graduate prep school) and has helped his team to six straight wins to open the current season." On Feb 2nd 2012 T.S. played in the INTERNATIONAL BOWL (4 catches including a 17 yard TD grab) with Faith Ekakitie and Greg Garmon and acquitted himself very well. I think we'll be hearing all three of those names over the Hawkeye loudspeaker quite a bit in the years to come.

ANTHONY GAIR-MORGAN) 6-2/195 - New Orleans and Plano, TX - (3-star defensive back) Mr. Morgan, oops, I mean Mr. Gair reminds me a lot of Charles Godfrey. Both are the same size, from the same state and have the same versatile athletic talents. Oh, and both were born to play in the NFL.

KEVIN BUFORD) 5-10/175 - Canton, MI - (Scout 3-star DB/#70CB) Boy Buford's stock rose fast after he verballed to Iowa, if you believe the recruiting sights. Funny how switching from Toledo to Iowa changed the respect factor that was his due. Iowa really upgraded its defense with this class and Buford is one of the key components.

FAITH EKAKITIE) 6-3/275 - Ontario, Canada and Lake Forest, IL - (Consensus 4-star and #13 DT according to Scout) Iowa's third Semper Fidelis All-American in this group and quite possibly the brightest gem in a class full of over-looked diamonds. Like most of his fellow class-mates his intelligence is matched by the quality of his character. I just hope that the legend of Coker wakes up the kids in this class to the dangers of wicked women in Iowa City.

DAUMANTAS VENCKUS-CUCCHIARA) 6-4/225 - Weston, FL - (ESPN #146DE/3-star/75) Good God how many name changes and hyphenated last names does this class contain?! I never realized how many high school guys are married or divorced. We can thank Rudock for this future All-Conference Defensive End. He's a pale version of Kenny Iwebema. That's a compliment by the way.

GREG MABIN) 6-2/190 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - (3-star 247 WR/83) This kid didn't have the offers he deserved. But when he got an offer from Iowa he showed how bright he was by jumping on it while it was in front of him. If only Tevin Shaw was his best friend, maybe T.S. would be a Hawkeye right now.

RUBEN "Shoes" LILE) 6-3/200 - Detroit, MI - (consensus 3-star athlete) This kid could land on either side of the ball. Whichever unit he ends up helping is gonna be mighty thankful they have him. He has all the tools of Tyler Sash and Bradley Fletcher combined.

LARON TAYLOR) 6-0/210 - Detroit, MI - (3-star OLB) ESPN actually gives him a better numeric rating than his teammate "Shoes". Building a pipeline to Michigan is necessary if Iowa is going to continue their winning streak over the Wolverines. Taylor and Lile are two pieces of the puzzle needed to beat Hoke and Dantonio. I see Laron as another Edmond Miles.

RYAN WARD) 6-6/270 - New Lenox, IL - (ESPN 4-star/#29OT/79) This Army All-American is the second coming of Bryan Bulaga. Same size; same state; same NFL future complete with Superbowl ring. How do I know? They wouldn't call me GoldenHawk if I didn't have a Golden tongue able to relate the clairvoyant thoughts of my Golden brain.

JALEEL JOHNSON) 6-2/280 - Lombard, IL - (Consensus 4-star DT) Another Adrian Clayborn? Yep. Complete with mouth-punching dark side. He'll get in trouble while in Iowa City, and just when it looks like his time is prematurely over, he will get his act together and go on to star in the NFL. Oh I can't wait for all the message board threads that he'll be the focus of.

CONNOR KORNBRATH) 6-6/210 - Bridgeport, WV - (Scout 3-star/#13 kicker) Anyway we can make this kid a duel threat TE/Kicker? Ahh, never mind. He'll end up an All-Conference punter when it's said and done. Gotta like how Kirk scoured the entire North American continent to fill out this class. And for God's sake stop bitching about all the scholarship kicking specialists on the team. One thing which Kirk has correctly figured out is that Special Teams are crucial for Iowa's quest to be the best.

MAURICE FLEMING) 6-0/180 - Chicago, IL - (ESPN 4-star/#30 athlete/79) This kid helped Iowa's recruiting the same way Marcus Grant helped Iowa last year. Lord please don't let that be an omen for what's to come in 12 months. I want this kid to make an impact at Iowa and our secondary could use his elite talents. If he stays healthy he is another Amari Spievey. And when I say another Spievey I mean an NFL-caliber defensive back, not a kid who struggles with academics.

DREW OTT) 6-4/235 - Giltner, NE - (ESPN #168 DE/3-star/75) Uh, Nebraska will rue the day they let this Parade All-American get away. And if Mike Shoff isn't banging his head against the wall right now, he will be when OTT makes headlines as Iowa defeats the Cornhuskers. Enjoy playing at South Dakota State Mike. Feel free to torture yourself thinking about how OTT made the wise choice while you sat at the poker table bluffing with a pair of threes.

CAMERON WILSON) 6-1/190 - Dublin, OH - (consensus 3-star WR) This kid committed early and never wavered, even when his star was rising and schools like Purdue; Illinois; West Virginia and Boston College came a courting he held firm with his commitment to Iowa. That makes him my second favorite member of this class right next to . . .

MITCH KEPPY) 6-5/280 - Port Byron, IL - (3-star on 247/#70 OG/81 rating) A MAX PREP ALL-AMERICAN and this kid is my favorite in this class, and not just because he is another legacy lineman. His focus was always on being a Hawkeye. But he didn't just want to help himself, he demonstrated how committed he was to the team before he was a member of the team. Read below for more on that.

He comes with a great attitude, too. After the first time Keppy lost to Sealby, Keppy told the Iowa coaches to take a look at Sealby, who ended up signing with the Hawkeyes after a quick courtship.

Keppy could’ve sulked, could’ve kept his head down, but, no, Sealby caught his eye and put a bug in the Iowa coaching staff’s collective ear. That, friends, is an intangible you want.

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So how was it that Iowa recruited so well (9 All-Americans in this class placing them 3rd in the B1G for 2012) after consecutive down years? Click here or take a look at the graphic below and you'll start to figure it out.

Klassic hawKeye Konniption over a lengthy Kozan Kourtship

2012-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

I'm still waiting on this kid to give my final report on the class of 2012. If anyone should be pissed at this kid it should be me. How dare he hold up Goldenhawk from his appointed duties.

Surprisingly, I'm not angry at him. I have no problem with him wanting to take his time. It's his life, he should take the time required to make a decision he is comfortable with.

Below you'll see a typical response from the hammerheads on Hawkeye message boards:

"Hope he comes here but with JD going to Cheezwiz U he's prolly headed to Meechigan." farmerjohnny

That's some powerfully flawed deductive reasoning from your typical internet clown.

Whenever a kid takes his time deciding the various boards light up with people who say, "If he doesn't collapse in orgasmic ecstasy at an Iowa offer it obviously means he doesn't like Iowa and now I don't like him!"

And if they don't say that directly, you can usually see that thought-process in their posts. To this day I can't figure out why so many take the default position that if a kid is "high" on 3 schools - and Iowa is one of the 3 - then he won't be coming to Iowa. Why always assume the negative outcome? When you asked your wife to marry you did you say, "I hope you'll accept my proposal but you probably won't since you have other guys interested in you."

Or did you get your Chuck Norris on and say, "Woman, this is your lucky day, Prince Charming has arrived and I brought a big box of Happily-Ever-After with me. Now put this diamond on your finger and let's jet to Hawaii for some serious honeymooning!"

A Dolphin grabbed my KOK

2012-02-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

It's one thing to lose my Norm, now someone has stole my KOK.

Rick Kaczenski is off to Nebraska to scream at Bo Pelini's players. Norm Parker is off to "Retirement Village" in Florida. Ken O'Keefe is off to the Miami Dolphins as a WR coach.

Who predicted this titanic plate shift back in December? Nobody, though many people, including myself, were either overtly (or in subtle ways) calling for major change and now it has happened.

Why has it happened? Maybe, just maybe, Kirk understands that since 2005 his team has underachieved much more often than it has overachieved. Does he blame himself? Clearly not, he blames his assistants. In public he plays the diplomacy game and heaps praise upon them, which is the correct thing to do. But in private he knows fans are unhappy with his team's overall production and something needed to be done before his head was on the chopping block.

The Hawkeyes better get better than 5-loss seasons now. If they don't, the idiots who've spent 13 years blaming everyone in KF's administration but KF will have no choice but to finger Captain Coward as the culprit who couldn't take advantage of multiple favorable football schedules over the last several years. Remember 2007 and 2008 when Iowa didn't have Michigan OR Ohio State on the schedule? Remember this past season when Iowa had 5 road games against the Cyclones; Nittany Lions; Gophers; Boilermakers and Cornhuskers and managed to lose 80% of those contests?

With the rest of you I'll be crossing my fingers that Kirk finds innovative coaches to implement his predictable schemes. The first test of their creative skills will come when they are asked to overcome the limitations of their boss.

You know, ESPN really doesn't get enough Hawkeye love

2012-02-02T01:21:00.000-08:00

Let's look at the "star breakdown" in the B1G.

OHIO STATE) 25 commits - one 5-star - eleven 4-stars - twelve 3-stars.

MICHIGAN) 25 commits - zero 5-stars - eleven 4-stars - twelve 3-stars.

IOWA) 24 commits - zero 5-stars - six 4-stars - ten 3-stars.

MICHIGAN STATE) 20 commits - zero 5-stars - four 4-stars - thirteen 3-stars.

NEBRASKA) 17 commits - zero 5-stars - four 4-stars - eight 3-stars.

WISCONSIN) 12 commits - zero 5-stars - four 4-stars - five 3-stars.

MINNESOTA) 31 commits - zero 5-stars - three 4-stars - four 3-stars.

PENN STATE) 19 commits - zero 5-stars - two 4-stars - eleven 3-stars.

INDIANA) 25 commits - zero 5-stars - one 4-star - eleven 3-stars.

NORTHWESTERN) 22 commits - zero 5-stars - one 4-star - nine 3-stars.

PURDUE) 25 commits - zero 5-stars - zero 4-stars - thirteen 3-stars.

ILLINOIS) 19 commits - zero 5-stars - zero 4-stars - seven 3-stars.

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There's some interesting symmetry in the various services and how they rate Iowa's class within the B1G.

ESPN has us 3rd.

Scout has us 4th.

247 has us 5th.

Rivals has us 6th.

Cherry Picking

2012-01-31T15:21:00.000-08:00

Lots of interesting stories surfacing at the end of this recruiting cycle.

Iowa had interest in some Glenville boyz. I'm kind of surprised we are going back to that well. I know it's unfair to call the Glenville experiment a failure (see this article for more) but there are other schools in Ohio besides Glenville so I don't know why we are focusing most of our energy on a school that gets lots of hype, but whose players too often fail to live up to the hype machine that surrounds them.

Iowa showed interest in V'Angelo Bentley; Willie Henry; Alex Pace and Sean Draper. We'll get Draper but the others will go somewhere else. We pulled the offer of at least one of them. And speaking of pulling offers, more than a couple kids have found out that waiting till the end to become a Hawkeye is often a mistake. Every year there is a kid who feels Iowa will hold his scholarship and then finds out he should've jumped on the offer shortly after it was extended. Unless you are a 5-star recruit, when a stable program with a history of Bowl success (Iowa has an overall winning Bowl record) offers you a scholarship, you better make up your mind rather quickly. If you don't, you may discover that school has more options than YOU DO!

Kyle Fuller got his act together quickly after he visited Iowa and tried to give them his pledge. Iowa said no to Fuller and he jumped on Baylor's offer when it came shortly after that visit. Fuller was luckier than many.

This year, Mike Shoff was one of the unlucky recruits, and another more recent example would be talented prep TEVIN SHAW. Here's an excerpt from a recent article:

It's part of a numbers game that is played every year around National Signing Day, the day high school football players can officially sign Letters of Intent to a particular school.

This weekend, Tevin Shaw of Piscataway (N.J.) High learned the hard truth, just a few days before his big moment.

He had finally decided on Iowa - a school that offered him a scholarship months ago. But when he let the school know, they let him know all of their scholarships were gone, an answer that left Shaw and his coach, Dan Higgins, in shock.

"I am exasperated by the situation," Higgins said. "He had a better season as a senior than he did as a junior. He isn't hurt. He doesn't have any character issues."

Shaw set new all-time records at Piscataway. He just didn't make up his mind soon enough.

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This episode has some similarities to a previous recruit who also seem destined to be a Hawkeye defensive back.

At 1:00 P.M yesterday afternoon, Marcus Clayton walked in the classroom of Head Coach Shelton Crews, and announced, "Coach, I'm ready to commit to Iowa." After then being lead to the telephone by his coach, Marcus's response from Iowa was not the one he had hoped for. However, now Marcus finds himself with an appointment with the Hawks in attempt to gain answers, and also a couple potential visits with the new schools now knocking on the door.

Marcus Clayton ended up at Syracuse which tanked as a program during Clayton's years while Iowa peaked as a program. It had to be hard for him to watch Iowa succeed and think to himself, "I could have been part of that."

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Tevin Shaw did want to be a Hawk, and he is a talented kid who could help Kirk's program. But Kirk understandably gets antsy with any long courtship. Whenever kids string Iowa along to the very end KF wisely makes sure he has other options. During that process the coaches can develop respect for under-the-radar diamonds who want to be Hawkeyes and KNOW they want to be Hawkeyes. Simultaneously they can lose respect for kids who want to be Hawkeyes, but can't seem to figure out when a good thing is staring them in the face. Mike Shoff and Tevin Shaw might soon find themselves empathizing with Marcus Clayton.

Somewhere Kyle Fuller is smiling.

So you're saying we need to finish strong for this to be considered a good class?!?

2012-01-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

Hate to break the news to the glass-half-empty crowd, but Kirk's latest class is already a success as it stands now. It can only get better with some additions.

Let's check out the All-Americans/Canadians already on board.

DREW OTT PARADE ALL-AMERICAN

SEMPER FIDELIS ALL-AMERICAN: GREG GARMON AND FAITH EKAKITIE

CODY SOKOL NJCAA SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

TEVAUN SMITH ALL-CANADIAN - "Returning at wide receiver is 2011 IFAF World Team MVP, Canadian TEVAUN SMITH, who scored the first ever touchdown conceded by the U.S. U19 national team in all competitions when he returned a kickoff 79 yards to the end zone when the teams met in February 2011. Smith plays at the Kent School in Connecticut (post-graduate prep school) and has helped his team to six straight wins to open the current season."

RYAN WARD US ARMY ALL-AMERICAN

JALEEL JOHNSON OFFENSE/DEFENSE ALL-AMERICAN

BARKLEY HILL PARADE ALL-AMERICAN

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I personally can't wait to give a full write-up on this outstanding class in about a week.

11/9 and 7/6 - The football team and the basketball team are mirror images of each other

2012-01-26T02:42:00.000-08:00

The win/loss percentage is almost identical.

So is this good news or bad news? Actually, it is both.

It's good news because the men's basketball team (coincidentally the women's team is also 11/9 and 3-4 in conference) has clawed itself back to mediocrity.

It's bad news because the football team has taken a dramatic tumble into mediocrity after the 2009 season.

So the two revenue-generating programs are headed in opposite directions.

I like the fire I see from Fran. I'm not as impressed by the gun-chewing befuddled look on Kirk Ferentz' face whenever Iowa can't hold a fourth-quarter lead. I will give Kirk credit in bringing in a nice recruiting class. But last time he did that he struggled to elevate the program with the influx of elite talent. Iowa in fact went thru a terrible period of under-achievement after the 2005 class signed their LOIs. Will that happen after 3 straight years of improved recruiting? I want to say no. Still, I earlier predicted that the Hawks were at the beginning of a 3 year cycle that didn't bode well for the next two seasons. Am I wrong about the next 2 years? I hope so.

Let's take a look at who visited this past weekend

2012-01-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

Jaleel Johnson.

Oh I know, you're all freaked out because of some tweets and a possible visit to MSU. Well don't despair. Next weekend we have a visitor from Glenville (Cleveland, OH) coming to Iowa City. He is a D-lineman named Willie Henry and he has offers from Illinois; Cincinnati; Syracuse and Pittsburgh among others. Oh, and did I mention that his teammate Sean Draper is high on the Hawks?! Finally, let's not forget that Aaron Curry is likely headed our way.

Ruben Lile.

Kid is a stud and brings the right attitude. Under-valued addition.

Ryan Ward.

How do you like that picture of him standing next to Jaleel Johnson. A couple of future All-Americans in black and gold. What's not to like.

Cameron Wilson.

A more talented version of DJK? Yep.

Laron Taylor.

BHGP has been giving him the business. Bad move on their part. Oh don't worry, he'll be a Hawkeye and he'll be a good one.

Ian Thomas.

Some services have him rated as a 4-star recruit. And he's deserving of that ranking. Will he be a Hawkeye? Well we've lost 2 of our 5 Maryland connections in Ferguson and Coker and a third guy, Jim Poggi was part of the Rhabdo-gate mess. But we still have Jordan Lomax and Nico Law to go along with Poggi so let's cross our fingers and hope those 3 Hawks can persuade him.

Drew Ott.

Never hurts to have a Parade All-American join a group of visitors. So if one Parade AA is good, then 2 must be great! Which brings us to our next visitor . . .

Barkley Hill.

Ooh, ahh. Bet you weren't expecting him this weekend. And you've been so distraught over Iowa losing out on David Smith and Akeel Lynch and Albert Reid. Well nothing chases away the blues like a Parade All-American filling that hole.

Tevin Shaw.

Which Tevin would you rather have? Tevin Coleman or Tevin Shaw? If you said Shaw give yourself a pat on the back because you chose the more talented of the 2 recruits. And stop fantasizing that he'll play running back. He will shine as either a CB or Safety. There's only one small problem, grades. Will IWCC be getting another stud via the Hawkeye coaches? I wouldn't bet against it.

Requiem for a Legend

2012-01-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Joe Paterno will soon be standing before St. Peter. If you believe in the afterlife, then justice awaits Joe on the other side of the light. If you don't believe in the afterlife, then Joe lead a charmed life that few can match and justice was dolled out at the end with a quick exit shrouded in shame.

There is no doubt in my mind that generations from now Joe will be revered by the powers that be in the world of sports. This reverence will extend to most of the Nittany Lion faithful and many others outside of that group. But for now and the immediate future JoePa is the living embodiment of a Greek tragedy.

There was nothing in JoePa's life more Holy than attaining the all-time record for number of wins by an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) coach. In addition to being an author/speaker/motivator, Joe Paterno is an intelligent and well read man (don't assume those things always go together, Hitler was also an author/speaker/motivator but he was not intelligent nor well read. And no I am not comparing the two.) Being well read I assume that JoePa was familiar with the German legend of Faust. For those of you unfamiliar with this legend: The meaning of the word and name has been reinterpreted through the ages. Faust, and the adjective faustian, are often used to describe an arrangement in which an ambitious person surrenders moral integrity in order to achieve power and success: the proverbial "deal with the devil".

In my opinion almost every successful person enters into this self-destructive contract. Probably a greater number who are failures attempt to enter into this contract. In the end (IMO) most people will trade their honor and ethics for success so JoePa is not alone in this current tragedy.

Joe Paterno at this moment stands in stark contrast to John Hayden Fry. Hayden's legend has grown in scope and luster since he retired to fight off cancer. Hayden, like all men, had to make many decisions in life that involved a crisis of conscience. Better than you and me, Hayden witnessed true racism and corruption during his decades in the south. Hayden wasn't perfect, but he was a man that exhibited the courage of his convictions on a regular basis. He broke down color barriers. He rewarded character and understood when it was proper to give second chances and when it wasn't. Fry clashed with those who embraced bigotry as well as those who believed in skirting rules set down by the NCAA. Now you've read the extreme idiots who anonymously post in cyberspace that "rule breaking" existed under Fry on par with Ohio State. Those are just the words of morons who enjoy the attention that comes from fooling the lazy and weak-minded into believing they are "insiders" when in fact they are just pot-stirrers.

To return to JoePa, it seems in his twilight years, when his age was supposed to be a guarantor of wisdom, he followed a path more often associated with naive young men blinded by their ambition.

From the article in Sports Illustrated: "His role in elevating Penn State's profile and its endowment - once non-existent, now nearly 2 billion dollars - cannot be exaggerated."

And then this: ". . . Paterno was the benevolent despot. But he was a despot nonetheless. Org chart be damned - unlike Schultz and Curley, Paterno is not classified as a senior staff member - he ran the place . . . "

and it continues " . . . He built this university, he built this town, and everybody knows it." says longtime State College resident Mark Brennan, a journalist who chronicles Penn State athletics. In 2004, Curley and Spanier (school President) visited Paterno at his home to suggest that, at age 77 and after a 3-9 season in 2003 (coincidently Fry voluntarily retired after a 3-8 season, not wanting to impede Iowa's progress), he should retire. Paterno, in effect, told them to get off his lawn. They acceded.

If Paterno was a benevolent despot, did the campus and the players benefit from his morals and knowledge like the athletics department did for half-a-century? Here's a stat from a Hawkeye message board put forth by a Nittany Lion: "As one benchmark, Penn State has had about 81 4 or 5 star recruits since 2002 with 17 leaving before 4 years, or roughly 21%. It's virtually identical to the rate for "not elite" players, though none of them left early for the NFL while 3 of the elite players did."

That's an impressive stat, especially when compared to Iowa's accomplishments during the same time period.
But if you dig a little deeper, maybe Penn State University and local law enforcement tended to protect members of the football team (i.e. ensure their eligibility) knowing what happens to people who interfere with Joe Paterno's goal of becoming the most successful coach in Division 1 history.

To wit:

Former Penn State student disciplinarian Vicky Triponey tells The Wall Street Journal that football players were treated “more favorably than other students accused of violating the community standards as defined by the student code of conduct.”

Triponey, who resigned her post as the university’s standards and conduct officer in 2007, spoke to the newspaper after it obtained a 2005 email from her to then-president Graham Spanier and others in which Triponey expressed her concerns about the disciplinary process as it pertained to football players.

Coach Joe Paterno “is insistent he knows best how to discipline his players … and their status as a student when they commit violations of our standards should NOT be our concern … and I think he was saying we should treat football players different from other students in this regard,” Triponey wrote in a Aug. 12, 2005, email obtained by the newspaper.

“Coach Paterno would rather we NOT inform the public when a football player is found responsible for committing a serious violation of the law and/or our student code,” she wrote in the email, “despite any moral or legal obligation to do so.”

Triponey’s email was written the day after a meeting in which Paterno criticized Triponey for “meddling,” the Journal reported citing two anonymous sources.

In a response to her note, Curley wrote Paterno felt “it should be his call if someone should practice and play in athletics.”

In a statement Monday to the Journal Triponey said: “There were numerous meetings and discussions about specific and pending student discipline cases that involved football players,” which included “demands” to adjust the process for players resulting in them being treated “more favorably than other students accused of violating the community standards as defined by the student code of conduct.”

************************************************

So now that the Joe Paterno era has come to an end, and his legacy tarnished. Future generations will be left to wonder about a few things, like, Why did former D.A. Ray Gricar refuse to prosecute Sandusky when he had the chance, and where did he go when he disappeared in 2005 without a trace, and why was his computer (complete with unrecoverable hard drive due to water damage) found at the bottom of the Susquehanna River? Most importantly they might wonder: Was Joe Paterno's nearly half-century never-to-be-repeated run of success due to the fact that he did things the "right way"? Or was it because everyone (including the current Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett) was afraid to look too closely at the house that Joe built?

Scout and Rivals 4-star recruits since 2002

2012-01-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

The Mexican't shouldn't be bigoted toward Scout, so I'll rectify his shortcomings. The above list includes Rivals 4-stars, but let's add Scout's 4-star players to the equation.

2002, you can add Kyle Schlicher and Nate Chandler. Both graduated.

2003, no additions.

2004, no additions.

2005, add Tyler Blum and Trey (Terry) Stross. Both graduated.

2006, add A.J. Edds and Ryan Donahue. Both graduated.

2007, add Tyler Nielsen, another graduate.

2008, no additions.

2009, no additions.

2010, no additions.

2011, add Darian Cooper and Nico Law. Both are still enrolled at Iowa.
***************************************

So with the adjusted numbers you can say 40 "elite" recruits since 2002 with 14 leaving early (when you count Blum forgoing his final year of eligibility). Not too bad. Interesting that many high-school All-Americans recruited to Iowa weren't given 4/5 stars. Some examples are Seth Olsen; Broderick Binns; and Cody Hundertmark. Of those 3 only Hundertmark left early.

Please don't bother Blair Sanderson; Jon Miller; Rob Howe; Marc Morehouse or Todd Worly with the following question . . .

2012-01-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

. . . "How many kids will Iowa take in this year's class?"

Of course I'm talking football, and of course I'm talking about the question you'll be tempted to ask in June of this year. And you'll be tempted to ask the same question in July, and then again in August; September; October; November and even December.

The brutal truth is those guys don't know the answer. And they don't know the answer because Kirk Ferentz doesn't know the answer. And Kirk doesn't know the answer because NO ONE CAN PREDICT THE SIZE OF THE EXODUS THAT OCCURS EACH YEAR!!!!

Look at these names and ask yourself who predicted their departure: McCall; Coker; Derby; Marcus Grant; Scott Covert; Dan Heiar; John Raymon; DeAndre Johnson; Cotton(?); Reiff (early departure)

Okay Reiff, but even that wasn't a certainty in September. And the list you see above is just a partial list, don't forget that.

Each fall extending into winter Iowa loses a flock of players. You think it was just this year?

But I'll be the first to admit losing a pair of 4-star recruits in Derby and Coker hurts. Especially when Derby is a legacy and Coker had proven himself to be an All B1G player.

So next fall when someone replies to your recruiting question with, "Probably a small number this year. Kirk says 18-20 in this class."

Don't . . . you . . . believe it!

Kirk, nor you, nor I, nor anyone knows how many kids will be in next year's class. Because you can't predict how the delicate egos of young men will react to learning that being the BMOC in high school means nothing when you get to college.

So who were the Fab 4 I talked about on Christmas Eve? (recruiting update!)

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Remember my cryptic message on December 24th? Well you've been patient and deserve some follow-up.

The silent verbals were as follows: Greg Garmon; Cody Sokol; Tevin Shaw and Malik Golden.

Now you're wondering how Golden could be on the list. Well, he gave his verbal (and subsequently welcomed with EJ's tweet) and then felt some intense pressure from PSU and some of their recruits. His chance at becoming a Hawkeye is now 50/50 at best.

In related news, on the 20th these are some of the recruits scheduled to visit Iowa City.

TEVIN SHAW

LARON TAYLOR

IAN THOMAS

RYAN WARD

JALEEL JOHNSON

RUBEN LILE

This makes me physically ill

2012-01-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press reports that the Buckeyes will still receive their share of the Big Ten bowl payout after next season, even though they are ineligible to play in a postseason game. The Big Ten has no rule against ineligible teams receiving a share of the league's payout, which comes from a common pool and is divided equally among the 12 conference teams.

In fact, Ohio State might end up doing better financially in 2012, because schools often spend so much money on travel, tickets and other expenses on their bowl trips that they are lucky just to break even. This time, the Buckeyes can just sit home, incur no expenses and cash the check.

The school's big financial hit actually came at the end of the 2010 season, as Ohio State voluntarily forfeited its $389,000 share of the Big Ten payout as a self-imposed penalty in response to the NCAA investigation.

The Buckeyes are spending more this season on their staff, too, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Urban Meyer officially completed his staff on Thursday, and the nine assistants are making nearly $1 million more than last season's staff. Former head coach Luke Fickell is the highest-paid assistant, making $750,000 as defensive coordinator. Co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers is next at $450,000, and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman will make $420,000.

Time for a program analysis (the rule of 3)

2012-01-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Well for the second season in a row Iowa under-performed relative to the talent on the roster.

2009 = 2 losses

2010 = 5 losses

2011 = 6 losses

Hmmmmmmmm. Not exactly the trend we were all hoping for after winning our first BCS game in half a century.

There is a pattern being established under Kirk Ferentz I call THE RULE OF 3. Depending on your expectation level this trend is either very disturbing or very pleasant. Before we get into that let me explain the RULE OF 3.

Under Lt. Kirk (he's been demoted from Captain) Iowa tends to have "clumps" of success or failure. These "clumps" come in 3-year cycles. And the degree to which success or failure can be quantified varies. Let's start at the beginning.

1999-2000-2001: The hopeful failure.

Many Hawkeyes actually recall this time with fond memories. They remember the hope that surrounded their expectations. Iowa was getting better each year so the fanbase was hopeful that 2002 might be a breakthrough year. In fact 2002 was a significant breakthrough. But I still regard this period as a failure. Why? Simple numbers. Our best season still earned us 5 losses. Also, we lost to Iowa State all three years. But most importantly I believe Kirk was experiencing on the job training during this period. Because of this truth and the fact many (incorrectly) believe that Iowa only possessed the talent to win 1 game in 1999 and 3 games in 2000 Kirk is consistently given a pass by most fans and almost everyone in the media. Now in 2001 Iowa did win a bowl game so it can be argued that this period only contained 2 unimpressive years. I feel differently but am willing to concede that Iowa's only major failing in 2001 was losing to the Cyclones.

2002-2003-2004: Spectacular breakthrough.

In 2002 Iowa went undefeated in conference, something that hadn't occurred since the 1920's. In the process of doing this Iowa set a record for most conference wins in a season. In 2003 Iowa demolished an SEC team named Florida. Anytime you crush Florida it is reason to be jubilant, even if that team is coached by Ron Zook. In 2004 Iowa did the impossible. Unlike 2002 when Iowa had Jermelle Lewis and Fred Russell to tote the rock, in 2004 they had extreme bad luck at the RB position and were left with Sam Brownlee as their leading rusher. Despite this profound handicap Iowa shared a B1G title and beat an LSU team coming off a national championship season in the Cap 1 Bowl. This period Iowa truly over-achieved under Kirk Ferentz and this time period made Kirk "untouchable" in several ways. Because of this three year period Kirk Ferentz would never again have to worry about money. He still could lose his job someday but he would never again have to worry about how to care for himself or his family.

2005-2006-2007: Blowing the "capital" earned during the previous cycle.

Coming off a 10-2 season that included a thrilling last second 2005 Capital One Bowl victory over LSU, expectations were high. With the return of first-team All-Big Ten quarterback Drew Tate, the Hawkeyes were considered national title contenders by some publications. Indeed, the addition of a running game (which the Hawkeyes lacked in 2004 due to injuries) was thought to make Iowa even stronger. The Hawkeyes entered the season ranked 11th, their highest preseason ranking in two decades. Not to mention they were riding an 8 game win streak. And best of all, that trilogy of exciting years had lead to Iowa's first elite recruiting class under Kirk Ferentz (though it can be argued that 2001 was in fact his first stellar class when using hind-sight). Iowa's 2005 recruiting class was ranked 8th by at least one service, which had a nice symmetry with Iowa's end-of-season 8th place ranking for 02, 03 and 04. This was the crucial point where I learned that recruiting rankings reflect previous years success', instead of being a predictor of future success like most people errantly believe. I will post an article on this very topic regarding inverted logic in the next 30 days.

In 2005 Iowa started the season with a 56-0 shellacking of Ball State and as a result moved themselves up to 8th (sound familiar?) in the rankings. The next week they played Danny Mac's Cyclone team and were crushed 23-3 (that also should sound familiar). After that game Iowa would remain unranked for the remainder of the season. There is a legitimate caveat to the 2005 season. Never before or since have I seen 2 games more badly officiated. During Iowa's games with Michigan and Florida the referees were obviously under pressure to insure the outcome of those contests conformed to the expectations. And despite Iowa's success in 2002-2004 the Hawkeyes were still regarded as a program that should lose to elite programs like Florida and Michigan. And who exactly were the people who felt this way? The referees owned by the sports-industrial-complex, that's who.

In 2006, despite Iowa's collapse in 05, Iowa was again ranked in the preseason. Thanks to the good will Iowa had built in previous seasons Iowa was ranked 17th to start the year. They would climb as high as 13th before an even more profound collapse than the one they had experienced in 05. When it was all said and done Kirk would experience his first losing season since 2000. And he would do it with a senior QB in addition to the elite 05 recruiting class having a year under its belt.

In 2007 the wheels finally came off and Kirk's flaws were exposed to everyone. Iowa was not ranked in the pre-season so the Hawkeyes weren't burdened with a target on their back like they had been in previous years. But the Hawk fanbase still had high expectations because for the first time under Lt. Ferentz Iowa had an "elite 11" QB at the helm. A kid with good bloodlines who was composed and liked by his teammates. Iowa had stolen Jake Christensen out of the state of Illinois during the transition period when Zook was coming on board the Illinois disaster train. Unlike Drew Tate who was slight of build, J.C. was built like a fullback. Unfortunately he also threw the football like a fullback. Half way thru the 2007 season Iowa was 2-4 and yet Kirk Ferentz would not give up on the J.C. experiment. The Hawkeye fanbase still was engaged in an unseemly love affair with KF so instead of recognizing his stubbornness they attributed the terrible decisions regarding the offense to Ken O'Keefe. Many fans to this day refuse to ackowledge that KOK is the vessel thru which KF works his offensive desires. And Kirk's offense is definitely offensive most years and he should get the blame instead of his subordinate who only collects a paycheck at the request of Ferentz. Now to be fair the defense struggled at times during the 2007 season. But it was the offense lead by Jake that failed to carry any water when the chips were down. At the end of the season Iowa still had an excellent chance of attending a Bowl game if it beat Western Michigan. Iowa lost the game along with its chance at a Bowl game and that should've put an end to Jake's career as the starter.

But it didn't.

2008-2009-2010: Resurgence of expectations.

In 2008 Iowa won 9 games and crushed Steve Spurrier's South Carolina team in the Outback Bowl, finishing 20th in the rankings. But despite that team having a Doak Walker award winner complimented by several future NFL draft picks who also happened to be on their way to setting all sorts of team records, the Hawkeyes lost to the Panthers; Wildcats and Spartans in successive games. It can be fairly argued that if Stanzi had been the starter from the beginning of that season Iowa might not have ended with 4 losses. One of which was to Ron Zook's Illinois team which finished 5-7 that year.

In 2009 the ball bounced Iowa's way for the first time in a long time. They opened the season ranked 22nd mainly due to their dominance in the Outback Bowl game. If Iowa hadn't taken their foot off the pedal against South Carolina they might have been ranked higher than 22nd to start the season. Iowa needed to prove itself in their first game of the season to remain a ranked team. They won the game but fell out of the rankings when they barely skated by Northern Iowa, needing 2 successive miracles in the final seconds of that game. Seemingly no one could alter Iowa's good luck in 2009 except Iowa. And that's exactly what happened. The Hawkeyes got cute deep in Northwestern's territory and instead of bullying the Wildcats like they had under Hayden Fry they got bullied. Stanzi had given Iowa the lead early in that game when KOK called for a naked roll out that resulted in Stanzi getting hurt. Vandenberg took over and looked lost. Northwestern came back and made sure that "lost" wasn't just a look, but a dream-season-end-result. Iowa would go on to win in the Orange Bowl and finish the season ranked in the Top 10, but you couldn't help but entertain the "what if" that surrounded Stanzi's injury. Still, everyone was ecstatic with 2009 and for good reason. Iowa had never before started a season 9-0 and it had been half a century since Iowa had won a BCS-caliber Bowl.

In 2010 Iowa started the season ranked in the Top 10 and finished the season unranked. Despite that harsh reality 2010 was a success because Iowa defeated a ranked team in their Bowl game. And not just any team, the very same Missouri program which had stabbed Iowa in the back years earlier when they cowardly backed out of their multi-game commitment at the last minute. Having said all that Iowa possessed the talent to duplicate their accomplishments in 2009 but instead lost 5 games, all closely contested. The losses to Wisky and Minny were embarrassing considering how they did it. Kirk was completely out-coached in both games despite having superior on-the-field talent.

2011-2012-2013: "Mediocrity is our friend."

In 2011 Iowa again finished 4-4 in conference but still managed to win less games than they did in 2010. Some of the losses really exposed Lt. Kirk as someone completely devoid of outside-the-box thinking (Minnesota times 2 anyone?). Kirk Ferentz is not an innovator. In fact he would be the first to tell you that. That truth is his achilles heel. Kirk doesn't understand that greatness doesn't come just from excellence in execution. True excellence comes from execution mixed with innovation. When Iowa played Pittsburgh they were forced against their will to improvise and the team rose to the occasion and experienced the greatest comeback in Hawkeye history. Kirk Ferentz learned nothing from this experience. He failed to see that mixing things up can throw your opponent off their game. This willful blindness is exactly why Kirk struggles against coaches willing to think outside the box. If Kirk only lost to coaches who understood "the emotion equation" (think ISU/NW/Minn) then Iowa would finish most seasons with 9 or more victories. But Kirk is flustered by innovators and screamers. His record at Iowa is 96-66, which is not a record that would normally command a salary that is Top 5 in the nation. But Kirk has been brilliant at 2 things. The first is exceeding expectations whenever they are low. The second, and more important, is to drive expectations down thereby creating the conditions in which he garners praise and can extort an irrational paycheck from his employer.

In 2012 Iowa will enter the season with low expectations and find a way to win 8 games.

In 2013 Iowa will again enter the season with low expectations and win 9 games. The fans will continue to be split among the Alford drunks who bought into Steve's proclamation that Iowa had a "record number of consecutive winning seasons" under his tutelage. In fact Alford set Iowa basketball back a decade. Kirk Ferentz hasn't done that. But unless he is forced outside his comfort zone, he could make that his legacy before he is done.

Commitment is SEXY!

2012-01-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the verbals we know.

1) Conner Kornbrath (Scout 3-star) - WV

2) Tevaun Smith (Scout 3-star) - CANADA

3) Cody Sokol - Juco (Rivals 3-star) - IA/AZ

4) Daumantus Venckus (ESPN 3-star) - FL

5) Greg Mabin (Rivals 3-star) - FL

6) Kevin Buford (Scout 3-star) - MI

7) Laron Taylor (ESPN 3-star) - MI

8) Mitchell Keppy (Scout 3-star) - IL

9) Drew Ott (Rivals 3-star) - NE

10) Anthony Morgan (unanimous 3-star) - TX

11) Ruben Lile (unanimous 3-star) - MI

12) Cameron Wilson (unanimous 3-star) - OH

13) Maurice Fleming (ESPN 4-star) - IL

14) Ryan Ward (Rivals 4-star) - IL

15) Greg Garmon (unanimous 4-star) - PA

16) Faith Ekakitie (unanimous 4-star) -CANADA

17) Jaleel Johnson (unanimous 4-star) - IL
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Okay, 17 known commits.

So who do we NOT know about?

18) We can add Malik Golden (Scout 3-star) - CT

19) Tevin Shaw (Scout 3-star) - NJ

20) Michael Flint (ESPN 4-star) - AL

21) Nathanael Lohn (247 4-star) - MO

22) Eric Williams (Rivals 3-star) - OH

23) Ian Thomas (247 4-star) - MD
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Now I did predict 22 signees a while back. So the above list is a combination of my wishes tempered with reality. 23 is now the number in an ever changing sea of tumult. I'm hoping we take 2 QBs but we might not if Kirk can't get the right kid.

Let's take a look at one of my predictions that was off.

2012-01-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Go here and read what I had to say.

Yep, I predicted 6-4 for the B1G this bowl season. If I just would've inverted the numbers I would look like a genius right now.

Iowa = I was right.

Northwestern = I was right. (I think they will eventually surpass Notre Dame's consecutive bowl-loss record)

Illinois = I was right.

Penn State = I was wrong. I should've seen this coming. Their program is in free-fall and I have no excuse for fucking this one up.

Michigan State = I was right.

Nebraska = I was right. Iowa REALLY needs to beat Bo Pelini. The HAWKEYES will be hurt if Nebraska dominates this series. It's early so that is still to be determined. I will touch on this subject more with my "season analysis" after the Bowls have completed.

Ohio State = I was wrong. I'm not too sad about being wrong with this prediction. I want the Buckeye program to experience what Penn State is going thru. O$U is corrupt to its very core; WORSE than PSU by a sizable margin.

Wisconsin = I was right.

Michigan = I was right. One of the few bright spots this past season is that we beat a good Michigan team.
********************************************************

So is the B1G sexy like I said? Nope! Our conference has been a giant fail in bowl-games this century. I know there are lots of reasons (excuses) why the B1G struggles seemingly every bowl season. But the simple truth is football is a sport. And in sports (as in life) moral victories get you zero trophies and an equal amount of respect. Hey, I don't make the rules, I just lament them.

GoldenHawk is BACK . . .

2012-01-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

. . . from vacation.

So let's look at one of my predictions.

I predicted Iowa would lose to Oklahoma 34-20, a 14 point margin.

Actual score? 31-14, a 17 point margin. Not too bad considering some of the other predictions that were out there (I'm looking at you CFN). Would Iowa have won with Coker in the line-up? No, but we might not have spent the first 3 quarters with a big ZERO on the scoreboard.

So what happened? Stoops is a better coach than Kirk, that's what happened. Yes, I could make excuses about Coker's absence but Oklahoma had more key players missing and they just kept right on rolling. Now I know you're thinking "what about Oklahoma being ranked number 1 in the pre-season?" Yes they fell short this year. But Iowa went from BCS bowl-winner to consecutive years struggling for a winning season. So Iowa (KF) would LOVE to have Oklahoma's "struggles".

The good news: Iowa's defense came to play against Oklahoma. And McNutt tied or broke just about every Hawkeye receiving record!

The bad news: Brad Rogers got only 2 carries. Since Rogers is the running back most like Coker this coaching decision was a bad one. And I'm not saying Canzeri doesn't have a bright future in the backfield, he most definitely does. But lightning is more intimidating when accompanied by THUNDER.

The ugly news: Iowa's offense did not show up against Oklahoma. Oh sure, Oklahoma has a great defense, but with all the offensive firepower Iowa was blessed with this year 2011 will be remembered for what KOK didn't accomplish. BAU, I know.

In a few days I will post a critique of the season that includes some analysis of Kirk Ferentz.

CFN says Oklahoma 44 - Iowa 20

2011-12-30T03:48:00.000-08:00

So does Iowa have the horses to run with Oklahoma? Surprisingly the answer is yes. Unless you count coaching. Oklahoma's players are not head and shoulders above Iowa. But Captain Coward thinks football is a game that rewards likability. It isn't. Football is a mean, nasty, brutish game played by Gladiators whose excellence is determined by their ability to be ruthless. Iowa's players are handicapped by a man who has no idea what it means to go for the jugular. Without that killer instinct Iowa will always under-achieve relative to the talent on the roster. Iowa has a 5-star TE. An all B1G running back (suspended) and wide-receiver and has at least 2 draft picks on the offensive line. Iowa also has a QB who gets better the more the coaches allow him to improvise. Sadly Iowa will not innovate with its game plan and Oklahoma will win 34-20. And Captain Coward will look feckless against the guy who most fans wanted back in 1999.

The Hawkeyes average 28.7 points per game on offense.

The Sooners average 40.3 (ouch!)

On defense Iowa averages 23.3/game.

On defense Oklahoma averages 22.8 (crap, another win for Stoops)

Vandy PE rating = 142.7

Landry Jones PE rating = 142.4

Iowa's leading rusher Coker (suspended) = 1384 yards and 15 TDs (Canzeri and Rogers should split the carries in this game, but the head coach will probably outsmart himself with some other arrangement).

Oklahoma's leading rusher Dominique Whaley has 627 yards and 9 TDs on the season but is out with an injury.

McNutt is the Hawkeyes leading WR with 1269 yards and 12 TDs.

Ryan Broyles is the leading WR for the Sooners with 1157 yards and 10 TDs but he is out with an injury.

Iowa's starting TE is CJ and he has 12 catches for 144 yards and 2 TDs.

The TE for the Sooners is James Hanna with 25 catches for 363 yards and 2 TDs.

Tony Jefferson leads the Sooners with 4 interceptions and 16 return yards for no TDs.

Tanner Miller leads the Hawkeyes with 3 interceptions and 114 return yards and 1 touchdown.
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So what can Iowa do to win this game? Well the Sooners defense struggles with the spread offense but Kirk doesn't know how to adapt to another team's weakness so you can scratch that idea. Iowa's only chance at winning is to first have an 80/20 split between Rogers/Canzeri at the RB position. But the real weapon that needs to be unleashed is the long bomb. The third thing Iowa needs to do is adopt a "take-a-risk" game-plan that includes fake punts and onside kicks. If Iowa can do the aforementioned things and Kirk can resist his idiotic "field position" mentality Iowa will have a chance. If Kirk does what everyone expects and stubbornly clings to an offensive scheme that includes no "outside-the-box" thinking and a defense that eschews the blitz in favor of "bend-until-you-break" then the Hawkeyes are phucked. In other words, we're phucked!!!!

Iowa Hawkeyes

Player		Injury	Status/Updated	Notes
Brandon Scherff	OL	Undisclosed	Prob Fri - 12/29/11	Scherff did not play in Week 13 against Nebraska due to an undisclosed injury but is expected to play in the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma on Friday.
Nolan MacMillan	OL	Hernia	Doub Fri - 12/29/11	MacMillan has not played since Week 2 against Iowa State due to a sports hernia and is expected to miss the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma on Friday.
Marcus Coker	RB	Suspension	Out Fri - 12/24/11	Coker will miss the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma on Friday after being suspended for reasons related to his conduct.
Mika'il McCall	RB	Suspension	out for season - 12/22/11	McCall was suspended for Week 13 against Nebraska for violating team rules and his suspension will continue for the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma on December 30th.
Dominic Alvis	DL	Knee	out for season - 11/17/11	Alvis suffered a torn ACL against Michigan in Week 10 and will miss the remainder of the season as a result.
Shane DiBona	LB	Achilles	out for season - 10/19/11	DiBona will miss the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury. He sustained the injury during preseason practice and has already undergone successful surgery.

Oklahoma Sooners

Player		Injury	Status/Updated	Notes
Roy Finch	RB	Poss. Suspension	Prob Fri - 12/22/11	Finch was cited for property damage on December 8th but is expected to be available for the Insight Bowl against Iowa on December 30th as he could face team discipline.
Jimmy Stevens	K	Quadricep	Ques Fri - 12/24/11	Stevens has not played since Week 4 against Missouri due to a quad injury and remains questionable for the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday.
Aaron Ripkowski	FB	Back	Doub Fri - 12/24/11	Ripkowski is not expected to play in the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday because of a back injury.
Brandon Williams	RB	Neck	Doub Fri - 12/24/11	Williams is nursing a neck injury and is expected to miss the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday.
Jaz Reynolds	WR	Kidney	Doub Fri - 12/24/11	Reynolds has been hospitalized due to a kidney injury and is expected to miss the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday.
Stephen Good	OL	Personal	Doub Fri - 12/24/11	Good has been dealing with legal issues but is expected to be available for the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday.
Ronnell Lewis	DE	Academics	Doub Fri - 12/24/11	Lewis is not expected to play in the Insight Bowl against Iowa on Friday due to academic issues.
Ryan Broyles	WR	Knee	out for season - 11/9/11	Broyles tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 10 against Texas A&M and will miss the remainder of the season as a result.
Dominique Whaley	RB	Ankle	out for season - 10/30/11	Whaley will likely miss the remainder of the season after breaking his left ankle during the first play in Week 9 against Kansas State.
Austin Haywood	TE	Personal	out for season - 10/29/11	Haywood will miss the remainder of the season due to a personal matter.

Congrats to Purdue. B1G will have a rare Bowl-winning record this season. BOOK IT!

2011-12-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

B1G is on their way back to being SEXY!

Since 2000, the Big Ten has gone 30-46 in bowl games (a 39.4 winning percentage) and has enjoyed a winning record in only two of 11 seasons. Its high watermark was a 5-2 record in 2002, when the Buckeyes defeated Miami 31-24 in double overtime in the Fiesta Bowl to win their first national championship in 34 years.

That will all change this year.

Purdue = win over Western Michigan in the Pizza Bowl (lest I remind you that Western Michigan has beaten Iowa and Illinois in recent years).

Iowa = loss to Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl.

Northwestern = loss to Texas A&M in the Car Care Bowl.

Illinois = win against UCLA in the Kraft Bowl.

Penn State = win over Houston in the Ticket City Bowl.

Michigan State = win over Georgia in the Outback Bowl.

Nebraska = loss to South Carolina in the Cap 1 Bowl.

Ohio State = win over Florida in the Gator Bowl.

Wisconsin = loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan = win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

There you have it. 6 and 4 and the B1G's first bowl-winning season in years. THE RESPECT IS BACK!!!! Okay, maybe it's not back, but it's on its way back.

We HAWKEYE fans need to be grateful to Santa Claus for what he has given us

2011-12-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

So what are the presents Santa delivered to us this year?

Hmmmmm?

A Basketball program that looks to be headed in the right direction for the first time in a decade!

For those of you who wanted a wrestling program that returned to the days of Dan Gable Glory Santa gave you the Brands brothers! (previous Christmas but it still counts as it is the gift that keeps on giving)

For all those who wanted Hawkeye football to be better in 2012 than it was in 2011 Santa gave you a football recruiting class that looks to be the best since 2005!

For all you cyber-bitchers who have wanted a new coordinator for over a decade Santa chose to give you one! (the wrong one)

For all those who want Pelini fired (me included) Santa gave the Huskers Kaczenski!

For all those who complained about Coker hogging all the carries, guess what, he won't be doing that this bowl season!

For all those who wanted Iowa skill players on par with Michigan and Ohio State, Santa gave you Davis/McNutt/Coker/Vandy/CJ - a fearsome fivesome! (completely mismanaged by Captain Coward)

For all those who wanted O-L-I-O to get a little justice (me included) Santa gave them a bowl ban, a scholarship reduction and probation extension.

For all those who wanted Iowa to go to a better bowl game than Penn State Santa gave you a JoePa scandal that will help Iowa continue its (overall) dominance of the Nittany Lions!

For all those who wanted Minnesota to continue their struggles Santa gave the Gophers Jerry Kill.

For all those who wanted a win over Northwestern Santa gave the Hawks a victory.

For all those who wanted a record-setting third win over the Wolverines Santa gave you just that in 2011!

For all those who wanted Kirk to get an extension and raise in the off-season (not me) Santa has already delivered that, and Barta will open that package in a few months!

And of course you wanted a Dalmatian puppy along with a busty, gift-wrapped blond under the tree and Santa was only too happy to oblige you!

A Christmas present for GoldenHawk's loyal readers.

2011-12-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

This silent night we have four silent commits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I'll confirm them one by one as they reveal themselves over the coming weeks. Enjoy your Christmas Eve.

WE MADE THE TOP 50!

2011-12-23T23:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm over-reacting. But CFN has rated Iowa's 2 BCS Bowls at #41 and #39. How the hell they rated the 2003 Orange Bowl ahead of 2010 I will never know?!

39. 2003 Orange Bowl
No. 4 USC 38 ... No. 5 Iowa 17
Iowa started the game off with a bang as C.J. Jones took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Then Carson Palmer and the running game took over as the Trojans on a 38-3 run. Justin Fargas scored on touchdown runs of four and fifty yards, and Sultan McCullough and Sunny Byrd each ran for scores. Mike Williams added an 18-yard touchdown catch. Iowa's Nate Kaeding kicked a 35-yard field goal, but his field goal attempt at the end of the first half was blocked. Iowa scored a garbage time touchdown on an 18-yard touchdown pass with :34 to play.
Player of the Game: USC QB Carson Palmer completed 21-of-31 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders Iowa - Passing: Brad Banks, 15-36, 204 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Fred Russell, 9-45. Receiving: Dallas Clark, 4-97
USC - Passing: Carson Palmer, 21-31, 303 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Justin Fargas, 20-122, 2 TD. Receiving: Mike Williams, 6-99, 1 TD
*****************************************************************
41. 2010 Orange Bowl
No. 10 Iowa 24 … No. 9 Georgia Tech 14
Iowa held Georgia Tech’s high-powered rushing attack to 143 yards, and allowed just 155 total yards, but it wasn’t until Brandon Wegher tore off a 32-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes to play to put the game away. The Hawkeyes got off to a hot start with Ricky Stanzi connecting with Marvin McNutt from four yards out and with Colin Sandeman from 21 yards away for a 14-0 lead, but just when it seemed like they were going to put the game well out of reach, Stanzi was picked off by Jerrard Tarrant, who took the pass 40 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter. Down 17-7 to open the second half, Tech went on an 11-play, 71-yard drive culminating in a one yard Anthony Allen touchdown run, but penalties, a key late interception from Iowa’s Tyler Sash, and poor field position ended the Tech momentum. Tech QB Josh Nesbitt completed just 2-of-9 passes for 12 yards.
Player of the Game: Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn made nine tackles, all solo, with two sacks.
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech: Passing: Josh Nesbitt, 2-9, 12 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Dwyer, 14-49, Receiving: Jonathan Dwyer, 2-12
Iowa: Passing: Ricky Stanzi, 17-29, 231 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Wegher, 16-113, 1 TD, Receiving: Tony Moeaki, 4-85

GENE SMITH = TIM CURLEY

2011-12-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Here's what Smith said in response to OSU's NCAA punishment:

“We are surprised and disappointed with the NCAA’s decision. However, we have decided not to appeal the decision because we need to move forward as an institution. We recognize that this is a challenging time in intercollegiate athletics. Institutions of higher education must move to higher ground, and Ohio State embraces its leadership responsibilities and affirms its long-standing commitment to excellence in education and integrity in all it does.

“My primary concern, as always, is for our students, and this decision punishes future students for the actions of others in the past. Knowing our student-athletes, however, I have no doubt in their capacity to turn this into something positive — for themselves and for the institution. I am grateful to our entire Buckeye community for their continued support.

"All of us at Ohio State are determined to ensure that our compliance programs and protocols are best in class. We will assume a leadership role in representing our university and its values.

“It is important to remember that Ohio State has one of the nation’s largest self supporting athletics programs, with students succeeding both in competition and in the classroom. We have more than 1,000 students who compete in 36 intercollegiate sports, and the overall grade-point average of our student-athletes is just over 3.0. During the last two years, the University has had more student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team than any other school. Further, Ohio State finished second in last year’s Directors’ Cup, which recognizes the best athletics programs in the country.”

THANK YOU George Raveling

2011-12-20T01:06:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time Iowa recruited some of the best basketball players in the USA. That time was over a generation ago, but I remember it as if it was only a quarter of a century in the past. Names like Ed Horton; BJ Armstrong and Roy Marble. And thank god Roy Marble wasn't gay and chose to have children. In fact if this season isn't a total disaster (only a partial disaster) it will be because of legacies like Mike Gatens and Roy Marble Junior. I don't think Junior is part of his name but he isn't writing this blog so he is "Junior" as far as I'm concerned. And let's not forget the awesome transformation Darius Stokes (son of Greg Stokes) will likely go thru sometime in 2012. Hopefully early 2012 so Iowa can avoid looking like a joke in B1G play.

Am I feeling optimistic that Iowa will get it turned around this season? No, we're gonna suck and suck hard. But there are glimmers of what this team can become once next year's freshmen arrive on campus. Some of the building blocks are in place and next year some badly needed additional blocks will be added. So if Fran learned anything in kindergarten it is that if you assemble little wooden blocks correctly you can create a pyramid and then climb up that pyramid and jump off with a basketball and bang your head on a basketball hoop right before you dunk the ball and score the winning points. At least that's what a drunken dream told me after I lost $10,000 betting on this year's team.

Oh and by the way, Iowa crushed the "Duke" of the Southland conference tonight 105-64. Check the stats below.

IOWA

STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Eric May, G-F 23 3-4 2-2 2-2 1 1 2 3 0 1 0 10
Melsahn Basabe, F 13 6-9 0-0 2-3 1 9 0 2 1 0 2 14
Matt Gatens, G 22 5-9 1-4 0-0 1 5 5 2 0 3 2 11
Roy Devyn Marble, G-F 23 5-8 0-0 9-10 2 3 6 1 0 1 0 19
Zach McCabe, F 13 3-7 0-1 2-2 4 8 1 0 0 0 3 8
BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Andrew Brommer, F 15 0-2 0-0 1-4 1 5 1 0 0 0 1 1
Bryce Cartwright, G 17 1-6 0-0 0-0 2 3 8 2 0 3 0 2
Devon Archie, F 4 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Cody Cox, F 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Darius Stokes, F 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 4 1 0 0 1 2 0
Branden Stubbs, G 6 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 3 0 0 1 1 2
Kyle Denning, G 3 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2
Steven McCarty, G 4 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Josh Oglesby, G 17 4-6 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 9
Gabriel Olaseni, C 9 4-5 0-0 0-0 1 2 1 0 3 0 1 8
Aaron White, F 21 8-13 1-3 0-0 3 5 2 2 2 1 1 17
Christopher Rickert, NA 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
42-76 5-13 16-21 16 50 32 12 7 14 15 105
55.3% 38.5% 76.2%
***********************************************

CENTRAL ARKANSAS

STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Jarvis Garner, F 9 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 1 3 2
Anthony Borden, C 10 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 0
Ryan Williams, G 14 1-6 0-2 3-4 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 5
LaQuentin Miles, G-F 26 5-13 0-0 2-3 0 0 3 1 0 2 1 12
Mark Rutledge, G-F 24 1-4 1-1 1-2 0 4 3 0 0 2 0 4
BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Robert Crawford, G 4 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
Dewan Clayborn, G 18 6-8 6-8 0-0 1 1 1 0 0 2 1 18
Chris Henson, F 14 2-6 0-2 0-0 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 4
Terry Tidwell, F 6 0-1 0-0 1-2 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1
Jordan Harks, F 32 4-13 0-1 0-0 7 15 2 1 1 3 3 8
Carlin Bremner, G 13 1-8 1-3 0-0 1 2 1 2 0 0 0 3
Lenell Brown, G 7 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0
Oliver Wells, NA 17 2-6 0-1 3-3 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 7
Joe Harris, NA 6 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
23-73 8-19 10-14 13 31 15 8 2 19 17 64
31.5% 42.1% 71.4%