I’d imagine most of the Iowa State players will play in its bowl game. On the flip side, I see Miami being gutted for the game. Transfer portal, leaving for the draft, sitting out cuz they’re pissed they didn’t make the playoffs, and an overall lack of interest in playing Iowa State (take a look at social media… there’s absolutely zero buzz out of Miami or its fans about playing ISU). That said, I see Iowa State winning this one big.

Wondering the same about Iowa - Missouri. Neither really had a chance at the playoffs, so other than a few star players (KJ, etc), I’m thinking a lot of starters will play. Or no? I’ll say Iowa by 4.

It's de ja vu all over again. The Hawkeye WR room has been a national laughing stock for more than 5 years now. While players and coaches have come and gone, the lack of talent at the WR position remains

Bostick. When hyped but unproven WR Jacob Bostick announced he was leaving Iowa and transferring to talent rich Texas A&M after receiving big $, fans were left scratching their heads. Did A&M see something in the guy that Ferentz never did? After all, the guy had high expectations going into last season, yet finished the year with ZERO receptions. It turns out, after six games in the SEC, Bostick has a grand total of...ONE catch for 14 yards. It came at the end of a blowout win against an FCS school. Bostick likely would have had his union card at Iowa by now and been starting this year.

Vines. What about Iowa's other WR to jump ship after last season, Diante Vines? Vines played way more than he should have last year with mixed results. He had 12 catches for the Hawks and something like 14 drops. Like Deacon Hill, Vines realized he had no business playing Big 10 football and ultimately transferred down a level to Old Dominion. This year, Vines has 20 catches for 190 yards. He too would likely be starting for the Hawks this year.

Kasper. Then there's Kyler Kasper. The 4 star legacy recruit had Iowa in his final 2 schools out of high school. He ultimately chased the $ and the high powered offense and picked Oregon. Unfortunately for him, lots of 4 star WRs go to Oregon and Kasper wasn't utilized at all during his first two years. Iowa was desperate for talent at WR those years, so during this past offseason, there were rumors Kasper was thinking about transferring to Iowa for playing time. He ultimately stayed put at Oregon. So how is he doing in his 3rd year with the Ducks? He is 9th on their WR depth chart and has a grand total of...1 catch. He too would likely be starting at Iowa.

Brecht. Brecht was a 4 star guy who never lived up to his football potential. Rather than endure another year with Brian Ferentz calling plays last year, he opted to focus on baseball. In this, his senior year, Brecht likely would have been the team's primary WR. While Brecht was drafted by the Colorado Rockies organization, he does not have any pro stats yet.

Johnson. Believe it or not, Kaegan Johnson, who started at WR for Iowa way back in 2021, is still playing college ball. Oddly, it appears he peaked his freshmen year at Iowa, where he had 18 catches for 350 yards. In six games this year as a senior at Kansas State, Johnson has 14 catches for 161 yards. He's their team's second leading receiver.

Bruce. Arland Bruce should still be a senior in still in college. He too started for the Hawks as a freshmen in 2021, where his career peaked with 25 catches for 209 yards. He had a sophomore slump, left the program to get away from the Brian Ferentz offense, then was embroiled in the gambling scandal.

Not all WR recruits turn out to be stars. But it's mystifying just how bad Iowa's eye for talent & retention is at this position. Unfortunately, with the Cade McNamera 100 yrd per game passing attack, and Iowa's worst coach/recruiter Budmeyer responsible for recruiting and coaching all new WR talent, the future is anything but bright.

With Florida announcing the return of Napier. Auburn doing the same with Freeze and South Carolina getting it together with Beamer. It looks like the once anticipated moves not looking to occur, or at least with top shelf programs like Florida, USC, and Notre Dame. We may be in a position where more guys like Cignetti aren't going to be moving up.

With NIL and the new expanded playoff, this might be the norm. If Cignetti can win at the Ferentz clip with the compensation, it may be more secure than a place like Ohio State. Ryan Day has never won less than ten games outside of 2020. He's on the hot seat. Sherron Moore is guiding a gutted Michigan team to at least a bowl appearance and he's getting roasted.

Dan Mullen got fired at Florida, he had a top 15 ranked squad and recruiting class. But he was deemed a failure. If Indiana can make the playoff, Cignetti is an all-time great at Indiana. In Ann Arbor or Columbus he's got to make it every year and he better win the whole thing by year three. If he's making the dough and doing what Campbell is doing at Iowa State, it's got to be a great lifestyle.

Then again, Florida, USC and Penn State may open up next year. They've got pressure, resources, history and are just better programs. Eventually they're gonna rebound and the man who does that is going to be heralded as superstars.

Not sure what happened to the other Ava threads.

@KyleHuesmann , can you keep us updated on this tragic story? Is there still worry that Ava & her mom suffered brain damage? Or is Ava expected to make a full recovery after all?

Any way, in case people did not see this, this was some good news from today.

Check it out & Watch:

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I can't imagine there are many people persuaded by a cult that only has ad hominem tirades in their too kit.
Watch the video and give your feedback.

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Former congressman Jim Leach passed away, and here is what the obit in the CR Gazette had to say about his wrestling career:

"But Leach’s humility receded when it came to his accomplishments as a wrestler. He won a state title in 1960 for Davenport High School.
“He liked to say that he'd been inducted in the Wrestling Hall of Fame,” Wierzynski said.
"I’ve always thought that the most equalitarian place in the world is the wrestling mat," Leach said in a 2009 interview. "You have two people operating with the same goal in mind and abiding by the same rules. Wrestlers may differ in height and body type, but it’s hard to say who has the natural advantage." "

Always a maverick, and always an Iowan. We will miss him.

not too shocking

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I’m a couple hours away from being on vacation for rest of the year. Might check in a little Monday, but nothing big. Much needed break. It’s probably my favorite time of year for a staycation as they call it. It seems more acceptable to just stay in your pajamas and sleep in during the holidays than it does any other time of year. I’ve tried it. On a Tuesday in July, it just feels wrong and I feel guilty. Not this time of year so that is what I’m going to do.

How about you? You getting some time off? What are your plans?

I am a fan of high rye and high proof bourbons. I have the means to get what I want within reason. "Within reason" is different for everyone including me and my wife. I have multiple bottles in my cabinet that are in the $150-$200 range and a couple more than that.

Right now, I'm on the lookout for a bottle of Little Book Edition 1 "The Infinite". The msrp is $200 with secondary markets selling it for double that. I'd probably be willing to go to $300-$350. My wife doesn't understand that at all. What would you be willing to pay for a single bottle?

Just got situated in the Quad Cities airport, flight leaves at 5:45. Connecting in Chicago, then Nashville it is.

This is our first full week of bowl coverage — going to practice, player interviews, etc. Really excited. Let’s get it.

Coaches Top 25 Poll (12/23)
1. Tennessee (20) (11-0)
2. Auburn (11) (11-1)
3. Iowa State (10-1)
4. Duke (10-2)
5. Florida (12-0)
6. Alabama (10-2)
7. Kansas (9-2)
8. Marquette (11-2)
9. Oregon (11-1)
10. Kentucky (10-2)
11. Oklahoma (12-0)
12. Houston (8-3)
13. Texas A&M (10-2)
14. Connecticut (10-3)
15. Gonzaga (9-3)
16. Mississippi (11-1)
17. Cincinnati (10-1)
18. Michigan State (10-2)
19. Mississippi State (11-1)
20. San Diego State (8-2)
21. UCLA (10-2)
22. Illinois (8-3)
23. Baylor (7-3)
24. St. John's (10-2)
25. Purdue (8-4)

Others Receiving Votes
Maryland, Michigan, Drake, Arkansas, Georgia, Clemson, Dayton, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Utah State, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Missouri, West Virginia, Penn State

Dropped Out
Michigan (#21), Memphis (#22), Dayton (#24)

==================================

AP Top 25 (12/23)
1. Tennessee (41) (11-0)
2. Auburn (21) (11-1)
3. Iowa State (10-1)
4. Duke (10-2)
5. Alabama (10-2)
6. Florida (12-0)
7. Kansas (9-2)
8. Marquette (11-2)
9. Oregon (11-1)
10. Kentucky (10-2)
11. Connecticut (10-3)
12. Oklahoma (12-0)
13. Texas A&M (10-2)
14. Gonzaga (9-3)
15. Houston (8-3)
16. Mississippi (11-1)
17. Cincinnati (10-1)
18. Michigan State (10-2)
19. Mississippi State (11-1)
20. San Diego State (8-2)
21. Purdue (8-4)
22. UCLA (10-2)
23. Arkansas (10-2)
24. Illinois (8-3)
25. Baylor (7-3)

Others Receiving Votes
Maryland, Dayton, Drake, St. John's, Memphis, Michigan, Georgia, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State, North Carolina, Clemson, Arizona State, Utah State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Texas Tech, St. Bonaventure, Penn State

Any idea how good he is. Stats - 265 - 368, 68.7%. 3004 yards 16 TDs, 6 Int.

WHO: #3 Iowa State Cyclones (7-1)
WHEN: 6:30 PM CT (Thursday, December 12, 2024)
WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
TV: FS1 (Cory Provus and Bill Raftery)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Bobby Hansen)
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @IowaHoops | @CBBonFOX | @IowaonBTN
LINE: Iowa State -5.5 (total of 159.5)
KENPOM: Iowa State -5 (Iowa State 69% chance of winning)

After a two-game appetizer of Big Ten action, Iowa returns to non-conference play for a few more weeks -- and faces its toughest test of the season so far: #3 Iowa State, 7-1 on the season and looking every bit the part of a Top-5 team. The game is also the annual CyHawk clash, of course, which hasn't featured many close games of late.

Since an 84-78 Iowa State win in 2018, no CyHawk game has been decided by less than 14 points (a 98-84 Iowa win in 2019). Last year was one of the most lopsided, with Iowa State rolling Iowa, 90-65, in Ames. The Hawkeyes have won four-straight games over the Cyclones in Iowa City, by an average of 18.8 points per game.

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Does anyone know why he is wearing so much tape on his shoulders? I've never seen anyone wear so much

Looking like they may lose
..lmao