What a season of reflection, as Iowa finishes 10-3 and concludes the past five seasons with the highest win total in program history?
All during the 130th anniversary of Iowa Football (90th anniversary in Kinnick, my 45th anniversary of my first game at Kinnick) and the 150th anniversary of College Football.
Too bad: Rutgers vs. Princeton didn't happen.
All at the same time, the NFL is celebrating 100th anniversary of play.
Most wins over the past five years at Iowa in football.
That's Iowa Football: zero B1G titles and no College Football Playoff games, but the best five years.
The glass is more full, than empty for Iowa fans. Plenty to be excited about in 3 of 4 trophy games. Iowa has also won 3 straight bowl games for only the second time, in program history.
Iowa began the decade the third of three straight bowl wins and they end the decade the same way, this time winning 3 straight bowl wins in the decade.
But, only 4 bowl wins over past ten seasons for Iowa in bowl games. No Big Ten titles. Iowa and Michigan end 2019, without a Big Ten title in 15 years.
Iowa is only 3 of 10 lifetime against USC lifetime, but the 49-24 Holiday Bowl game was certainly special. Bump Elliott won a huge one for Michigan in the 1948 Rose Bowl as a player.
Hayden Fry brought us special moments in the Holiday Bowl at Iowa. Ferentz placed the cherry on top in the 2019 Holiday Bowl.
So, it is LSU vs. Clemson in the National Title Game on January 13th.
In 1958, LSU won the mythical title. Iowa claims it too!
Nebraska and Iowa State fans likely laugh at us on that one.
The 1921 and 1922 seasons were undeated seasons for Iowa. Howard Jones was coach. No bowls, so no shinning moments to brag like Michigan or Nebraska.
I was wrong on Ryan Day and Ohio State in 2019.
I didn't believe the Buckeyes would roll into the 2019 season and go undefeated in the Big Ten, but they came and conquered another Big Ten title. Of course, the media went as far as suggest it would be Michigan vs. Nebraska in the Big Ten.
lol
Wisconsin continues to win West division titles. They will play Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Barry Alvarez will not be needed to coach this one.
Who will be their QB in 2020?
Their #2 could be better than their #1 for 2020. Spring news will be interesting around the Big Ten. But, that is for next year.
The Badgers also pushed Ohio State in the Big Ten title game like no other. Clemson found a way to catch the Buckeyes and extend their winning streak.
It has been one of the better College Football seasons for entertainment and reflection.
Clemson is going for second straight title and third in four years. Wow.
Go Tigers!
Bump Elliott and Hayden Fry were huge individuals for the University of Iowa. From 1980 to 1989, Lute, Hayden, Dan, Vivian, George and Dr. Tom all brought the greatest decade to Iowa City, under Bump's athletic administration.
The 1981 season in football was extremely special. Hayden Fry hired a young, untested OL coach, like so many other hires he had made.
How that changed Iowa Football?
In 1995, Iowa beat Washington 38-18 in the Sun Bowl. The final three seasons were never as good as that for Hayden, after Bill Brashier retired.
The past season, we saw Iowa continue their three year climb, three staight bowl games, and finishing with one more win each season.
Nothing our rivals at Iowa State nor Nebraska will truly respect?
Well, at least not fully acknowledge. Iowa is a Top 25 Football Program, but only on the edge. Really, a Top 30 program.
Far from a BlueBlood program, but plenty of those programs are struggling far worse than what the State of the Iowa program is at.
In Kirk We Trust: I fall into that category to no surprise. In December 1998, I wanted Kirk over Bob Stoops.
Stoops went onto win a National Title and do some great work at OU. Iowa lost to them in 2011 to end the 3 game win streak in bowl games.
So, what will 2020 bring?
It took Dr. Tom Osborne to reach the promise land following Bob Devaney.
Iowa hasn't been #1 for five weeks, let alone one week, since 1985 under the late Hayden Fry.
Just a humble Iowa football fan today. We can dream B1G, but it has been 15 years for Iowa and Michigan. Better than Nebraska. Over century better than Iowa State, but that is all so petty.
The "Fake ID" of College Football in 2015 has at least broken away from that title. The work ahead will not be easy in the ever competitive world of Big Ten and College Football heading into 2020.
Will the last game in Kinnick in 2020 be for something?
Have we lost that game as a rivalry, if we can win consistently against them?
We also have rivals heading to Kinnick with plenty of hope for victory in 2020. Next year, may be the biggest season in the history of the program?
It is clearly uncharted, entering the 22nd season under one coach.
On Iowa!
All during the 130th anniversary of Iowa Football (90th anniversary in Kinnick, my 45th anniversary of my first game at Kinnick) and the 150th anniversary of College Football.
Too bad: Rutgers vs. Princeton didn't happen.
All at the same time, the NFL is celebrating 100th anniversary of play.
Most wins over the past five years at Iowa in football.
That's Iowa Football: zero B1G titles and no College Football Playoff games, but the best five years.
The glass is more full, than empty for Iowa fans. Plenty to be excited about in 3 of 4 trophy games. Iowa has also won 3 straight bowl games for only the second time, in program history.
Iowa began the decade the third of three straight bowl wins and they end the decade the same way, this time winning 3 straight bowl wins in the decade.
But, only 4 bowl wins over past ten seasons for Iowa in bowl games. No Big Ten titles. Iowa and Michigan end 2019, without a Big Ten title in 15 years.
Iowa is only 3 of 10 lifetime against USC lifetime, but the 49-24 Holiday Bowl game was certainly special. Bump Elliott won a huge one for Michigan in the 1948 Rose Bowl as a player.
Hayden Fry brought us special moments in the Holiday Bowl at Iowa. Ferentz placed the cherry on top in the 2019 Holiday Bowl.
So, it is LSU vs. Clemson in the National Title Game on January 13th.
In 1958, LSU won the mythical title. Iowa claims it too!
Nebraska and Iowa State fans likely laugh at us on that one.
The 1921 and 1922 seasons were undeated seasons for Iowa. Howard Jones was coach. No bowls, so no shinning moments to brag like Michigan or Nebraska.
I was wrong on Ryan Day and Ohio State in 2019.
I didn't believe the Buckeyes would roll into the 2019 season and go undefeated in the Big Ten, but they came and conquered another Big Ten title. Of course, the media went as far as suggest it would be Michigan vs. Nebraska in the Big Ten.
lol
Wisconsin continues to win West division titles. They will play Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Barry Alvarez will not be needed to coach this one.
Who will be their QB in 2020?
Their #2 could be better than their #1 for 2020. Spring news will be interesting around the Big Ten. But, that is for next year.
The Badgers also pushed Ohio State in the Big Ten title game like no other. Clemson found a way to catch the Buckeyes and extend their winning streak.
It has been one of the better College Football seasons for entertainment and reflection.
Clemson is going for second straight title and third in four years. Wow.
Go Tigers!
Bump Elliott and Hayden Fry were huge individuals for the University of Iowa. From 1980 to 1989, Lute, Hayden, Dan, Vivian, George and Dr. Tom all brought the greatest decade to Iowa City, under Bump's athletic administration.
The 1981 season in football was extremely special. Hayden Fry hired a young, untested OL coach, like so many other hires he had made.
How that changed Iowa Football?
In 1995, Iowa beat Washington 38-18 in the Sun Bowl. The final three seasons were never as good as that for Hayden, after Bill Brashier retired.
The past season, we saw Iowa continue their three year climb, three staight bowl games, and finishing with one more win each season.
Nothing our rivals at Iowa State nor Nebraska will truly respect?
Well, at least not fully acknowledge. Iowa is a Top 25 Football Program, but only on the edge. Really, a Top 30 program.
Far from a BlueBlood program, but plenty of those programs are struggling far worse than what the State of the Iowa program is at.
In Kirk We Trust: I fall into that category to no surprise. In December 1998, I wanted Kirk over Bob Stoops.
Stoops went onto win a National Title and do some great work at OU. Iowa lost to them in 2011 to end the 3 game win streak in bowl games.
So, what will 2020 bring?
- A Big Ten winner in the Rose Bowl?
- Another title for Clemson?
- Wait, this is the Iowa board, can Iowa continue the climb in 2020?
- FB Jon Lazar and a Bob Commings team winning first game over Joe Paterno in Happy Valley
- 1977 Cy-Hawk win over Iowa State in the renewal game
- 1979 Hayden Fry delivers a 5-6 season and Dennis Mosley's 1,000 yard season (after stomachache of a 1978 season on offense)
- 1981 Nebraska to my first Rose Bowl trip, in Kirk Ferentz's first season at Iowa, which included first wins over Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan, in my lifetime
- Flash forward to the 2019 win over USC 49-24
It took Dr. Tom Osborne to reach the promise land following Bob Devaney.
Iowa hasn't been #1 for five weeks, let alone one week, since 1985 under the late Hayden Fry.
Just a humble Iowa football fan today. We can dream B1G, but it has been 15 years for Iowa and Michigan. Better than Nebraska. Over century better than Iowa State, but that is all so petty.
The "Fake ID" of College Football in 2015 has at least broken away from that title. The work ahead will not be easy in the ever competitive world of Big Ten and College Football heading into 2020.
Will the last game in Kinnick in 2020 be for something?
Have we lost that game as a rivalry, if we can win consistently against them?
We also have rivals heading to Kinnick with plenty of hope for victory in 2020. Next year, may be the biggest season in the history of the program?
It is clearly uncharted, entering the 22nd season under one coach.
On Iowa!
