Iowa has been an underdog in 11 of 12 bowl games under Ferentz

[vacuum_cleaner]

I find that statistic to be absolutely incredible. something to think about w/ being the underdog vs. msu...nothing new to be an underdog in a big game.

Wonder what the one bowl we were favored in was? Maybe vs. south carolina in the outback a few years ago? Or maybe his first bowl game, alamo vs. texas tech? those are the two I'd guess.

 

[gojojo]

I thought we were underdogs in all 12. 6-6 vs the teams they have played is not too shabby.

That GaTech game was some pretty easy gambling at +4

 

[Head Hawk]

Just because Kirk said it, doesn't make it true. Would love to see Ray Kinsella do some research on this.

I guarantee we were favored against South Carolina in the Outback bowl. Anyone remember the line on the USC Orange Bowl? We were ranked higher there and had a better record.

 

[David1979]

Just because Kirk said it, doesn't make it true. Would love to see Ray Kinsella do some research on this.

I guarantee we were favored against South Carolina in the Outback bowl. Anyone remember the line on the USC Orange Bowl? We were ranked higher there and had a better record.

Why do you think he would be lying about that?

 

[radicalhawk]

Please don't tell me we were underdogs against Mighty Missouri in the 2010 Insight Bowl.

 

[Head Hawk]

Why do you think he would be lying about that?

Because maybe he doesn't know.

You honestly think Kirk Ferentz keeps an up-to-date chart with the Vegas lines for every Iowa bowl game going back 15 years? Do you think he helps Jimmy the Greek point shave or something? Why would he save this information? Why would a head coach want an accurate read on the Vegas lines in the first place?

 

[Head Hawk]

Please don't tell me we were underdogs against Mighty Missouri in the 2010 Insight Bowl.

Of course we were. We finished 7-5, losing 3 straight. They were 10-2 and in the Top 10.

 

[trippnschmidt]

Because maybe he doesn't know.

You honestly think Kirk Ferentz keeps an up-to-date chart with the Vegas lines for every Iowa bowl game going back 15 years? Do you think he helps Jimmy the Greek point shave or something? Why would he save this information? Why would a head coach want an accurate read on the Vegas lines in the first place?

Are you new to sports and how to motivate folks?

 

[Head Hawk]

Are you new to sports and how to motivate folks?

So you think Kirk checks the Vegas lines regularly throughout the season? Then he writes that information down and saves it somewhere for future reference?

Do you think he has a premium account on VegasInsider, or is he more of a 5dimes kinda guy? Maybe Covers.com is more his speed.

 

[David1979]

Because maybe he doesn't know.

You honestly think Kirk Ferentz keeps an up-to-date chart with the Vegas lines for every Iowa bowl game going back 15 years? Do you think he helps Jimmy the Greek point shave or something? Why would he save this information? Why would a head coach want an accurate read on the Vegas lines in the first place?

He doesn't need to save the information Einstein. Coaches have staff members get info like this for them to tell to the team. He probably saw the number, remembered they weren't favored in a lot of bowl games either and had someone look it up so he could tell that to the team. He wouldn't just make a number up.

 

[OC_Hawk]

Checks out so far.

Anyone know the lines of 2001 or 2002 bowl games?

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

2001 Alamo Bowl: +1.5 vs. Texas Tech
2003 Orange Bowl: +4.5 vs. USC

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

Let's hope the line for Sat holds at +3.5; we're undefeated in the post-season under KF with that line. Things get wishy-washy at +3.

 

[doughudd]

So you think Kirk checks the Vegas lines regularly throughout the season? Then he writes that information down and saves it somewhere for future reference?

Do you think he has a premium account on VegasInsider, or is he more of a 5dimes kinda guy? Maybe Covers.com is more his speed.

Hell no, that's what all the interns in the AD do.

 

[LincolnHawkeye]

Looks like we were the favorite by 1 in the 2006 Outback Bowl vs. Florida, as well as a 3.5 favorite in the 2009 Outback Bowl vs. South Carolina

 

[ANYCHawk]

I thought we were underdogs in all 12. 6-6 vs the teams they have played is not too shabby.

That GaTech game was some pretty easy gambling at +4

6-5-0-1 in those 12 games....

 

[gojojo]

6-5-0-1 in those 12 games....

solid point. Eff those refs.

 

[Hawk12345]

Two reasons why we have been the underdog in bowls so much. First, the Big Ten has so much weight that it is able to get its teams in the better bowls, even if the records of some of the teams isn't fully deserving of playing in those bowls. Thus, Big Ten teams are often underdogs. Second, Iowa fans travel so well, that Iowa is more attractive to bowls than our record would often indicate. Again, causing us to typically be the underdog.

There is both good and bad to this. The good is that Iowa gets to go regularly go to better bowls than we probably deserve to go to based on our record. The bad, because of this we are often paired up with teams that would seem to be better than us. Our record in bowl games is outstanding, considering what we are typically up against in bowl games.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Wish Saturday was a bowl game then

 

[milehighhawkeye24]

Two reasons why we have been the underdog in bowls so much. First, the Big Ten has so much weight that it is able to get its teams in the better bowls, even if the records of some of the teams isn't fully deserving of playing in those bowls. Thus, Big Ten teams are often underdogs. Second, Iowa fans travel so well, that Iowa is more attractive to bowls than our record would often indicate. Again, causing us to typically be the underdog.

There is both good and bad to this. The good is that Iowa gets to go regularly go to better bowls than we probably deserve to go to based on our record. The bad, because of this we are often paired up with teams that would seem to be better than us. Our record in bowl games is outstanding, considering what we are typically up against in bowl games.

That's true, big ten always played some tough match ups: like big ten #5 vs SEC 3

 

[artradley]

Two reasons why we have been the underdog in bowls so much. First, the Big Ten has so much weight that it is able to get its teams in the better bowls, even if the records of some of the teams isn't fully deserving of playing in those bowls. Thus, Big Ten teams are often underdogs. Second, Iowa fans travel so well, that Iowa is more attractive to bowls than our record would often indicate. Again, causing us to typically be the underdog.

There is both good and bad to this. The good is that Iowa gets to go regularly go to better bowls than we probably deserve to go to based on our record. The bad, because of this we are often paired up with teams that would seem to be better than us. Our record in bowl games is outstanding, considering what we are typically up against in bowl games.

That's always been the explanation I have for why the Big10 doesn't do outstanding in bowl games. But the fact that we have done so much better than the odds suggests that Iowa is almost always better than the national perception.

That should be a lesson to all of the doubters at ESPN.

 

[hawkeye_binder]

The reason Iowa and a lot of Big Ten teams have been underdogs in their bowls is because the BIG consistently put 2 teams in the BCS games. So at the top our 1 and 2 was playing others 1s.

Then the rest of the tie ins everyone else had to bump up a spot and play a team that was better on paper.

So the BIG got a bad rap about being week when it all honest we were playing up to competition and sometimes the paper was right.

Look at this year the BIG will get 1 team in playoffs and 2 teams in New Year 6 bowls. The rest of the conference is going to be playing some really good teams.