1. No lipstick on a pig today: that was a stinker in Happy Valley, and none of the guys we talked to on Saturday were offering any excuses about it. The key here for the Hawkeyes is to not let a game like that "beat them twice," as the Spartans will be licking their own wounds come Saturday, and Mark Dantonio knows a thing or two about coaching against Kirk. (And vice versa, obviously.)
2. Not surprisingly, fans are getting more than a little restless with the offense, especially given the last few years, and as old friend Patrick Vint put it last night, Iowa's turning into college football's Mendoza line. Spoiler alert: nobody's going to stand up at the pressers and ask Kirk what week he'll* be firing his kid — that's not the way any of this works, no matter how grumpy the fans get — but I will be asking him Tuesday what the path to "executing better" looks like with OSU, Michigan and PSU now reestablishing their dominance.
*Sorry, when direct supervisor Beth Goetz will do it. What a typo, Adam! Ha, ha, ha!
3. It's true: Iowa-Purdue is on Peacock in a couple weeks. Yuck. Going to talk to some establishments this week to see how easy that is for them to accommodate. I already didn't like it when the BTN did it in 2007, but at least that was still on the same cable everyone already had.
4. Hard to believe, but basketball season is already right around the corner — both teams' media days are in the first week of October. Feels like a pivotal year for both coaches; likely Bluder's last shot at the ultimate glory with Caitlin Clark, and a LOT of fresh faces in Iowa City for Fran. Is this his first year at Iowa without a future NBA player on the roster? What questions do you all have for the hoops teams coming into the new season?
5. Visitors are starting to stack up for the Sparty game this weekend. Eliot will have more info on the list as the week progresses, but one name to keep an eye on is 2026 QB Mack Sutter, son of Northwestern and NFL LB Eddie Sutter. No offers yet, but he's got some attention from several Big Ten schools already. Live arm, good frame, athletic family.
6. It brings me no joy to report that this is a good ad featuring Iowa State players.
Now starting to wonder what the best last name combo is on Iowa's roster...
Have a great week and thanks for your continuing support, y'all!
