A look around the country and some thoughts on the Hawkeyes
FOOTBALL
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1h ago
Upon Further Review
Mike Zierath, Staff writer
Kirk Ferentz is trying to figure out how to get both lines to play more like Iowa Football.
Last week, I said, “Let the cannibalism begin”. Boy, did it ever!
The Huskies took control of the Pac 12 by throttling the Cardinal at sailgate. Boy, they sure looked good doing it too! They now have the attention of absolutely everyone, including me. I wasn’t convinced this was their year, that they might actually be a year away. That really isn’t the case. It appears they have the bodies and the talent to play with anybody at this point. That defense, which rushed only four all day, brought pressure that makes other teams envious. The offense did pretty much what it wanted all night long.
In the ACC, Louisville came up just short. Reminded me of the Packers coming up short in some playoff action back in the 60’s (1964 maybe?). They, basically, just ran out of time. Of course, they could have just put the game away earlier in the 4th Quarter by not allowing Clemson to come back from 8 points down with 8 minutes to play. But they didn’t. Superman came up short. DeShaun Watson played like he’s been there before when it mattered. North Carolina just did what I didn’t think they could do, knocking off Pitt and FSU in back to back weeks. They could be the “other” team in the ACC championship game. They have Virginia Tech this weekend. Can they get three big wins in a row? Another good one should be FSU at Miami. Mark Richt has the Hurricanes cruising and this isn’t the same FSU team we thought we’d see. Sound familiar?
Michigan is alive and well, people. It’s still early, but the Big Ten is back to being a two horse conference and a bunch of other’s that are playing okay. Ohio State is putting the hay in the barn. Nebraska’s relevance is still up in the air, but they are looking like a challenger in the West. Wisconsin isn’t out of this by any stretch. There’s someone that has quietly gone about their business and continues to make people look silly, and that team is Maryland. They look loaded for bear.
Texas A&M is still making me look good. I know it was only South Carolina, but hey, a win is a win. More than I can say for a number of other teams around the country! Alabama is still the odds on favorite to repeat. Looking at the SEC as a whole, the top of the conference is really pretty good. The bottom is about as pedestrian as it comes. The game this week that has to be on everyone’s radar is Tennessee at A&M. This one will make quite a few a believer in one team or the other. I still got the boys from College Station in this one. Alabama is going Hog hunting this weekend. Wish I was. Hog fans are wishing they weren’t. I hope the Tigers have the same momentum they had last weekend and hammer a whole bunch of folks down the stretch and make Ed Orgeron their new head ball coach.
The Big 12 only has one game this weekend that matters. It’s the Red River Rivalry. Formerly known as the Red River Shoot out and I think it might have gone by one other name that included Red River as well. Bottom line, its Oklahoma and Texas in the Cotton Bowl at the Texas State Fair! Gonna be a good one………..if you are an Oklahoma fan. The boys from Norman appear to have the ship righted somewhat. Perrine appears to be getting into the swing of things. The defense still has some work to do, but starting to come around after spotting TCU a big lead. I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, Texas is playing for their coaches’ survival. Baylor is human. For crying out loud, they about let ISU beat them. That, my friends, is sad, from what we’ve seen so far this year. ISU did play well. Texas Tech continues to put up really big offensive numbers out there in Lubbock. Problem is, they can’t stop the Nuns from St. Mary’s from scoring on them.
If the season ended tomorrow, and it won’t, my CFP teams would look like this: Alabama, Clemson, Washington and Ohio State. In my preseason preview, I had Alabama, Clemson, Iowa and TCU.
The hot seat is getting hotter in Austin. Charlie Strong is walking the green mile this week. If he losses, I think he’s done. He’s a dead man walking either way. The reason I am thinking that at this point is a little something called leverage. In order to get who they think they really want, the hottest name in the other five coaching circle, the same coach that will be on the lips of every AD looking for a coach, you all know who I’m referring to. He’s right down the road in Houston (which is where I am as I type this). That man is Tom Herman. This is a guy, that no matter what he does, can’t really be wrong. He’s going to get a Power 5 coaching gig and it’s going to be with a school that has a football pedigree that is envied by most. Whether it’s LSU, Texas or USC (if that becomes available, and I think it will), he is writing his own paycheck and job security contract. Hard work brings success. Success brings better things to those that work hard.
Gus Malzahn isn’t out of the woods yet. Two wins in two weeks doesn’t erase the underlying stench that caused him to be on the hot seat in the first place. The problems still exist, they just aren’t as noticeable right at this minute.
Clay Helton and the USC Trojans could very likely be 2-4 after this weekend. How long will Mr. Swann put up with losing?
Mark Helfrich is NOT on the hot seat. My god, he played in the national title game 2 years ago. Injuries have caused them some issues this year. He isn’t going anywhere.
I haven’t talked about this next coach, primarily because it’s so obvious. Darrell Hazell is in over his head. His current position will cease to exist sooner rather than later. The guy just isn’t doing the job. Time to explore other options. I’m thinking PJ Fleck’s phone might be ringing and the Purdue AD is on the other end.
Mark Stoops (as someone pointed out last week) and James Franklin are still guys that better turn things around quickly or they too will be looking for new employers.
I have stayed away from this one topic, which is near and dear to my heart, for most of the last couple weeks. I can’t ignore it any longer. The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t playing well at all. (Thank you Captain Obvious). There are a number of things that I can point to that have caused this, but as I’ve always said, you probably don’t have to look very far past the line of scrimmage. Both sides of the ball have played atrociously. The offensive line is having trouble getting out of their own way on far too many plays. Are they close? They should be! They returned more experience this year than they started with last year. Then plugging in a solid performer at center in James Daniels…….well, something is broken and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The right side of the line is definitely stronger than the left. Blair asked me to wade in to a thread earlier this week about the offensive line specifically, and I really couldn’t add anything to what the original poster shared. I certainly could have changed a couple guys around in the order he laid them out as far as 1-10, but really, that would have just been nit-picking.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive line isn’t getting off blocks. They aren’t taking up space. They are getting pushed off the line of scrimmage by a lessor opponent. They are the primary reason that Iowa is giving up a ridiculous number of yards per game. These type of numbers have generally resulted in very mediocre seasons. It’s unacceptable.
Two points of discussion before I move on to other obvious concerns. One, we shouldn’t struggle at attracting high caliber, highly sought after defensive linemen due to the success Iowa has had in putting these position players in the NFL. Two, Iowa shouldn’t struggle at attracting the highest caliber players when it comes to the Offensive line, for the very same reason. You might recall that in my week one article, we talked about the importance of recruiting both lines, the quarterback position and the cornerback position. If a team is strong at these four spots, they are strong overall. Right now, Iowa’s line play is less than adequate and it is showing up in the stat lines, on the scoreboards and on their record.
Another point of contention I have is offensive creativity. There isn’t any. Iowa doesn’t have any play makers outside. It’s hard to be creative when they don’t have the right personnel. I think they realize that, which is why we are seeing such a push for wide receivers in this year’s recruiting class. Kind of obvious, isn’t it?
Leadership is something that is missing to. I can’t believe it all graduated, but it must have. Was Drew Ott and Jordan Lomax that important to the defensive chemistry by providing leadership to the younger guys. Was Austin Blythe and Tevaun Smith the same for the offense? Who was supposed to step up? Desmond King? CJ? Josey Jewell? If they were, it hasn’t been overly apparent. They need to open their lips and start using the brain god gave them to promote leadership in the locker room, and not just try and lead by example. Most kids, regardless of sport, need someone telling them they are good, that they can do more, that they play for the guy next to them. For some kids, that’s real important for their mental state of being. For others, like CJ and Josey and Dez, they don’t need to hear it. They are confident and go about their business the way they should.
Some years, players need a trash can crushing halftime speech by the biggest guy on the team to get them motivated. This, folks, is one of those years.
FOOTBALL
—
1h ago
Upon Further Review
Mike Zierath, Staff writer
Kirk Ferentz is trying to figure out how to get both lines to play more like Iowa Football.
Last week, I said, “Let the cannibalism begin”. Boy, did it ever!
The Huskies took control of the Pac 12 by throttling the Cardinal at sailgate. Boy, they sure looked good doing it too! They now have the attention of absolutely everyone, including me. I wasn’t convinced this was their year, that they might actually be a year away. That really isn’t the case. It appears they have the bodies and the talent to play with anybody at this point. That defense, which rushed only four all day, brought pressure that makes other teams envious. The offense did pretty much what it wanted all night long.
In the ACC, Louisville came up just short. Reminded me of the Packers coming up short in some playoff action back in the 60’s (1964 maybe?). They, basically, just ran out of time. Of course, they could have just put the game away earlier in the 4th Quarter by not allowing Clemson to come back from 8 points down with 8 minutes to play. But they didn’t. Superman came up short. DeShaun Watson played like he’s been there before when it mattered. North Carolina just did what I didn’t think they could do, knocking off Pitt and FSU in back to back weeks. They could be the “other” team in the ACC championship game. They have Virginia Tech this weekend. Can they get three big wins in a row? Another good one should be FSU at Miami. Mark Richt has the Hurricanes cruising and this isn’t the same FSU team we thought we’d see. Sound familiar?
Michigan is alive and well, people. It’s still early, but the Big Ten is back to being a two horse conference and a bunch of other’s that are playing okay. Ohio State is putting the hay in the barn. Nebraska’s relevance is still up in the air, but they are looking like a challenger in the West. Wisconsin isn’t out of this by any stretch. There’s someone that has quietly gone about their business and continues to make people look silly, and that team is Maryland. They look loaded for bear.
Texas A&M is still making me look good. I know it was only South Carolina, but hey, a win is a win. More than I can say for a number of other teams around the country! Alabama is still the odds on favorite to repeat. Looking at the SEC as a whole, the top of the conference is really pretty good. The bottom is about as pedestrian as it comes. The game this week that has to be on everyone’s radar is Tennessee at A&M. This one will make quite a few a believer in one team or the other. I still got the boys from College Station in this one. Alabama is going Hog hunting this weekend. Wish I was. Hog fans are wishing they weren’t. I hope the Tigers have the same momentum they had last weekend and hammer a whole bunch of folks down the stretch and make Ed Orgeron their new head ball coach.
The Big 12 only has one game this weekend that matters. It’s the Red River Rivalry. Formerly known as the Red River Shoot out and I think it might have gone by one other name that included Red River as well. Bottom line, its Oklahoma and Texas in the Cotton Bowl at the Texas State Fair! Gonna be a good one………..if you are an Oklahoma fan. The boys from Norman appear to have the ship righted somewhat. Perrine appears to be getting into the swing of things. The defense still has some work to do, but starting to come around after spotting TCU a big lead. I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, Texas is playing for their coaches’ survival. Baylor is human. For crying out loud, they about let ISU beat them. That, my friends, is sad, from what we’ve seen so far this year. ISU did play well. Texas Tech continues to put up really big offensive numbers out there in Lubbock. Problem is, they can’t stop the Nuns from St. Mary’s from scoring on them.
If the season ended tomorrow, and it won’t, my CFP teams would look like this: Alabama, Clemson, Washington and Ohio State. In my preseason preview, I had Alabama, Clemson, Iowa and TCU.
The hot seat is getting hotter in Austin. Charlie Strong is walking the green mile this week. If he losses, I think he’s done. He’s a dead man walking either way. The reason I am thinking that at this point is a little something called leverage. In order to get who they think they really want, the hottest name in the other five coaching circle, the same coach that will be on the lips of every AD looking for a coach, you all know who I’m referring to. He’s right down the road in Houston (which is where I am as I type this). That man is Tom Herman. This is a guy, that no matter what he does, can’t really be wrong. He’s going to get a Power 5 coaching gig and it’s going to be with a school that has a football pedigree that is envied by most. Whether it’s LSU, Texas or USC (if that becomes available, and I think it will), he is writing his own paycheck and job security contract. Hard work brings success. Success brings better things to those that work hard.
Gus Malzahn isn’t out of the woods yet. Two wins in two weeks doesn’t erase the underlying stench that caused him to be on the hot seat in the first place. The problems still exist, they just aren’t as noticeable right at this minute.
Clay Helton and the USC Trojans could very likely be 2-4 after this weekend. How long will Mr. Swann put up with losing?
Mark Helfrich is NOT on the hot seat. My god, he played in the national title game 2 years ago. Injuries have caused them some issues this year. He isn’t going anywhere.
I haven’t talked about this next coach, primarily because it’s so obvious. Darrell Hazell is in over his head. His current position will cease to exist sooner rather than later. The guy just isn’t doing the job. Time to explore other options. I’m thinking PJ Fleck’s phone might be ringing and the Purdue AD is on the other end.
Mark Stoops (as someone pointed out last week) and James Franklin are still guys that better turn things around quickly or they too will be looking for new employers.
I have stayed away from this one topic, which is near and dear to my heart, for most of the last couple weeks. I can’t ignore it any longer. The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t playing well at all. (Thank you Captain Obvious). There are a number of things that I can point to that have caused this, but as I’ve always said, you probably don’t have to look very far past the line of scrimmage. Both sides of the ball have played atrociously. The offensive line is having trouble getting out of their own way on far too many plays. Are they close? They should be! They returned more experience this year than they started with last year. Then plugging in a solid performer at center in James Daniels…….well, something is broken and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The right side of the line is definitely stronger than the left. Blair asked me to wade in to a thread earlier this week about the offensive line specifically, and I really couldn’t add anything to what the original poster shared. I certainly could have changed a couple guys around in the order he laid them out as far as 1-10, but really, that would have just been nit-picking.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive line isn’t getting off blocks. They aren’t taking up space. They are getting pushed off the line of scrimmage by a lessor opponent. They are the primary reason that Iowa is giving up a ridiculous number of yards per game. These type of numbers have generally resulted in very mediocre seasons. It’s unacceptable.
Two points of discussion before I move on to other obvious concerns. One, we shouldn’t struggle at attracting high caliber, highly sought after defensive linemen due to the success Iowa has had in putting these position players in the NFL. Two, Iowa shouldn’t struggle at attracting the highest caliber players when it comes to the Offensive line, for the very same reason. You might recall that in my week one article, we talked about the importance of recruiting both lines, the quarterback position and the cornerback position. If a team is strong at these four spots, they are strong overall. Right now, Iowa’s line play is less than adequate and it is showing up in the stat lines, on the scoreboards and on their record.
Another point of contention I have is offensive creativity. There isn’t any. Iowa doesn’t have any play makers outside. It’s hard to be creative when they don’t have the right personnel. I think they realize that, which is why we are seeing such a push for wide receivers in this year’s recruiting class. Kind of obvious, isn’t it?
Leadership is something that is missing to. I can’t believe it all graduated, but it must have. Was Drew Ott and Jordan Lomax that important to the defensive chemistry by providing leadership to the younger guys. Was Austin Blythe and Tevaun Smith the same for the offense? Who was supposed to step up? Desmond King? CJ? Josey Jewell? If they were, it hasn’t been overly apparent. They need to open their lips and start using the brain god gave them to promote leadership in the locker room, and not just try and lead by example. Most kids, regardless of sport, need someone telling them they are good, that they can do more, that they play for the guy next to them. For some kids, that’s real important for their mental state of being. For others, like CJ and Josey and Dez, they don’t need to hear it. They are confident and go about their business the way they should.
Some years, players need a trash can crushing halftime speech by the biggest guy on the team to get them motivated. This, folks, is one of those years.
