Sideline Thoughts From Iowa City, Beat Texas, Suck Bomb in 'Sota

(Zach)

There's really not much to say about a game like yesterday's 45-17 Iowa win over Lousiania-Monroe.  One of the few things I hate about 1-A is you can play the cupcake games against lower tier teams or 1-AA teams and they really don't matter (unless of course you lose).  In 1-AA if they play a Division 2 or lower school (kind of the equivlent at that level) it still counts as a win on the schedule, but not for playoff consideration, and it does come back to cost quite a few teams postseason.  You think 1-A non-conference schedules would look better if you told them wins over lower tier teams or 1-AA teams DIDN'T count toward bowl eligibility?

Anyhow, the number one thing for me was the no-huddle.  It shows Kirk Ferentz is adapting to the kind of team he has, something fans worried about after the Iowa State loss.  With a defense that is a bit more suspect, and one of the best collections of wide receiver talent in school history (I call them Marvin & The McNutts), winning with their more traditional look would be tough to impossible.

Marcus Coker still doesnt look right.  Step forward for sure, but I need to see it in Big Ten play.  I think the running play in the first where he bounced off a hit and ran for a big gain to set up a score may be a sign things are turning around.  That hit seemed to wake him up from a season-long funk for that moment.

Lot of worries about the defense.  I'm not passing too much judgement from yesterday.  Monroe ran a lot of trick play gimmick stuff (two quarterbacks in the backfield at once), and throttling a team at half I can understand a letdown.  What does concern me is the lack of pressure on quarterbacks.

I am so sick of Texas.  I'm sick of the Longhorn Network.  I'm sick of everything in the Big 12 revolving around them.  I'm sick of the state of Texas thinking it invented football.  I'd love to see Iowa State smack them on Saturday, but I'll settle for another late comeback too.

Doing a Texas two step-great timing for A&M and the SEC.  After more than a month of teasing us it became official this week as one of their best football teams ever, a real contender for the national title, whooped up on Oklahoma State.  Wait what? 

This is about the only good thing to come out of Minnesota sports these days

That smell from the north is coming from Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Who dropped a suck bomb on Minnesota sports?  The Vikings only play in the first half of games and are 0-3.  The Gophers lose for the third time in their last five games against a 1-AA team.  The Twins may lose 100 games.  The Wild are tame.  The best development this year is that they may not have to suffer through a Timberwolves season.