Iowa State Treats, Iowa Tricks, & Tebow Tebows Out?

(Zach)

From the Cardinals World Series win, to our crazy college football teams, this is the week that reminds you why sports is the best show on TV-it is totally unscripted.

I thought if the Cyclones could take care of the ball and limit turnovers they'd have a chance to upset, or at least scare, a Texas Tech team that would probably be due for a bit of a letdown after such an emotional win at Oklahoma the week before.  41-7 is no letdown or meltdown, that's four solid quarters of smackdown.

In every Cyclone loss Iowa State took themselves out of games early with bad turnovers and stupid penalties.  Avoid that, and most of those games get a lot closer, with a chance to pull out a win.  We saw just how good Iowa State can be when they aren't shooting themselves in the foot.

Jared Barnett is not spectacular yet, but the kid's unflappable.  And he still is a kid.  Helps to have one of the most unheralded players in our state, James White, to hand the ball to.  And you have to be impressed with the way Steele Jantz was so animated on the sidelines and looked to be doing everything he could to help the kid.

It's still going to be tough for ISU to reach six wins.  Number five should be a slam dunk next week, Kansas looks like a bad Big Ten team.  But after that?  Oklahoma State at home on a Friday, then at Oklahoma and K-State.  I know what Tech did in Norman, but the OU game seems impossible.  Kansas State came back to earth, and that season finale looks to be ISU's chance at bowl eligibility.  Then again.....Paul Rhoads has upset several top 25 teams on the road.  Sooner or later he's due for one at home.  Why not Oklahoma State?

As for Rhoads, he's not a perfect coach and there are times his style will cost ISU, whether it's a blowout loss or some interesting sideline antics.  But at the end of the day, there's no better man for this job, and he once again proved it on Saturday.  Right now, he's got as much job security in Ames as Nick Saban has in Alabama. 

The best thing for me about trips to Minneapolis is I usually get to stay overnight with my dad and watch sports and talk.  All week he told me he thought Minnesota would give Iowa a game.  Word to my pops.

I was on the sidelines and in the postgame pressers, and I STILL don't understand that game or the ways Iowa tried to explain it away.  There's absolutely no way they were prepared for the surprise onside.  Slow mo the kick and it's their regular kickoff coverage group, and you can see Jason White's knees practically knocking as the ball was in the air.  AJ Derby, who just started playing special teams last week, was on the field.  How could you not think Minnesota was going to onside?  What did they have to lose?

Lots of questions, no real answers from this game

Then there's no apparent effort to get the ball to Coker or McNutt at the end.  When I asked Ferentz about why Coker didn't get the ball he said they were in a hurry and needed to move the ball quickly.  They had over two minutes left, a timeout, needing only to get into field goal range (granted not a slam dunk with Meyer's two misses) with a running back who was averaging eight yards a carry!  That sounds like a panic move.

As for McNutt I realize Minnesota might have clamped down on him a bit more at the end, but he'd been in single coverage most of the game and once again, on the road, Iowa forgets about him for much of the day.  Even if you don't go to McNutt, go for Martin-Manley but for pete's sake, why are Brad Herman and White getting thrown to with the game on the line when they've barely seen the ball all year?  If McNutt has triple coverage you've still got to try and throw a ball up for him to try and leap for.

Ferentz refuses to acknowledge the road losing streak, counting the Missouri Insight Bowl win as a win away from Kinnick Stadium.  He's got a right to that opinion, but most people don't count a neutral site game with a sizeable Hawkeye contingent as a hostile environment.  Iowa's last road win was 18-13 at Indiana on November 6, 2010.  And the kicker?  Three of their last five road losses came in places where they had a huge following of fans.  Iowa had a big number of fans for the Iowa State game and Minnesota games.  Hell, Minnesota fans are used to leaving at halftime and heading back to the tailgate unless the road team gives them a reason to stay.  It's not like their playing in the Big House or Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.  This road losing streak is in their heads.

All this in mind, don't be shocked one bit if Iowa wins their next two against Michigan and Michigan State.  Yes these are the best teams to come to Kinnick all year, but it's a totally different Iowa team at home. 

UNI Buffaloed By The Bison

Northern Iowa likely saw their Missouri Valley Conference title fade away after losing 27-19 at North Dakota State.  Look on the bright side Panther fans; since you nearly beat ISU, and NDSU did beat Minnesota, the Panthers and Bison would probably finish in the middle of the Big Ten pack! 

Playing in the Fargodump....excuse me Fargodome, like I said earlier this year, not a fan of domes....is tough enough when they jam 19-20,000 people in, but that UNI had a shot to win late despite seeing Tirrell Rennie get knocked out is a credit to the Panthers toughness.  Assuming UNI can get off the deck they should still be in line to get several home playoff games, and maybe even a bye.  Won't be shocked at all if these two play again in the playoffs, but it will have to be in Fargo again.

I don't think Timmy would support this kind of Tebowing

It won't stop the Denver or national media from curbing Tebow mania, but the Detroit Lions gave Tebow and his followers a cold dose of reality.  He finally ran into a team that wasn't going to shoot itself in the foot and could capitalize off his poor play.  And they can't blame this one on Kyle Orton.  So is this the true Tebow, or can he be the guy who has had sparks of greatness late in games against Houston, San Diego, and Miami?  We'll all find out after 9 more games.