Over the past couple of years the number of Hawkeye blogs has been rising rapidly. A few of us in the community decided it was time to start collaborating more. One thing I've always wanted to do, but never had the time to organize it, is have a Hawkeye blogger roundtable where each week or two each blogger weighs in on a number of shared topical questions. Then we can all link out to each other and help spread the wide range of opinions.
Well, we are finally doing it. A big thanks goes to Rick of Planned Sick Days for really organizing this whole thing. Also involved are Mike (@MikJones24) from The Hawkeye State and MikeHawk (@Hawkize). Be sure to check out the new site Hawkeye Network to see a summary of all of our answers later this morning.
Question 1: Adam Robinson’s dismissal isn’t a surprise, it was Hawk Central, or more specifically his mom, that kept the door open, at least for the general public. What do you think happened there to close the door for good? Care to speculate?
I think while Robinson was still on scholarship, Ferentz was just kind of stringing us along. He never really gave us any indication that he was seriously thinking about giving Robinson a second chance and always gave us the "nothing has changed" answer. My guess is A-Rob decided to leave after the semester and Ferentz thought that was a good idea.
What impact do you think that has on the 2011 Hawkeyes, if any?
No doubt Robinson was good and he would have contributed if still on the team. I think he would have kept his starting spot if he was never suspended from the bowl game and never subsequently kicked off the team. At worst he probably would have been in a rotation with Coker kind of like he was with Wegher 2 years ago. As far as the announcement this week though about A-Rob officially transferring...no impact.
Any thoughts on where he ends up?
I think his mom said something about getting into school for summer classes. If he was going to another FBS school and had to sit a year I don’t think he’d rush to go to summer school. So I’m guessing FCS and since he’s from Iowa UNI makes sense.
Question 2: There were rumors about Coe that seemed to stem from comments Eric Johnson made at an I-Club event. Those were confirmed by Morehouse yesterday when Ferentz commented that he still has work to do. It seems he needs a better ACT/SAT score to qualify. He was a big get for Iowa and on paper was to factor into the running back mix this Fall. If he doesn’t qualify what impact does that have, if any?
It’s hard to say...I think he could be the 3rd or 4th string running back, so the immediate impact probably wouldn’t be too large. Depth is always a major concern at the position though, so I hope he gets his test scores up.
What are his options? Kirkwood? ICCC?
I don’t know what schools are in Illinois but he may stay closer to home. Iowa has had some success with kids going the JUCO route, but it seems like more often they never make it back once they don’t qualify.
Question 3: If ARob and Coe are out, how do you see the running back position shaking out in the Fall?
Coker’s the obvious #1. After that I think the coaches go with seniority, at least to start the season, so White #2 and Johnson #3. Like Coker last year, I think a true freshman will get a chance to see more reps as the season progresses. It sounds like McCall would be the likely choice there. I think the two speedy guys, Bullock and Canzeri, are more likely to start on special teams and work their way into the running back position over time.
Question 4: Ferentz told Morehouse that Brad Rogers’ heart condition is improving but that Coach can only be optimistic or hopeful of his return over the summer. Is Ferentz being overly optimistic? Will we see Rogers in the backfield come this fall or does this ailment sound career threatening?
From everything I’ve heard nobody has a clue what is going on. That might be a good thing if the doctors have eliminated all the serious conditions, but who really knows. The longer this goes on, the less likely I think he is going to play this fall. He hasn’t even practice at this point since before the bowl game.
Question 5: Ferentz told Morehouse that Willie Lowe won’t transfer after all, but he will give up football. Where are the Mass Transfers? What does that mean, if anything, for the defensive backfield?
While I think the Rhabdo thing was more serious than KF & Co have made it out to be, it was clearly not as serious of some national media members said it was. I’m pretty sure Lowe was hardest hit of any other players, so if he transferred it wouldn’t have been shocking. Now, it sounds like he just wants to take off some time from football but still likes Iowa. I don’t think his absence will have much if any effect on the secondary. He was maybe the 5th corner (if you still include Hyde as a corner) and probably would have seen most of his playing time on special teams.
Question 6: It sounds like both Indianapolis and Chicago made their pitch to the Big Ten for the future Championship games. Indoor or outdoor, Indy or Chi-town, which do you prefer?
While I think Indianapolis would be a better venue, Chicago is the better choice for Iowa. When Iowa gets to the B1G championship game one of these years, playing outdoor better suits Iowa’s style of play (unless they are playing Wisconsin). It also is an easy drive for most Iowans so the support there would be greater.
Question 7: Switching to Hawkeye hoops, what’s your take on Fran’s first real recruiting class?
I haven’t looked too far into the basketball recruits. I’ve tried to watch any film I could find on YouTube (there isn’t much), but that’s about it. Oglesby is probably the most exciting kid to me. He goes to my alma mater (CR Washington), plus he can shoot lights out.
Question 8: Iowa hosts Clemson in the ACC/B1G challenge on Nov. 29th. Think the Hawks will win this one?
I read somewhere (probably on Twitter) that Clemson lost a lot of starters and will be a relatively inexperienced team next year. It bodes well for Iowa that the game will be near the beginning of the year. I don’t see any reason why Iowa can’t win the game, especially at home. Let’s call this a W for the B1G.
Again, be sure to check Hawkeye Network later this morning for more of the roundtable.