The Game

The Basics

Location: Ames, IA
Head Coach: Paul Rhoades
Mascot: Cyclones
Conference: Big XII
2010 Record: 5-7 (3-5)

The Offense

Returning Starters: 6
Key Players: OL Kelechi Osemele, WR Darius Darks
Key Losses: QB Austin Arnaud, RB Alexander Robinson, TE Colin Franklin, OL Ben Lamaak

Though the Cyclones return 5 starters on offense (6 if you count Jerome Tiller who started at QB while Arnaud was out), they lose a lot of their skill players including their top passer, top 2 rushers, and top 2 receivers. They return 3 along the offensive line, including All-American candidate Kelechi Osemele. Center is the likely weak link with Ben Lamaak graduating and his replacement a freshman, 270-lb Tom Farniok.

The Big Ten Title Game will be in Indianapolis

The heads of the conference came to a unanimous decision on Sunday that the B1G championship will be played in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at least through 2015. Chicago, the other city in the running, would have been a better pick for Iowa--closer for Hawkeye fans, and more conducive to Iowa's style of play--but it's probably better for the conference to hold the event indoors to help establish large attendance and less sloppy football.

As pointed out on Eye of the Hawks, Indianapolis is "home of former Hawkeyes Dallas Clark and Pat Angerer, and the Colts have become the un-official favorite team for many Hawkeye fans that do not have any pro team that they cling to." Bob Sanders was also on the Colts until recently. I often find myself rooting for the Colts for this very reason.

A year ago Iowa and Iowa State were coming off seasons that exceeded expectation. Iowa - an 11-2, Orange Bowl winning year...Iowa State - a 7-6, Insight Bowl winning year. There was a lot of hype built up around Iowa especially and this game got enough attention to merit a 2:30 kick off on ABC (regional). This year, in sharp contrast, both teams are coming off disappointing seasons and the interest in this game is not what it was a year ago.

For 2011 the Iowa/Iowa State game will kick off at 11:00 AM on September 10 and will be aired nationally on Fox Sports Net. The game this year is in Ames, so that why it's not a BTN broadcast. Mike Hlas pointed out that FSN airs locally on Comcast Chicago and there is already a Cubs game on the schedule that afternoon. That could mean Mediacom Connections Channel and non-HD viewing for a lot of us in the state.

Preseason magazines are out

BHGP has an extensive rundown of all the predictions from the preseason college football magazines. Iowa is predicted to finish 3rd or 4th in the Legends Division with a record around 8-4. Althon and Sporting News both predict a Gator Bowl appearance for the Hawkeyes.

One thing I noticed is that the B1G isn't predicted to have more than one team in BCS bowls this year. That would be somewhat rare for the conference that has had two teams taken 8 of the 13 years the BCS has been around. However, this year, especially with the problems at OSU, there doesn't look like there is a title contender in the conference. I also expect more parity in the conference. We could very well see a 9-3 team in the conference title game and the other team 10-2. And, with a title game, one of the best two teams in the conference will have a loss right before the BCS at-large bids are determined.

Tressel quick hits

• HawkCentral is on the same page as me--OSU's current situation may open the door to some recruiting opportunities in the state of Ohio. PSD was thinking the same thing too and posted on the recruits Iowa and OSU are both targeting.
• Also from HawkCentral, Ferentz comments on Tressel, calling him a "good man."

Yes I know...we've all read enough about Jim Tressel. Writing on the subject seems somewhat contrived, but also obligatory. I do think, however, that everything happening at Ohio State will have an impact on Iowa this year and into the future--hence this post.

Under normal circumstances, a B1G conference schedule that doesn't include Ohio State would be considered a good thing. Yes, I like to see Iowa play in big games against the best competition the conference has to offer, but I like winning more and playing a team like Indiana instead of OSU gives Iowa a better shot a taking the B1G crown. Iowa won't be playing the Buckeyes the next 2 years, unless it's part of the B1G Championship Game.

This year will not be normal circumstances. I don't think I need to go into detail about everything that's gone down at Ohio State in the past few months. The big things are that Jim Tressel has resigned, the "Tat-5" are suspended for the first 5 games of the years, with more investigations coming more players could end up suspended, the NCAA could really lay down the law in August hurting OSU further (bowl ban, loss of scholarships, etc...), and it's likely that Terrelle Pryor is as gone as Tressel. Does that necessarily mean Ohio State will have a down year? No, but it's looking more and more likely every day.