MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Bryant Bulldogs

VS.

GAME INFO: Fri., Dec 5, 2008 - 7:35 PM CST - Carver-Hawkeye Arena; Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 6-2 (0-0); POM: 68; RPI: 73 / Bryant University: 1-4 (0-0); POM: 267; RPI: 177

TV COVERAGE: Big Ten Network. Mark Neely, Spencer Tollackson (former Gopher) and Lauren Bohlander will call the action.
LISTEN ONLINE - http://www.kscj.com/
OFFICIAL GAME NOTES - HERE
LINE - Really? You are looking for a line on this game?

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Iowa returns home from a long road trip to face Bryant University this Friday. What do you mean you've never heard of Bryant? It's that independent school up in Rhode Island with a yearly tuition of $40K* and a student demographic of 2,669 men and 1,607 women**. Their lone victory of the year was over Quinnipiac (presumably a territory, parish, or province in Canada), a team that has a Pomeroy rating of 300+. Needless to say that if Iowa loses this game, they might as well start Lil' Lick for the rest of the season.

* - No joke, check out Wikipedia.
** - This ratio constitutes the mandatory label of Sausage Party.

KEYS TO THE GAME FOR IOWA:
1.) Cyrus Tate with a MINIMUM of 10 field goal attempts.
2.) Get Anthony Tucker back on track.
3.) Play solid defense.
4.) Rebound.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 78
Bryant - 53

MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Kansas State Wildcats

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Nov 29, 2008 - 6:30 CST - Orleans Arena; Las Vegas, NV
IOWA: 5-1 (0-0); KenPom: 68/ Kansas State: 5-1 (0-0); KenPom: 82

TV COVERAGE: None (that I know of)
LISTEN ONLINE - http://www.kscj.com/
LINE - Iowa is a 5 point underdog at the neutral site.

Iowa takes on KSU tonight at 6:30 CST in the consolation round of the Las Vegas Invitational. Last night Iowa was out-physicalled (totally a word, by the way) by West Virginia. It was a rough and tumble first half where Iowa couldn't get much going (mainly because they turned it over 17 times in the first half). The mugging stopped in the second half courtesy of the refs actually calling fouls. Tucker lit it up again from behind the arc, scoring in double digits again (6th straight to start his career).

Kansas State forced something like 31 turnovers in the loss to Kentucky last night, so Iowa will be up against it as well. Iowa needs to hold onto the ball, they have been shooting well all season, but they don't get enough possessions to hang with some of the better teams.

No TV for the game as far as anyone knows - it might be shown on the FSS sports channel, but don't bank on it. LISTEN HERE

If Iowa can hold onto the ball, they can absolutely win this one... if the turnovers plague them, it will be a long, long night.

PREDICTION
Iowa - 67
Kansas State - 74

Men's BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

VS.

GAME INFO: Fri., Nov 28, 2008 - 8:05 CST - Orleans Arena; Las Vegas, NV
IOWA: 5-0 (0-0); RPI: 56 / West Virginia: 3-0 (0-0); RPI: 8

TV COVERAGE: MASN and SNY - DIRECTV (Ch. 639 and 640) and on the sportpack / DISH Network (Ch. 432). Mediacom will carry the game, as well.
LISTEN ONLINE - http://www.kscj.com/
OFFICIAL GAME NOTES - HERE
LINE - Iowa is a 9.5 point underdog at the neutral site.

The Mountaineers are a very dangerous, physical team. De'Sean Butler is probably their best player, but Alex Ruoff is guy that can really create match-up problems with his height and overall game. WVU also has a stud frosh in Devin Ebanks, who, in my opinion, could be their best player by the end of the year; he can do everything. The Mountaineers have shot the ball well through 3 games, esp. from 3 pt land. Overall, the Mountaineers are going to come out very tenaciuous tonight and Iowa had better be ready to be physical. WVU has a pretty stacked starting 5, but they can afford to be aggressive, as they are a very, very deep team.

Anthony Tucker for the Hawks continued his hot shooting last time out and, once again, finished with double digits points (his fifth straight to start his collegiate career) - AT finished the last game with a double-double (pts and boards). Look for Tate and Cole to be a bit more involved in the game tonight, as Iowa will need the on the glass and physical on the D end, as well. This game has special meaning for Devan Bawinkel, as he was shown the door by Mountaineer coach, Bob tHuggins back when he played for WVU two years ago.

KEYS TO THE GAME FOR IOWA:
1.) Handle the Press. There's no guarantee that WVU will press, but it would seem very likely if tHuggins did any sort of prep work for this game that he would be pressing Iowa all game long.
2.) Guard-Play Under Control. Peterson, Kelly, Tucker, Gatens all need to play poised tonight against a very hard-nosed backcourt from WVU.
3.) Limit Turnovers. Obvious.
4.) Knock Down the Open Jumpers. Iowa isn't going to get a lot of open looks tonight, they need to knock them down when they get them.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 55
West Virginia - 64

Men's BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oakland Grizzlies

VS.

GAME INFO: Sun., November 23rd, 2008; Carver-Hawkeye Arena - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 3-0 (0-0) / Oakland 1-2 (0-0)

TV COVERAGE: Big Ten Network - DIRECTV (Ch. 610)
LISTEN ONLINE - http://www.kscj.com/

LINE - NO LINE

Oakland's sole victory this year was Oregon's only loss, so Iowa should be ready for a team that going to give them a bigger challenge than The Citadel.

Gatens and Tucker have both scored in double digits in the three games to start their careers. I don't know the record for consecutive dbl digit scoring to start a career or if Iowa has ever had two froshes do it for even three games. With that aside, both Tucker and Gatens look very impressive on the court. Gatens looks like he is a Big Ten junior on the court, not only in stature, but in poise, as well.

Oakland did lose a key player to a foot injury about a week ago, so the team that took down Oregon is not the same one in Iowa City tonight. He was their top scorer, I believe.

Keys to the Game for Iowa
1.) Get Cole and Tate involved early. They have been nearly invisible early on this season.
2.) Big contributions from the froshes, specifically Gatens and Tucker.
3.) Stay out of foul trouble down low.


PREDICTION:
Iowa - 72
Oakland - 58

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Twelve - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Nov. 22, 2008 - 6:00 PM CST - The Metrodome; Minneapolis, MN
IOWA: 7-4 (4-3) NR; MINNESOTA 7-4 (3-4)

TV COVERAGE: BTN (HD)
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 6 point favorite on the road.

---

All good things much come to an end, and even some awful things must come to an end, as well. Today marks the day when the last Minnesota - Iowa football game will ever be played in the Metrodome (i.e. - Kinnick North). Floyd of Rosedale has been in Iowa City the past year and I fully expect him to remain there. Minnesota has lost 3 in a row (I predicted they'd drop the final 4 of the season at the end of October), while Iowa has won 4 out of their last 5. Iowa has a very good chance to wind up in a January Bowl game, something that would have sounded silly last month. As long as Ohio State and Penn State both get BCS bids (meaning the Buckeyes need to beat Michigan and hope Oregon St loses one of its last two game), the Hawks, with a win, will likely be headed to Tampa Bay and the Outback Bowl. Even if Northwestern finishes ahead of Iowa with a 9-3 record, you can bet that the Hawks will get taken by the Outback. Furthermore, don't be surprised that even if Iowa loses and NW wins, that Iowa doesn't still take that bowl from NW even though it has 2 fewer wins (the Outback is one of the bowls that is exempt from the 2 win rule, as is the Alamo).

We are heading to Minneapolis shortly, to sit amongst the Gopher season ticket holders midfield, 20 rows up. Should be a blast - going to hit up the warehouse district before and after the game.

Enough of the babble - let's look at this game...

Eric Decker has been penciled in to start this game, but I have a hard time thinking he is 100%, or even 50% for that matter. A high ankle sprain is a hard injury to kick in a few weeks time. The Gophers are going to need to him to stretch Iowa's secondary. Without Decker, Iowa is going to be able to sit back in their regular defense and allow MN to dink and dunk, but I would be very surprised to see them do deep on Iowa with their current personnel. MN is also very young up front, so Iowa DL should be able to do a lot of damage. Adam Weber scares the crap out of me with his moxy and escapablity, however if Decker isn't effective, the Hawk will be able to spy him all game (a la - Juice Williams).

Iowa really doesn't have much on the offensive side of the ball to work with... unless you are talking about Shonn Greene - oh yeah, him. The nation's leading rusher and likely winnner of the Doak Walker Award and undoubtedly a first team All-American. Greene is going to run wild on the Gophers - look for 200+ yards in this one as well. Stanzi, once again, just needs to manage the game for Iowa to pull out the win.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene
Defensive Player of the Game: Pat Angerer

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 38
Minnesota - 27

Gopher administrative bodies are hoping the goal posts can come down quickly tonight.

MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. The Citadel Bulldogs

See my prev. post about the game streamed.

Hope some of you can watch it.

This game will conclude the home and home these two teams had. Two of the coaches on The Citadel's staff are originally from Iowa (D-port, I believe). Iowa shouldn't have much trouble in this game, if they do, we are in serious trouble. In the season opener, The Citadel barely defeated a Bible School (no lie).

Jake Kelly and Jarryd Cole are still nursing injuries.
Look for the starting lineup of:
Peterson
Tucker
Gatens
Fuller
Tate

Iowa should be able to use Tate frequently down low.

PREDICTION:

Iowa - 78
The Citadel - 59

MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. UTSA Roadrunners

I will not be providing a game preview for this game on the account that I am mad at the BigTenNetwork.com.

The first two games have not been viewable, therefore I don't know what to expect.

Is this a cop-out because I haven't had time to write a preview? Absolutely.

But I am still pissed at the Big Ten Network.

They mucked up the Iowa-Purdue game on DirecTV, they didn't broadcast the Exhibition game vs. Wayne State, and the stream for the CSU game was weaker than an old man peeing.

So here's the prediction at least -

Iowa - 76
UTSA - 58

Tucker hits 5 treys. Gatens goes for 14. Tate gets a double-double.

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Twelve - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview

VS.
GAME INFO: Sat., Nov 15th, 2008 - 11:05 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium: Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 6-4 (3-3) NR / PURDUE 3-7 (1-5) NR

TV COVERAGE: BTN (HD) will televise the game to a national cable audience (609 on DirecTV). Thom Brennaman, Chris Martin and Anthony Herron will call the action.
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: VIEW HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE
KIRK'S PRESSER: VIEW HERE
LIVE BLOG THREAD: Gazette (Marc, Mike, and Scott)

LINE: Iowa is a 17.5 point favorite at home

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Senior Day is here. Three months ago, this day seemed like ages away. It's afun day to be at Kinnick, but it's also sad because you realize the season is at its waning point. It will also be Joe Tiller's last time coaching inside of Kinnick.

My, oh my, how one week changes things! Iowa went from no one in the eyes of the national media to "savior of the BCS" after taking down Penn State last weekend. Expectations are high once again for this Hawkeye squad. If Ohio State and Penn State win their remain games, and Iowa follows suit, the Hawkeyes are undoubtedly heading to Tampa for a bowl. Who would have thought that after the loss to Illinois?

Iowa was embarrassed last year in West Lafayette. They haven't forgotten. Purdue is another squad running the spread (who doesn't these days?). I really like the way Iowa matches up with the Boilermakers. Iowa has the better offense, the better defense, the better special teams, the better coaching staff, the home field advantage, and the Senior Day effect. I don't see a let down in this one.

Purdue allows a ton of yardage, yet their scoring D has been pretty good as of late. Iowa, on the other hand has been stout throughout the year on the D end. Purdue's offense is lead by Heisman Trophy contender, Curtis Painter and Iowa has a huge question mark at running back.... oh, wait... that was preseason. And I wasn't buying it. Shonn Greene could run for 1250 yards in this one and 15 TDs.

Shonn Greene remains the only player in D-1 football with 100+ yards in every single game this season. He's a horse, and a horse that Iowa should ride to the win today. Stanzi will need to remain poised in this one, but as we saw last weekend, even when he gets knocked down, he gets right back up. Iowa can get away with mistakes in this one, but not as many mistakes as the NW game.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (Doak Walker, Heisman, et al contender - give it up this dude)
Defensive Player of the Game: Matt Kroul (Senior Day - go get em, Matt). I would have gone with Mitch King, but he got a buzz cut and we all remember the story of Samson.

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 34
Purdue - 17

Men's BB: SEASON OPENER! Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Charleston Southern

VS.

GAME INFO: Fri., November 14th, 2008 - 7:00 PM CST - Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 0-0 (0-0); RPI: NA / Charleston Southern 0-0 (0-0); RPI: NA

TV COVERAGE: BigTenNetwork.com - HERE'S THE FEED
OFFICIAL GAME NOTES - VIEW HERE
LINE - NO LINE
LIVEBLOG(S) - BlackHeartGoldPants, I will be guest hosting it for the guys.

8 months + 1 day since the last Iowa BB game. It feels like it has been forever.

I don't know anything about Charleston Southern, but here's their roster.

We don't know a lot about this team (7 new faces), but here's the preview I wrote this summer on BHGP. But we do know they will be better this year than last. Very excited to see this team in action.

Short preview this game just because it's the early game of the season.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 72
Charleston Southern - 49

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Eleven - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

VS.
GAME INFO: Sat., Nov 8th, 2008 - 2:37 PM CST - Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 5-4 (2-3) NR / PENN STATE 9-0 (5-0) #2/#3

TV COVERAGE: ABC (HD) will televise the game to a regional audience. Fans not in the ABC regional footprint can watch the game on ESPN (HD). The game will also be available online at ESPN360.com. Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Stacey Dales will call the action.
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: VIEW HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE
ABC COVERAGE MAP : VIEW HERE
KIRK'S PRESSER: VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 7.5 point underdog at home.

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Photo Courtesy of Hawkeyesports.com

One thing that is blatantly obvious at this point in the season is that Shonn Greene is good. Real good. Greene is a man among boys on the field, and he should be able to run effectively in this game as long as Stanzi can relieve pressure and stop PSU from loading the box. Getting Seth Olson back for the game can't hurt his productivity either. The University of Iowa has started to embrace the "Shonn Greene for Heisman" talk, as well, with their Black Out / Greene Out for the game.



Penn State QB Daryll Clark's head might not be 100% on Saturday either. In recent reports, Clark has admitted to blacking out during the Ohio State game after he took a couple hard hits. If Iowa can get to him early, it might be enough to get him out of his comfort zone. Evan Royster continues to be overlooked by a lot of national pudnits, but Iowa is most certainly aware of his game. The Nittany Lions will be bringing the Spread HD (Highly Diverse) offense to Kinnick tomorrow, yet Iowa might be content to sit back in their base defense to defend it. However, PSU is going to run the Iowa secondary ragged, so don't be surprise to see Norm Parker add some extra DBs during different points of the game.

Penn State's defense is very underrated and if they follow the blueprints set by Illinois, they should be able to contain Shonn Greene. This will force the game into the hands of Ricky Stanzi, a plan that worked for the Illini last week. This game will undoubtedly be decided by the effectiveness of Stanzi, who seems to play better at home than on the road (or does he?). Stanzi needs to eliminate the mistakes he has been having in recent weeks.

Iowa most definitely can hang with Penn State on their defense alone. Iowa is not severely overmatched by the Nittany Lions.

KEYS TO THE GAME:
- Turnovers
- Redzone Offense vs. Redzone Defense

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (for the 10th straight week)
Defensive Player of the Game: Pat Angerer

The bottom line is that Iowa is a very good 5-4 team. Penn State's 9-0 record is nothing to scoff at (and neither is their #2 national ranking). Make no doubt about it, Iowa will have its hands full in this one. However, the snow and cold should help level the playing field a little bit and the Hawkeye faithful will do their part in helping Iowa out. This game is absolutely winnable for the Hawkeyes. That said...

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PREDICTION:
Iowa - 17
Penn State - 21

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Ten - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Preview

VS.
GAME INFO: Sat., Nov 1st, 2008 - 2:37 PM CST - Memorial Stadium - Champaign, IL
IOWA: 5-3 (2-2) NR / ILLINOIS 4-4 (2-3) NR

TV COVERAGE: ABC (HD) will televise the game to a regional audience. Fans not in the ABC regional footprint can watch the game on ESPN (HD). The game will also be available online at ESPN360.com. Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Rob Stone will call the action.
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: VIEW HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE
ABC COVERAGE MAP : VIEW HERE
KIRK'S PRESSER: VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 2.5 point underdog on the road.

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This is the second straight road game that Iowa is playing in Memorial Stadium, let's hope the result is the same as the last game in the stadium with the same name.

It's been rumored that Illinois leading rusher, Daniel Dufrene, will not play on Saturday due to personal issues he is trying to clear up. Likely to fill his void is the once (or was that twice?) committed to Iowa, Jason Ford. His stats look average, but if you break them down, they get worse. Currently he has 234 yards on 50 carries and 5 TDs. However, if you take away the Indiana game, he is left with 62 yards on 31 carries and 2 TDs (2 YPC and 8.9 yards per game). He has talent, there's no doubt about it, but I do think Iowa's vaunted D is going to be able to handle him easily. The scary part of the game is going to be focused on Juice. Williams is accountable for over 17 points per game for Illinois (far and away the highest number of anyone in the Big Ten). Iowa did well against Iowa last year against the option, but may have a hard time containing Juice this time out. The book says to force Juice to go down field, which is something that I think the Illini will be able to do at will on Saturday. Greenwood and Sash are going to be picked on quite a bit this game.

Shonn Green continues to plug away, and finally his hard work is getting national attention. Hawks knew his potential and his raw skill, so it's no surprise to see him excel - now the rest of the nation knows about him. This could be good or bad. Either that will force teams to respect Greene and load the box, thus allowing Iowa to open the playbook and pass wild. It also means Iowa is going to be forced to put a lot of trust in their first year, sophomore starting QB in Ricky Stanzi. It should be interesting how Ricky fares in a hostile environment on the road.

SIDENOTES:
I can't wait to hear Spielman's color commentary again. He's a STUD.
Iowa will not see Illinois again until 2011.
No word if Zook has a strategy to stop Nate Kaeding.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (Ninth consecutive week for obvious reasons)
Defensive Player of the Game: Mitch King (Iowa will need to get pressure with its front four and Mitch will be the key)

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PREDICTION:
Iowa - 24
Illinois - 23

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Eight - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers Preview

VS. 
GAME INFO: Sat., Oct. 18th, 2008 - 11:03 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 4-3 (1-2) NR / WISCONSIN: 3-3 (0-3) NR

TV COVERAGE: BTN (HD) will televise the game to a national cable audience. Mark Neely, Chris Martin, Glen Mason and Anthony Herron will call the action.
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 4 point favorite at home.

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The battle for the Heartland Trophy has finally arrived.  Posts on message boards at the beginning of the season speculated the remote possibility of both these teams coming into the ballgame with perfect (or near perfect) records, which could then spawn College GameDay to come back to Iowa City... not the case, not even close.  Wisconsin has looked borderline awful the past few weeks.  While I think the Penn State blowout was an anamoly, this is not the same Badger team of the last decade.  Wisconsin hasn't scored more than 17 points in 3 of the last 4 games.  Don't look for that to change in today's game.  New QB for Wisconsin, as Beilema has benched Evridge.

So that puts the burdened squarely on Iowa's offense (and specifically Ricky Stanzi) to perform.  Shonn Greene is going to get his.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Greene get 30+ carries and get close to the 200 yard mark.  However, if Stanzi continues to make his trademark mistakes (fumbled snaps, INTs in the red zone, etc...) this game is going to remain close and Wisconsin can definitely leave Iowa City with the win.  I have faith in Ricky today, and in the offense in general (and even, gasp, Ken O'Keefe).

I see Iowa getting to .500 in conference after this game.  With an Iowa victory, the all-time series will tied once again, as well.  Iowa's defense will hold the Badgers down all day, and the offense will do enough to pull out the victory.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (Eigth consecutive week for obvious reasons)
Defensive Player of the Game: Amari Speivey (Just because he is the team leader in solo tackles and with Iowa's defensive scheme, they'll need their CBs to tackle today.  He'll get a pick, as well.)

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PREDICTION:
Iowa - 20
Wisconsin - 16

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Seven - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Indiana Hoosiers Preview

VS.
GAME INFO: Sat., Oct. 11th, 2008 - 11:03 AM CST - Memorial Stadium - Bloomington, IN
IOWA: 3-3 (0-2) NR / INDIANA: 2-3 (0-2) NR

TV COVERAGE: BTN (HD) will televise the game to a national cable audience. Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin will call the action.
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 6 point favorite on the road.

---

Alright, enough is enough. This is not a bad Iowa team. It's a good, young Iowa team. Mistakes are being made all over the field, but you can't deny this team has talent.

Although I thought the MSU game would the turning point of the season for the Hawks, it has now moved to this game. Indiana's defense is borderline awful, and without James Hardy to run wild on Iowa, this game shouldn't be close. The Hoosiers still have Thigpen and Lewis, but those two aren't going to be nearly enough.

Shonn Greene could honestly break the school record today in Bloomington. It won't happen, as he won't get enough carries to do so, but this defense's rushing D is horrendous. Greene is going to run wild in this game. Stanzi will continue to make his mistakes, but all in the will be fine if he continues to show he can stretch the field.

Iowa could possibly be the best 3 win team in the nation (yes, it's sad to say, but it's true).

I like Iowa in this one, big.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (Seventh consecutive week for obvious reasons)
Defensive Player of the Game: A.J. Edds

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PREDICTION:
Iowa - 34
Indiana - 10

FOOTBALL: Halfway Through the Season - Looking Back at My Prognostications

Back in late August, I listed 8 Audacious Big Ten Prognostications for the upcoming football season. Seeing as we are about halfway through the season, I thought it'd be worth taking a look at how my predictions were coming along.

1. OHIO STATE WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

No doubt about it, Ohio State is stacked this year. They are, hands down, the best team in the Big Ten. The Pryor show will be entertaining. The defense is solid. Yet I don't see them getting past USC in the third week of the season inside the Coliseum. A one loss Ohio State team can absolutely make it to the BCS Championship game, but I think they end up with two losses on their resume. I see them slipping up either in Madison or East Lansing.

RESULT: LIKELY. The USC loss happened, but the loss at Madison didn't. However, Ohio St. does not look as good through the first half as I thought they would. I am still confident this one will come true. And with Penn St. playing good ball, if they win out, they will be going the NCG.

2. MICHIGAN STATE WILL NOT WIN 8 GAMES

So I just told you Michigan State could beat Ohio State, which I think is true... but their season will not be as glorious as that potential upset. The rest of the world thinks it will be, though. Good Lord. Everyone loves Dantonio (Mark, the HC of the Spartans, not Mike, the bassist for Killswitch Engage). The Spartans are the Dark Horse for the Big Ten crown. Dantonio for Big Ten Coach of the Year. Enough already. Now don't take this as an anti-MSU rant, but I see them losing to CAL and ND in the out of conference schedule... and if that happens I just can't picture MSU getting 6 wins in conference when they have to face Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin (arguably the Top 3 teams in the Big Ten) and not getting the gimmie vs. Minnesota. 7-5 is the best I see from MSU. I keep hearing "watch out for Michigan State", but enough of that palaver because Sparty isn't going be "that team". Michigan State hasn't had back to back winning seasons since I was in grade school. They might break that streak this year, but not to the tune of 8 wins. Besides, it's not like MSU is known for rising to the occasion over the past few decades.

RESULT: TOSS-UP. MSU is sitting at 5-1 right now. By my count that means they need to get 3 more to bust my prediction. Should be easy enough, right? Take a look at MSU schedule, it's gets tougher as the year goes on and I honestly think Jevon Ringer is going to run out of steam soon.

3. THE BIG TEN COACH MOST LIKELY TO BE FIRED AT THE END OF THE SEASON IS NOT KIRK FERENTZ.
Kirk Ferentz has to be the most likely, right? He's overrated, overpaid, overmatched, etc... WRONG. SHUT UP. Ferentz isn't going anywhere unless he leaves for the NFL, which he has turned down multiple times during his tenure at the University of Iowa. His paycheck was based on the market's demand at the time, and I don't have a problem with what Iowa pays him. He's a hell of coach, and an even better person. He's not going anywhere. However, Tim Brewster might be. Oh, what a silly, silly comment to make about a man in his second year at a school. No way he is going to be fired. Think again. Timmy can't seem to keep any of his recruits eligible - the incoming freshman class recorded the lowest test scores of any school in the Big Ten. Rumor is their stud recruit, MarQueis Gray had someone re-take his qualifying test score. Whoops. Plus, Timmy wanted to bolster his defense, so he hired an assistant coach away from the football powerhouse named Duke. Let me repeat that. Tim Brewster, head coach of Minnesota, wanted to improve his team, so he hired someone from DUKE. DUKE! Well done, sir. Of all the Big Ten coaches, I would pick Brewster over anyone else to get the axe.

RESULT: FAIL... SORT OF. Adam Weber is single-handely keeping Brewster's job intact, while three straight losses isn't helping Kirk Ferentz's job security (albeit he really isn't going anywhere regardless). So while Brewster likely isn't going anywhere, neither is Kirk.

4. CURTIS PAINTER IS NOT A HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATE
Contrary to the Purdue Sports Department's opinion, there's no way Curtis Painter is or will be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. First off, Curtis Painter really isn't that good. Check out his Big Ten only stats and get back to me as to why he would be a candidate for the Heisman. He's not even the best QB in the Big Ten. Additionally, he plays for Purdue. By all means, you need to be in at least a January Bowl to be seriously considered for the Heisman. As much as Tiller can pray for it, Purdue isn't going to be bowling in the early part of '09. And finally, having a site like CurtisPainter12.com will do nothing to help the case... it's worse than having a huge banner on a building in Times Square.

RESULT: FACT. 110-for-191, 1,225 yds, 5 TD, 5 INT, 0 rush TD, QB Rating: 114.9 and almost getting benched isn't going to get you to NYC anytime soon.

5. MICHIGAN WILL NOT FINISH BETTER THAN 5TH IN THE BIG TEN
Sure, the Wolverines have some of the best young talent in the nation; R-Rod brought a TON of athletes with him to Ann Arbor. The problem, though, is the system Rich brought with him to Ann Arbor. The offensive scheme used at West Virginia isn't the simplest one to pick up at the drop of a hat. Add in the fact that the players remaining from Carr's reign will have to completely change their approach to the game, and things aren't going to turn out well. You are going to see a lot of talented players, who don't know how to play together, trying to learn a system as the year progresses. Oh right... the starting QB for Michigan has never taken a snap at the collegiate level either. Still, there are experts around the nation putting them in their Top 25 for whatever reason. Michigan MIGHT get to 7 wins, but they will struggle to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten.

RESULT: LIKELY. This team is getting better every week, but they do not have what it takes to break the Top 4 in the Big Ten.

6. BIG TEN NETWORK'S "FRIDAY NIGHT TAILGATE" WILL STILL SUCK
Listen, I adore the BTN. I really do. I love it more than eating Breyer's All-Natural Rocky Road ice cream (and I am man who loves him some ice cream). Here's their latest promo - JORDAN AND MIKE - "GET READY FOR THE TAILGATE". I'm not sure this is what Mike Hall had in mind after winning ESPN's Dream Job, but at least he's on TV and making money. But what's with the "FNT" logo? Are they trying to promote Wrestlemania or something? The fact remains that although you get to see some cool on-campus shots and a look at some of the co-eds, "Friday Night Tailgate" still makes me want to take the BTN off my DirecTV Favorites List... but at least they got rid of the fat guy. Clarissa Thompson could be its only saving grace, but it might require too much from her.

RESULT: FACT. Holy hell, yes. The worst show on BTN, if not the entire broadcasting world. Great premise, AWFUL show.

7. WISCONSIN WILL LOSE A GAME AT HOME THIS YEAR
The Badgers have yet to lose a home game under former Hawkeye (and current recruit poacher), Bret Bielema. That will change this year. Penn State, Ohio State, and Illinois all make their way to Madison at some point during the season. Yes, Camp Randall is one of the most rocking stadium in not only the Big Ten, but also the entire nation. Yet the contingency of 76,000+ drunkards attending the games will not be enough to help out the Badgers in their quest to remain undefeated at home... no matter how much jumping around they do. QB woes will do in Bucky at home this year.

RESULT: FACT. It already happened, and will likely happen again this year.

8. THE IOWA HAWKEYES WILL WIN AT LEAST NINE GAMES THIS YEAR
I can hear it already, "YOU FRICKIN' HOMER!!" Settle down and read on. The safe bet would be to say 7-5 or 8-4, but this is supposed to be audacious... so there you go. Iowa will finish this season with a minimum record of 9-3. They could make it through the non-conference schedule unscathed, but I think they drop one over at Heinz Field. That leaves them with a 6-2 record in conference, which is very doable considering the schedule they have in front of them (I completely disagree that it's the easiest in the nation, however, by a long shot). Their toughest opponents (Wisconsin and Penn State) are at home, not to mention their bye week is after Wisconsin and before traveling to Illinois. If Iowa can stay healthy (and get healthy, as well - Moeaki, Stross, Bernstine, etc...), there is no reason they can't put at least the number "9" in the Win column. This year's front four on defense is one of, if not, the best in the Big Ten. The offense will struggle at times this year again, but with the return of Shonn Greene, as well as Moeaki, Brodell, and Stross, Iowa has some actual weapons out on the field. Don't overlook what Erik Campbell, one of the nation's best assistant coaches, will do for Iowa's receivers. Solid D + Contributing Offense = At least 9 wins.

RESULT: UNLIKELY. Iowa would need to go 5-1 the rest of the way, and also win the bowl game that would come along with an 8-4 finish. Or, obviously, Iowa would need to run the table, and the Bowl Game wouldn't factor - that's not happening, in my opinion. The good thing about this 3-3 team so far this year is that they are in all the games and actually look like a quality football team on the field. It's not completely out the question to see Iowa get to the 8 win mark, not at all.

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Six - Iowa Hawkeyes vs.Michigan State Spartans Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Oct. 4th, 2008 - 11:02 AM CST - Spartan Stadium - East Lansing, MI
IOWA: 3-2 (0-1) NR / MSU: 4-1 (1-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: ESPN2 and ESPN2 - HD. Cover your ears, as Pam Ward and Ray Bentley will call be the announcers for the game... however I have also read that Clay Matvick will be going instead of Pam, we can all dream. Espn360.com will also carry the game.
FERENTZ'S MONDAY PRESSER: TRANSCRIPT HERE
DEPTH CHART AND GAME NOTES: HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 7.5 point underdog on the road.

---

It's the end of the first half of the season (it seems like just a very short while ago we were counting down to the Maine game). Iowa looks like the team most of us thought they would be, however the record hasn't followed suit. The Hawks are coming off of back-to-back losses, two losses that should have most definitely have been wins.

Looking at the MSU-Iowa game:
Iowa will stop Ringer (by stop, I mean hold to about 110 yards and 2 TDs). He's a load, everyone knows it. He has a motor that won't stop and MSU will likely give him the ball 40 times on Saturday. If Iowa can hold him to a buck 10, that's less than 3 yards a carry. Hoyer has a long way to go as a QB. While I realize Iowa doesn't have an All-American at the helm, either, Hoyer has struggled his share this year. Stanzi is getting better every game, and this will be his first true road test. He absolutely has the tools to succeed, his experience will need to catch up quickly. State's D is nothing to write home about, they have been suspect pretty much all year.

Our D is going to be able to hold, and as long as Shonn Greene is 100%, Iowa should be ok. That, my friends, is the biggest disclaimer of the week. If Greene isn't 100% from his head injury he received during the Northwestern game (one sustained by not one, but two, illegal helmet to helmet hits by two different NW defenders on the same play), then Iowa is deep trouble and will likely lose big.

If Greene is good to go, I like Iowa in this one on the road. I think the +7.5 is easy money.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene (Sixth consecutive week for obvious reasons)
Defensive Player of the Game: Mitch King (This game will be his coming out party)

---

Assuming a healthy Shonn Greene -
PREDICTION:
Iowa - 31
ISU - 20

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Five - Iowa Hawkeyes vs.Northwestern Wildcats Preview

vs.

GAME INFO: Sat., Sept. 27th, 2008 - 11:00 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium; Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 3-1 (0-0) NR / Northwestern: 4-0 (0-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: ESPN Classic
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is 8.5 point favorite at home

---

I'm actually in Iowa City for the game this weekend, so I am going to be limited in this prediction.
Both Bacher and Sutton have been banged up this year, but both will be ready for this game. The Wildcats boast seniority, however, some key areas of their team have some youngin' hanging around (namely on the offensive line). Iowa should be able to run at will with Greene, assuming Ken O'Keefe allows it to happen (huge assumption). I really like Iowa in this game, at home, for homecoming.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonn Greene
Defensive Player of the Game: Mitch King

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 27
NW- 17

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Four - Iowa Hawkeyes vs.Pittsburgh Panthers Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Sept. 20th, 2008 - 11:00 AM CST - Heinz Field - Pittsburgh, PA
IOWA: 3-0 (0-0) NR / Pittsburgh: 1-1 (0-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: ESPN 2 HD
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is 1 point favorite on the road.

---

It's on the road.
Iowa still doesn't have an answer at QB.
I just don't have a great vibe in this one. Wannstache is not a great coach, Bears fans like myself know that first hand.

I think the Hawks struggle on the road. Low scoring.
I hope Iowa beats them 100-2, but I can't do that.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonne Greene (until I am proven otherwise, he's my pick every week)
Defensive Player of the Game: Pat Angerer

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 10
Pitt - 13

And, yes, this is the worst prediction post of all time.

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Three - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Iowa State Cyclones Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Sept. 13th, 2008 - 11:03 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 2-0 (0-0) NR / ISU: 2-0 (0-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: Big Ten Network - DIRECTV: channel 610 or 610-1 (HD); DISH NETWORK: channel 439 or 9500 (HD); MEDIACOM: Find Your Channel Here
FERENTZ'S MONDAY PRESSER: TRANSCRIPT HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 14 point favorite at home.

LIVETHREADS/BLOGS:
BlackHeartGoldPants Open Thread
Marc Morehouse LiveBlog

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I'm not going to go into much depth here.
Go to the message boards around the Interwebs for all of the info you need.
Gameday is here. Iowa vs. Iowa State. Bitter rivals.
It's rainy down in Iowa City and the field conditions are anything but perfect.
Scary rumor this morning about the BTN not airing the broadcast because of a problem with the A/C in the truck, but it has been fixed.

I look for Iowa to use the pass to open up the running game.
Iowa's big boys on both lines are going to have a field day.
The dual QBs that ISU brings scare me, but not enough.

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonne Greene (until I am proven otherwise, he's my pick every week)
Defensive Player of the Game: Adrian Clayborn

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 31
ISU - 13

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week Two - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Florida International Golden Panthers Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Sept. 6th, 2008 - 11:03 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 1-0 (0-0) NR / FIU: 0-1 (0-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: Big Ten Network - DIRECTV: channel 618 or 618-1 (HD); DISH NETWORK: channel 5442 or 9503 (HD); MEDIACOM: Find Your Channel Here
FERENTZ'S MONDAY PRESSER: TRANSCRIPT HERE
IOWA'S GAMEDAY CENTRAL : VIEW HERE

LINE: Iowa is a 26.5 point favorite at home.

---

FIU was not impressive at all versus #14 Kansas last week (not a big shock all things considered). McCall completed 1/3 of his passes, didn't get to the 100 yard mark, and threw 2 picks. Their running game was equally bad, with their leading rusher, A'Mod Ned, being held to a mere 42 yards. FIU's lone TD came on a punt return by their most dynamic player, Eugene "TY" Hilton, a freshman with a ton of upside.

Don't look for FIU to give Iowa much trouble on Saturday. The ground game should be consistent all day long, and we hope to see some down-the-field action in the passing game, as well. Pretty sure you'd bet Jewel Hampton was going to run for 450 yards in this game if you asked anyone about him after the Maine game.

RUMORS AND RUMBLINGS: Word about is that Jake Christensen will not start on Saturday, instead Kirk has decided to allow Ricky Stanzi to start against the first team defense of FIU. I've heard anything from "this is absolutely true, bank on it" to "Jake is still the starter". Tyler Sash is supposed to have made his way into the starting lineup, displacing Harold Dalton. I am also interested in seeing who gets the nod at LG. Eubanks did get the nod last week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Vandervelde getting a lot of reps this week. Brinson may have moved to fullback, which explains the three backs in the halfback rotation (Greene, O'Meara, Hampton).

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonne Greene
Defensive Player of the Game: A.J. Edds

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 44
FIU - 10

FOOTBALL: 2008 Iowa Hawkeye Season and Big Ten Standings Predictions

PREDICTED 2008 IOWA HAWKEYE FOOTBALL RESULTS

DATE	OPPONENT	Prediction
8/30	Maine	WIN
9/06	Florida International	WIN
9/13	Iowa State	WIN
9/20	Pittsburgh	LOSS
9/27	Northwestern	WIN
10/04	Michigan State	WIN
10/11	Indiana	WIN
10/18	Wisconsin	WIN
11/01	Illinois	LOSS
11/08	Penn State	LOSS
11/15	Purdue	WIN
11/22	Minnesota	WIN

Wins: Maine, Florida International, Iowa State, Northwestern, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota

Losses: Pittsburgh, Penn State, Illinois

Record: 9-3 overall. 6-2 Big Ten

Bowl: Alamo Bowl

Explanation: We won't have a member of the Big Ten in the BCS Championship Game, so all the bowl games move down one. If Ohio State gets into the BCS Championship, then Iowa has a shot at the Outback or Cap One. Stellar defense, improved offense, moderate schedule gets Iowa to 9-3 this year. A loss to Illinois could be swapped with Wisconsin, but I like the way we have matched up with Wisconsin the past 20 years or so.


PREDICTED 2008 FINAL BIG TEN STANDINGS

1. OHIO STATE (7-1)
   
2. WISCONSIN (7-1)
   
3. PENN STATE (6-2)
   
4. IOWA (6-2)
   
5. ILLINOIS (5-3)
   
6. MICHIGAN STATE (5-3)
   
7. NORTHWESTERN (4-4)
   
8. MICHIGAN (4-4)
   
9. PURDUE (3-5)
   
10. INDIANA (2-6)
    
11. MINNESOTA (0-8)
    

FOOTBALL: 2008 Week One - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Maine Black Bears Preview

VS.

GAME INFO: Sat., Aug. 30th, 2008 - 11:03 AM CST - Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 0-0 (0-0) NR / MAINE: 0-0 (0-0) NR

TV COVERAGE: Big Ten Network - DirecTV (Channel 618 or 618-1 [HD]) / DISH Network (channel 5441 or 9502 [HD])
OFFICIAL DEPTH CHART - VIEW HERE
LINE - No line available.

---

I think that I have the right logo for Maine... I think.

Maine's offense was abysmal last year, but as an Iowa fan that surely is calling the kettle black. As little as I know about Maine, I do know that they aren't Appalachian State - they really should not give Iowa that big of a test. One thing I see happening is some hard-nose defense from the Hawkeyes. Iowa's front 4 will have their way throughout the game. Look for the offensive line to bully, as well. Iowa should have a big game on the ground between Greene, O'Meara, and Hampton. It will interesting to see how the QBs perform, as well.

KCRG has a great video on the Kirk Ferentz - Maine connection. (Thanks, mikeshea)

Offensive Player of the Game: Shonne Greene
Defensive Player of the Game: Adrian Clayborn

---

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 41
Maine - 9

FOOTBALL: A List of 8 Audacious Big Ten Prognostications for the 2008 College Football Season

An arduous title for a blog entry? Perhaps. However, you see these sort of things titled, "Fearless Predictions" or "Bold Forecasts". Well, this is my look at eight events, contrary to popular belief, that will happen this college football season in the Big Ten. Why 8? Why not 10? I don't know... eight seemed to sound better next to "audacious." Do I think all of the events will happen? Hardly. If a few of them come true, then I win, in my own eyes. So I'll put up 8 different items that I believe we will or will not see during this season even if most people disagree.

1. OHIO STATE WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
   
   
   No doubt about it, Ohio State is stacked this year. They are, hands down, the best team in the Big Ten. The Pryor show will be entertaining. The defense is solid. Yet I don't see them getting past USC in the third week of the season inside the Coliseum. A one loss Ohio State team can absolutely make it to the BCS Championship game, but I think they end up with two losses on their resume. I see them slipping up either in Madison or East Lansing.
   
   
2. MICHIGAN STATE WILL NOT WIN 8 GAMES
   
   
   So I just told you Michigan State could beat Ohio State, which I think is true... but their season will not be as glorious as that potential upset. The rest of the world thinks it will be, though. Good Lord. Everyone loves Dantonio (Mark, the HC of the Spartans, not Mike, the bassist for Killswitch Engage). The Spartans are the Dark Horse for the Big Ten crown. Dantonio for Big Ten Coach of the Year. Enough already. Now don't take this as an anti-MSU rant, but I see them losing to CAL and ND in the out of conference schedule... and if that happens I just can't picture MSU getting 6 wins in conference when they have to face Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin (arguably the Top 3 teams in the Big Ten) and not getting the gimmie vs. Minnesota. 7-5 is the best I see from MSU. I keep hearing "watch out for Michigan State", but enough of that palaver because Sparty isn't going be "that team". Michigan State hasn't had back to back winning seasons since I was in grade school. They might break that streak this year, but not to the tune of 8 wins. Besides, it's not like MSU is known for rising to the occasion over the past few decades.
   
   
3. THE BIG TEN COACH MOST LIKELY TO BE FIRED AT THE END OF THE SEASON IS NOT KIRK FERENTZ.
   
   Kirk Ferentz has to be the most likely, right? He's overrated, overpaid, overmatched, etc... WRONG. SHUT UP. Ferentz isn't going anywhere unless he leaves for the NFL, which he has turned down multiple times during his tenure at the University of Iowa. His paycheck was based on the market's demand at the time, and I don't have a problem with what Iowa pays him. He's a hell of coach, and an even better person. He's not going anywhere. However, Tim Brewster might be. Oh, what a silly, silly comment to make about a man in his second year at a school. No way he is going to be fired. Think again. Timmy can't seem to keep any of his recruits eligible - the incoming freshman class recorded the lowest test scores of any school in the Big Ten. Rumor is their stud recruit, MarQueis Gray had someone re-take his qualifying test score. Whoops. Plus, Timmy wanted to bolster his defense, so he hired an assistant coach away from the football powerhouse named Duke. Let me repeat that. Tim Brewster, head coach of Minnesota, wanted to improve his team, so he hired someone from DUKE. DUKE! Well done, sir. Of all the Big Ten coaches, I would pick Brewster over anyone else to get the axe.
   
   
4. CURTIS PAINTER IS NOT A HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATE
   
   Contrary to the Purdue Sports Department's opinion, there's no way Curtis Painter is or will be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. First off, Curtis Painter really isn't that good. Check out his Big Ten only stats and get back to me as to why he would be a candidate for the Heisman. He's not even the best QB in the Big Ten. Additionally, he plays for Purdue. By all means, you need to be in at least a January Bowl to be seriously considered for the Heisman. As much as Tiller can pray for it, Purdue isn't going to be bowling in the early part of '09. And finally, having a site like CurtisPainter12.com will do nothing to help the case... it's worse than having a huge banner on a building in Times Square.
   
   
5. MICHIGAN WILL NOT FINISH BETTER THAN 5TH IN THE BIG TEN
   
   Sure, the Wolverines have some of the best young talent in the nation; R-Rod brought a TON of athletes with him to Ann Arbor. The problem, though, is the system Rich brought with him to Ann Arbor. The offensive scheme used at West Virginia isn't the simplest one to pick up at the drop of a hat. Add in the fact that the players remaining from Carr's reign will have to completely change their approach to the game, and things aren't going to turn out well. You are going to see a lot of talented players, who don't know how to play together, trying to learn a system as the year progresses. Oh right... the starting QB for Michigan has never taken a snap at the collegiate level either. Still, there are experts around the nation putting them in their Top 25 for whatever reason. Michigan MIGHT get to 7 wins, but they will struggle to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten.
   
   
6. BIG TEN NETWORK'S "FRIDAY NIGHT TAILGATE" WILL STILL SUCK
   
   Listen, I adore the BTN. I really do. I love it more than eating Breyer's All-Natural Rocky Road ice cream (and I am man who loves him some ice cream). Here's their latest promo - JORDAN AND MIKE - "GET READY FOR THE TAILGATE". I'm not sure this is what Mike Hall had in mind after winning ESPN's Dream Job, but at least he's on TV and making money. But what's with the "FNT" logo? Are they trying to promote Wrestlemania or something? The fact remains that although you get to see some cool on-campus shots and a look at some of the co-eds, "Friday Night Tailgate" still makes me want to take the BTN off my DirecTV Favorites List... but at least they got rid of the fat guy. Clarissa Thompson could be its only saving grace, but it might require too much from her.
   
   
7. WISCONSIN WILL LOSE A GAME AT HOME THIS YEAR
   
   The Badgers have yet to lose a home game under former Hawkeye (and current recruit poacher), Bret Bielema. That will change this year. Penn State, Ohio State, and Illinois all make their way to Madison at some point during the season. Yes, Camp Randall is one of the most rocking stadium in not only the Big Ten, but also the entire nation. Yet the contingency of 76,000+ drunkards attending the games will not be enough to help out the Badgers in their quest to remain undefeated at home... no matter how much jumping around they do. QB woes will do in Bucky at home this year.
   
   
8. THE IOWA HAWKEYES WILL WIN AT LEAST NINE GAMES THIS YEAR
   
   I can hear it already, "YOU FRICKIN' HOMER!!" Settle down and read on. The safe bet would be to say 7-5 or 8-4, but this is supposed to be audacious... so there you go. Iowa will finish this season with a minimum record of 9-3. They could make it through the non-conference schedule unscathed, but I think they drop one over at Heinz Field. That leaves them with a 6-2 record in conference, which is very doable considering the schedule they have in front of them (I completely disagree that it's the easiest in the nation, however, by a long shot). Their toughest opponents (Wisconsin and Penn State) are at home, not to mention their bye week is after Wisconsin and before traveling to Illinois. If Iowa can stay healthy (and get healthy, as well - Moeaki, Stross, Bernstine, etc...), there is no reason they can't put at least the number "9" in the Win column. This year's front four on defense is one of, if not, the best in the Big Ten. The offense will struggle at times this year again, but with the return of Shonn Greene, as well as Moeaki, Brodell, and Stross, Iowa has some actual weapons out on the field. Don't overlook what Erik Campbell, one of the nation's best assistant coaches, will do for Iowa's receivers. Solid D + Contributing Offense = At least 9 wins.