SportsNation Blog Archives
Iowa Hawkeyes
Will Jones stay?

Landry Jones could go very high in the draft if he declares this season, but one more year could improve his stock considerably.
Is Ferentz a good coach?

Kirk Ferentz's past two seasons at Iowa haven't been elite-level, but he is on a three-bowl game winning streak.
Vote: Five questions for Oklahoma at Iowa
As if college football teams don't have enough on their minds at this of year, Iowa and Iowa State are less than a month away from their annual rivalry game and don't know what they're playing for on Sept. 10 in Ames. The humanity! The old Cy-Hawk Trophy was scrapped after last season, but the new version, seen here, didn't exactly meet with rave reviews from Iowans wondering if someone ordered it off a late-night infomercial. Might we suggest a statue of some fried butter?
- "I, for one, think that the trophy was merely a classic representation of Iowa itself -- small towns, farmers, families. Very Field of Dreams-ish." -- SN commenter tle422
- "I don't think people want a sweet Hallmark family scene for a football trophy. All the other ones are booze and violence (Little Brown Jug, Paul Bunyan's Axe)." -- SN commenter thegtxpress
What does your inner art critic say?

The depiction of a farmer, his family and their corn apparently struck some people as, well, having little to do with football.
Where should they look for advice?

This is Floyd of Rosedale. Floyd is a bronze pig. We'll leave it to fans of Iowa and Minnesota to explain why their teams play for it.
Where can they find inspiration?

Among fun facts about the state that don't involve baseball players walking through corn: Iowa is the only state that begins with two vowels.
3. Which team will win the Insight Bowl? (ESPN/ESPN3, 10 p.m. ET)
A little snow surely wouldn't stop Iowa and Missouri from battling it out on the gridiron. Fortunately for the hardy Midwestern folks, it's not much of an issue in Tempe, Ariz. for the Insight Bowl. Iowa opened the season with national title hopes, but will they salvage some pride against No. 12 Missouri? Champs Sports Bowl pick?
- "No disrespect to Mizzou because they do have a very potent and tough to stop offensive scheme. Don't forget, though, that all us Hawk fans heard about going into the Orange Bowl was how Georgia Tech's high-powered, unique running attack was gonna be too much for the hawks to figure out, and we shut them down BIG TIME." -- SN commenter Hawkeyefanalltheway
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 1 Auburn at Mississippi
- How big a win is an impressive win for Auburn?
- Will Cameron Newton go over 200 yards on the ground again?
- Vote on those and other questions about Auburn at Ole Miss!
Todd (Anchorage)
Mel, which pro QB, past or present, does Newton remind you of the most?
Mel Kiper
The best runner I ever saw as a QB was Michael Vick. He just had tremendous speed, explosiveness. This kid is the closest I've seen since Vick. Newton is 6-6, close to 250 pounds. He has great feet. He has different gears in the open field. He shocked Patrick Peterson last week. And he has the power where he can drag you. Plus, he has a cannon for an arm. He's an incredible talent. Another year at Auburn could make him and early first round pick in the draft and the top QB chosen in the 2012 draft, assuming that Luck comes out this year. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 2 Oregon at USC
- Is Oregon's defense a major liability?
- Is Lane Kiffin doing better than you expected at USC?
- Vote on those and other questions about Oregon at USC!
Oscar (Los Angeles)
Is USC factored into the BCS and then simply taken out, or are they not even imputed into the computers?
Brad Edwards
Even though the Trojans can't be ranked in the coaches' and Harris polls, USC is still a part of the computer rankings (ranked in the 20s by all of them this week), so it doesn't hurt Oregon in the BCS. In fact, the computers (and maybe most humans), will consider USC to be the second-best team Oregon has played so far this year, behind Stanford. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 6 Missouri at No. 14 Nebraska
- Would you take Blaine Gabbert over Taylor Martinez?
- Will beating OU give Missouri a hangover or momentum?
- Vote on those and other questions about Missouri at Nebraska!
Ryan (Lincoln, NE)
How does Mizzou try to defend T-Magic, now that he's shown he can air it out a bit?
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
Missouri learned a lot from playing Illinois earlier this season. You'll probably see a similar approach. Especially with Dominique Hamilton out, prepare to see a lot of the "Candy" formation, with four defensive ends. They need speed on the field. Aldon Smith and Taylor Martinez are going to go head-to-head a lot this week. Smith has to be a lot faster than he looked on that interception return, but I bet he was pretty tired at the end of that thing. Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 5 Michigan State at No. 18 Iowa
- Are you buying the Spartans as championship material?
- Would you rather build a defense around Greg Jones or Adrian Clayborn?
- Vote on those and other questions about Michigan State at Iowa!
Doug (Quad Cities)
Adam, love the blog. Michigan State is a lot like Iowa was last year. Winning close games, playing well in the 4th quarter. The spead is Iowa by 6.5 right now (which seems way high for a top tier big 10 game). Iowa might get Parker back so does Iowa play spoiler this weekend and cause MSU's luck to run out?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Doug, you can't be a spoiler when you're favored by 6.5 points. Most folks expect Iowa to win this game, and the Hawkeyes have to if they want to remain in the Big Ten race. You can bet Michigan State will use the underdog thing to its advantage. The teams certainly have similarities from the last two years, and the last three games have been very close. I'd expect another nailbiter Saturday. Full transcript
Game 5: SportsNation's burning questions for Georgia vs. Florida
- How will Urban Meyer's Florida tenure end?
- Does Georgia have the best quarterback in this game?
- Vote on those and other questions about Georgia vs. Florida!
Nick (Atlanta)
Cocktail Party Thoughts?
Ivan Maisel
It's just weird that neither Florida nor Georgia is ranked. I've been saying for a couple of weeks that Georgia is going to win the East, largely because it would be a great story if the Dawgs pulled it off and I root for great stories. I don't know how you predict which Florida team will show up in Jacksonville. But Aaron Murray is coming around for Georgia. I'm going to take Georgia. Full transcript
- Vote: GameDay Pick 'Em | Heisman Watch | Unbeaten hurdles
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 6 LSU at No. 4 Auburn
- Is Les Miles crazy like a fox or just crazy?
- Will Cam Newton have a better NFL career than Tim Tebow?
- Vote on those and other questions about LSU at Auburn!
Tickle (DC)
When Auburn or LSU wins this weekend, who will they jump in the polls, and since they're #2 and #3 in the computer, will the winner move up to #1?
Ivan Maisel
I'm not smart enough to know what that will do to the computers. A lot of you have asked who I think will win. I've thought LSU all week, and now I'm beginning to change my mind. It will come down to the LSU defense being able to clamp down Auburn in a way that no one else has. I think LSU is capable. But the home field....and how does anyone predict what LSU is going to do? Seriously. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 11 Missouri
- Is Blaine Gabbert a better quarterback than Landry Jones?
- Is this a tougher road test for Oklahoma than at Oklahoma State?
- Vote on those and other questions about Oklahoma at Missouri!
Michael (Hermosa Beach)
Does Mizzou have much of a hostile stadium? Landry Jones lost a bunch of road games last year....
Pat Forde
Michael: I'd say the Faurot Field intangible fluctuates with the success of the team. Given Mizzou's undefeated record and the stakes Saturday, and that it's a night game, I expect it to be pretty loud. But Oklahoma is probably used to pretty loud. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 16 Nebraska at No. 14 Oklahoma State
- Did Bo Pelini make a mistake benching Taylor Martinez last week?
- Which team has more to prove in this game?
- Vote on those and other questions about Nebraska at Oklahoma State!
Anthony (Mizzou)
Ubben, how painful was it for you to watch your boy T-Magic go down in flames last weekend? You're obviously trying to cope by keeping your favorite team at #2 in your power rankings. It seems to ridiculous to keep them above undefeated OK St and Mizzou, but knock yourself out.
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
So one week they're a national championship contender, and after a mistake-filled game that finished in a seven-point loss to a team with enough talent to start the season in a top 5, they're relegated to the middle of the Big 12? No way. If Oklahoma State or Mizzou win this weekend, they'll leapfrog the Huskers, but the people sliding the Huskers to fifth place in the league by default after the loss are nuts. Like I said on Monday, Nebraska is favored on the road by a touchdown against Oklahoma State. How many other teams in the country would that apply to? Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 15 Iowa
- Is John Clay more valuable than Ricky Stanzi?
- Is the winner still in the national title picture?
- Vote on those and other questions about Wisconsin at Iowa!
Dave (Milwaukee, WI)
Adam, will my Badgers need to win out to have any hope of a BCS with the top of the Big Ten looking a little crowded? How concerned should we be if another team wins the conference, and we're sitting there with 1-2 losses and Ohio State/MSU/Iowa all have similar records for an at-large bid? I saw your last projection had us in the Outback Bowl, Badger fans are getting a little tired of going to a bowl game in Florida not named "Orange."
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Dave, winning out would be the best path for Wisconsin, obviously. Wisconsin also should root for Michigan State to either lose twice or win out. If the Spartans lose twice, Wisconsin could get a BCS berth ahead of MSU, despite the head-to-head loss. If MSU wins out and Wisconsin wins out, it hands Iowa two losses and puts a 1-loss Badgers team ahead of the Hawkeyes. Wisconsin obviously has the head-to-head win against Ohio State, but another Buckeyes loss wouldn't hurt, either. Full transcript
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 1 Ohio State at No. 18 Wisconsin
- Is Terrelle Pryor the most overrated player in college football?
- Is this the toughest road test remaining for the Buckeyes?
- Vote on those and other questions about Ohio State at Wisconsin!
Josh (Madison, WI)
What does the addition of freshman star, James White, mean to the Badgers this year as they get ready for OSU?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
It's huge, Josh. White complements John Clay so well, and he'll really test Ohio State's speed on defense when he gets into the open field. I'm simply amazed that a true freshman has been able to establish himself as Wisconsin 1A back next to Clay. It's a real testament to White and the coaches who recruited him. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 12 Arkansas at No. 7 Auburn
- Would you rather have Ryan Mallett or Cameron Newton?
- Are Auburn's late wins an asset or a liability?
- Vote on those and other questions about Arkansas at Auburn!
Rod (Gulf Shores, AL)
What do you think of Cam Newton? Is he good enough to come out this year in the draft?
Mel Kiper
I think the jury is still out on that. He hasn't played many games. He played in junior college last year. He's a fourth-year junior. You're talking about an Auburn team that is 6-0 and they still have 6 big games left. They're only halfway through the season. We only saw glimpses of Cam Newton as a true freshman at Florida. They have LSU next week. with Newton, you see running skills, rocket arm. The only issue I have with him is that he takes some risk with his arm in making some throws and he's fortunate that they arne't picked off. We'll see how his decision making evolves. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for Texas at No. 5 Nebraska
- Will Nebraska lose its Texas recruiting base in the Big Ten?
- Will Taylor Martinez dominate on the ground?
- Vote on those and other questions about Texas at Nebraska!
Denard Robinson (The Big House)
Dave, I got T-Magic beat in the sprint. If I had as good of an offensive line as Nebraska does, I'd be putting up twice the numbers!
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
Maybe, but I'll still take Martinez in a dead sprint. I got e-mails from Nebraska fans calling me crazy before the season for calling their offensive line the best in the league over the summer. Seems like those have mysteriously stopped. I remember an interview I did with Keith Williams over the spring where he couldn't stop smiling when he was talking about the running game, and just kept saying, "It's nice." I have to wonder if the big guys up front have seen this coming for awhile. Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 15 Iowa at Michigan
- Does Iowa have more to prove in this game than Michigan?
- Do you trust Denard Robinson more than Iowa's defense?
- Vote on those and other questions about Iowa at Michigan!
Dan (Iowa City)
No Denard Robinson vs. the Number 1 Defense commentary for us?
Ivan Maisel
Michigan State "held" Robinson to 301 total yards by being very disciplined. That's exactly how Iowa plays defense. Nothing fancy. The Hawkeyes just do their job. I think Iowa will win for that reason and a few others. Full transcript
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 7 Florida at No. 1 Alabama
- Is John Brantley a better passer than Greg McElroy?
- Will Nick Saban be at Alabama longer than Urban Meyer is at Florida?
- Vote on those and other questions about Florida at Alabama!
Brian (Florida)
Mel, Should Florida have kept "Trey Burton" a secret until this Sat against Alabama? I think so. Now Bama coaches can plan on stopping this new Offensive Package Florida has.. What do you think?
Mel Kiper
He is a very versatile player. You have to get him in the game to evolve the offense. They weren't separating themselves from other teams and they needed something to flip that switch. This was a breakout game for them in life after Tebow. You have to see what you have. There are more games on the schedule than just Alabama. They needed to find weapons and they obviously found one in Burton. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 9 Stanford at No. 4 Oregon
- Is Oregon's new QB better than its old QB?
- Is this the "Game of the Year" in the Pac-10?
- Vote on those and other questions about Stanford at Oregon!
James (St. Paul, MN)
Ivan, What chance do you give the 2 visting teams this weekend? Florida and Stanford. I know you are a Stanford Alum so you cannot be biased
Ivan Maisel
And I grew up in Alabama, so maybe I can. Seriously, Florida is a young team going into a very tough place to play against a team that has been thinking about them all season. It's a tall order for the Gators. Stanford has the style to compete with Oregon. Whether that physical play and the talent of Andrew Luck can prevail in the toughest stadium in the Pac-10, I don't know. I would be more surprised by a Florida win than a Stanford win. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 21 Texas vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
- Is Garrett Gilbert a star in waiting for Texas?
- Should the Big 12 move the game later in the season?
- Vote on those and other questions about Texas vs. Oklahoma!
Ryan (Houston)
Last minute switch to a spread have any chance of working for Texas this weekend?
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
If I'm Texas, I shift to a little bit more of a pass-oriented scheme. The running game is just not working, and that's not going to change this week, despite what OU's rushing numbers say. For Texas, Gilbert is their best offensive talent, and the more the ball is in his hand, the better. They don't have any elite backs capable of changing games right now and the offensive line hasn't been impressive. Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 22 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa
- Was last week proof Evan Royster is back?
- Would you rather have Joe Paterno or Kirk Ferentz this season?
- Vote on those and other questions about Penn State at Iowa!
Norm Parker's Doctor (Iowa City, IA)
Do you see Penn State's offense, and Royster specifically, suddenly turning things on or was Temple the fluke for the young QB and Royster?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Well Doc, hope Norm is doing better, first and foremost. Will be good to see him back soon. I don't think Royster's performance was a fluke at all. He's an All-Big Ten-caliber back, as he's shown the past few seasons, and Temple has a pretty stout defense. The concerns are still there in the red zone, though. If Penn State can't start punching it in for touchdowns, it'll be a tough Big Ten season. Full transcript
Game 5: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State
- Which team has the better backfield?
- Does Madison have rougher winters than East Lansing?
- Vote on those and other questions about Wisconsin at Michigan State!
Dizzle (Detroit, MI)
How much with MSU go up the rankings if they beat Wisconsin this saturday?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Good question, Dizzle, one I've been thinking about quite a bit. The voters don't seem to think much of Wisconsin, keeping the Badgers at No. 11 despite Texas' loss and a 70-3 Wisconsin win. I'd imagine Michigan State would enter the top 20, probably 16-18. Full transcript
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona
- Will the late start time or the weather in the desert affect Iowa more?
- Is Arizona's Nick Foles a better quarterback than Iowa's Ricky Stanzi?
- Vote on those and other questions about Iowa at Arizona!
Steve (Sioux City, IA)
Adam, I know everyone thinks it's going to be tough for Iowa to head out West but I have a hard time thinking that a team with this many seniors and this much leadership would be rattled by playing at Arizona. Thoughts?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Steve, I think Iowa's experience certainly should help in handling the elements, but history certainly doesn't favor the Hawkeyes in these matchups. Iowa isn't the type of team to lose its poise, and the Hawkeyes have won in some pretty tough places (State College, Madison, East Lansing, etc.) Still, you have to anticipate some adversity against Arizona. How will the 2010 Hawkeyes respond? We'll find out soon. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 10 Florida at Tennessee
- Would Tennessee have been better off keeping Phillip Fulmer?
- Was Tim Tebow a better college quarterback than Peyton Manning?
- Vote on those and other questions about Florida at Tennessee!
Stefan (The Swamp)
Are you buying or selling the Gators as a top ten team? Mind you the Gators still have a dynamic defense and they will open up the pass offense over the next two weeks...
Mark Schlabach
I'm selling right now, but I think they'll be a top 10 team by season's end. Have to get better on offense. Very good on defense, especially in the secondary. Don't see a lot of weapons on offense other than Demps, though. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 8 Nebraska at Washington
- Is Nebraska winning the national title more likely than Jake Locker winning the Heisman?
- Was Washington's 1991 team better than Nebraska's 1997 team?
- Vote on those and other questions about Nebraska at Washington!
Ryan (Lincoln)
What's your favorite nickname for Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez? T-Mart, T-Magic, T-Mobile, or another one? This is really important to Husker Nation.
Ivan Maisel
It would be like me voting for the mayor of Lincoln. I am not registered there. I have no say in the matter. Given the way he runs, how about "Taylor Swift?" Yeah, maybe not. Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 6 Texas at Texas Tech
- Is Tommy Tuberville as good a coach as Mike Leach?
- Will Taylor Potts post bigger numbers than Garrett Gilbert?
- Vote on those and other questions about Texas at Texas Tech!
Nick (Denver)
Dave- what are the chances that Texas Tech beats Texas?
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
Good, but if it's close, I'm taking Texas. Tech has to jump on them early, 14-0 or something, and force Gilbert to throw the ball more than the Longhorns gameplanned for. The Red Raiders secondary is young, but they've got a lot of talent and a great pass rush up front. If Texas can keep the offense on cruise control, their secondary will make big plays down the stretch against Potts to leave Lubbock with the win. Full transcript
Game 5: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 12 Arkansas at Georgia
- Will Arkansas miss Dennis Johnson more than Georgia misses A.J. Green?
- Is Mark Richt a better coach than Bobby Petrino?
- Vote on those and other questions about Arkansas at Georgia!
Brian (Arkansas)
How do you think Arkansas will do this weekend against a Georgia team that's desperate?
Mel Kiper
Georgia is between the hedges. They'll be in a very firey mood, after that game against Vanderbilt. The key play in the game was the fumble with SC down 14-6. That fumble prevented Georgia from getting back into that football game. Arkansas had two cupcakes right out of the box. Now they get their first test. Georgia is much more battle tested. Not having Green on Georgia is a huge problem. Aaron Murray for Georgia was only 4-8 for 32 yards in the first half. In the third quarter alone, he was 7-8 for 101 yards, just before the fumble. Murray needs AJ Green. That's an unfortunate situation with Green at Georgia. Full transcript
- Vote: Should the Big Ten play its championship game at Lambeau Field?
- Rank 'Em: Who are the Big Ten's best and worst coaches?
- Chats: Heather Dinich takes ACC questions, 12 ET | Chris Low takes SEC questions, 3 ET
The Big Ten has settled a lot of issues when it comes to the league's future. It will have a new team when Nebraska joins next season. It will have a championship game, perhaps as early as next season to welcome the Cornhuskers. (If you want SportsNation's advice on the site, almost nothing would be cooler than Lambeau Field.) The conference is even close to figuring out schedules, with commissioner Jim Delaney hinting at nine conference games.
One thing conspicuously missing from the grand plan? What do we call it?
Some cute design work with the logo -- some people see an "11" between the words, while others see a rabbit -- kept things in check when the league had 11 teams, but a 12-team league can't be called the Big Ten, right? The Pac-10 solved the dilemma the easy way, but unless the Big Ten and Big 12 simply trade names, it's a little trickier for them.
What do you think it should be called?
Chris (DC)
If you're Jim Delany, where are you going to host the championship game?
Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg
Chris, I'd look at the SEC's model and see if there's once facility that makes the most sense. If not, I'd certainly be open to a rotation. Big Ten fans will travel to this game, and moving it between places like Indy, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland wouldn't be too tough logistically. I'd also consider the Green Bay option, although I'd have a long list of questions to ask the Packers before going through with it. Full transcript
- Vote: Would expanding to 12 teams really help the Big Ten?
- Chat: Ivan Maisel, 2 ET | Beano Cook, 3 ET | Big East blogger Brian Bennett, 4 ET
Dollar Stores. Super 8 Motels. The Six Million Dollar Man. We get that names involving numbers aren't always accurate to the last decimal. But if the Big Ten is going to expand to 12 teams, we need to come up with a new name. And we're pretty sure the Big 12 is taken.
Not surprisingly, Big Ten expansion is a hot topic in SportsNation blogs.
- "The University of Chicago will remain as the school "where fun comes to die" and will not return to Division I athletics. The University of Notre Dame needs more time to rebuild, and if it were asked to join, ND would merely become the Big Ten's Catholic counterpart to Indiana. This would not improve the Big Ten's current reputation as underachievers on the national gridiron. ... Also, given its location near the Ohio border, Pitt would add to the legitimacy of Penn State's membership in a conference otherwise based entirely in the Upper Midwest." -- Read GMU_OSU_Fan's full post.
- "I do like the idea of the Big Ten adding another team. However, I would like that team to be Notre Dame ... or forget it. I think a Big 12 team (save Iowa State) would bring something to the table, as well, i.e. Missouri. But aside from the fact that they won't come to us, Mizzou is a bit too far away." -- Read nunyabiz81's full post.
Andrew (Nashville)
Let's play conference dominos! If the Big 10's newly announced expanision takes a Big East team, who joins the Big East? If they take Missouri, does the Big 12 replace them with T.C.U.?
Graham Watson
That's what I was telling Adam Rittenberg yesterday. It seems like the logical move. Full transcript
Paul (Dothan, AL)
I've been hearing how the Big 10 wants to expand to 12 teams. How would that affect conference realignment in the Non-AQ conferences?
Graham Watson
It just depends who it is. If it's Pitt, then probably East Carolina or Southern Miss would be a favorite to go to the Big East. If it's Missouri, then maybe TCU heads to the Big 12... So yeah, the non-AQs would be affected in some way. With C-USA, it might present an interesting opportunity for a MAC team to move to C-USA and put the MAC back at 12 teams. Full transcript





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