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Weird Moments in Big Ten History #5: Iowa and Penn State Mean No Offense, 2004

Mark Hasty — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:43:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Penn State Football, Big 10, NCAA FB History

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

There's probably no more unlikely final point total for a football team than four. There's only one way to achieve that score, and that's with two safeties. The only less likely total is one, the winner's score in any forfeited game.

In October 2004 two teams with killer defenses and iffy offenses met in Happy Valley. The Iowa Hawkeyes were having a pretty good season; the Nittany Lions weren't. A botched snap on the first possession of the game led to a PSU safety, giving them their first lead in a Big Ten game all season. Iowa, behind QB Drew Tate, couldn't find the end zone all day; if not for two Kyle Schlicher field goals, they'd have gone scoreless. But Penn State couldn't even accomplish that much on offense. Quarterbacks Zack Mills and Michael Robinson combined for 96 yards and four interceptions, including a game-icing pick late in the fourth quarter. Nit rushers contributed an additional 66 yards, for a game total of 162 yards of offense. Iowa's numbers weren't much better.

For fans like me who love to watch great defense the game was a treat. But late in the game came one of the harshest on-the-field disses one coach has ever laid on another.

It happened late in the fourth quarter, when Penn State again had Iowa pinned so deep in its own territory that the Hawks were forced to punt out of the end zone. Kirk Ferentz elected to take a safety instead, making the score 6-4.

It's not unusual for a team to take an intentional safety if (a) they have a large lead, or (b) there isn't enough time for the other team to take the lead. You'll note that the intentional safety put Penn State a field goal away from winning the game. In effect, Ferentz was daring Joe Paterno to get within field goal range.

Penn State had twice been within the Iowa 10, but both times they gacked. First Robbie Gould missed a chip-shot field goal, then Antwan Allen picked off Michael Robinson at the 1. It seemed likely that a Penn State offense which hadn't done anything all day wouldn't do anything now, but the risk was huge.

Ferentz's gamble paid off. On Penn State's first play of the next series, Jovon Johnson intercepted Robinson and the game was over. The talk all over college football was about the unusual score ("Who was pitching?") but the real story of the game was found in the last few minutes. This game only looked boring from the outside.

Weird Moments in Big Ten History #5: Iowa and Penn State Mean No Offense, 2004 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Network to Most of Iowa: "Iowa-Iowa State Game? Not Yours."

Mark Hasty — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10, Big 12, NCAA FB Media Watch, Iowa State Football

The Iowa-Iowa State rivalry may not be the sexiest intrastate rivalry in college football, but in Iowa, it's a sharp sword that slices the state in two. Even though the modern series is only 31 years old, the game is still one of the biggest events in Iowa year in and year out. Whether it's at Kinnick or Jack Trice, the stadium is always filled to the spilling point, and most of the rest of the state watches on TV.

Or at least they used to.

This year's Hawkeye-Cyclone game will be airing on the Big Ten Network, which still isn't available on many of Iowa's biggest cable systems. Comcast, the first major cable provider to sign with the BTN, barely has any subscribers in Iowa. A number of the state's smaller companies have signed on, but Mediacom, the state's largest provider, is still in negotiations with the network.

In its first year the games which aired on BTN provided plenty of memorable moments (like the notorious Appalachian State game) but relatively few of them were games with this degree of desirability. It's a brilliant move by the Big Ten Network to grab this game, which should put some pressure on Mediacom to get on board. I'm not sure how many Iowans would dump cable for satellite just for this game, but it's a good bet that you wouldn't want to be a Mediacom customer service rep if a deal doesn't get done before kickoff.

I no longer live in Iowa but I'm still in Big Ten country and I think it's past time for all sides to give a little and get a deal done. I can live without seeing my Hawkeyes take on Maine or Florida International (two other Iowa games that will air on BTN) but if I can't see Iowa-Iowa State? A pox on both their houses.

Big Ten Network to Most of Iowa: "Iowa-Iowa State Game? Not Yours." originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weird Moments in Big Ten Football History #4: The Sexual Politics of Laundry, 1983

Mark Hasty — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10, NCAA FB History

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.

Hayden Fry was, for the media, like having an Instant Money Quote button. The West Texan coach was always good for something lively and interesting with which to season an otherwise bland story. Fry's flamboyant, down-home verbiage was an especially welcome contrast to the usual tight-lippedness of Iowans and their public figures.

Big Ten Media Day 1983, however, was a slight exception.

On that day, a reporter asked Fry if he thought college football players should receive a salary in addition to their scholarships. Fry said yes, noting that times had changed since his playing days at Baylor in the late 1940s. Back then, he said, players got $15 a month just so they could do their laundry, though few players washed their own clothes. "That wasn't any big deal," said the coach, "because you could find a little dumplin' to do the wash and then take her out to eat."

Now, there are a lot of ways in which Waco and Iowa City are not alike. Iowa City is as progressive as people tend to think it won't be. Fry's comment may have been innocent, but it certainly wasn't taken that way.

The university's chapter of the Associated Professional and Faculty women wanted Fry censured by the university for his comments. No one objected to the notion that football players in the late 1940s had other people do their laundry in exchange for a nice meal out; I'm sure that happens on campus even now. But the reference to a woman as a "little dumplin'" was just a bit too much.

Things quickly heated up as word of the Media Day comments spread. Fry's "little dumplin'" remark even made it into the New York Times, back when that was still a big deal. It must be noted, however, that Hayden Fry was nobody's idea of a bigot or a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. This is the coach who, while he was at SMU, integrated the old Southwest Conference, after all. Once Fry understood that what he said had offended many people on campus, he apologized and the matter was dropped.

It's hard to imagine one of today's media-trained, focus-grouped CEO-style coaches ever saying anything like what Fry said. Today we might see the "little dumplin'" controversy as an early example of political correctness taken to the limits. Just imagine what sports talk radio would do with such a story now. It would be all you'd hear about for days and days. Back in 1983, however, "political correctness" was a fairly obscure concept, and the Fry incident's most lasting legacy may well be that it inspired a really funny episode of the great 1980s comic strip Bloom County. I couldn't find it online, but trust me, it was great.

Weird Moments in Big Ten Football History #4: The Sexual Politics of Laundry, 1983 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weird Moments in Big Ten Football History #2: Faint, Faint For Old Notre Dame, 1953

Mark Hasty — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Notre Dame Football, Big 10, NCAA FB History

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

ABOVE: Touchdown Jesus wept. Or would have, if only Hesburgh Library had been built in 1953.

You're the coach of the #1 ranked football team in the nation. It's 1953, and your school doesn't accept bowl bids. You're trailing at home, 7-0 to an unranked team. It's just before halftime. You have the ball deep in their territory. The clock is running. You're out of time outs. What do you do? Do you (a) run a quick pitch towards the sidelines, (b) spike the ball, (c) take a knee and regroup at halftime, or (d) order your players to flop around like carp thrown on the riverbank, hoping the referee will call an injury time out so you can run one more play?

Now let's say it's late in that same game (very late) and you're now down 14-7. Again, no time outs. Would you dare try (d) again, assuming you got away with it the first time? Would you even suggest that more than one player fake an injury, just to be sure the refs have no choice but to stop the clock? You would? Well, you know what that makes you?

That makes you Frank Leahy, legendary Notre Dame coach and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He pulled the fake-injury gambit not once but twice against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1953 season.

Faking injuries wasn't unknown in college football then and probably still happens now. It's possible to fake an injury convincingly, if one exercises a little restraint. The Irish, however, faked their injuries with all the subtlety of Amy Winehouse applying eye makeup. In the words of Iowa broadcaster Bob Brooks, "Players went down like they were shot." Everybody knew what was happening, and why. The refs, however, were powerless. Faking injuries wasn't against the rules in 1953. (It was in 1954, largely as a result of this game.)

The Irish managed to salvage a 14-14 tie, preserving hopes that they would retain their #1 ranking. They failed. Outraged voters put them down to #2, while boosting the previously unranked Hawkeyes to #9. The Irish took it in the shorts in the national press, quickly being dubbed the "Fainting Irish."

Iowa coach Forest Evashevski, not exactly the shy, retiring type, was livid during and after the game, insisting that no matter what the scoreboard said, he was convinced his team won the game. He even modified the last lines of Grantland Rice's well-known poem "Alumnus Football" to fit the situation: When the one Great Scorer comes to write against our name/He writes not that we won or lost/But how we got gypped at Notre Dame. (Evashevski later apologized for these remarks.)

It's an amusing little footnote now, this "Fainting Irish" game, but the universal scorn that fell up Leahy and his team for their unsportsmanlike tactics may well have hastened his exit from South Bend. Leahy resigned abruptly in January 1954, first citing health reasons, then claiming he felt like he wasn't wanted any more at Notre Dame.

It's difficult to imagine why he may have felt that way.

Weird Moments in Big Ten Football History #2: Faint, Faint For Old Notre Dame, 1953 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Details in Iowa Football Assault Case (Note: Actual New Details Not Included)

Mark Hasty — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:06:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, NCAA FB Media Watch, NCAA FB Police Blotter

The Des Moines Register has some new details in the ongoing investigation into an alleged 2007 sexual assault case involving former Iowa Hawkeye football players Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield. Everson and Satterfield have both been charged in the case.

Here is the executive summary: The alleged assault took place in a dorm room which was not assigned to anyone, yet somehow Everson and Satterfield both had keys to it. The room had previously been occupied by another football player. Subsequent to the alleged assault, that player and another player moved back into the room. They found two condoms (one new, one soiled) and what is described as "an orangish-reddish mess" on a mattress.

Just about all this information was floating around on message boards as early as last fall, not long after the incident. Yesterday's document release merely confirmed the details. What I found interesting in all of this is a university official's insistence that the university is not "a monitor of behavior" and resident advisers are there to serve as "educational assistants." Everyone who was educationally assisted by your RA in college, please scream.

(sound of crickets chirping)

I'd invite everyone whose behavior was monitored by an RA to spit on the ground, but the Midwest is already flooded.

The player who had occupied the room was ordered back in to the room by head coach Kirk Ferentz, according to the official documents. The other player isn't sure who told him to move into the room, but he says it wasn't Ferentz. (I'm leaving their names out of this since they weren't involved in the assault; their names are mentioned in the article I linked.)

So where does it go from here? The former players are charged already; now it seems like the investigation will move on to "who knew what, and when did they know it?" However, I imagine there are other priorities in Iowa City right now.

New Details in Iowa Football Assault Case (Note: Actual New Details Not Included) originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Things Worth Reading: The Return!

Brian Cook — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Auburn Football, Iowa Football, Penn State Football, UCLA Football, Blogs

A regular trip through the college football blogosphere.

1. That list is how long? A list of Penn State malfeasance since 2002 has been kicking around message boards for the past few weeks and may have even spurred ESPN to sic Outside the Lines on the Nits. It has 61(!!!) separate incidents featuring Penn State players and the long arm of the law. Or, sometimes, the long arm of nothing in particular:

53. Joe Paterno - Road Rage - No Charges

As much as we all love the possibly apocryphal JoePa road rage incident, it resulted in no charges and, uh, did not involve a Penn State player.

Many of the other incidents are arrests that resulted in acquittals or college kids getting busted for holding a half-full Natty Lite, which is punishment in an of itself. The list is overstated. But how much?

Run Up The Score breaks it down for you. The general conclusion:

All in all, the Penn State Nittany Lions don't have a widespread, 1988 Miami Hurricanes style criminal gang disguised in plain football uniforms. They have a drinking and fighting problem. Players aren't shooting guns or selling drugs. They're getting loaded and brawling. While I take modest comfort in the fact that the football roster doesn't double as a suspect list from The Wire, there is still a rather obvious behavioral problem within the program.

This is probably because the man they should fear more than any other is kind of ancient and "works from home."2. Bruins Nation is well-known around the college football blogosphere for one thing: blinding hatred of Karl Dorrell. And ridiculous expectations. Bruins Nation is well known around the college football blogosophere for two things: blinding hatred of Karl Dorrell, ridiculous expectations, and... incredibly soft lambswool kid gloves that apply silky lotion to the backside of Rick Neuheisel?

It is apparently so. Sunday Morning Quarterback takes a dryly hilarious look at a certain... difference in outlook now that a coach not universally regarded as incompetent has taken over. It's not in the direction you might imagine.

3. I object, dear sirs. It's one thing when the mainstream media derides all bloggers as mother's-basement living illiterate troglodytes. That's such an old saw now that it communicates more about the lame-stereotype proprietor than actual blogs. But what's with Paul Finebaum exalting the Capstone Report, the most mouth-breathing Alabama blog on the planet, one that accused the 'Bama players of being "without pride" and said they "didn't even want to know how to be champions" after last year's Louisiana-Monroe loss?

Finebaum is a cynical, joyless person who manufactures outrage for money, but exposing the Capstone Report to a wider audience only makes blogs look like sports talk radio, and that's too far. Auburn blog The Joe Cribbs Car Wash says this aggression will not stand, man, and fisks righteously.

Zinger incoming!

The point: if you've ever wondered what the hell kind of people would look at a manatee and come away telling everyone they'd seen a mermaid, the answer is the ancestors of Paul Finebaum.

Pow.

4. Don't mess with Gary Barta, Iowa Athletic Director, if you want to keep all your organs. (Language warning.)

Four Things Worth Reading: The Return! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Des Moines Register Hates Flood Victims

Brian Cook — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:50:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, NCAA FB Media Watch, Blogs

On Sunday, Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants posted some stunning pictures and video of the floods currently ravaging Iowa and provided some links for anyone who wished to donate to disaster relief efforts. The next day they got this from the Des Moines Register, which was the source of the video:

It has recently come to the attention of the Des Moines Register that you have improperly posted a video, the rights to which are held by The Register. A copy of your unauthorized use can be found at www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2008/6/15/552422/the-flood.

As the copyright owner of that video, The Des Moines Register has the exclusive right to its reproduction and distribution. We therefore ask that you immediately remove the posted article from your website and cease any and all further use of the material. Any continued posting or use will be considered willful copyright infringement.

This seems an exceptionally bad time to go all AP and exercise stupid copy "rights" that probably aren't even rights, right? Well... how do you think Black Heart, Gold Pants got the video in the first place? If you've ever been to youtube, you know:

An embed video link ON THE DES MOINES REGISTER WEBSITE. We have a new leader in the "Mainstream Media Asshat of the Year" competition.

The Des Moines Register Hates Flood Victims originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #8: Chuck Long Doesn't Win the 1985 Heisman

Mark Hasty — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn Football, Iowa Football, Big 10, Heisman, NCAA FB History

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.

Look, any other year it would have been a laugher. Chuck Long would have won the Heisman and won it so resoundingly that people would still be talking about his decisive victory. He led the Iowa Hawkeyes to the outright conference title and in so doing became the first Big Ten quarterback with more than 10,000 career passing yards. His numbers from 1985 are just sick--260 of 388 for 3,297 yards and 27 touchdowns.

For crying out loud, so far as anybody can tell, Chuck Long is the only player in NCAA history who played in five bowl games. So where is his Heisman?

It's in the living room of one Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson.

Now, let's be perfectly clear about one thing: Bo Jackson was indeed a very fine football player, probably one of the best I've ever seen. So all you folks in east-central Alabama can put away your shotguns and stop composing that indignant message board post you started the minute you saw this headline. By no means am I suggesting that your beloved running back didn't deserve the trophy. I'm just suggesting that there was somebody out there who deserved it more.

My case is pretty simple. No college football player meant more to his team during the 1985 season than Chuck Long meant to the Iowa Hawkeyes. My argument is simple: Look at what happened the next year. The Hawkeyes, now in the hands of Mark Vlasic, stepped back from a 10-1 regular season to 8-3. And how did Auburn do without their vitally important running back? They stepped up to 9-2 and had a solid victory over Southern Cal in the Citrus Bowl.

See, you're not supposed to mention stuff like this. You're not supposed to bring up anything which points out that Bo Jackson, while unquestionably one of the greatest and most exciting athletes of his era, just might not have been the most valuable player in college football in 1985. It makes people bring up the time he faked out Brian Bosworth so bad Boz's children were probably born wondering who just ran past them. Then they mention that Bo was running so hard he ran right down the tunnel of the stadium.

"That happened in the NFL," you have to say.

So they mention--they always mention--how Bo Jackson was completely unstoppable in the original Tecmo Bowl.

"That was a video game," you have to say.

Then they mention that Bo was also a great baseball player, good enough to play and play well in the major leagues.

"The Heisman is a football award," you have to say.

That makes them mention that Chuck Long was a complete bust in the NFL.

"And how does that make him any different than the typical Heisman winner?" you have to say. (It's best not to bring up that Chuck Long actually scored three more touchdowns in the NFL than Bo Jackson did.)

If you go through both teams' 1985 seasons, game by game, you come to the ineluctable conclusion that, while Bo Jackson may have been much more fun to watch, Chuck Long put the Hawkeyes on his back and carried them. When they needed a clutch drive, he delivered. When they needed to sell a trick play, he delivered. He was, quite simply, the most valuable player in college football in 1985.

That's when their eyes light up. "Aha! The Heisman does not go to the most valuable player in college football--it goes to the most outstanding player in college football! That was Bo! In your face, Hawk Boy!"

So there you have it. In the final analysis, it comes down to grammar. I am not convinced by grammar. That trophy should have been Chuck Long's, and you'll never convince me otherwise.

Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #8: Chuck Long Doesn't Win the 1985 Heisman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allstate's Bergwood Ditches Bowden Crush to Profess His Undying, Unrequited Love for Hayden Fry

Brian Grummell — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football

One of my favorite high school teachers had a Hayden Fry poster in the classroom and made everyone in class know who he was and the history behind the man. Mind you this was in California. And none of my classmates cared about college football. Or Iowa. Or middle aged men with lockjaw scowls on posters. But darned if he didn't love that man.

Enter "Bergwood" AKA Andrew Hawtrey. From an interview with Sports Illustrated On Campus:

SIOC: So I'll ask the obvious: If you're stopping your real life car in traffic to touch a college football icon, who is it?
Andrew Hawtrey: Hayden Fry!And let me tell you why. He is the man that brought winning to Iowa after 19 straight years of losing seasons. Three Big Ten titles, three Rose Bowl appearances and 14 bowl games. And let's not forget painting the visiting team locker rooms pink because it's a calming color and his use of plays he called "exotics". (When you say "exotics" you must use a Texas accent to get the full effect.) He is in the College Football Hall of Fame and while at SMU he was the first coach to integrate the Southeast Conference. I almost forgot about all the current and past head coaches that coach Fry had as assistant coaches or players. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Mike Stoops (Arizona), Bill Snyder(Kansas State), Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin), Bret Bielema (Wisconsin), Dan McCarney (Iowa State), Chuck Long (San Diego State), Jim Leavitt (South Florida) and Bo Pelini (Nebraska). I would be honored to touch all of them, and if I get my chance I will!
Coach Hayden Fry is my college football God and I bow at his alter. I would be breathless if I were even able to get close enough to touch him. I am so jazzed right now talking about coach Fry so much I'm going to go kick some field goals and imagine myself being Rob Houghtlin winning the 1985 Michigan game with two seconds left on the clock.

If that wasn't a breathless response I don't know what is. Now's a good time to mention "Bergwood" grew up -- according to SIOC -- directly across the street from Iowa's Kinnick Stadium. We'll give him the homer pass.

Allstate's Bergwood Ditches Bowden Crush to Profess His Undying, Unrequited Love for Hayden Fry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 20:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warrants Issued for Two Ex-Hawkeye Defensive Backs in Campus Sex Assault

Mark Hasty — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:21:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Police Blotter

University of Iowa police have issued arrest warrants for two former Hawkeye defensive backs in connection with an alleged sexual assault which took place on campus last October. Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield were both suspended by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on October 23.

Ferentz didn't explain at the time why Everson and Satterfield were suspended, but Internet rumors quickly centered on an incident much like what came to light when the warrants were announced yesterday. Both Satterfield and Everson are charged with second-degree sexual abuse. In Iowa, that means that the perpetrator displays a dangerous weapon in a threatening manner, or if the crime is aided by one or more persons. Satterfield is additionally charged with third-degree sexual abuse, which involves mental or physical incapacitation, physical helplessness, or a victim under the influence of a controlled substance.

Satterfield is denying his involvement. Everson has yet to comment. Ferentz isn't saying anything much, but he wants you to remember that Everson and Satterfield are both ex-Hawkeyes.

The Des Moines Register's Sean Keeler says this could be just the beginning of an ugly period in Hawkeye football history. It's hardly the beginning, from this fan's point of view, but Keeler says Ferentz himself could be in trouble.

Last month I suggested that the heat was rising on Ferentz, but my assessment was based mostly on football-related issues. Goodness knows we at FanHouse have had our fun with the Hawks' troubles, but these charges, if true, are hardly a joke. There probably isn't a coach in all of college football who is under more pressure right now than Kirk Ferentz is. He makes a lot of money, he's loyal to his assistants, he's been a great citizen, but he doesn't have enough capital to survive off-field turmoil like this and another 6-win season with no bowl game.

Warrants Issued for Two Ex-Hawkeye Defensive Backs in Campus Sex Assault originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 11:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Iowa to Its Student-Athletes: Stop, You're Embarrassing Us

Adam Jacobi — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:12:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10

Remember when Iowa was all embarrassed by the football players flashing unholy amounts of money and gang signs? No, the other time. Well, university officials remember too, and they're determined not to let it happen again. The University of Iowa instituted a social networking policy this week, and as law professor (and policy architect) Bill Hines explains, the sole target is PR:

"What we're concerned about is creating inappropriate material on a site that the public can access and associate with the athletic program," Hines said.

Sure, the policy does nothing to address the lapses in discipline that precipitated the pictures, but it's not supposed to. That's what actual conduct codes are for. But as new avenues for PR embarrassment proliferate, it seems only in a school's best interests to curtail public access to their players. That's completely within every athletic department's modus operandi to begin with. This policy, therefore, is less a hastily applied band-aid and more the natural end result of the coexistence of Facebook and college athletics.

Personally, I'm sorry to see the policy in place, as I've mentioned elsewhere. I love discord and hilarity, and embarrassing Facebook pictures accomplish both in giant quantities. Nonetheless, the only truly remarkable aspect of Iowa's decision is that more schools haven't made it already.

University of Iowa to Its Student-Athletes: Stop, You're Embarrassing Us originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 May 2008 14:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #10: Air Superiority, 1980

Mark Hasty — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Ohio State Football, Big 10, Purdue Football, NCAA FB History, Illinois Football

FanHouse is counting down the 10 best, 10 worst, and 10 weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

The phrase "three yards and a cloud of dust" was coined to describe Big Ten football, and it's still a fairly apt description of the conference's beefy, run-first mentality. That is not to say, however, that the forward pass is still a novelty in the Big Ten. Indeed, some pretty good quarterbacks have come out of the conference. A guy in New England comes to mind, for instance.

There was one particular day, though, when everything truly went berserk. That day was November 8, 1980. On that Saturday afternoon, the Big Ten's record for the most passing yards in a single game was broken not once but twice. In fact, not only was the conference's single-game passing record broken, so was the NCAA's. Even more improbably, two other national passing records were broken that day, though not by Big Ten quarterbacks.

Was there something in the air that day? Well, duh. Footballs were in the air. Everywhere.

The story of the Big Ten's pass-wackiest day ever begins in West Lafayette, where the Purdue Boilermakers ground the Iowa Hawkeyes into McNuggets, 58-13. Purdue's signal-caller, Mark Herrmann, was brilliant, passing for 423 yards in the victory.

Now, 423 yards is a good day for any quarterback. Even today just about any team would take that performance, especially in a 45-point victory. And Herrmann did break the old Big Ten single-game passing record. Had anybody been watching SportsCenter back in 1980 (okay, I was watching), Herrmann's great day might well have been the biggest story of the day. But you should've seen what happened in Columbus that same afternoon.

The Buckeyes were hosting Illinois that day in a true defensive slugfest. OSU wound up winning 49-42, but their victory was not the real story of the game. Even in defeat, it was hard to ignore what Illini quarterback Dave Wilson did. After the Illini struggled through the first half, trailing 28-7, Wilson picked apart Ohio State's secondary like a Rottweiler chewing on a t-bone. He wound up throwing for six touchdowns and an almost impossible to imagine 621 yards in the Illini's furious rally.

Wilson's great day obviously set a conference single-game record, but also broke the NCAA record for the most passing yards in a game. Wilson's record would stand for another eight seasons, and still stands as the sixth best game of all time.

But there were other great things happening that day as well. In Washington, Tom Flick completed more than 94% of his passes (16 out of 17) in a 45-22 win over Arizona. Even that, though, wasn't the most amazing passing story of the day. For that you had to drive down I-5 to Portland, where Neil Lomax had a pretty good day. His Portland State Vikings were playing the Delaware State Hornets, or at least playing with them. PSU wound up winning 105-0. Lomax threw for eight touchdowns, which is freakish. Even more amazing is that he threw seven of those touchdowns in the first quarter.

Lomax's great day got all the attention in the press. Let's face it; it's hard to ignore a 105-0 football game. But we may never again see a day when two passers in the same conference break the single-game yardage record. November 8, 1980 was a great day for football fans (like me) who can watch a wide-open passing attack all afternoon long.

Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #10: Air Superiority, 1980 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 10:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #9: Nile Kinnick, Icon

Mark Hasty — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10, Heisman, NCAA FB History

FanHouse is counting down the 10 best, 10 worst, and 10 weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

ABOVE: This plaque at Kinnick Stadium depicts Nile Kinnick's game-winning touchdown run against Notre Dame in 1939.

When Nile Kinnick graduated from the University of Iowa in 1940, he held three great distinctions. He was the student body president, he held a Phi Beta Kappa key, and he was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. The last of these is the least relevant to understanding who Kinnick was.

It's not that he wasn't a tremendous football player. Hearing a description of his 1939 season is like reading one of those lists of Chuck Norris facts, except all this stuff actually happened. He played all but 18 minutes of the entire Hawkeye season. He was responsible for 16 of Iowa's 19 touchdowns, passing for 11 and running for 5 more. And those 11 touchdown passes came on only 31completions.

Kinnick wasn't just the Heisman winner in 1939; he was also named the AP's Male Athlete of the year. He beat Joe DiMaggio for that honor in a year Joltin' Joe hit .381. That's how good Nile Kinnick was.

For all he accomplished on the field, however, the real legacy of Nile Kinnick is found elsewhere. It's a story both inspiring and heartbreaking, one filled with what John Greenleaf Whitter called the saddest words of all: "It might have been."

Kinnick wasn't the first Heisman winner to decide not to pursue football as a career. Indeed, Jay Berwanger, the very first Heisman winner, never played professional football. Kinnick instead intended to devote his life to public service. He had lofty political aspirations, even writing to a friend that he one day hoped to be become a senator or Congressional representative.

There is little doubt he would have achieved that goal. Kinnick was smart, thoughtful, eloquent, and wise beyond his years. Moreover, he had this alarming habit of achieving anything he put his mind to. So, forsaking the NFL, he enrolled in the University of Iowa's law (where I imagine he didn't have to sweat out his acceptance) and became an assistant coach on Dr. Eddie Anderson's football team.

After one more year in Iowa City, however, Kinnick chose to enlist in the Naval Reserve, noting that "[e]very man whom I've admired in history has willingly and courageously served in his country's armed forces in times of danger." Kinnick was called to active duty three days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, beginning his training to become a fighter pilot.

On June 2, 1943, while on a training mission off the coast of Venezuela, Kinnick's plane lost all its oil. He crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just four miles short of his carrier, the USS Lexington. Kinnick's body was never recovered. He was 24 years old.

Nile Kinnick was the first Heisman winner to die, but you get the sense that we lost so much more than that when we lost him. We lost a role model, an inspiration, an indomitable spirit who might have achieved everything he'd ever dreamed, and even more. Forget the Senate. There's a better than good chance that Nile Kinnick might well have become President of the United States. Just insert him into any campaign between 1956 and, say, 1984, and try to imagine how he might have done.

The university wanted to rename Iowa Stadium in his honor immediately. Kinnick's father refused the honor, noting that his son was only one of thousands of American men who lost their lives during World War II. He would keep on refusing for almost 30 years, finally relenting in 1972. There's also a street named after him in his hometown of Adel, Iowa. Children of American military personnel on Okinawa attend Nile C. Kinnick High School. Those are some high honors indeed for a man who didn't even live a quarter century.

But of all the honors bestowed on Nile Kinnick, perhaps the most touching is this. The coin flipped before every Big Ten football game bears his likeness. He is the icon of Big Ten football, even today.

Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #9: Nile Kinnick, Icon originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa's Going Back to the Farm for Running Backs

Brian Cook — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10

Remember a few years ago, when Albert Young and sixty-six other Iowa running backs blew ligaments, sprained ankles, dislocated shoulders, and, in one memorable incident, tried to fly too close to the sun, melted the wax on his wings, and plummeted to his death? Iowa was forced to stick in some melanin-deprived farm boy who stood about yea high on a chicken and would frequently blow into the next county on particularly windy days.

That guy "led" the Hawkeyes in rushing that year with 227 yards; not surprisingly, Iowa finished second-worst nationwide in total rushing. (The 2007 Notre Dame team used its powerful suck to break the laws of physics, fininishing last that year and all other years.) Why is this relevant?

Uh...

IOWA CITY - Let's hope you weren't holding out hope for some big news from Kirk Ferentz's Wednesday news conference that would make you feel better about Iowa's running back situation.

It looks as if the starter for now might be Paki O'Meara.

Paki O'Meara is a sophomore walk-on from Cedar Washington. How confident is Kirk Ferentz in Paki O'Meara?

"If we have to go with him in the fall, we will.''

Have we mentioned that Jake Christensen was 87th in passer efficiency last year, the highlight being a game where he was 5 for 15 for 53 yards and still beat Michigan State? No? Well, consider it mentioned. Iowa: not on the way back.

But, hey, Paki's mom is named Taufau, so he's probably half-Samoan. So they've got that going for them.

Iowa's Going Back to the Farm for Running Backs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Market Letter

Mark Hasty — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:42:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Minnesota Football, Ohio State Football, Big 10

Is your pension coughing up dust? Does the ATM say "You must be joking" whenever you try to make a withdrawal? Starting to wish you hadn't taken out that line of credit at First Consolidated Home Mortgage and Bait Shop? Be not afraid. There are still some tremendous bargains to be had in Big Ten football ... and some dangerous pitfalls for the unwary investor. It's still five months until the start of football season, but now is the time for you to do your due diligence on the opportunities available in Big Ten football this fall. Here's my list of buys, sells, and holds for 2008.

BUY: Minnesota. Now, let's get one thing clear. I'm not saying you should buy them as a potential 2008 Big Ten champion. I'm not even saying you should buy them as a bowl team. What I am saying is that they're bound to improve over their 1-11 record in 2007. The Gophers were a very young team last year who endured a lot of blowout losses but seemed to get better as the season went on. Too, they were in their share of really close games that just didn't go their way. But there's an X factor at work in 2008.That X factor is former Duke head coach Ted Roof, who may have bombed out as a head coach, but is a pretty decent defensive coordinator, the role he now plays for the Gophers. If he can make the Gopher D come together, Tim Brewster's team should see a significant reversal of fortune.

Of course, the jury's still out on Brewster himself. He has proven he can recruit, but he has yet to prove he can coach. We just haven't seen enough from Brewster to know if he's going to make Minnesota forget they fired Glen Mason. With the kind of talent Brewster is bringing to Minneapolis, though, things have to turn around a little. I hope he succeeds, though. The national media really needs to discover Tim Brewster. The guy is just dripping with hipness, and, thanks to his unusually deep and resonant voice, Brewster's press conferences are kind of entertaining.

HOLD: Ohio State's national reputation. I'm sure there's some sort of guideline for the poll voters about how they're supposed to rank the teams based solely on their performance this season, without regard for past results. I expect that advice to be completely ignored this season by voters who will do anything they can to prevent the Buckeyes from making it to a third straight BCS Title Game. And they may have a point. Sure, the Buckeyes will travel to Southern Cal this season; give them credit for being one of the few Big Ten teams to schedule a meaningful non-conference game. The rest of the schedule is a little lame, though, with the hardest road trip being Wisconsin on October 4. So I look for the Bucks to be 10-1 heading into the Michigan game ... and ranked no higher than 4th in the human polls.

SELL: Kirk Ferentz. Dang it, I've been a Hawkeye fan since I learned what football was, so it pains me to write this, but it's true. After a third consecutive season with at least five losses, and an offense that never made anything positive happen, and so many off-the-field incidents that Ferentz was forced to bring in SuperNanny to keep a lid on things, I think it's fair to say the pressure is on the good Captain. I am not sure he's up to the challenge.

His offensive scheme worked really well when he had an offensive line featuring three future NFL starters, and Dallas Clark faking out linebackers all over the place. Now the O-line has gone from Iowa's greatest asset to one of its biggest liabilities. Wait, isn't the O-line Ferentz's specialty? Sure, but there's a big difference between the results Ferentz got when Joe Philbin (now the Packers' offensive coordinator) was coaching the line, and the results Ferentz is getting now that Philbin is gone.

I don't know that Ferentz will get fired for another mediocre season. I'm not sure they can afford to fire him. If things don't improve this season, though, he'll be expected to make some staff changes, which is something he really doesn't want to do. So I'm saying "sell now."

(NOTE: You cannot actually invest in any of these things. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, which you think would be obvious to anybody who follows college football. Consult your financial advisor, your physician, and a licensed counselor before investing. Anyone who would take financial advice from this author is certain to get what he or she deserves.)

Big Ten Market Letter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas LB Freddie Fairchild Is No Gentleman

Adam Jacobi — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10, SEC, Arkansas Football, NCAA FB Police Blotter

It's time for more college football news, and in the month of March, the news is always, always, always bad. It's never like "star quarterback now good at throwing with either hand" or "LaDainian Tomlinson granted extra year of NCAA eligibility"; no, someone's either getting arrested, injured, or thrown into a woodchipper (Kirby Freeman, you will be missed).

The latest participant in the cavalcade of follies is Arkansas linebacker Freddie Fairchild, a sophomore who led the team with 4.5 sacks (NOTE: not a misprint; that's four and one half, or the amount of fingers on a typical West Virginian's hand, and he led the entire team). Unfortunately, Freddie's shenanigans weren't cheeky and fun; his shenanigans were cruel and tragic. He's charged with suspicion of third-degree battery and false imprisonment.

We understand perfectly well that relationships can be contentious and unfulfilling. We know that sometimes, the man is neither the instigator nor the escalator of hostilities. That doesn't change a simple fact: hitting a woman at all is a reprehensible offense in and of itself. Causing "injuries to her head, face, extremities and pelvis" and "not [allowing] her to leave for several hours," then, is beyond the pale.

Incoming Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has suspended Fairchild indefinitely, though we'd like to see more coaches take the same approach as Iowa's Kirk Ferentz; though his program has seen more criminal mischief than Season 2 of The Sopranos, when tailback Dana Brown was arrested for similar crimes, Brown was immediately dismissed from the program. Fairchild is merely suspended pending a review of whether or not he violated team rules. If domestic abuse isn't against team rules, now might be a good time for an amendment.

Arkansas LB Freddie Fairchild Is No Gentleman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entire Iowa Football Team Arrested, Transferred to Guantanamo Bay

Adam Jacobi — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:52:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, NCAA FB Police Blotter

After the team's 13th and 14th arrests since April 2007, the entire Iowa football team has been arrested and placed in Guantanamo Bay, according to the Iowa City Police Department.

Citing rising administrative costs and an unwillingness to "wait for the inevitable," Iowa City Police Chief Niles Lemonparty was granted the warrant to apprehend all UI football players early Wednesday morning. The team awaits extradition at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

"Look," Lemonparty said, "we know they're going to get arrested. It's going to happen. Why sit around and wait for them to create innocent victims? This is the most proactive thing we've ever done for the city, and our citizens will appreciate it."

"Those guys are down in Gitmo now, where they can't hurt Americans anymore. That's not a violation of habeus corpus, that's a victory for national security."

Among the arrests that have plagued the Iowa football team recently:

Public urination;
Credit card fraud and fifth degree theft;
Three counts of misdemeanor drug possession and tax stamp fraud;
Throwing a tornado at an orphanage.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz, who was not brought into custody, was asked about the situation. "The entire team? Yeah, that sounds about right," he said. The coach said he plans to field a team of Buddhist monks, and that though they'll likely go 0-12 and set new records for futility, "[p]acifists don't get in bar fights. No question."

This is, of course, satire. If you believed anything presented in this article, you need to reevaluate your sense of reality. Please do not sue us.

Entire Iowa Football Team Arrested, Transferred to Guantanamo Bay originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa CB Charles Godfrey's Tattoo Might Get Him Hazed

Stephanie Stradley — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Texans, NFL Draft, Iowa Football, Dallas, Houston

The Texans need more competent players in their secondary. Iowa CB/Safety Charles Godfrey went to high school in Houston, is a huge Texans fan and wants to be drafted by them.

He loves them so much that he sports a Texans logo on his right hand. He didn't mention it to the Texans when they interviewed him.

If he becomes a Texan, maybe it is a win-win. If he goes to one of the other 31 teams in the league, well then, rookie hazing might be a little rough for a guy with a logo of another team on his hand.

For what it is worth, here's one of those internet scouting reports on Godfrey, and an interview where he says that his favorite team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys. Various reports predict that Godfrey could be drafted anywhere from the second to the fourth round.

Iowa CB Charles Godfrey's Tattoo Might Get Him Hazed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recruiting: Mark Richt Ping Pong Master

Brian Grummell — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, Georgia Football, Iowa Football, NCAA FB Recruiting, The Word

One of the more recent trends in college football recruiting has been for coaches to bring groups of players to their homes. Those visits tend to involve leisure (time at the family pool, perhaps), recreation, dinner and time with the coach's family and maybe several assistants and their families.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is a big practitioner of this recruiting method. Others I'm aware of doing so include Florida's Urban Meyer and Georgia's Mark Richt. The goal, perhaps, is for coach and recruits to all get to know each other a little more in a relaxed setting. It also probably helps quiet the alarm bells in concerned parents' heads who would rather their boys be staying out of trouble and in the care of adults than spending a night out on the town.

This also blends well with the more sanitized world of official visits detailed earlier. And so sometimes the most *interesting* stories emanating from formerly lurid trips is talk of a coach's prowess at . . . ping pong.

consider the wildest part of the biggest visit weekend at Georgia this recruiting season. On the night of Dec. 6, some of the nation's top players gathered at the home of Bulldogs coach Mark Richt and played ping-pong. That's right, ping-pong.

"[Richt] is pretty dominant. He didn't lose the entire night," said Bryce Ros, a Kennesaw, Ga., tight end who will officially sign next week to play for a coach who apparently is the best American table tennis player since Forrest Gump.

So there you go. Mark Richt will own you in ping pong. I'm not sure that's a good thing when trying to stroke the 17-year-old ego and encourage him to commit to your school, but it's safe and right in the wheelhouse of a sensible and decent coach and man like Richt.

Previously at FanHouse

Recruiting Tag
NCAA Recruiting Tag

Recruiting: Mark Richt Ping Pong Master originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Fun Year Continues For Kirk Ferentz

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa Football, Big 10, NCAA FB Coaching, NCAA FB Police Blotter

It was announced today by Kirk Ferentz that three players from Iowa's football team were transferring, and will not be on the roster next season.

Dominique Douglas, Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield will leave the University of Iowa, Ferentz said.

"Dominique Douglas, Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield have decided to transfer from the University of Iowa and will continue their collegiate football careers elsewhere," Ferentz said in his statement. "None of the three will be on Iowa's roster when classes resume in January."

None of this should come as that big of a surprise. Satterfield and Everson haven't been in Ferentz' good graces for a while though, as he stated earlier this season, but never gave a reason for.

Douglas, however, we know his story. Dominique may have been Iowa's leading receiver as a freshman in 2006, but he never saw the field in 2007. Apparently coach Ferentz isn't a big fan of his players committing credit card fraud, which Douglas and teammate Anthony Bowman did back in May.

Douglas pled guilty to the charge earlier this month, and though he's still waiting to be sentenced, it won't likely be much after he pays Hatworld the $221.53 he owes them.

As for the future of Bowman, he pled not guilty to the same charges and is set for trial on January 28th.

This is nothing new for the University of Iowa as of late, as Hawkeyes getting in trouble seems to be a hot new trend in Iowa City. Hawk Central lists a recap of all the players who've gotten in trouble this season alone at Iowa.

o. Dana Brown, RB: The 20-year-old sophomore was charged with domestic abuse assault on Oct. 16. He was dismissed from the football team.

o. Ben Evans, WR: The 19-year-old red-shirt freshman was charged with drunken driving on July 30.

o. Tyler Gerstandt, TE: The now 21-year-old sophomore was cited for underage possession of alcohol underage on May 18. The simple misdemeanor carried a $200 fine for a second offense. Gerstandt was cited for underage possession of alcohol in January 2006, according to Iowa online court records.

o. Clint Huntrods, long-snapper: A 22-year-old senior was charged with public urination, interference with official acts and public intoxication on Sept. 6. He was dismissed from the team.

o. Bradley Fletcher, CB: The 21-year-old junior was charged with drunken driving on July 15. He was suspended for one game.

o. Arvell Nelson, QB: The 19-year-old red-shirt freshman was charged with failure to appear in court after he was charged with driving with a suspended license on July 2. Nelson pleaded guilty on Aug. 22 and was fined $935.

o.Lance Tillison, S: The 20-year-old red-shirt freshman was charged Sept. 16 with drunken driving. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 24. He was suspended for two games.

Oh, and then there's that whole ongoing investigation involving an alleged sexual assault and three Iowa football players. That's not bound to help alleviate any of Kirk Ferentz' headaches.

Some of the blame here has to be laid at Ferentz' feet though, no? All of these players have gotten into trouble under his watch, and he has to take on some of the responsibility of that. Whether it's by recruiting more responsible players, or just by doling out harsher punishments to deter such behavior, Ferentz better do something soon. If he doesn't, there won't be much tolerance for a head coach who's team keeps finishing 6-6 and has no discipline.

A Fun Year Continues For Kirk Ferentz originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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