Tuesdays with Torbee
Not so fast, my friends!
There was a certain poetic justice to the old guy of College Gameday -- the stroke-slowed but still feisty Lee Corso -- gently mocking Iowa State Cyclones fans for getting their first look at the CyHawk Trophy in more than five years and then donning the Herky head, signaling his belief Iowa would win last Saturday’s “biggest ever” in-state rivalry tussle during pre-game festivities in Ames.
Like Corso on Gameday, the Iowa Hawkeyes are a familiar, old guard, brand name in college football; one easily overlooked by flashier peers with louder voices. Like Corso, the Hawks and their long-tenured head coach have battled adversity and charges of being past their prime.
That notion was dismantled, quite demonstratively, with the Hawkeyes’ demolition of their rival on their home field, in front of 62,000 frothing fans wishing for nothing less than a permanent changing of the guard.
Last Saturday was supposed to be a coronation of the new kings of Iowa. A potential playoff-bound Cyclone juggernaut that would swat aside its former tormentor before going on to run roughshod over the Big 12. Ranked higher, favored by Vegas, darlings of the national college football press, this was Iowa State’s moment in the spotlight.
But Iowa’s fierce defense and one of Ferentz’s all-time best “boa constrictor” game plans crushed those Cyclone dreams. Typical Iowa football, it wasn’t a thing of beauty, unless like me you enjoy watching discipline and patience win out over flash and trickery. Both of Iowa State’s big stars, dual threat quarterback Brock Purdy and all-everything running back Breece Hall, were continually harassed, stymied and turned over by the relentless Hawkeye defense. On the other side of the ball, neither Spencer Petras nor Tyler Goodson put up eye-popping numbers or displayed much home run hitting ability (outside of one beautifully delivered touchdown pass), but they churned out yards when needed and, more importantly, kept the ball out of the ISU offense’s hands.
By the fourth quarter, Purdy was benched, Hall was exhausted and thousands of Cyclone fans hit the exits early, their perfect day perfectly ruined.
With a bevy of “super seniors” departing and the future of the Big 12 conference itself in flux, it isn’t impossible to imagine Iowa going on another prolonged winning streak in the series as it did in the 1980s and 90s. Of course, any rivalry game can turn into a surprising upset, but on paper, this looked like the Cyclones’ last, best chance to beat big brother for some time.
And though he smiled politely and as usual heaped praise and respect on his opponent, don’t think for a second Ferentz didn’t relish every moment of it. A little of Kirk’s killer instinct slipped through in his post-game interview with Holly Rowe, when he had to fight back tears as she noted “You’re still here; Iowa’s still here.”
Indeed, he is. Indeed, they are.
And right now, “here” means the thick of both the Big 10 race and - at least as of mid-September -- the fight for a potential College Football Playoff berth. Iowa sits at #5 in the Associated Press poll and #7 in the Coach’s poll, a position the schedule suggests should be safe for at least the next two weeks, leading up to a tricky road game at Maryland.
A trip to Indianapolis to battle for a title is far from a certainty, but at least Iowa isn’t out of the race early as it was the past two Big 10 seasons. As demonstrated in the Indiana and Iowa State games, the Hawkeye defense is good enough to throttle down any high-octane offense. The big question looming is whether Petras, Goodson and the rest of the offense can find their stride and take some pressure off that defense. Relying on pick six interceptions and scoop-and-score fumble recoveries to pile up points is likely unsustainable long-term, even for a shutdown defense like Iowa’s.
The good news is Kent State and Colorado State aren’t likely to put up quite as much fight as the Hoosiers and Cyclones. This should allow the young offensive line to gel and hopefully kick the running game into a higher gear.
I am not as concerned about Spencer Petras as many online fans seem to be. Yes, he missed some throws. Yes, he took two ill-advised sacks. Yes, his on-the-run passing leaves a lot to be desired. But he made winning plays when needed, avoided turnovers and managed the game well. With the defense playing at the level it has been, there is absolutely no need for your quarterback to play superhero.
If the Iowa offense can evolve to even a slightly-above-average level, the Big 10 West is there for the taking. Even if it remains average, there will be a fighting chance.
Here is hoping Iowa can be 5-0 and firmly in the Top 5 when the Penn State Nittany Lions come to Kinnick on October 9. That might necessitate another trip to Iowa by the GameDay crew, this time in the true home of football excellence in the appropriately named Hawkeye state.
We’ll roll out the red carpet and dance the Hokey Pokey with you, Lee.
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht