Some of you were never athletes!

[gjn23]

Is Iowa better then USC probably not. Does USC go to Mich. St., Penn St., and Wisc and win them all probbaly not! Oregon definately not!! They almost lost at home to a low level Big Ten team in Purdue!

You have got to respect the way this Iowa team plays. No BS and they bring it every week. Maybe not the prettiest but how else is Iowa supposed to get it done?

obviously you've never seen usc go on the road vs non-conf opponents

they win

and iowa's non conf schedule thus far hasnt been the most daunting so there has to be some comparision of schedules and records......sc has gone to ohio state and notre dame (in addition to at oregon and at cal)

hey, they could very well lose to oregon (and i think they do) but if they win try and find me another program with 4...FOUR wins on the road vs teams ranked in the BCS TOP 20 with half of them non conf games.....you wont.

nothing against iowa....they've won every game....i just would take about 8-10 teams over them s/u on a neutral field....and all would prob be favs.

 

[SingleMalt]

The biggest issue that a team from the Big10, or for that matter any northern team, has in getting respect is the fact that they get blown out in bowl games. In most years, the best of the Big10 will get blown out by the best of the SEC.

Why??? Just like in real estate...Location, Location, Location...

In the 11 BCS title games, Ohio State was the only winner above the Mason-Dixon Line. Tennessee and Oklahoma were the only other BCS Champs from places that could actually expect to see some snow in winter.

Let's play a BCS championship game at the Horseshoe, the Big House, Camp Randall, or even State College, Pa. Heck, even play it at Boston College. But no, Bowl games are played in warm weather sites, in warm weather conditions. Rain may fall, but if there is snow on the field for a bowl game, 99 times out of 100, it is being played sometime in December.

Southern teams recruit for speed. Nothern teams recruit for power. You can't play for the title if you can't win your conference. You can't win the Big10 based on speed when November comes calling.

Bowl games are biased to the southern teams. At this point, Iowa deserves to be AT LEAST #4. That doesn't mean that come bowl season, Iowa wouldn't lose to the SEC runner-up. BUT, as much as it may pain some of you, Ohio State would have had 2 BCS Championships in a row if they played Florida and LSU at a northern location with normal January weather...

Just something to think about...

 

[gjn23]

Bowl games are biased to the southern teams. At this point, Iowa deserves to be AT LEAST #4. That doesn't mean that come bowl season, Iowa wouldn't lose to the SEC runner-up. BUT, as much as it may pain some of you, Ohio State would have had 2 BCS Championships in a row if they played Florida and LSU at a northern location with normal January weather...

Just something to think about...

:mj07:

be happy they had a ref on their side and beat miami in tempe.

two in a row.....that team showed that once outside the big-11, it was a fraud.

as for the bowl being biased to southern teams......ummm......bowls are biased to GOOD WEATHER......the intent was to reward teams for a good season and allow fans/alum to travel somewhere NICE and WARM and enjoy the successful season.....not travel to Ames Iowa for a december bowl game, sounds like a prison sentence.

 

[arrow]

singleMalt and Gin

singleMalt and Gin

Both of you have solid points, great comments. ARROW:0corn

 

[harlytiger]

As good as the Big Ten has been in the past you have to admit that this is a down year.... there is a lot of controversy in the south that if LSU wins out and Iowa wins out that LSU will jump Iowa. Which in my opinion should be the case? SAd to say i wouldnt want to watch Texas, AL, USC, LSU, or FL to walk all over IOWA...which in my opinion would happen...

All this is a mute point IOWA will not win at Ohio St.

If the argument is that they are not getting respect.... I guess you could be correct if the BIG TEN had not have bowl flops for the last 3 years... there is a great change in power the last couple of years.... What would be interesting would be IOWA vs Boise st... But unfortunately Iowa or Ohio st will play the rose bowl ( i think unless BCS championship) Which is a shame USC will stomp either team like the last couple of times they have played them...

Dont get me wrong i dont like the BIg TEn with the exception of MICHIGAn... they always did well over the years in BOWL games... AND i think they have a TOP 5 coach in the country...AGAIN My opinion....

 

[arrow]

harley

harley

so tell me harley, the last ten bowl games iowa has been in, how have they done, and by the way the last time they played lsu in a bowl game, iowa beat them and i think they were a touchdown underdog, Say what you want, iowa and michigan have done very well in the bigger games, ARROW

 

[Smitty]

as someone who played D3 football, i understand what you're saying. and i fully respect what iowa has done, not just this year, but over the last decade or so. and this is coming from a penn state fan who has every reason to hate iowa (well, except for the fact that i had big plays on iowa the last 2 times we played them). that said, iowa is really not that good. this isn't exactly news, but the big 10 is not good. if iowa played in the sec, would they even be a .500 team? unlikely. very, very unlikely.

people are saying that southern teams are based on speed, and northern teams are based on power. umm.... one slight correction. the best teams in the south (most of the sec) have both speed AND power. do you really think teams in the big ten are going to out-muscle teams like florida, lsu, or alabama? not a chance in hell. look, i think it's a shame how far big ten football has fallen so fast, but they are simply not getting the fastest OR strongest athletes at this point. if you're an elite athlete, where would you rather go to school, florida or michigan? talk about a no-brainer. i think until recently there was a lot more respect for history and tradition, so the northern schools were still getting good players. but that has changed (and certainly not for the better).

to reiterate - i really respect iowa. this is not a knock against them. they are winning the games on their schedule and i appreciate the fact that they are getting the most out of their players. ferenz (sp?) has done a great job there. but the 4th best team in the country? no, no way.

one other factor to remember... iowa damn near lost to northern iowa.

 

[gjn23]

so tell me harley, the last ten bowl games iowa has been in, how have they done, and by the way the last time they played lsu in a bowl game, iowa beat them and i think they were a touchdown underdog, Say what you want, iowa and michigan have done very well in the bigger games, ARROW

lets use the last 5 years......and lets use the best vs the best....so bcs games only

the big ten's record

2-7

ohio state beat nd in the 06 fiesta bowl (hey nd can lose to a big 10 team in a bowl game, what a shocker)

penn state beat fsu in the 06 orange bowl (psu ranked top 5 vs a horrible fsu team, nice win, took 2 ot's)


but that leaves the big-10 0-7 vs the sec, big 12 and pac-10....best vs best.

is there still any doubt that this conf as a whole is WELL below the top 3 conf??????

iowa is going to do whatever they can do the rest of the season, they still are WELL below the top teams in the pac-sec-big-12

 

[HawkeyeGreene23]

I think for the teams in the big ten and the fans who live and die with their teams week in and week out, the critism you all have takin with iowa 8-0 and ranked #4 is totally unjust. Only a person who did not play college sports at a competitive level can sit there and say iowa does not deserve to be #4. LOL If i educated you by saying out of the top 4 teams in the bcs who has played the tougher schedule? Iowa easily, hands down. Iowa opponents are a combined 38-22, and eight of those loses are to iowa! I believe only florida has played oppenents with a winning record, and thats only one game over 500, texas and alabama not close! So to sit there and tell and educated midwest fan that a team does'nt deserve to be ranked #4 is ignorant to say the least. Did you know one place has iowa ranked #1 in the nation. the players and coaches can do nothing more than win. they're 8-0 and deserve to be in the hunt as does any other undefeated team. I am not saying iowa is the 4th best team in the country, but they do deserve everything there getting for praise. When in five weeks you go on the road to beat penn state, wisconsin, mich state and a homer game against michigan who scored a td on the first play of the game, Yes they do deserve! I love the coaching, the heart, and the can't lose attitude this team brings week in and week out. They combine smart playing, with a defensive front that puts pressure on the qb without blitzing. This is a great team story of an over achieving team which was ranked in most polls to be the fourth best team in the conference. I love it, it's great for college football, and sometimes the underdogs give you a reason to believe again when other programs don't do it the right way, this pogram does and when they are having a great year like this so far, it makes a person like me from the midwest proud to talk iowa football out here in new mexico. If your betting on iowa this week, be careful,:nono: should win but will be a tough spot for them emotionally. check out my teaser of the year which includes indiania this saturday. ARROW

DEAD ON ARROW!