 Mike HlasHi, I'm Gazette/TheGazette.com sports columnist Mike Hlas. This is the Hlog. We will meet here, discuss things, and then go [...] |
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Hlas column: If they get routed by Nebraska, Hawkeyes could lose a lot more than a game
For future Iowa ABC appearances on Black Friday, it may need to play an inspired game this time
This may sound odd given Iowa’s record is 4-7, but Friday’s football game against Nebraska is a big one for the Hawkeyes.
It’s kind of important for the Cornhuskers, too, or so whispers from the west indicate. f you’re talking about the Big Ten championship and such things, but that’s another story.
Anyway, what makes this more than a playing-for-pride or playing-out-the-string contest for Iowa? That’s as easy to answer as A-B-C. From 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., or so, Nebraska-Iowa game is the only thing on ABC.
Nebraska isn't 100 percent Big Red
Fifty states, a day when a lot of the nation’s workforce isn’t working, and millions of eyeballs on the Huskers and Hawkeyes. Until the LSU-Arkansas game on CBS kicks off at 1:30, anyhow.
If the Hawkeyes are outplayed the way they were against Penn State and Michigan at the two ends of their current 5-game losing streak, the nation will view Iowa’s team and stadium as hapless props for a Nebraska party.
The Cornhuskers would be plowing their way into the Big Ten’s title game, In the second-half, the images that would burn in bright red would be those of Nebraska players partying on the field and sidelines, and of its fans living large in the stands while Iowa fans make their exodus well before the final play.
That isn’t the way Iowa football wants to be remembered from mid-afternoon Friday until Iowa plays Northern Illinois in Kinnick Stadium next Aug. 31.
After last year's Iowa-Nebraska game (Mike Hlas photo)
If that is the last mental image Hawkeye fans have to draw from in a season-full of unhappy mental images, it’s going to be a cold off-season. The enthusiasm at all those I-Club banquets around the state will be a little more tempered. It could only be harder to shake those money trees.
Yes, Hawkeyes football games — before, during and after at Kinnick — are the top seven social events of the year for tens of thousands of Iowans and Iowa grads who come back game after game, season after season. But there is still a percentage of fans who will hesitate to commit to renewing season tickets if they don’t think the on-field product is giving them enough entertainment value.
If Iowa gives a spirited effort Friday against a fine opponent, maybe that would be enough of a spark to tide those people over and keep the faith. But if the Hawkeyes get rocked, again? Ouch.
Tell me this isn't horrifying
Also, if Iowa lays it second-straight egg against Nebraska that could make for a very short Hawkeyes tenure as the Black Friday foe for the Huskers. Which would not be good for Iowa.
Iowa and Nebraska are set to end their seasons against each other through 2016, but the agreement to play on Friday was only set in stone through 2012.
If you’re ABC and the Big Ten and Nebraska-Iowa seems like a one-sided series, you might be more comfortable with, say, Wisconsin-Penn State in that Friday time slot. With Maryland and Rutgers coming aboard shortly, maybe the conference and the network would rather slip in a game with those Eastern television markets in play.
If the Hawkeyes stage a big upset today, maybe that would sway everyone that Iowa-Nebraska is indeed a good rivalry and this is a game worth keeping on Fridays on ABC for years to come.
But if the Huskers administer the kind of beating that Michigan gave the Hawks last week? It really would be a Black Friday at Kinnick. And maybe the last one.
(Bill Dunn/Grand Island Independent)
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West Virginia at Iowa State kicks off at 2:30 PM on ABC immediately after the game in Iowa City ends. Both of those games are national games — not your typical ABC regional coverage. Pretty cool for our state to get back-to-back games nationally televised on ABC originating from Nile Kinnick Stadium and Jack Trice Stadium.
The 2013 Big 12 schedule indicates that there is flexibility to have the Iowa State at West Virginia game to be on Black Friday again next year.
It would be fantastic publicity and coverage for our state’s BCS conference teams to get six hours of national coverage on ABC on Black Friday annually. Here’s hoping all involved give ABC plenty of reason to make Black Friday a permanent tradition for the Cyclones and Hawkeyes.
By the way: who had Iowa State and Nebraska bowl eligible by Thanksgiving, but not Iowa or West Virginia? College football is an interesting beast.
Adam: Thanks for a refreshingly positive comment here. I fear it will stand alone, but I’m glad it leads off the comments section for this post.
Nebraska not bowl eligible by Thanksgiving? It’s one thing to doubt our chances to win the Legends Division, but not be bowl eligible? We’ve won 9 games or more the last 4 years.
Oh well, here is to a hard fought, injury free game tomorrow for both sides. Also, good luck to the ‘Clones (my favorite Big 12 team) tomorrow!
Adam, great optimism! I wish I could share it.
I know there’s lots of permanently optimistic folks out there, ready to pounce on all the “whiners”/realists out there – like me. But this continued trend of poor execution, unimaginative and mostly uninspired play on the field for most of the past 8 years (save half of 2008 and all of 2009) and now a growing testiness from the head coach more and more on a weekly basis will NOT convince folks on the fence to renew their tickets. Nor will it make them wanting to share a meal at an I-club function (unless McCaffery is the keynote speaker) a “necessary” expenditure as it was in the past.
To all those willing to accept all of the past 8 years and ignore what the records say, instead accepting them as satisfactory with a side of “we’re just Iowa”. Increasingly embarrassing performances – like the game on Black Friday or even the BTN night game vs. Penn State – are absolutely killing Iowa’s national perception = and hence, any chance of Iowa ever expanding its fanbase and recruiting outside Iowa’s borders. That’s what many of us have been concerned about in the long-term, moreso than just a “down season” or two. We’ve had too many for awhile now, and so far the leader of the program has been mostly unwilling to adjust to the ever-evolving college game.
Adam nailed it.
And what a great way (with his comments) to kick-off the Thanksgiving weekend, even if from here in Denmark where I’ll be working thru Friday, but off just in time for the Hawk’s kick-off Friday evening my time.
You can all hang me up on this, but I’ve been around a long time and (for what it’s worth), remember clearly the Nagel and Lauterbur and Commings’ years, and I’m pretty certain we’ll be back at 7-5 to 9-3 next year (which some of you will consider “loser status”, I realize).
You can do your own homework as to why that might happen (IMO), and if you dig deep into trends of Iowa FB after a painful period of mediocre years, it will make sense. And I don’t think we can expect more, regardless of who our coach is.
Go back 1 yr-6 yrs, and think of the disappointment among traditionally superior peers who have had it worse than us, in many ways; “Texas, Va Tech, Ga, Ga Tech, Fl State, Mich, Ohio St, USC, Cal, Penn St, Tx-Tech, Mich St, Tennessee, Florida (Zook-era), UCLA, Auburn, and even Alabama themselves….and I’m sure I’m missing a few.
As Adam says, college FB is a beast that science can’t figure out.
Enjoy the weekend (Friday!) of the state of Iowa getting 6 hours of prime-time, and have a great Thanksgiving. The Hawks will be back. Maybe even on Friday.
Brad:
Thanks for bringing up the Nagel/Cummings/Laterbur years. It’s always refreshing to speak about something that happened beginning 50 years ago and is unlikely to happen again – with or without changes in staff/philosophy to the football program.
Your optimism for next season is blind in my humble opinion. 7-5/8-4 are VERY average records in today’s college game, especially when a program is continually/increasingly being defeated by lesser- and evenly-talent opponents, even at HOME. With so many games being on TV nowadays, viewers across the country see this and shake their heads at the lack of game management by the staff and poor execution by the players. When defenses know they only have to defend the first 10 yards from the LOS AND know what’s coming then a change in offensive philosophy is needed (again – but the truest change in mantra needs to start at the top).
We can all go back and watch the ebbs/flows of Iowa football, but today’s game is evolving at faster clips than at anytime in the past – everywhere but Iowa City. Sorry, but if it’s not clear by now that the ultra-, ultra-, ultra- conservative and risk-averse NFL-type philosophy just isn’t working very successfully anymore. I also believe, as the B1G grows, recruits will see continued uninspired/unimaginative play on both sides of the ball and scratch Iowa off their list of schools. Once that happens, 7-5/8-4 will start sliding to 3-9/4-8 regularly – that is, of course, unless Iowa fans demand some accountability from their AD (the incompetent idiot who gave the HC a guaranteed TEN-YEAR DEAL) and then their coach, things have no reasons to change.
By the way, seeing a sea of red on Black Friday could very well be the nail in the proverbial coffin from any more national exposure for Iowa – but with the mediocrity we’ve displayed 6 of the last 8 seasons, perhaps it’s for the best.
Mr. Hlas, I hope that you have raised your kids already and that you didn’t teach them that when it gets tough you give up. I know that you are a reporter but if you raise your kids in the same negative manner that you write they will be hopeless as humans in this world and not liked at all. Just as in the highschool/college/NFL there has to be a loosing team otherwise there wouldn’t be a sport. All teams have bad seasons, you are prompting Iowa Hawkeye fans to not be supportive and encouraging them to not go to games. Why is that? When reporting does it always have to be NEGATIVE. How about everyone because of your negative press stop reading the Gazette and then when the Gazette stops making money you loose your job. Just saying give it a break. These are our kids from Iowa that are out there playing and giving there hearts and you have not one encouraging thing to say. Sorry excuse for a reporter is my OPINION.
Caryn,
How the heck is this a negative article? Please Please re-read the article…All that MH is saying is if Iowa doesnt play well this could be last black friday game… And heck if you havent noticed the way iowa has played and KF and crew have NOT coached (read clock management, read zero snaps for 2nd string QB, read KOK’s offensive game plans look like wild wild west, read players not running decent pass patterns 3 yrd routes when 5 is needed etc etc) one could hardly blame Mr. Hlas for being a little negative BUT this article is NOT IT… Get real
Caryn:
I hope that you’ve already raised your children and that you taught them to live in the reality of the real world rather than the “oh well, sports are just silly games” mantra. Sports, whether you agree or not, are a MAJOR part of the US and world economies. Fans of specific teams/schools are spending more and more money each year on these activities, merchandise, etc. so we obviously have a right to discuss issues regarding such – and Mr. Hlas is a professional “discussion master” and writer of sports topics.
Mr. Hlas writes realistically and factually, even if that means it’s negative facts he’s including in his pieces. College sports are big business, and he, Mr. Morehouse and Mr. Dochterman are as even-handed as can be – in fact, they sometimes take flak for not being negative ENOUGH. It’s readily apparent you don’t read his column often, so perhaps instead dropping in and criticizing him because he’s not in the T-ball mode of “everyone plays, it’s just for fun” is silly.
I like your thinking Brad but I have to disagree with you on a couple of issues. 1st I don’t think Iowa will win more than 2 or 3 games next year with the schedule and no experience at QB (thanks KF). 2nd and I hate to say this but nebraska will probably hang half a hundred on the score board while Iowa might score 14. There is only one team I hate worse that nebraska and that is notre dame so I’m rooting for the Hawks and Southern Cal
If you read Mike’s column Caryn on a regular basis you would see that he discourages extreme negativity even as far as not accepting posts after a memorable loss. Mike is not a University employee or cheerleader. I find his column to be very objective and professional. If you don’t like the truth I suggest the fiction section at your local Barnes and Noble. He is paid to cover the sports both good and bad. It’s the job of the Hawkeye team to give him something positive to write about.
Adam;
Thanks for your thoughts. I’m going to try and be more positive in my posts in the future. You have made me start the day with a smile and a good feeling/perspective on sport and being a fan of the Hawks/Cyclones.