Friday, November 16, 2012 Iowa vs. Michigan Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
By the shoeLACES This is denard robinson’s last chance to beat iowa.
PLUS: Big Ten Power Rankings
2B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012
REMEMBER WHEN... Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi high-fives Hawkeye fans after Iowa’s 38-28 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 16, 2010. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
STAFF
Bill Casey Publisher Emily Busse Editor-in-Chief Sam Lane Managing Editor Sam Louwagie Pregame & Sports Editor Allie Wright Design Editor Adam Wesley and Rachel Jessen Photo Editors
WEB EXTRAS On The Line Contest
HAWKS IN THE NFL Christian Ballard recorded a quarterback hurry for the Minnesota Vikings against Detroit on Sunday in Minneapolis. The second-year defensive lineman has played in all 26 games since the Vikings drafted him. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
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GAME ROSTER Complete rosters for both the Hawkeyes and Wolverines. Keep it with you when you watch the game
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AROUND THE BIG TEN Check out our weekly conference power rankings and players to watch
DITV Program
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Social Media
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER STORY Denard Robinson has never beaten Iowa. His last chance comes on Saturday
Want to win a free pizza? Go to www.dailyiowan.com/ontheline and place your college football predictions.
14
ON THE LINE See which teams our football staff picked in some of the weekend’s biggest NCAA games
ONLINE
Point- Counterpoint Will a SEC team make the national championship? Two staffers debate at dailyiowan.com
CONTACT US
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Go to
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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 3B
4B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012
Then-Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen sacks Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson on Nov. 5, 2011, in Kinnick Stadium. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
Robinson, Hawkeyes meet again
Every time the Hawkeyes have faced Denard Robinson, he has been better than the previous time. This is his final chance to beat Iowa. By Tork Mason tork-mason@uiowa.edu
Denard Robinson has spent the better part of his career dazzling Michigan fans — as well as many opposing fans — with his explosive play. Except when he has faced Iowa. Robinson is 0-2 as a starter for the Wolverines against the Hawkeyes, including last year’s 24-16 loss in Iowa City. He had one of his worst games
against Iowa in 2011, completing just 17 of his 37 pass attempts. Iowa is riding a 3-game winning streak over Michigan, and now the Wolverine Class of 2013 faces the possibility of becoming the first class to go 0-4 against the Hawkeyes. But that’s just the potential end of the Iowa-Robinson saga. The series offers a prism through which to see Robinson’s progression from inexperienced freshman to All-American.
Taking his first step
Robinson first faced Iowa in 2009, when pressed into action following an injury to Tate Forcier. Robinson had thrown all of 11 passes in his career before stepping onto the Kinnick Stadium turf against the then-No. 12 Hawkeyes. Back then Robinson was an unproven, freshman backup best known for playing with his shoes unSee robinson, 6B
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 5B
6B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012
robinson
Continued from 4B tied — which earned him the nickname “Shoelace.” But Michigan color commentator Jim Brandstatter said Michigan fans were high on the Floridian’s potential. “Denard was always on everybody’s radar because he had such a tremendous reputation coming out of high school,” Brandstatter said. “And it was kind of an anticipation to see how that would translate to the college game. Everybody knew he had great speed, incredible athletic skill. His feet were his biggest asset.” Brandstatter said Robinson wasn’t overmatched by the circumstances in that game against the Hawkeyes, even if he ultimately couldn’t get a win. He was just eager to be out there. “He was excited to play,” Brandstatter said. “It wasn’t too big for him. The game wasn’t too big for him, the stage wasn’t too big for him.” Robinson completed 3-of-4 passes for 30 yards and added another 49 on the ground in relief of Forcier. But he threw a costly interception that sealed a 30-28 loss for Michigan. Brandstatter said that game, and the disappointment of the interception, helped propel Robinson forward in his development. “He felt that if he got better, and continue to do the things he could do, he could help [the team] win,” Brandstatter said.
The next big thing
Robinson dominated headlines for the first six weeks of the 2010 season. He accounted for 2,214 yards of total offense in those six games — including a 502-yard,
Iowa defensive lineman Broderick Binns chases down Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson Nov. 5, 2011, in Kinnick Stadium. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo) 3-touchdown effort in a 28-24 victory at Notre Dame. He scored the winning touchdown in that game with just 0:27 left to play. He was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. But he suddenly appeared mortal when Iowa rolled into Michigan Stadium on Oct. 16, 2010. Robinson rushed for 105 yards and completed 72 percent of his passes, but the Hawkeyes and their strong group of linebackers contained his big-play potential. That’s something Brandstatter said Iowa has excelled at when facing Robinson. “[Iowa has] had great linebackers,” Brandstatter said. “One of the things you do with mobile quarterbacks, what your linebackers have to do, is be able to lock down. Be able to spy him and keep him from getting out and beating you with his feet.” Iowa defensive lineman Steve Bigach said containing a player such as Robinson is eas-
ier said than done, and that defending him is a Catch-22. “When you have a quarterback that is like a running back … you treat the quarterback as an extra running back,” Bigach said. “Putting more guys in the box — it’s definitely dangerous. It adds an extra element to the game, especially when he does drop back there and maybe one or two options aren’t open, and he just tucks it up and goes. It’s tough, because sometimes you’ve got guys’ backs turned in coverage. “It’s just something you have to be aware of.” Robinson eventually left the game after being injured on a hit from then-Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen. In what was almost a mirror image of the last Michigan-Iowa game, he then watched Forcier come in and nearly bring Michigan all the way back from a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit. Brandstatter said Robinson’s style of play lends itself to the occasional injury but said that’s
just the “nature of the competitive beast.”
Evolution of a quarterback
Robinson made remarkable strides as a passer in his sophomore and junior seasons, completing just under 60 percent of his passes and throwing for 4,743 yards over that span. The evolution to become a reliable passer was key for Robinson to have a great career in Maize and Blue, Brandstatter said. “If he could throw effectively, [people] felt he could be a real challenge,” Brandstatter said. “If Denard was able to figure out how to throw the football a little bit, and learn the offense a little quicker, they thought he was going to be hard to handle.” That improvement wasn’t enough when Robinson made his return to Kinnick Stadium. The Wolverines were ranked No. 15 nationally and clear favorites to win, but fell just short of potentially tying the
game at 24-24 with only seconds to go. Then-sophomore cornerback B.J. Lowery broke up Robinson’s fourth-and-goal pass to Roy Roundtree on the final play of the game. Lowery raced up the sideline in celebration as soon as the play was blown dead. He remembers the play well. “That moment, it was big for the team,” Lowery said. “They ran a slant to me, and I thought about pressing. But I saw Denard Robinson look at me, and I thought about it like, ‘Hey, I need to back off.’ I backed off, he ran a slant, and I broke it up.” It was Lowery’s first big moment as a Hawkeye, and it helped Iowa get a crucial bounce-back win after being upset by Minnesota the previous week. Micah Hyde said all that has to go out the window now, though. “They’re going to scheme us differently [this year], obviously, because they didn’t win the game last year,” he said. “They’re going try to do other things to beat us, and we’ve got to be ready for it.”
Defining a legacy
Michigan had never lost to Iowa three years in a row prior to last year, and now the seniors could be the first class to go 0-4 versus the Hawkeyes. And there’s a chance the Wolverines could be without Robinson. The senior injured the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow against Nebraska on Oct. 27 and hasn’t played since. He’s listed as dayto-day by Michigan head coach Brady Hoke. That could make getting the senior class’ first win against Iowa more difficult. But Brandstatter said a win or loss in this game won’t directly
affect the legacy Robinson and his classmates leave behind. The Wolverines are always focused on winning Big Ten championships, he said. If they win on Saturday and go on to win the conference title, people won’t remember a win against Iowa. They’ll remember going to the Rose Bowl. Iowa stands in the way of that. The Wolverines must win out and hope the Cornhuskers lose for a chance to reach Pasadena. Bigach said he never expected anything different. “Maybe there’s a little bit of that revenge deal; I don’t know,” he said. “As a football player, I know that’s never been a really big motivating factor for me.” The Iowa series isn’t the only one Michigan has struggled in lately. The Wolverines ended a similar losing streak against Michigan State earlier this season despite a statistically poor outing from Robinson. Brandstatter said Robinson still struggles at times with his mechanics, and it’s led to a step back this year in his statistics. But that didn’t stop him from connecting with wideout Drew Dileo for a 20-yard completion to set up the game-winning field goal. That play represents what the Iowa defense will be worried about as they prepare to potentially take on Robinson for the final time. No matter how statistically poor his day may be, he’s always just one play from making a game-changing play, Brandstatter said. “He is that guy on the field that when he gets ball — whether he’s throwing it or running it, you hold your breath,” he said. “Because something big could happen every time he touches it. “That’s who Denard Robinson is.”
8B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa
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IOWA HAWKEYES
Marshall Koehn Greg Castillo Barkley Hill Greg Garmon Kyle Anderson Tanner Miller Keenan Davis Sean Draper Trent Mossbrucker Don Shumpert Blake Haluska Collin Sleeper Kevonte Martin-Manley Anthony Gair Tom Donatell Kevin Buford John Wienke Jonny Mullings Jake Rudock James Vandenberg C.J. Beathard Jacob Hillyer Micah Hyde B.J. Lowery Cody Sokol Christian Kirksey Nico Law Torrey Campbell Jordan Cotton Ruben Lile Jordan Lomax Maurice Fleming Nick Nielsen Andre Dawson Anthony Hitchens Damon Bullock Jordan Canzeri Adam Cox Nate Meier Gavin Smith Cole Fisher John Lowdermilk Brad Rogers Travis Perry Jack Swanson Jacob Reisen Macon Plewa Jim Poggi James Morris Mark Weisman George Krieger Kittle Melvin Spears Palmer Foster Drew Clark Laron Taylor Quinton Alston James Ferentz Steve Bigach Marcus Collins Faith Ekakitie Tommy Gaul Eric Simmons Conor Boffeli Matt Tobin Casey Kreiter Austin Blythe Jordan Walsh Casey McMillan Jaleel Johnson Brandon Scherff Ryan Kolka
ROS
- Friday, November 16, 2012
6-0/160 5-11/187 6-0/210 6-1/200 6-3/210 6-2/201 6-3/215 6-0/180 5-11/204 6-3/190 6-4/210 6-2/200 6-0/205 6-2/195 6-2/205 5-10/170 6-5/220 6-3/210 6-3/200 6-3/212 6-2/180 6-4/205 6-1/190 5-11/188 6-2/205 6-2/220 6-1/195 5-11/183 6-1/185 6-3/200 5-10/190 6-0/185 6-3/210 6-2/207 6-1/224 6-0/195 5-9/180 5-11/210 6-2/235 5-10/175 6-2/218 6-2/203 5-10/230 6-3/230 5-11/200 6-2/231 6-2/225 6-2/218 6-2/230 6-0/225 6-4/210 6-2/255 6-3/210 6-4/288 6-0/215 6-1/224 6-2/284 6-3/282 6-0/215 6-3/275 6-3/264 6-3/300 6-5/290 6-6/290 6-3/250 6-3/275 6-4/270 6-4/305 6-4/300 6-5/310 6-0/208
PK DB RB RB QB DB WR DB PK WR WR DB WR DB DB DB QB P QB QB QB WR CB DB QB LB DB DB WR DB DB WR WR RB LB RB RB FB RB/LB DB OLB DB FB DB DB FB LB LB LB FB ATH DE OLB OL LB LB OL DL LB DL OL OL OL OL LS OL OL OL DL OL LS
RS FR SR FR FR RS FR JR SR FR SR JR SO SR SO FR SR FR SR SO RS FR SR FR RS FR SR JR JR JR SO RS FR JR FR SO FR SR JR JR SO SO RS FR FR JR RS FR SO JR RS FR SR JR RS FR SO JR SO FR RS FR SO JR FR SO SR SR SO FR SO SO JR SR JR RS FR RS FR SR FR SO RS FR
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN • SATU Solon, Iowa Mount Laurel, N.J. Denver, Iowa Erie, Pa. Ames, Iowa Kalona, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cleveland, Ohio Mooresville, Ind. St. Louis, Mo. Carroll, Iowa Solon, Iowa Pontiac, Mich. Plano, Texas Duluth, Ga. Canton, Mich. Tuscola, Ill. Canberra, Australia Weston, Fla. Keokuk, Iowa Franklin, Tenn. Somerset, Texas Fostoria, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Phoenix, Ariz. St. Louis, Mo. Clinton, Md. Naples, Fla. Mount Pleasant, Iowa Detroit, Mich. Upper Marlboro, Md. Chicago, Ill. Humboldt, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Lorain, Ohio Mansfield, Texas Troy, N.Y. Chana, Ill. Tabor, Iowa North Liberty, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Carrollton, Ohio Toledo, Ohio Urbandale, Iowa Naples, Fla. Iowa City, Iowa Franklin, Wis. Towson, Md. Solon, Iowa Buffalo Grove, Ill. Norman, Okla. Allen, Texas Davenport, Iowa Marion, Iowa Detroit, Mich. Sicklerville, N.J. Iowa City, Iowa Cleveland, Ohio Yeadon, Pa. Brampton, Ontario Des Moines, Iowa Madrid, Iowa West Des Moines, Iowa Worthington, Iowa DeWitt, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa Glendale Heights, Ill. Billings, Mont. Westchester, Ill. Denison, Iowa St. Charles, Ill.
70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 98 99
Brett Van Sloten Carl Davis Ryan Ward Mitch Keppy Dean Tsopanides Nolan MacMillan Reid Sealby Andrew Donnal Dominic Alvis Henry Krieger Coble Tevaun Smith Ray Hamilton Steven Staggs Zach Derby C.J. Fiedorowicz Jake Duzey Greg Mabin Cameron Wilson Louis Trinca-Pasat Daumantas Venckus-Cucchiara Jonathan Gimm Nathan Lyman Riley McMinn Drew Ott Mike Meyer Darian Cooper Connor Kornbrath Mike Hardy Joe Gaglione
6-7/292 6-5/310 6-5/275 6-5/290 6-2/240 6-6/290 6-4/250 6-7/302 6-4/265 6-4/235 6-2/190 6-5/248 6-3/195 6-3/240 6-7/265 6-4/235 6-2/190 6-1/195 6-3/270 6-5/230 6-3/240 6-3/280 6-7/245 6-4/245 6-2/185 6-2/280 6-6/240 6-5/270 6-4/264
OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL DL TE WR TE WR TE TE TE WR WR DL DL FB DL DE DL K DL P DL DL
JR SO FR FR RS FR JR FR SO JR RS FR FR SO SR SR JR RS FR FR FR SO FR SR JR RS FR FR JR RS FR FR SO SR
Decorah, Iowa Detroit, Mich. New Lenox, Ill. Port Byron, Ill. Torrington, Conn. Toronto, Ontario Byron, Ill. Monclova, Ohio Logan, Iowa Mount Pleasant, Iowa Toronto, Ontario Strongsville, Ohio Oskaloosa, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Johnsburg, Ill. Troy, Mich. Plantation, Fla. Dublin, Ohio Chicago, Ill. Weston, Fla. Houston, Texas Grundy Center, Iowa Rochester, Ill. Trumbull, Neb. Dubuque, Iowa Elkridge, Md. Bridgeport, W.V. Appleton, Wis. Novelty, Ohio
Keenan Davis WR #6
Raymon Taylor CB #18 Craig Roh DE #88 Thomas Gordon FS #29
Brett Van Sloten RT #70
Desmond Morgan WLB #44
Austin Blythe James Vandenberg RG #63 QB #16
Will Campbell DT #73
Damon Bulloc RB #32
Quinton Washington DT #76
Kenny Demens MLB #25
James Ferentz C #53
Jake Ryan SLB #90 Frank Clark DE #57
Jonathan Gimm FB #92
Conor Boffeli LG #59
Jordan Kovacs SS #32 Matt Tobin LT #60
C.J. Fiedorowicz TE #86
J.T. Floyd CB #8 Kevonte Martin-Manely WR #6
STER
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 9B
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
URDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2012
ck
Vincent Smith Bo Dever Marvin Robinson Cameron Gordon Justice Hayes Courtney Avery Raymon Taylor Brian Cleary Brandin Hawthorne J.T. Floyd Russell Bellomy Drew Dileo Jeremy Gallon Jordan Kovacs Allen Gant Devin Gardner Alex Swieca Terry Richardson Jack Kennedy Josh Furman James Ross III Shaun Austin Denard Robinson Jeremy Jackson Blake Countess Charlie Zeller Devin Funchess Steve Wilson Roy Roundtree Jarrod Wilson Floyd Simmons Delonte Hollowell Kenny Demens Dennis Norfleet Mike Jones Jonathan Keizer Fitzgerald Toussaint
2 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28
5-6/175 6-2/193 6-2/200 6-3/236 5-10/183 5-11/173 5-10/182 6-3/204 6-0/220 6-0/183 6-3/202 5-10/180 5-8/187 6-0/202 6-2/199 6-4/203 6-1/206 5-9/162 5-11/185 6-2/203 6-0/225 6-1/203 6-0/197 6-3/204 5-10/180 5-11/199 6-5/229 5-11/179 6-0/180 6-2/194 6-0/200 5-9/176 6-1/242 5-7/161 6-2/226 6-5/211 5-10/202
Roy Roundtree WR #12
RB WR S LB RB CB DB QB LB CB QB WR WR S DB QB QB DB QB S LB QB QB WR DB S TE CB WR S S DB LB RB LB WR RB
SR FR JR JR RS FR JR SO FR SR SR RS FR JR JR SR FR JR RS FR FR SR SO FR FR SR JR SO JR FR SR SR FR SR SO SR FR JR RS FR JR
Pahokee, Fla. Lake Forest, Ill. Winter Haven, Fla. Detroit, Mich. Flint, Mich. Mansfield, Ohio Detroit, Mich. Detroit, Mich. Pahokee, Fla. Greenville, S.C. Arlington, Texas Greenwell Springs, La. Apopka, Fla. Curtice, Ohio Sylvania, Ohio Detroit, Mich. New York, N.Y. Detroit, Mich. Walled Lake, Mich. Annapolis, Md. Orchard Lake, Mich. Plymouth, MI Deerfield Beach, Fla. Ann Arbor, Mich. Owings Mills, Md. Centennial, Colo. Farmington Hills, Mich. White Lake, Mich. Trotwood, Ohio Akron, Ohio Detroit, Mich. Detroit, Mich. Oak Park, Mich. Detroit, Mich. Orlando, Fla. Portage, MI Youngstown, Ohio
Micah Hyde CB #18
Anthony Hitchens WLB #31 Tanner Miller FS #5
Taylor Lewan LT #77 Stephen Hopkins FB #33
Ricky Barnum LG #52
Dominic Alvis DE #79
Louis Trinca-Pasat DT #90 Fitzgerald Toussaint RB #28
Elliot Mealer C #57
Denard Robinson QB #16
Patrick Omameh RG #65
James Morris MLB #44
Christian Kirksey OLB #20 Steve Bigach DT #54
Mike Kwiatkowski TE #81 Michael Schofield RT #75
Jeremy Gallon WR #10
Joe Gaglione DE #99
B.J. Lowery CB #19
Nico Law SS #21
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Drake Johnson 6-0/209 Thomas Gordon 5-11/207 Andrew Offerdahl 5-11/199 Paul Gyarmati 6-1/234 Stephen Hopkins 6-0240 Jeremy Clark 6-4/200 Brendan Gibbons 6-1/230 Joe Bolden 6-3/223 Joe Kerridge 6-0/244 AJ Pearson 6-0/195 Al Backey 5-10/183 Thomas Rawls 5-10/218 Sione Houma 6-0/227 Nate Allspach 6-6/244 Antonio Poole 6-2/224 Kenny Wilkins 6-3/294 Dylan Esterline 6-5/236 Will Hagerup 6-4/227 Chris Wormley 6-4/279 Matt Wile 6-2/214 Seth Broekhuizen 6-1/205 Clark Grace 6-3/230 Jake Ryan 6-3/242 Desmond Morgan 6-1/227 Brad Anlauf 6-4/182 Kaleb Ringer 6-1/231 Tom Strobel 6-6/252 Bobby Henderson 5-11/230 Ricky Barnum 6-3/296 Royce Jenkins-Stone 6-2/213 Mario Ojemudia 6-3/231 Jareth Glanda 6-3/260 Richard Ash 6-3/300 Jibreel Black 6-2/279 Ondre Pipkins 6-3/340 Joey Burzynski 6-1/295 Frank Clark 6-2/262 Elliott Mealer 6-5/308 Chris Bryant 6-4/318 Mark Lawson 6-2/213 Jack Miller 6-4/288 Graham Glasgow 6-6/305 Blake Bars 6-5/291 Ben Pliska 6-3/269 Patrick Omameh 6-4/305 Dan Liesman 6-2/212 Nathan Brink 6-5/275 Kyle Kalis 6-5/294 Erik Gunderson 6-8/303 Willie Henry 6-2/314 Kristian Mateus 6-7/309 Ben Braden 6-6/308 William Campbell 6-5/308 Michael Schofield 6-7/300 Quinton Washington 6-4/300 Taylor Lewan 6-8/309 Erik Magnuson 6-6/285 Dan Gibbs 6-7/311 Ricardo Miller 6-4/226 Mike Kwiatkowski 6-5/262 Amara Darboh 6-2/220 Jerald Robinson 6-1/215 A.J. Williams 6-6/283 Joe Reynolds 6-1/196 Jehu Chesson 6-3/183 Brandon Moore 6-5/268 Craig Roh 6-5/281 Alex Mitropoulos-Rundus 6-2/244 Kenneth Allen 6-3/205 Keith Heitzman 6-3/270 Chris Eddins 6-5/266 Jordan Paskorz 6-3/254 Curt Graman 6-5/205 Anthony Capatina 5-9/180 Michael Jocz 6-4/210 Ryan Glasgow 6-4/294 Brennen Beyer 6-3/252 Matthew Godin 6-6/277
RB FR S JR S FR FB SR RB JR DB FR PK JR LB FR FB RS FR DB FR CB JR RB SO FB FR TE SO LB RS FR DT SO TE SO P JR DE FR PK SO PK JR TE FR LB SO LB SO WR FR LB FR DE FR RB FR OL SR LB FR DE FR LS JR DT SO DT JR DT FR OL SO DE SO OL SR OL RS FR LB FR OL RS FR OL RS FR OL FR OL FR OL SR LB FR DT JR OL FR OL JR DT FR OL SO OL FR DT SR OL JR DT JR OL JR OL FR OL FR WR JR TE SR WR FR WR SO TE FR WR JR WR FR TE SR DE SR TE RS FR K/P FR DE RS FR TE SO TE SO LS JR DB SO TE FR DL FR DE SO DE FR
Ann Arbor, Mich. Detroit, Mich. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Double Oak, Texas Madisonville, Ky. West Palm Beach, Fla. Cincinnati, Ohio Traverse City, Mich. Johns Creek, Ga. Ypsilanti, Mich. Flint, Mich. Salt Lake City, Utah Grand Rapids, Mich. Cincinnati, Ohio Washington, Pa. Blissfield, Mich. Milwaukee, Wis. Toledo, Ohio San Diego, Calif. Holland, Mich. Tecumseh, Ontario Westlake, Ohio Holland, Mich. Hinsdale, Ill. Clayton, Ohio Mentor, Ohio Hopewell Junction, NY Lakeland, Fla. Detroit, Mich. Farmington Hills, Mich. Rochester Hills, Mich. Pahokee, Fla. Cincinnati, Ohio Kansas City, Mo. Carlsbad, Calif. Cleveland, Ohio Wauseon, Ohio Chicago, Ill. Ada, Mich. Perrysburg, Ohio Aurora, Ill. Nashville, Tenn. Kirkland, Wash. Columbus, Ohio Lansing, MI Holland, Mich. Lakewood, Ohio Milan, Mich. Cleveland, Ohio Ada, Mich. Rockford, Mich. Detroit, Mich. Orland Park, Ill. St. Stephen, S.C. Scottsdale, Ariz. San Diego, Calif. Birmingham, Mich. Orlando, Fla. Macomb, Mich. Des Moines, Iowa Canton, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Rochester, Mich. St. Louis, Mo. Trotwood, Ohio Scottsdale, Ariz. Ann Arbor, Mich. Fenton, Mich. Hilliard, Ohio Detroit, Mich. Gibsonia, Pa. Cincinnati, Ohio Novi, Mich. Novi, Mich. Aurora, Ill. Canton, Mich. Novi, Mich.
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 11B
12B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012
AROUND THE BIG TEN
OFFENSIVE IMPACT
POWER RANKINGS
1. Ohio State Remember last time Ohio State came into Camp Randall? Terrelle Pryor and the Tattoo Boyz looked foolish trying to jump around on the field in unison with the Wisconsin student section. The Buckeyes ended up losing that game, but I don’t think the Badgers will be the ones jamming out to House of Pain at the end of this one. 2. Nebraska Rex Burkhead should finally be back this week. It’s not like Nebraska will need its stud running back, though. The Huskers will play Minnesota, after all. And the Gilded Rodents are just putrid. I don’t care if they’re bowl-eligible — losing to Iowa is inexcusable. Also, Minnesota moved its best quarterback to wide receiver. That’s like if Northwestern were to put Kain Colter at … wait. Never mind. 3. Michigan Devin Gardner or Denard Robinson? It doesn’t matter. Either quarterback could likely beat Iowa one-on-11, 3-0 record against the Wolverines in the past three seasons be damned. 4. Penn State Did anyone expect this kind of turnaround for Penn State? If you said yes, you just lied. Spirits are high in Happy Valley, and if Bill O’Brien can do all this with a crippled program, I am not looking forward to when the NCAA lifts the curtain on the Nittany Lions, and they finally get some good recruits. Oh. Wait. 5. Wisconsin Turns out free-agent acquisition Danny O’Brien didn’t work out as well as for the Badgers as their last ACC-leased quarterback, Russell Wilson. Even with Montee Ball, I don’t see Wisconsin winning this one. Which doesn’t matter, because the Badgers will still go to Pasadena and will still lose to Oregon by 86 points. Can’t wait. 6. Northwestern Northwestern has played really good ball lately, which is just a crying shame for Big Ten advocates everywhere. Northwestern is the Vanderbilt of the Big
Ten, which means that it should never be competitive in anything that isn’t robotics or debate-related. 7. Michigan State Remember when Iowa beat the Spartans? Fans were all happy that Greg Castillo and the Iowa secondary actually did something not getting-beat-in-coverage-related, and Mark Weisman morale was high. Six weeks later, Iowa’s defense is back to its “bend, and break, too” mentality, and Weisman’s leg looks like it’s a part of King Tut’s garb. 8. Minnesota Why are Gopher fans happy? YEA, WE’RE BOWL ELIGIBLE, WE DON’T NEED THAT STUPID PIG. Sad part is, this is exactly how Iowa will fans will react as soon as Kirk gets it back together and lifts this program out of the ashes. 9. Indiana Never did I ever think the Hoosiers would lift themselves out of the bowels of my super intelligent and official rankings. Indiana does play Penn State this week, so really there’s nowhere to go but up for the Cream and Crimson. Except for down, that is. 10. Purdue Purdue? More like Purdon’t! Get it? But seriously, the Boilermakers are really bad and shouldn’t feel good about themselves for beating Iowa. Purdue will try to bring its conference record above .200 this week against Illinois in the Midwest Incompetence Bowl. 11. Iowa Whose fault is this? Is it Kirk? Greg Davis? Vandy? Sally Mason? Personally, I blame Obama for Iowa’s ineptitude this season — what with his far-reaching pigskin-pension plan and high tariffs for running backs in Iowa City. Alas, the people have spoken. FOUR MORE OUTBACK BOWLS. Just kidding. That would be awesome, given the current climate of Hawkeye football. 12. Illinois It’s just funny to think that there’s actually a team better at losing than Iowa in the Big Ten. I had a good chuckle, at least.
GAMES TO WATCH Ohio State at Wisconsin Time: 2:30 p.m. Saturday Location: Madison, Wis. Where to watch: ABC
Key Highlights I mentioned above the highlights of the last Buckeye road trip to Camp Randall, but that was with the Sweater Vest at the helm, not Tim Tebow’s former coach. Ohio State is really good, actually, and the whomping they will put on Wisconsin is just something that Big Ten fans should get used to for years and years to come.
BEN ROSS BENJAMIN-D-ROSS@UIOWA.EDU
Northwestern at Michigan State Time: 11 a.m. Saturday Location: East Lansing, Mich. Where to Watch: ESPN2
Key Highlights This game really offers little for the Spartans. While a victory over the Wildcats does provide bowl-eligibility for Michigan State, nothing else resides at stake. More so than anything, I’ll watch this game to see which Spartan squad shows up: The one that beat Wisconsin in Madison or the one that lost to Iowa. I bet the Greg Castillo MVP-making squad shows up and lets Northwestern just run circles around this defensive front.
Name: Taylor Martinez Position: Quarterback Year: Junior T-Money may have a throwing motion uglier than my girlfriend’s, but boy, is he effective. The guy will almost certainly pass for more than 2,500 yards and run for more than 1,000, all while making Big Ten purists writhe in agony. Martinez will have a field day over Minnesota this weekend, bringing his squad one step closer to its goal of capturing a Big Ten title. At least, that’s what he said. “I think as a team we can feel it,” Martinez told the Daily Nebraskan. “We’re getting closer to our goal.” Side Note: I do not have a girlfriend.
DEFENSIVE IMPACT Name: Johnathan Hankins Position: Defensive Tackle Year: Junior Hankins has been named as a finalist to receive the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the top defensive player in the country at the end of the season. So that’s pretty neat. He’ll be charged with bottling up Badger running back Montee Ball, who will likely break all types of touchdown records soon. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer called this matchup a rivalry game, despite his new arrival to Big Ten country. “It’s a rivalry game because we have to understand who you’re playing and what they’ve done the past few years,” Meyer told the Lantern. “They’re a very good team.”
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 13B
14B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012
ON THE LINE
Matchups Iowa at No. 21 Michigan
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Northwestern at Michigan State No. 18 USC at No. 17 UCLA
No. 13 Stanford at No. 2 Oregon
Ian Martin Sports Editor (28-22)
Michigan
Hawkeyes aren’t Hawkeyes Wolverines are on the rise This could get ugly
Ohio State Football fans laughing As Buckeyes no loss year will All be for nothing
Michigan State Two unlucky years Both awaiting yin to yang Home team by default
USC Trojans beat Bruins Prelude to end of Irish Wait until next week
Oregon Oregon is faster Autzen once had gravel lot Charlie Conway joke
Ben Ross
Football Reporter (34-16)
Michigan
Devin Gardner might be better than Denard Robinson. Might be.
Ohio State
Remember when Ohio State started to jump around in Madison two years ago? That was awesome.
Michigan State I bet the Spartans actually prepare to contain Kain Colter, unlike some other Big Ten teams …
USC
This team is better than its record.
Oregon Quack. Quack. Quack. Quack. Quack.
Tork Mason
Football Reporter (33-17)
Michigan
Denard gets revenge and buries the Hawkeyes’ bowl chances.
Wisconsin Wisconsin. No logical reason here. But I have to take a chance to catch Sam Lane.
Northwestern This is a pretty solid team. The Spartans aren’t.
UCLA
Insert your deflated balls joke here.
Oregon No way do the Ducks lose in the Zoo.
Sam Louwagie
Pregame & Sports Editor (26-24)
Michigan
Whatever the spread is, the Wolverines will cover.
Ohio State What a pointlessly good team.
Michigan State Wildcats hit a late-season skid.
USC It’s better than that 18th ranking.
Oregon Ducks run right into the title game.
Sam Lane
Managing Editor (35-15)
Iowa The Hawks have played Michigan well. Stuff happens.
Ohio State But the Badgers get the last laugh.
Northwestern Sparty couldn’t stop Weisman. I don’t see ’em stopping Mark and Colter.
USC Trojans just can’t look ahead.
Oregon The Ducks are the nation’s best, folks.
Fans’ Picks Michigan
How many teams will finish with a Head Coach’s Salary-per-Win ratio above $900,000? Iowa will!
Ohio State Does it feel any different if you go 12-0 or 4-8 and not go to a bowl game?
Northwestern Northwestern is on a roll this year.
USC
I am looking into my crystal ball...UCLA losing.
Oregon Wake up in time to smell the Roses.
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012 - 15B
16B - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 16, 2012