SATURDAy, DECEMBER 5 | Iowa vs. MICHIGAN STATE | LUCAS OIL STADIUM | 7:17 P.M., FOX
SHOWDOWN IN DREAMLAND Inside: WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE SECONDARY?
PREGAME The Daily Iowan
22 -- The The Daily Daily Iowan Iowan -- PREGAME PREGAME -- Iowa Iowa City, City, Iowa Iowa -- Friday, Friday, December September4,19,2015 2014
GUIDE
STAFF Publisher: 335-5788 William Casey Editor: 335-6030 Stacey Murray Pregame Editor: 335-5848 Danny Payne Sports Editor : 335-5848 Ian Murphy Jordan Hansen Copy Chief: 335-5855 Beau Elliot Design Editor: 335-5855 Patrick Pat LyneLyne, Taylor Laufersweiler Photo Editor: 335-5852 Joshua Housing Josh Housing
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Iowa’s defense tackles a Michigan State player in Kinnick on Oct. 5, 2013. Michigan State defeated the Hawkeyes, 26-14. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
TABLE of OF Contents CONTENTS Table
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Cover Story This season has been full of special moments, what do the Hawkeyes have to do to add another?
Inside Feature Despite impressive numbers, the Iowa pass defense has struggled as of late.
By the Numbers Connor Cook is the Big Ten’s best quarterback. Why?
10 14 18 19
Web Editor : 335-5829 Tony Phan Business Manager: 335-5786 Debra Plath : 335-5784 Juli Krause Circulation Manager: 335-5794 Juli Krause Advertising Manager: 335-5193 Renee Manders
: Bev Mrstik: 335-5792 Cathy Witt: 335-5794 Production Manager: 335-5789 Heidi Owen BREAKING NEWS Phone: (319) 335-6063 E-mail: daily-iowan@uiowa.edu Fax: 335-6297 CORRECTIONS Call: 335-6030 Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for accuracy and fairness in all reporting of news. If a report is wrong or misleading, a request for PUBLISHING INFO The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360) is published by Student Publications Inc., E131 Adler Journalism Building, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2004, daily except Saturdays, Sundays, legal and university holidays, and university vacations. Periodicials postage paid at the Iowa City Post Office under the Act of Congress of March 2, 1879.
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Our weekly conference power rankings, plus some players and this week’s big game to watch.
PCP / Roundtable An excerpt from our Pregame Podcast, and the argument for two Big Ten Teams in the College Football Playoff.
On the Line Our weekly picks.
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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 4, 2015 - 3
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Iowa running back Jordan Canzeri leaps over a Wisconsin player at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Oct. 3. The Hawkeyes defeated the Badgers, 10-6, to start their run through the Big Ten. (The Daily Iowan/Rachael Westergard)
Hawks sow special memories No. 4 Iowa will need to be at its best against No. 5 Michigan State on Saturday.
By Danny Payne |
daniel-payne-1@uiowa.edu
Good football teams usually don’t lack memorable moments or plays throughout a season, especially if that season involves zero losses. Un-
defeated Iowa is no exception. A magical 2015 campaign has given Hawkeye fans more than their fair share of these instances — four trophies, last-second wins, huge road victories, the list goes on and
on. When No. 4 Iowa takes on No. 5 Michigan State in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship, the program and its fans will hope to add another moment and another trophy to that résumé.
So what gives this Hawkeye team its best shot at that fifth (and biggest) trophy of the season? Ask anyone in the program, and it’s staying See COVER, 16
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Pass defense needs huge game Iowa has given up a third of its total passing yards in its last three games. By Ryan Rodriguez ryan-rodriguez@uiowa.edu
Throughout the first eight weeks of the season, Iowa’s secondary was one of its most formidable units. Recently named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Desmond King was picking off everything thrown in his direction, and cornerback Greg Mabin and safety Jordan Lomax dished out physical punishment to anyone they came across. The combination of airtight coverage and a punishing physical mentality kept opposing quarterbacks honest and typified Iowa’s “bend but not break” mentality. While the team is still as physical as ever, the final few weeks of the season revealed some significant gaps in Iowa’s defensive coverage. The Hawkeyes have given up just shy of a third of their total passing yards this season in their last three games. “The work is not done. In fact, if anything, it’s just getting started,” Mabin said after the Nov. 27 win over Nebraska. “We had been kind of lackadaisical the previous two or three weeks, so we know we were going to have to be much better from here on out.” There was an almost humorous disconnect between watching the win over the Huskers and then looking at the final stats. Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong failed the eye test with flying colors. Poor decision-making all game resulted in Armstrong virtually gift-wrapping Iowa a win with 4 interceptions on the afternoon. And yet, as poor as his performance was, he still completed 25 passes for almost 296 yards. It didn’t end up costing Iowa, but that yardage didn’t come out of thin air. “One way our coaches always tell us to defeat a receiver is to put them on the ground,” King said. “We have to be physical. We have to make sure we don’t let them get off the line easily and keep eye discipline in our coverage and stay in it.” The Hawkeyes have gotten away from that mentality at times throughout the season, and when it happens, it’s usually obvious. Armstrong, for all his accuracy woes, looked like he may have finally figured out the Iowa secondary the final two drives of the game, throwing for six-con-
Minnesota wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky is tackled by Iowa lineman Josey Jewell during the Iowa-Minnesota game at Kinnick on Nov. 14. (The Daily Iowan/Margaret Kispert) secutive first downs as he helped march his team down the field and into scoring range on back-to-back possessions. When Armstrong took too long to make a throw, Iowa had enough time to catch up and keep everyone covered long enough for another defender to pressure him into a bad decision. When the Huskers operated with speed and precision, Iowa looked gassed. Four throws — all of which were under 20 yards and all within the
span of about 1:30 — from Armstrong gave the Huskers one last chance to tie things up before a botched onside kick sealed their fate. Fatigue played a part in that, no doubt. After all, when a team attempts 45 throws in a single game, it’s going to wear down its opponent. But that mentality is not unique to Nebraska. Facing what will undoubtedly be a similar plan from Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook, the Hawks
will have their work cut out for them Saturday against a much more precise Spartan squad. How they handle the increased pressure could very well be the difference in a Hawkeye win or loss. “[Cook] throws some really accurate balls, and that’s going to be tough, definitely not like we faced last week,” linebacker Cole Fisher said. “He’s obviously a really good player that we need to be aware of.”
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By the Numbers: Iowa vs. Michigan St. By Jordan Hansen jordan-hansen@uiowa.edu
One of the marquee matchups for Saturday’s Big Ten Championship will be Spartan quarterback Connor Cook against the Hawkeyes’ pass defense. During its last three games, Iowa has given up an average of 288 passing yards. While some of that has been because of Iowa leading games, it still has to be a tad disconcerting for the Hawkeyes. Despite missing Michigan State’s Nov. 21 win over Ohio State with a shoulder injury, Cook looked competent last week in a big win over Penn State. In Indianapolis on Saturday, Iowa’s defense will line up against a first-team all-conference player, the Big Ten’s Quarterback of the Year, and a likely future first-round draft pick.
Passing touchdowns — 24, (tied for first in the conference) Perhaps more impressively, Cook’s 24 touchdowns have come with just 4 interceptions. That ranks second-fewest in the conference among quarterbacks who have played in 11 or more games. The player with the second-fewest interceptions in that category? You guessed it, Iowa’s C.J. Beathard. However, Cook has 34 fewer attempts than Beathard in one fewer game. Michigan State relies much more heavily on the passing game than the Hawks, but with a quarterback of Cook’s caliber at the helm, that trust makes sense.
Percentage of passes caught by wide receivers — 75-percent Cook loves throwing to his wide receivers — especially senior Aaron Burbridge, who has been en fuego. Burbridge has amassed 1,158 yards on 75 catches (marks good for the Big Ten lead) and has scored 7 touchdowns (tied for fourth in the league). He had only 916 yards over the previous three seasons, making his big year all the more impressive. Outside of Burbridge, Cook also finds wideouts Macgarrett Kings Jr. and R.J. Shelton regularly. Kings has 34 receptions, and Shelton has 38. Even more, Michigan State likes to use tight end Josiah Price, who is second only to Burbridge in touchdown receptions with 6.
Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook tosses a pass in Kinnick on Oct. 5, 2013. Cook threw for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes, 26-14. (The Daily Iowan/ File Photo)
Quarterback rating on third down: 149.51 Another thing that makes Cook so dangerous is his ability to pick up third downs. The senior has thrown for 49 of the Spartans’ 85 third-down conversions and converted five with his feet. Head coach Mark Dantonio’s crew is the best third-down team in the Big Ten and the seventh-best in the nation,
converting 50.6 percent of the time. This should provide an interesting matchup with Iowa, which has allowed opponents to convert 35.56 percent of the time. The Hawkeyes need to get the Spartan offense off the field, which means stopping them on third down and keeping control of the ball.
Second-half interceptions: 0 Cook is the only player in the Big Ten
to play in more than eight games and without an interception in the second half. He’s also thrown 9 of his 24 touchdowns in the third quarter, a mark that ranks fourth-most in the nation. It also means that the Michigan State coaching staff — especially Dantonio — is good at making adjustments during halftime. Regardless, Cook’s lack of mistakes means Iowa is in for a tough matchup against a bona fide star.
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ROS
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Iowa Hawkeyes
1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 45 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 64
Marshall Koehn Mick Ellis Brandon Bishop Jay Scheel Jacob Black Tevaun Smith Ronald Nash Omar Truitt Emmanuel Ogwo Sean Draper Colten Rastetter Isaiah Kramme Tyler Wiegers Jerminic Smith Jonathan Parker Ryan Boyle Michael Ojemuida Anthony Gair Greg Mabin Desmond King Connor Keane Joshua Jackson Dillon Kidd C.J. Beathard Jacob Hillyer Ryan Schmidt Drew Cook Miles Taylor Andrew Stone Justin Jinning Angelo Garbutt John Milani Eric Graham Akrum Wadley Kevin Ward Jordan Lomax Maurice Fleming LeShun Daniels, Jr. Nick Wilson Jake Gervase Steve Manders Aaron Mends Derrick Mitchell, Jr. Jordan Canzeri Nate Meier Cole Fisher Brandon Snyder Adam Cox Travis Perry Parker Hesse Bo Bower Austin Kelly Macon Plewa Josey Jewell Ben Niemann Eric Grimm Drake Kulick George Kittle Lane Akre Jack Hockaday Melvin Spears Jacob Sobotka Jackson Subbert Drake Dunker Boone Myers Brady Ross Garret Jansen Steve Ferentz Faith Ekaktike Jake Newborg Eric Simmons Ross Reynolds Jacob Giese Kyle Terlouw Austin Blythe Cole Croston
6-0/200 5-10/180 6-9/170 6-1/195 6-0/205 6-0/200 6-2/210 5-11/180 6-0/170 6-0/190 6-2/205 6-3/205 6-4/222 6-1/180 5-8/185 6-2/215 6-2/190 6-2/200 6-2/200 5-11/200 6-1/195 6-1/185 6-2/215 6-2/209 6-4/212 6-5/220 6-5/220 6-0/195 5-11/175 6-2/210 6-2/210 6-1/185 5-9/195 5-11/180 6-1/205 5-10/205 6-0/205 6-0/230 6-2/206 6-2/200 6-1/235 6-0/200 6-1/212 5-9/192 6-2/252 6-2/236 6-1/210 5-11/234 6-3/234 6-3/240 6-1/228 5-11/245 6-2/234 6-2/230 6-3/205 6-2/200 6-1/228 6-4/235 6-0/220 6-1/215 6-2/268 6-3/225 6-3/205 6-2/225 6-5/300 6-1/220 6-2/255 6-2/278 6-3/290 6-3/280 6-2/295 6-4/300 6-3/270 6-4/288 6-3/290 6-5/295
PK K DB WR DB WR WR DB WR DB P DB QB WR WR QB WR DB DB DB WR DB P QB WR QB QB DB WR LB LB DB RB RB DB DB DB RB LB DB LB FB RB RB DE OLB DB FB LB LB LB FB FB OLB LB LB LB TE FB LB DE LB LS LB OL LB DL OL DL OL OL OL DL DL OL OL
SR FR RS FR RS FR SO SR SO FR FR SR FR FR RS FR FR SO FR FR JR JR JR SO RS FR SR JR SR FR FR SO SR FR FR FR FR SO SO SR JR JR FR RS FR SO RS FR SO SR SR SR RS FR SR SR RS FR SO RS FR SR SO SO RS FR SO JR FR FR SR RS FR SO FR SO FR FR JR SO FR SR RS FR FR JR SR JR
Solon, Iowa Allen, Texas Sugar Grove, Ill. Mount Auburn, Iowa Solon, Iowa Toronto, Ontario Sioux City, Iowa Fort Washington, Md. Mesquite, Texas Cleveland, Ohio Guttenberg, Iowa Ankeny, Iowa Lake Orion, Mich. Garland, Texas St. Louis, Mo. West Des Moines, Iowa Farmington Hills, Mich. Plano, Texas Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Detroit, Mich. St. Paul, Minn. Cornith, Texas Deerfield Beach, Fla. Franklin, Tenn. Somerset, Texas Linn-Mar, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Silver Spring, Md. Cedar Falls, Iowa The Colony, Texas Carrollton, Texas Iowa City, Iowa Prattville, Ala. Newark, N.J. Homer Glen, Ill. Upper Marlboro, Md. Chicago, Ill. Warren, Ohio Granger, Iowa Davenport, Iowa Crofton, Md. Kansas City, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Troy, N.Y. Tabor, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Larchwood, Iowa Chana, Ill. Urbandale, Iowa Waukon, Iowa West Branch, Iowa Hickory Hills, Ill. Franklin, Wisc. Decorah, Iowa Sycamore, Ill. Damascs, Md. Muscatine, Iowa Norman, Okla. Geneseo, Ill. Forsyth, Ill. Allen, Texas Clearfield, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa St. Louis, Mo. Webster City, Iowa Humboldt, Iowa Pella, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Brampton, Ontario Inwood, Iowa Madrid, Iowa Waukee, Iowa West Branch, Iowa Sully, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN STATE • SATURD 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 97 98 98 99
Jordan Walsh Levi Paulsen Jaleel Johnson Landan Paulsen Keegan Render Lucas LeGrand Brett Waechter Brant Gressel Ryan Ward Mitch Keppy Ike Boettger Dalton Ferguson Daniel Gaffey James Daniels Sean Welsh Henry Krieger Coble Jon Wisnieski Adrian Falconer Riley McCarron Andre Harris Nate Vejvoda Peter Pekar Jake Duzey Jake Hulett Matt VandeBerg Sam Brincks Miguel Recinos Brady Reiff Jameer Outsey Terrence Harris Michael Slater Drew Ott Matt Nelson Tyler Kluver Darian Cooper Anthony Nelson Nate Wieting Nathan Bazata
6-4/290 6-5/290 6-4/310 6-5/290 6-4/305 6-5/280 6-5/275 6-2/280 6-5/290 6-5/300 6-6/300 6-4/307 6-2/260 6-4/285 6-3/288 6-4/250 6-5/247 6-1/180 5-9/186 6-0/185 6-5/215 6-4/245 6-4/248 6-3/265 6-1/185 6-5/260 6-1/173 6-3/226 6-3/235 6-3/252 6-2/265 6-4/272 6-8/270 6-0/220 6-2/282 6-7/220 6-4/225 6-2/284
OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL TE TE WR WR WR TE TE TE DL WR DE K DL TE DE DE DL DE LS DL DE TE DL
SR FR JR FR RS FR RS FR FR SO JR JR SO RS FR RS FR FR SO SR RS SO FR JR SO FR FR SR SO SO RS FR RS FR FR RS FR RS FR FR SR RS FR SO SR FR FR SO
Glendale Heights, lll. Moville, Iowa Lombard, Ill. Moville, Iowa Indianola, Iowa Dubuque, Iowa Hartley, Iowa Centerville, Ohio Homer Glen, Ill. Port Byron, Ill. Cedar Falls, Iowa Solon, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Warren, Ohio Springboro, Ohio Mount Pleasant, Iowa West Des Moines, Iowa Leesburg, Fla. Dubuque, Iowa Kirkwood, Mo. Homer Glen, Ill. Greendale, Wis. Troy, Mich. Springville, Iowa Brandon, S.D. Carroll, Iowa Mason City, Iowa Parkston, S.D. Somerset, N.J. Englewood, N.J. St. Louis, Mo. Trumbull, Neb. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Marshalltown, Iowa Elkridge, Md. Urbandale, Iowa Rockford, Ill. Howells, Neb.
STER
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Michigan State Spartans
DAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015 • 7:17 P.M. FOX 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 28 28 29 30 31 32
Darian Hicks LJ Scott Michael Geiger Malik McDowell DeAnthony Arnett Kaleel Gaines Damion Terry Demetrious Cox Tyler O’Connor Lawrence Thomas Montae Nicholson Matt Morrissey Jamal Lyles R.J. Shelton Robert Aiello Vayante Copeland Chris Laneaux Brian Lewerke Tyson Smith Aaron Burbridge Tommy Vento Trey Kilgore Connor Cook Michael Topolinski Aj Troup Jalen Watts-Jackson Monty Madaris Andre Sims Paul Andrie Delton Williams Chris Frey Gerald Holmes Brett Scanlon Jake Hartbarger Darrell Stewart Jr. RJ Williamson Austin Wolfe David Dowell Madre London Mark Meyers Riley Bullough T.J. Harrell Cassius Peat
CB RB PK DL WR CB QB DB QB DL S S TE WR WR CB S QB CB WR QB WR QB LB WR DB WR WR WR RB LB RB PK P WR S WR DB RB S LB LB DL
5-10/180 6-0/233 5-8/186 6-6/275 5-11/184 6-0/170 6-3/235 6-1/200 6-3/222 6-4/305 6-2/220 6-2/203 6-3/263 5-11/195 6-2/188 6-0/195 5-11/208 6-3/192 5-10/170 6-1/208 6-1/192 6-1/186 6-4/220 6-0/198 6-2/218 5-11/192 6-1/202 5-9/190 6-2/197 6-1/228 6-2/235 6-0/216 5-11/216 6-4/210 6-1/198 6-0/216 6-0/176 6-0/186 6-1/216 6-0/186 6-2/230 6-1/209 6-3/258
JR FR JR SO SR FR SO JR JR SR SO FR JR JR SO FR SR FR FR SR SR SO SR SR SR SO JR SR JR JR SO SO JR FR FR SR SO FR FR JR JR FR FR
Solon, OH Hubbard, OH Toledo, OH Detroit, MI Saginaw, MI Frostproof, FL Erie, PA Jeannette, PA Lima, OH Detroit, MI Monroeville, PA Lincolnshire, IL Southfield, MI Beaver Dam, WI Lake Orion, MI Dayton, OH Kalamazoo, MI Phoenix, AZ Southfield, MI Farmington Hills, MI Farmington Hills, MI Cincinnati, OH Hinckley, OH Richmond Hill, ON Minneapolis, MN Dearborn, MI Cincinnati, OH Snellville, GA Valparaiso, IN Erie, PA Upper Arlington, OH Flint, MI Dowagiac, MI Waterville, OH Houston, TX Dayton, OH Springfield, VA North Ridgeville, OH Fort Lauderdale, FL Toledo, OH Traverse City, MI Tampa, FL Chandler, AZ
32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 51 52 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 87 88 89 92 93 94 97 97 97 98 99 99
Nick Tompkins RB Frank Epitropoulos WR Jon Reschke LB Brock Makaric WR Drake Martinez LB Jalyn Powell S Phillip-Michael Williams RB Arjen Colquhoun CB Sinclair Farinholt WR Trevon Pendleton FB Jermaine Edmondson CB Collin Lucas FB Gerald Owens DL Zac Leimbach S Ed Davis LB Grayson Miller S Darien Harris LB David Fennell FB Kenny Willekes LB Shane Jones LB Sean Harrington LB Dillon Alexander DE Kyonta Stallworth OT Taybor Pepper LS Miguel Machado OL Enoch Smith Jr. DL Collin Caflisch OL Devyn Salmon C David Beedle OT Casey Schreiner OL Cole Chewins OT Noah Listermann OT Brandon Clemons G Brian Allen OL Jack Allen C Bryce Wilker OL Jeremy Schram OL Tyler Higby OL Chase Gianacakos OL Craig Evans DT Dennis Finley OL Jack Conklin OT Benny McGowan G Donavon Clark OL Nick Padla OL Kodi Kieler OL Dylan Chmura TE Matt Sokol TE Josiah Price TE Paul Lang TE Felton Davis III WR Evan Jones DE Macgarrett Kings Jr. WR Matt Macksood WR Edward Barksdale III WR Brandon Sowards WR Shilique Calhoun DE Joel Heath DL Damon Knox DL Montez Sweat DE Justice Alexander DE Nathan Conrad TE Mark Scarpinato DL Demetrius Cooper DE Kevin Cronin PK Raequan Williams DL
5-9/178 6-2/202 6-2/228 6-2/195 6-2/210 5-11/185 5-9/186 6-1/202 6-0/183 6-0/250 6-0/182 6-0/242 6-2/270 5-11/195 6-3/230 6-3/200 6-0/220 6-2/266 6-3/223 6-1/234 6-3/210 6-3/238 6-3/275 6-5/230 6-6/298 6-2/285 6-4/291 6-1/325 6-5/316 6-3/320 6-7/245 6-7/286 6-3/302 6-2/298 6-2/296 6-4/265 6-4/315 6-4/305 6-6/296 6-2/318 6-6/305 6-6/325 6-3/325 6-4/325 6-6/300 6-6/315 6-4/258 6-5/250 6-4/252 6-5/260 6-4/181 6-5/248 5-10/192 5-11/195 6-2/199 6-0/198 6-5/250 6-6/293 6-5/276 6-6/230 6-5/232 6-5/230 6-3/285 6-5/245 6-1/225 6-4/290
JR JR SO SO SO SO SR SR FR SR JR FR FR JR SR FR SR JR FR SO SO FR FR SR JR FR FR SO FR FR FR FR SR SO SR FR FR FR FR FR SO JR JR SR FR JR SO FR JR SR FR JR SR JR JR FR SR SR SR FR FR FR SR SO JR FR
Snellville, GA Upper Arlington, OH Sterling Heights, MI Saginaw, MI Laguna Beach, CA Warren, OH Ballston Spa, NY Windsor, ON Richmond, VA Lucasville, OH Canton, OH Avon Lake, OH Thorofare, NJ Walled Lake, MI Detroit, MI Georgetown, KY Silver Spring, MD Portland, OR Rockford, MI Cincinnati, OH Commerce Township, MI Forsyth, GA Detroit, MI Saline, MI Miami, FL Chicago, IL Canton, MI Plant City, FL Clarkston, MI Bethel Park, PA Clarkston, MI Cincinnati, OH Milford, PA Hinsdale, IL Hinsdale, IL Belding, MI White Lake, MI Houston, TX Saint Charles, IL Sun Prairie, WI Detroit, MI Plainwell, MI Centerville, OH Cincinnati, OH Berrien Springs, MI Rockwood, MI Waukesha, WI Rochester, MI Greentown, IN Pittsburgh, PA Richmond, VA West Lafayette, OH Fort Lauderdale, FL Lansing, MI Solon, OH Wyandotte, MI Middletown, NJ Cincinnati, OH Muskegon, MI Stone Mountain, GA Macedonia, OH Commerce Township, MI Milwaukee, WI Chicago, IL Traverse City, MI Chicago, IL
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AROUND THE BIG TEN By Charlie Green charles-j-green@uiowa.edu
power rankings
Offensive Impact
1) Michigan State (11-1) If it came down to Connor Cook and C.J. Beathard, which one would you pick?
8) Indiana (6-6) The Hoosiers rallied from an 0-6 start in conference to win their last two games. At 6-6, this prolific offense will get a well-deserved spot in a bowl game.
2) Iowa (12-0) For the Hawks and Spartans, this game is the difference between the playoff and the endless cluster of meaningless bowl games.
9) Nebraska (5-7) Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw just enough off his back foot to get the Huskers here.
3) Ohio State (11-1) The win over Michigan was this team’s first convincing and impressive one of the year. Unfortunately, it came too late for the defending champs.
10) Minnesota (5-7) For starters, the Gophers haven’t beaten Wisconsin since 2003. That’s a problem.
4) Michigan (9-3) We knew this year wasn’t going to be perfect, but it was still damn good, all things considered. Harbaugh for president.
11) Illinois (5-7) Bill Cubit will remain head coach for two more years — a sign of the program’s ambitions of mediocrity.
5) Northwestern (10-2) The Wildcats imploded midseason but still won impressive games with Stanford and Wisconsin. They deserve a January bowl game.
12) Maryland (3-9) Melo Trimble could play wide receiver or something, right?
6) Wisconsin (9-3) The Badgers lost to the three best teams they saw in 2015 and won everything else. That’s OK for Paul Chryst in his first year, but the second year will have higher expectations.
13) Rutgers (4-8) Lost the battle for that coveted No. 12 spot last week.
7) Penn State (7-5) This team benefited from an easy Big Ten schedule with a few real tough games. Such as Wisconsin, when the going got tough, the Nittany Lions got going in a big way. Expect the “hot seat” questions to pile up for James Franklin if they struggle in 2016.
14) Purdue (2-10) Reality show idea: Harbaugh, Nick Saban, and Urban Meyer should take turns coaching this program and whoever gets to 6 wins takes the prize.
Name: Jordan Canzeri, Iowa Position: Running back Year: Senior The reliable Canzeri is Iowa’s leading rusher, and an integral part of its offensive attack. If he has a big day, it will keep Connor Cook off the field longer and wear the Spartan defense down late in the game.
defensive Impact Name: Shalique Calhoun, Michigan State Position: Defensive end Year: Senior Twice this season, Calhoun has registered more than 3 tackles for loss in a game. He’s a game-changer if you don’t neutralize him, which of course is easier said than done.
GAME TO WATCH No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan State When: 7:17 p.m. Saturday Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Watch: Fox
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COVER
Continued from 4
the course with what has made the Hawks so successful this season — limiting mistakes and controlling the game. … Most players and coaches at the Hayden Fry Football Complex point to January as the turning point from last season’s 7-6 campaign to this year’s 12-0 regular season. That was when head coach Kirk Ferentz rededicated himself to the game and when the Hawkeye players put 2014 behind them. Although it’s clear the team bought in enough to right the ship, it wasn’t a magical, overnight turnaround following the TaxSlayer Bowl. “I’d say it took a little bit,” wide receiver Tevaun Smith said. “It took a little bit after spring ball to really realize that we had a good team. Obviously in camp, when freshmen came in — there are a couple freshmen that definitely played a role and are playing a role to help our team. “There were little things that had us going and showing that we had a pretty good team.” Whether it was a player changing his hand placement on a block or diagnosing a play quicker, as those little things began to pile up, so did the check marks in Iowa’s win column. Some wins, like Wisconsin, were low scoring, some, like Iowa State and Pittsburgh, were incredibly emotional. Some, like Northwestern, were pretty, and some were dominant (see North Texas). Perhaps some were closer than they should have been, and some were by a larger margin than they should have been. In the end, they all count as the same thing. There are metrics that shed light on the reasons Iowa has won 12 games. The Hawkeyes own a plus-14 turnover margin, have a quarterback who has thrown only 3 interceptions, and have built the Big Ten’s thirdbest rushing attack. The intangibles are also there — there is an incredible attention to detail visible when a linebacker sheds a block or when a fullback beats a defender at the point of attack. Iowa is one of the tougher teams in the Big Ten, having a quarterback play through injuries for a good portion of the season and seemingly missing a key contributor every week. Of course, Beathard’s easygoing presence as a leader of this team is part
Iowa defensive backs Miles Taylor and Jordan Lomax celebrate Lomax’s interception during the Iowa-Maryland game in Kinnick on Oct. 31. The Hawkeyes defeated the Terrapins, 31-15. (The Daily Iowan/Margaret Kispert) of that success, too. “This off-season, we focused on taking care of little details and taking care of little things,” Beathard said. “Those little things end up turning into big things, and I think that has been shown this season. When you focus on the little things, the big mistakes don’t happen.” And because mistakes haven’t happened, it’s put the pressure on opponents — that’s where the game con-
trol comes into play. The Hawkeyes have scored first in 11 of 12 games, the only exception being the Big Ten-opening win over Wisconsin. Couple that with solid time of possession numbers, and the Hawkeyes have executed a tremendous recipe for success. Once teams are in a hole, it’s tough to get the ball back for any sustained amount of time, giving the Hawkeyes a huge advantage. “I think these guys have just re-
ally done a good job of tuning into the things that we’re really trying to emphasize,” Ferentz said. “One of the biggest things we emphasize is playing clean.” What Ferentz described is exactly what his team will have to do to leave the field at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday night with the Big Ten Championship trophy. Much like See COVER, 19
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Point/Counterpoint
Will two Big Ten teams make the College Football Playoff ?
Yes The stars have aligned for the possibility — watch out for a pair of Big Ten teams making the final four matchups. Oklahoma is locked into the playoff, thanks to a lack of a Big 12 Championship game. Any other spots up for grabs heading into championship week? Let’s assume Alabama beats Florida, an assumption that seems safer than any other conference-championship prediction (outside of predicting Notre Dame won’t win a conference championship). That leaves two spots. In order for Clemson not to get in, it must lose to North Carolina. Possible? Absolutely. North Carolina lost in the first week to South Carolina, then has won 11-straight games. That same South Carolina team took Clemson to the wire in a 5-point loss just this past week. Once the hot North Carolina squad has defeated Clemson, both teams have one loss, and the Tarheels are the better team by default. They have no chance at the playoff; the committee still has them No. 10. The Big Ten champion is a lock for
the College Football Playoff, regardless of Saturday’s victor. Now we’ve got one spot to talk about. Notre Dame was just taken of contention with a loss to Stanford. None of the other Big 12 teams have a remote chance. The ACC title game loser is out. Stanford has two losses and cannot be seen as a top-four team when undefeated and one-loss power conference schools remain. With the Big Ten teams sitting Nos. 4, 5, and 6, Ohio State is just outside the top four, and it has no games remaining. After the Big Ten title game, Ohio State will move ahead of the loser in the College Football Poll rankings. With a Clemson loss, Ohio State is in the top four. There you have it. The Big Ten champion is a lock, and a logical conclusion to championship weekend will have the Buckeyes coming in to help the Big Ten compose half of this year’s Football Playoff. — by Mason Clarke
No When the NCAA implemented the new playoff system, one of the first observations was that with only four
playoff spots, at least one of the Power Five conferences would be left out. Given the revenue-centric nature of modern college football, much is often made about making sure that the conferences are rightfully represented. As such, we find ourselves in a landscape that makes it very difficult for one conference to land two teams in the playoff. So first, there would be only one conference in a given season that could even hope for two playoff teams, that being whichever conference is perceived as the most powerful. For example, back when the SEC was the unrivaled elite conference (prior to the playoff system), if an undefeated Alabama theoretically entered the conference championship ranked No. 1, but fell to an also undefeated Florida team, it is quite likely that Florida could have been selected as SEC champion, but Alabama would also be selected as a proven elite team in the nation. Fortunately for the Big Ten, many see it as 2015’s deepest conference with Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, and even Michigan garnering national attention. Unfortunately, as can often happen in “deep” conferences, the Big Ten has cannibalized itself to the point that two play-
off teams would be impossible. The ideal scenario would have been to keep Ohio State undefeated through the year and ranked No. 1 in a conference championship with Iowa. In that case, an undefeated Iowa would earn itself a playoff spot by winning the Big Ten, and Ohio State would have an argument to be selected on its season-long performance. The Buckeyes underwhelmed nearly everybody, however, and ultimately fell to Michigan State. The Big Ten now finds itself in a situation where Iowa stands as its premier program, a team that national observers have been counting down the days to when they can eliminate the Hawks from contention. What would need to happen for two Big Ten selections is that Michigan State wins the championship game, and the playoff committee miraculously decides that Iowa had already earned its spot. Alas, we in Iowa City have known for months that a single loss would shatter the Hawkeyes’ playoff dreams. If Michigan State wins, Iowa won’t get in. If Iowa wins, Michigan State won’t get in. It simply will not happen. — by Kyle Mann
DI Pregame Roundtable The following is an excerpt of The Daily Iowan’s Pregame podcast. Ryan Rodriguez, football reporter: This matchup is interesting, because Michigan State is basically Iowa with a little bit better recruiting. That’s not to slight the Hawkeyes — they have done remarkable things with the players they have and what they have turned into. It’s going to be interesting to see two teams that play that really similar style of football, that pride themselves on the same things — who outcoaches whom and how the game shakes out. Charlie Green, football reporter: I’m really impressed with what [Mark] Dantonio has done. Not just since he got
the job in 2007 but since around 2010, when the Spartans really emerged as one of the top dogs in the conference. They play physically, and lately they’ve had a lot of great athletes — even at skill positions — get in the NFL. We see guys like Le’Veon Bell and Trae Waynes. Danny Payne, Pregame editor: And Jeremy Langford. Green: They’ve really got a lot of talent coming through there now, and I think that’s a real testament to the job head coach Mark Dantonio has done. He did come in with that vision of a real physical, winning at the line of
scrimmage, and he mentioned two days ago in the teleconference that he kind of patterned things after the way Iowa did things. I think Michigan State has a slight edge in talent, just in how they’ve been able to recruit, but again, it comes back to what you said earlier, Danny — winning at the line of scrimmage. I think that’s going to be the difference in the game. Payne: Winning at the line of scrimmage and something else Iowa’s done all year, which is not make mistakes. The Hawks can’t afford to make mis-
takes in general, because they don’t have that superstar you can rely on at the end of the game to make a play. You have to play team football, and in order to do that, you can’t make mistakes. Neither team can make a mistake, the Hawks especially. They are the underdog going into Indianapolis, despite having a better record, but mistake-free football is going to be one of the keys. Rodriguez: Beathard basically said as much today; it’s impossible to play a perfect game, but what you can do is make fewer mistakes and just be better than the other team.
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ON THE LINE Danny Payne
MATCHUPS
PREGAME EDITOR (42-18)
No. 10 North Carolina at No. 1 Clemson
Charlie Green
Ryan Rodriguez
FOOTBALL REPORTER (39-21)
FOOTBALL REPORTER (40-20)
Taylor Brooks
DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (36-24)
Patrick Lyne DESIGN EDITOR (40-20)
Fan Picks
IOWA Holy **** Iowa is one game from playing in the Playoff.
Michigan state The Hawks finally run into a better team, and it’s really that simple.
Michigan state This one might as well be up for grabs.
IOWA This is Iowa’s year. The time is now.
IOWA 38-10
IOWA (52%) Gotta keep the faith, right?
alabama Florida is hot, smelly garbage. John Ott isn’t.
Alabama Two good defenses. One good offense. And they say Iowa doesn’t play flashy football.
alabama Saban doesn’t lose these games.
alabama Derrick Henry can’t be stopped.
alabama Roll Tide. Florida’s trash.
ALABAMA 49-0
Alabama (90%) Gators don’t have a chance in this one.
Clemson Would not be surprised to see this go in the other direction. Then, OSU repeats! *Ducks*
north carolina Tigers choke and Dabo has to be restrained from a reporter who asks about “Clemsoning.”
clemson The fact that North Carolina is in this game says a lot about the ACC.
clemson Who will win college football’s weakest conference?
Clemson How can you not root for the No. 1 team in the country?
CLEMSON 24-17
Clemson (71%) Great matchup, but Tigers take the Tar Heels.
stanford If Pat hits all of these scores it’s an auto-win.
Stanford Christian McCaffery is Toby Gerhart 2.0 and will also probably end up on the Vikings.
Stanford Brains over braun.
stanford Be sure to stay up until 2 a.m. to see the end!
Stanford Stanford is a smarter school than USC.
STANFORD 31-14
Stanford (75%) Still not sure why Stanford’s mascot is a giant tree.
UW-Whitewater Hopefully Whitewater loses to St. Thomas at some point in the playoffs. Roll damn Toms.
UW-Whitewater Wisconsin needs some diversity in the names of their state schools.
UW-Whitewater Both of these Wisconsin temas could beat the Packers right now.
UW-Whitewater Is anything in Wisconsin real?
UW-OsHkosh Oskosh sounds better than Whitewater.
UW-WHITEWATER 49-45
UW-Whitewater Eenie meenie miney mo…
No. 7 Stanford at No. 20 USC D-III: UW-Whitewater at UW-Oshkosh
SPORTS EDITOR (39-21)
IOWA Haven’t picked against them all season, why not?
No. 5 Michigan St. at No. 4 Iowa No. 18 Florida at No. 2 Alabama
Jordan Hansen
COVER Continued from 16 Iowa, Michigan State is a team that does not make mistakes and controls the clock. The Spartans also own a plus-14 turnover margin and are slightly better in the time of possession department with an average of 33:01 to Iowa’s 32:13. The similarities between the two schools are plentiful, which makes the margin for error even tighter on an already-enormous stage. “It’s definitely a game where mistakes are going to kill you,” linebacker Cole Fisher said. “That’s how we’ve had to play all year — we’re just one of those teams that can’t make a lot of mistakes and expect to come out with a W. We’ll have to play good, clean football the entire game to win.” … These opportunities don’t come around very often — Hawkeye fans, and the Hawkeyes themselves know that. Just ask the senior class. They’re
part of what makes games like the one Saturday night so special — they’ve endured a 4-8 bowl-less season in 2012 as freshmen and now have led their team to Iowa’s first Big Ten Championship game ever. “That 2012 season was not fun,” center Austin Blythe said. “… Just to be in this position as seniors is really satisfying.” A win over the Spartans would mean the College Football Playoff, which would, of course, bring a bigger stage than this one. A loss would mean the Playoff Committee would decide the Hawkeyes’ bowl destination and strip the Hawkeyes’ control of their destiny from their grasp. Perfect seasons don’t happen often; maybe one will here — there’s no way of knowing that until Saturday. What is possible to know, however, is that this is yet another memorable moment in a season full of them, and that memory won’t fade for a long time. “It’s been this dream that I don’t want to wake up from quite yet,” Fisher said. “I never thought it’d happen — but now that it is, we’re just trying to enjoy every minute of it.”
Iowa State QB Sam Richardson runs as Iowa’s Nathan Bazara attempts to tackle him during the Iowa’s game against Iowa State in Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 12. The Hawkeyes won, 31-17. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock)
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