SB Nation Blog: Hawkeye State

Way To Go, State of Game!

Hawkeye State — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:13:46 -0000

Rather than pen our own response to State of Game, we have turned BHGP over to Bradley Morris, social chair of the Michigan chapter of BAE fraternity and top-notch collar popper.

State of Game,

I read your blog all the time. It's the best. Sometimes I print out your posts and take them to the crapper with me. Then I use them to wipe my ass and throw them over the stall door on one of my fraternity brothers! We all laugh because it's so awesome!!! LOLZ!!!

I agreed with your post yesterday about those a-holes at Black Heart Gold Pants, too. They have no right to be frontin on us like that!!! When was the last time Iowa won the Capital One bowl, huh?!?!? [Ed. note -- 2005] When was the last time Iowa beat Florida in a bowl game?!?! [Ed. note -- 2004] When was the last time Iowa played in a BCS game?!!!?!! [Ed. note -- 2003] They SUCK LOL!! Michigan is teh GREATEST EVAH!!! Has anyone even heard of Iowa before?!?! They should make a video called "Iowa: Where nothing happens" LMAO!!! Iowa's nothing but corn, right? Woah, while I'm thinking of it...

/Puts on a Korn album, starts thrashing uncontrollably

This music gets me so fired up!!! I love Korn!!! They describe my moods so perfect. Sometimes I listen to Korn before I go out with my bros, and then I drink 10 Jager bombs, slip roofies into the Delta girls' drinks, and start fights with strangers!!! ROFLMAO!!1

"Buckeye Nation": Where Plagiarism Happens (This Time With Actual Plagiarism)

Hawkeye State — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:54:56 -0000

Hopefully, by now you've joined our BEEF with Michigan, read the first salvo, and watched the accompanying YouTubery. We know at least one person who watched it: The purveyor of a two-bit hack website called "Buckeye Nation."

How do we know? He copied the video in its entirety.

I'm not advocating spamming him into the stone age, but his email address is buckeyes@DanMarinoTribute.com. OK, so maybe I am advocating just that.

And SoG, if you think we're done, you're sorely mistaken. Both barrels blazing, later tonight.

Michigan: Where Plagiarism Happens

Hawkeye State — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:47:43 -0000

Our friend Brian, the owner and purveyor of mGoBlog, got some new digs over the weekend. They're very nice, and they have cool new features, like full-fledged comment accounts, a slick new blogroll, and commenter diaries.

The first diary posted today (by Max - and that most certainly is a pseudonym) was a link to a five-minute Youtube video entitled "Michigan: Where Amazing Happens." The concept is clearly stolen ripped off derived from our award-winning Iowa Basketball ad campaign. I have no idea why he's calling us the "NBA," unless it means "No BlackHeartGoldPants Affiliation." PLAGIARISM! PLAGIARISM!

As if that's not enough, I turned my internets on this afternoon and made my way to State of Game, the usually-fantastic Michigan-centric Big XI blog. Everything was going fine until I read this:

We've always been friendly with BHGP. We even use them as a witness (not like in court, but like "can I get a witnessss? can I get a witnessssss?) on the sidebar. But this time, they've gone too far, and will pay. I've got to go clean my verbal scattergun, but when I get back, there will be blood.

OPS: This is my serious face.

Really, Bixel? You want a piece of this? The road to OPS goes through me, my friend. This is 6'7" of Youtube-making, Don King-faking ferocity just waiting to scissor kick your nose off your face. And you want to talk about plagiarism? Perhaps we should compare commenter pics, Beauford?

Steve McQueen says "Ali McGraw, bitch."

That's it. You asked for it, Michigan. BHGP Films proudly presents:

"Michigan: Where Amazing Happens"

We would have included such other Michigan-related observations as, "Where jangling our keys because we're too damn old, lazy, and effete to stand up and clap happens" and "Where no longer prestigious enough to lure away your coach unless you're West Virginia happens," but we couldn't fit those on a slide.

Consider yourself warned, Michigan.

Assume the Position: Center

Hawkeye State — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:43:10 -0000

It's about that time. For the next two months, BHGP will be previewing this year's Iowa Hawkeyes, position-by-position. Naturally, as the earth rotates around the sun, things will change. Therefore, we're starting with the position we are most certain of, and ending with running back the position of which we are least certain. To date:

1. Defensive Tackle
2. Tight End
3. Safety

Tonight: Center

Just another reason to post this picture

You might think center should have been higher on the list. After all, Iowa returns a two-year starter who made about 97% of last year's snaps. Initially, we thought that too, but the coaching staff clearly thinks Rafael Eubanks has some serious competition this season.

The Possible Starters

Rafael Eubanks (6'3", 285, Jr.) - Eubanks was a can't miss recruit who turned down offers from Oklahoma, Miami, Notre Dame, and Minnesota to play for the Hawkeyes. Needless to say, he hasn't disappointed. After a redshirt year, Eubanks entered 2006 at the top of the depth chart. Except for a three-week stretch in 2006 where he was injured, he has snapped the ball on every relevant down of the last two years. He was anywhere from first-team (Scout.com) to second-team (Rivals.com) to third-team (TSN) freshman All-American. He was on the 2007 Rimington Trophy watch list, and he will be again this season. He's incredibly quick (and, as we'll discuss later, agility is the key to zone running), and he's experienced. Translation: he's probably the best lineman on the team, and might be the best center in the conference.

Yet, by the end of spring practice, he was the co-starter. Go figure.

Rob Bruggeman (6'3", 290, Sr.) - Rob Bruggeman is the bizzaro Rafael Eubanks. He walked on, ostensibly as a defensive tackle, and was quickly moved to center. In the past two seasons, Bruggeman has played sparingly in 4 games. He missed time in 2006 with injuries. He missed the first 9 games of last year with a torn ACL. What I'm trying to say is he's a little injury prone.

That being said, he's earned heaps of praise from the coaching staff; this spring, Ferentz called him, "a veteran guy, extremely smart, extremely hard working." He was named academic all-Big Ten as a finance major, so there's no doubting his intelligence. And, when healthy, he's been effective. Obviously, the fact that he's listed as a co-starter with Eubanks is a testament to his ability.

In the end, we think Eubanks will be the starter. When dealing with a young team, continuity is key. Given Jake Christensen's problems last season, knowing he'll be touching the same taint for three years should be comforting. That being said, if Bruggeman manages to stay healthy, he'll likely find a spot at guard.

Should See the Field

Josh Koeppel (6'1", 260, So.) - Listed as second-team center on the spring depth chart, Koeppel will likely be the starting long snapper. For the sake of the team, we hope he doesn't follow in the footsteps of former long snapper Clint Huntrods. For the sake of BHGP, we hope he does.

Andrew Schulze (6'6", 255, So.) - Handled PAT snaps last year. Probably will do more of the same this year.

Assume the Position: Safety

Hawkeye State — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:47:00 -0000

1. Defensive Tackle
2. Tight End

Tonight: Safety

You just can't find a picture of the Iowa secondary where Shada doesn't look helpless

I'm not going to lie to you - cornerback might be the last position chronicled here. Godfrey and Shada graduated, and the fact that Shada was better than the remaining corners should tell you something. Fortunately, there is far more continuity at safety, where both starters from the second half of last season return. It's been discussed here before, but Iowa has a long history of NFL-caliber safeties under Ferentz. We're not yet sure if this crop is at that level, but at least they're better than watching Tim Dodge fumble around in the secondary.

The Likely Starters

Harold Dalton (6'1", 200, Sr.) - Dalton, who had been buried on the depth chart for his first two seasons on campus (he wasn't even on the two-deep in 2006), took advantage of his opportunity to start last year. Dalton is a strong safety in the most fundamental sense of the term: capable if unspectacular in coverage, but essentially a fourth linebacker against the run. His biggest numbers came against run-first teams (8 tackles against Illinois, 6 against MSU), where he was free to sneak closer to the line of scrimmage and key on the run.

Dalton was a relatively highly regarded recruit (he received offers from the likes of Tennessee and Virginia Tech), and he was effective in his assigned role in his first year as a full-time starter. Given his obvious ability and instincts, it's not too far-fetched to expect a significant leap forward. Despite a push from sophomore Lance Tillison in spring, Dalton emerged on top of the depth chart, and should remain a capable strong safety at worst.

Brett Greenwood (6'0", 200, So.) - Greenwood was the story of last summer, a redshirt freshman walk-on who was pushing Shada in the first Division 1-A all-white guy cornerback position battle since the 1971 pre-integration Georgia Bulldogs. He eventually lost that albino battle, but a rash of injuries forced him into action. After the ill-advised decision to play Fletcher at corner and Shada at safety led to a massacre against Indiana, Greenwood was put in the starting lineup against Penn State, picked off Anthony Morelli, and never looked back. One week later, he iced the win over Illinois with an interception inside the Iowa 5 yard line in the waning moments of the game. He made the Big XI All-Freshman team at season's end.

The fact that, in another Ferentz/Parker upperclassmen-heavy defense, Greenwood might be more certain to keep his starting job than his senior counterpart says something about the kid. He never struck us as particularly flashy or, for that matter, athletically talented, but he always found his way to the ball and, once there, laid the lumber. There are few better complements we can give a free safety. If Greenwood can hold off the possible challenge of Marcus "The Wandering Safety" Wilson, he's slated to become the next great Iowa free safety. Not bad for a walk-on from Bettendorf.

The Unlikely Starters

Lance Tillison (6'2", 205, So.) - In mid-March, it looked as if Dalton could be written in pen at the top of the strong safety depth chart. Then spring practice ended, and Parker was asked about his safeties. His answer was interesting:

"At the strong safety position, Lance Tillison is much better than he was a year ago. Sash and Dalton are also doing well in there."

Tillison, a third-year sophomore, may be the ultimate diamond in the rough. He was given 2* by Scout and only received offers from Iowa and Bowling Green, due in no small part to the fact he started his senior season in Louisiana but moved to Florida in the middle of the season when his house was destroyed by Katrina. He saw sporadic action last year. Knowing Parker's love of seniors and the obvious need for some stability and experience in the defensive backfield, we don't expect Tillison to usurp Dalton this season. However, given Parker's comments, it's not necessarily out of the question.

Jordan Bernstine (5'11", 200, So.) - The crown jewel of Ferentz's 2007 class, Bernstine played in every game last year as a true freshman. He is expected to start at corner - and will be covered in far more detail when we get there - but he was recruited as a safety, and his ability and instincts are not to be denied. If he doesn't win a spot at corner, he almost certainly will start at free safety.

The Unknown Quantity

Marcus Wilson (6'2", 200, Jr.) - The Wandering Safety. Wilson initially entered Iowa as a redshirt in 2005. He played the majority of the 2006 OSU game at free safety, and started two or three games from then on. He was the prohibitive starter at free safety entering last season...and then he got his report card. A fall at Kirkwood, some footsie with New York JUCO Stony Brook over the winter break, another semester at Kirkwood, summer school on campus, and now Wilson is talking about coming back to the team. If that's true, it's great news; Wilson has the size and speed to play safety or corner. Remains to be seen if a year away from the game on Shonn Greene's proverbial couch sapped any of said size/speed.

Should See the Field

Tyler Sash (6'1", 200, Fr. (RS)) - The other highly touted safety to come out of Iowa in 2007, Sash redshirted in his first season on campus. Boffo high school numbers at Oskaloosa (as in, 400+ all-purpose yards in one game), and is the sort of two-sport athlete (lightly recruited to play D-1 baskeball) Ferentz previously preferred and is gradually returning to. Listed as co-second string at strong safety, but the tea leaves indicate he might be slightly behind Tillison.

Diauntae Morrow (6'1", 190, So.) - Another 2007 safety (who was widely thought to be a linebacker-in-waiting), Morrow saw the field in nearly all BXI games in his freshman year. At least that's what they tell me on Hawkeyesports.com; I don't remember seeing him. Hey, at least he's smart enough to turn down an offer from the Zooker. Second-string free safety in spring, though that will likely change if Wilson comes back.

Jayme Murphy (5'10", 210, So.) - Saw some action, primarily on special teams, as a redshirt freshman. Good athlete who was being recruited by some schools (well, Stanford at least) as a running back. Probably won't do much more this year, but he's there if the secondary is again decimated by injuries, a rampant mono outbreak, or the bubonic plague.

Inside the Coralville Vine

Hawkeye State — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:41:51 -0000

These have been making their way around the series of tubes over the past week. The Vine hasn't seen damage like this since the second Brad Banks fumble in the 2002 Iowa State game, after which I threw a dude off the balcony and devoured a defenseless waitress.

In any case, the damage is indescribable, to say nothing of the fact that every college kid who stayed in town for the summer to work here (or at any of the other restaurants and businesses on the Coralville Strip) is looking for a new job. The economic impact is staggering.

Changes

Hawkeye State — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:43:31 -0000

We don't need a reason to post Seu Jorge. But it helps.

We're generally apolitical here at BHGP, but it's not going to stop us from voting for change when change is necessary. And, as real life encroaches further into the bloglives of OPS, JHC, and myself, change has become necessary.

And so it is my great pleasure to introduce Storminspank, our all-new fourth musketeer. Anyone who has read his eponymous blog over the past couple of years knows (1) he's a Minnesotan - feel free to hold that against him - and (2) he knows more about Iowa football and basketball than we do. He also knows how to write a good fake interview. In other words, we imagine he'll render us useless within six months. Please join us in the sort of hazing and mockery that will make Stormy feel right at home.

You might think our monopolization of the Iowa blogosphere is now complete, but you'd be mistaken. We've updated the BHGP blogroll (on the right side, below the all-new INPIYLTI section) to include a bunch of Iowa material, as well as some new blogs from around the conference. Read. Learn. Enjoy.

Ron Zook Runs Into Tim Brewster

Hawkeye State — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:26:15 -0000

[Minnesota coach Tim Brewster is walking down the hall of a Wisconsin high school, talking with the high school's head coach]

...He runs a 4.6 40, he's a hurdler and a high jumper on the track team, hands soft as a hooker's ass. He'd be a perfect fit for Minnesota.

FIGHT TRY BEST WIN

Heh heh heh, you got it, coach!

Gopher Nation demands a quarterback!

Quarterback? Coach, don't you have about 17 quarterbacks? Your returning starter is only a sophomore, and your son is a freshman, right?

Don't pretend you're attuned to the shifting winds inside Gopher Nation, paean! The Gopher House of Representatives demands another signal caller! Specifically, I'm looking for Vince Young

Well coach, I can tell you my quarterback ain't the next Vince Yo

SUCCESS WIN TRY FIGHT EXCELSIOR

Heh heh, absolutely coach! Well, my quarterback is a junior, he's 6'4", 220, arm like a Howitzer, runs like a meth addict being chased by

BEST WIN SUPER SERENDIPITY WIN WIN BEST is this quarterback you speak of familiar with the road to Pasadena?

Um, I don't know if he knows it off the top of his head, but I'm sure he can read a road atlas

Excellent. Bring WIN BIG TEN CHAMPIONS SUPER TERRIFIC ROSE BOWL TRY FIGHT WIN WIN WIN him to me.

Well, I can't get you the quarterback, but I'll bring you that safety. Sit tight.

I will stand at attention in this spot until you TRY FIGHT HARD TEST return.

[Leaves]

[Walking down hall, texting, drinking Red Bull; stumbles into Brewster]

Tim!

WIN

Whazzup, broseph?

Assume the Position: Tight End

Hawkeye State — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:32:25 -0000

1. Defensive Tackle

Tonight: Tight End.

Iowa is deep at tight end. We mean deep. It's the silver lining that comes with losing your starting tight end for the season after 13 quarters of football. Plus, the starter is back, soon-to-be-graced with a medical redshirt, healthier, wealthier, and wiser. There might not be much to like about this offense, but tight end might be the exception that proves the rule.

The Starter

Tony Moeaki (6'4", 255, Sr.(?)) - The Flyin' Hawaiian makes his triumphant return, and we couldn't be happier. He's big, athletic, has a Cris Carter-esque ability to just catch touchdowns, and was just coming into his own when his forearm was smashed into 17 pieces during the Wisconsin game. In the three games prior to his injury, Moeaki caught 14 passes for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the remaining nine games, his replacements combined for 19 catches and 226 yards.

The term "security blanket" gets used far too often to describe tight ends, but it might not be more appropriate than here. Andy Brodell, for all his speed, has always been a suspect pass-catcher. Trey Stross, who has better hands, can't seem to stay healthy. The remaining receivers are very young and, if the coaching staff is to be believed, are still learning how to run precise routes. A big target in the middle of the field who knows what he's doing and catches the ball might be just what the doctor ordered for a quarterback who too often looks rattled and confused when dropping back. If Ferentz is right and Jake Christensen is the new Matt Rodgers, then Tony Moeaki has to be his Michael Titley.

The Experienced Backup

Brandon Myers (6'4", 250, Sr.) - To say that Moeaki is essential is not meant to take away from the performance of Brandon Myers, who stepped in as the starter in Moeaki's absence and was serviceable, if unspectacular. Even though he was a junior, Myers had hardly played when the Rainbow Warrior went down injured, and his inexperience showed early on. Despite effectively becoming the starter 5 plays into the game, Myers did not have a reception against Wisconsin. Except for brief flashes against Indiana and Illinois (against whom Myers caught the biggest pass of the season), he was good for a catch a game. It's what you expect from a guy who entered the season as the second-string tight end; it's not nearly enough for an Iowa offense that has relied on the tight end as a premier pass-catcher since 2001.

This year, Myers will likely return to his original role, primarily acting as a blocker in short yardage and occasionally releasing for a catch or two. It's a role he's particularly prepared to play.

Should See the Field

Allen Reisner (6'3", 220, So.) - Reisner, a true freshman, was forced into action after Moeaki's injury. He even caught a couple of passes against Indiana and Illinois, before being relegated to the blocking-TE role for good. Given Moeaki's role and Myers' experience, he probably won't get much playing time this year. However, for a player who wasn't a starting tight end until his senior year of high school and learned the position in the cauldron of the Big Ten as a freshman, a year to slow down and watch his superiors might not be that bad.

Michael Sabers (6'5", 245, Sr.) - Someone has to play the fourth quarter against Maine.

Tyler Gerstandt (6'6", 245, Jr.) - Same goes for Florida International.

The Flood

Hawkeye State — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:45:50 -0000

Cedar Rapids, Friday

We've gotten a few emails over the past week asking about the floods here in Iowa. Suffice it to say, all of the BHGP founding fathers are fine, and our homes are dry (save for a little water in the basement of the HS compound). We're lucky, though. I drove through Cedar Rapids this weekend, and the damage is simply indescribable. The Cedar River crested at 32 feet, a full 12 feet higher than the prior record. Iowa City (where OPS's old house was flooded) and Des Moines weren't much better off.

Fortunately, the waters are receding. The Iowa River, which cuts through Iowa City, crested Saturday night, two days sooner - and more than two feet lower - than had been projected on Thursday. The Cedar River is down to 24 feet, though it's not expected to be within its banks until the end of next week.

The bad news, of course, is that the water has to go somewhere, and that likely means trouble for southeast Iowa this week. Levees broke Saturday in Columbus Junction, where the Cedar and Iowa rivers meet, and city officials are talking about 15 feet of floodwater and the complete destruction of the town.

For a true account of the flood from someone more directly affected, read the latest post by BHGP friend of the program Mike Hlas. Also, the Des Moines Register has put together a few videos that give a better visual representation of just what has happened (be sure to watch the footage of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids).

If you wish to make a donation to those affected by the storms, the Grant Wood Chapter of the American Red Cross will be glad to help.