This is probably the best college sports weekend outside of College Football, that's because it's the Men's Wrestling NCAA Tournament. Day one is in the books, and here's how Iowa fared:

Session I:

125 - #3 Matt McDonough TECH FALL (16-0) Jason Lara (Oregon State)
133 - #2 Dan Dennis DEC (6-2) Kevin Smith (Buffalo)
141 - #6 Montell Marion DEC (11-8) Cole Von Ohlen (Air Force)
149 - #2 Brent Metcalf MAJ DEC (15-6) Trenton Washington (UNI)
157 - UN Jake Kerr DEC (8-7) Tejovan Edwards (Arizona State)
165 - #7 Ryan Morningstar DEC (4-2, OT) Donald Jones (West Virginia)
174 - #2 Jay Borschel DEC (7-1) Scott Giffin (Penn)
184 - #9 Phil Keddy MAJ DEC (11-3) Michael Salopek (Virginia)
197 - Alan Gelogaev (Okie State) DEC (4-2, 2OT) #9 Chad Beatty
Hwt - #5 Dan Erekson DEC (11-6) Clayton Jack (Oregon State)

Iowa: 21.5 points after Session I

Session II:

125 - #3 Matt McDonough DEC (10-6) Anthony Zanetta (Pitt)
133 - #2 Dan Dennis DEC (4-0) Kelly Kubec (Oregon St)
141 - #6 Montell Marion DEC (10-5) Conor Beebe (Cent Mich)
149 - #2 Brent Metcalf MAJ DEC (20-7) Kyle Borshoff (American)
157 - #1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) DEC (8-1) UN Jake Kerr
165 - #7 Ryan Morningstar DEC (3-1) #10 Alex Meade (Okie St)
174 - #2 Jay Borschel MAJ DEC (10-0) Daniel Rinaldi (Rutgers)
184 - #9 Phil Keddy DEC (8-2)  #8 Louis Caputo (Harvard)
Hwt - #5 Dan Erekson FALL (2:37)  #12 Scott Steele (Navy)

Consolation Bracket:

197 - #9 Chad Beatty DEC (5-4) Dennis Drury (UNC)

A few random thoughts after the jump:

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Would this really be the "Friendly Confines for jNW if Iowa played them here?"

Hawkaloogie put up an interesting FanShot a couple of days ago from Scott Dochertman who provided Iowa football fans an article that has stirred their hopes and dreams: a football game being played at Wrigley Field. I'm not shocked that jNW would want to do something like this, and there has been some interesting discussion of the idea. Who would have television coverage? How many people would fit into the stadium? Would the teams fit into the locker rooms? What is the payout like? How much would tickets go for? Etc., etc. After the Jump, here are some interesting insights as to the feasibility of this "arrangement."

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(Ed. Note: No need for a write-up from me when this one is so good. Nice job, man. --Ross)

"How do those nuts taste? Judging by your look, not too good."

via gazetteonline.com

I had a hard time writing that headline without bursting into laughter.

So, what happened in wrestling today you ask? Iowa continued it's utter dominance of Iowa State during Sherman's Brands' March to the 2010 Wrestling National Championship. I'm sure Ross will have a great writeup of what happened during the meet; however, here are a few quick thoughts:

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[UPDATE - Match results from today:]

Iowa 19 - Iowa State 12 (not as close as the score indicates)

125: Ryan Mcdonough (Iowa) dec. Andrew Long (ISU) 9-8
133: Nicholas Fanthorpe (ISU) dec. Nate Moore (Iowa) 8-3
141: Dan Leclere (Iowa) dec. Dalton Jensen (ISU) 7-2
149: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU) 7-3
157: Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Andrew Sorenson (ISU) 3-1
165: Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Jonathan Reader (ISU) 5-4
174: Jay Borschel (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan Burk (ISU) 10-2
184: Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Philip Keddy (Iowa) 7-5
197: Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) 7-1
Heavyweight: David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Jordan Johnson (Iowa)

Playoff football is a bit boring today with the Pats getting spanked by the Ravens this afternoon. I figured I might as well throw this up if anyone is watching the meet  online, or on TV. Apparently, IPTV is airing this in Iowa. Otherwise, you can find the meet here.

Hopefully the Hawkeyes can make Iowa State their bitch again.

Recap from the meet earlier today:

Iowa 28 - Minnesota 12

125: Matt Mcdonough (IOWA) dec. Zach Sanders (MINN) 6-4
133:  Nate Moore (IOWA) dec.Thane Antczak (MINN) 6-4
141: Michael Thorn (MINN) fall Montel Marion (IOWA)
149: Brent Metcalf (IOWA) fall David Zilverberg (MINN)
157: Aaron Janssen (IOWA) dec. Mario Mason (MINN) 11-5
165: Ryan Morningstar (IOWA) TF Joseph Grygelko (MINN) 17-2
174: Jay Borschel (IOWA) maj. dec. Scott Glasser (MINN) 11-3
184: Philip Keddy (IOWA) maj. dec. Kaleb Young (MINN) 11-0
197: Sonny Yohn (MINN) dec. Luke Lofthouse (IOWA) 6-1
HWT: Benjamin Berhow (MINN) dec. Blake Rasing (IOWA) 6-3

[Well, we can't not bump this. Click through for videos of all the plays.--OPS]

There were a lot of people who put up what they thought the top plays of 2009 were, the top plays of the 00's, best players, etc. I have been doing a lot of YouTubeing today while watching the pro games, and it got me thinking of what the most memorable plays were over the past decade, and thought I'd bring in some YouTube videos to recap the most memorable plays I saw in the 00's.

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The setting: A locker room in south Florida, minutes after the final team practice

‘On Iowa’ …………. Be seated.

Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a football game by dying for his team. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his school. Men, all this stuff you’ve heard about Iowa not deserving to play, needing to stay out of the BCS, is a lot of horse dung. Iowans traditionally love to fight. All real Iowans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the Tim Dwight's, the Chuck Long's, the Bob Sander's, the Warren Halloway's. Iowans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Iowans play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Ricky Stanzi has never lost a game he started and finished this season and will never lose a game that he starts and finishes. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Tyler Motherfucking Sash, and he will have Pat Angerer make you pay.

Now, a team is an army. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the World's Worst Liars don’t know anything more about real football than they do about fornicating.

We have the finest fans and stadium, the best spirit and the best men in the world. You know, by God I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against. By God, I do. We’re not just going to pick apart the bastards, we’re going to unleash Adrian Clayborn on them and use their lifeless bodies to grease the Offensive Line's innards. We’re going to murder those lousy Southern bastards by the bushel.

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out against the Triple Option. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Yellowjackets are the enemy. Fly into them like Bob Sanders did. Spill their blood. Plant your helmet into their belly. When you put your hands into the air that a moment before did not have a football streaking at you, you'll know what to do.

Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying that we are turning the ball over. We’re not turning the ball over. Let the Yellowjackets do that. We are getting pressure on Nesbitt and we’re not interested in half-heartedly tackling. We're going to punch them in the nose and we're going to kick them in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of them the entire game and we're gonna go through the Yellowjackets offensive line like crap through a goose.

There’s one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home. And you may thank God for it. Thirty years from now when you’re sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what did you do in the great Orange Bowl of 2010, you won’t have to say, "Well, I shoveled shit in Atlanta."

Alright now, you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. Oh, and I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle – anytime, anywhere.

That’s all.

One thing I have noticed watching the bowls this season is how teams playing in unseasonably cold weather have been competing. While this might just be coincidence, it is interesting to see that teams from cold weather climates have outperformed teams from the "warmer" southern climate. For instance, Wisconsin's performance against Miami on Tuesday, last night's performance by Nebraska over Arizona, Utah vs. Cal, and BYU's performance over Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl (granted that one is a stretch, Corvallis is not a really "warm" climate towards the end of the season).

Here are some of the stats for games pitting cold vs. warm:

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl:

Champ Sports Bowl:
 

Las Vegas Bowl:

Poinsetta Bowl:
 

Some further evidence can be seen in today's game between Houston and Air Force. The game time temperature  was 48 degrees, and Air Force is up 24-6 at halftime.

Is there a clear effect?

For Miami, I would say there was a definite effect on the team. They came out in the first quarter in short sleeves, and most of the players came out at the beginning of the second half with their "cold weather" sleeves on. Wisconsin didn't have to make a change, they looked quite comfortable in that weather (probably a welcome change from Madison right now). Aside from the razzle-dazzle that Miami demonstrated at the beginning of the game, and at the end, they looked like they were out of their element. Can you attribute that to the weather? Or is that a testament to Wisconsin's defense? Who really knows, but it is an interesting correlation to consider when you look at other games of similar settings.

Arizona should have some experience in this type of weather, since they play the likes of Washington, Washington State, Oregon, and Oregon State. Playing games in Corvallis, Pullman, Seattle, and Eugene should have presented this team with some less than desirable weather. This is not the case though, Arizona traveled to Corvallis on September 26, and Eugene on October 10. They also hosted Oregon and Washington State this season, so they really hadn't played in any conditions like this all season. This was apparent in how they were performing during the game last night, several times there were players slipping, or balls skipping off of receivers hands. Some of that can be attributed to how torn up the field was thanks to the games that had been played there since the field was recently re-sodded, but some of it has to fall on the weather conditions. Nebraska seemed to handle the field far better, as I only saw them slipping a few times, and not making catches that skipped off their hands a few times.

The other games do not lend such a decisive advantage to the weather, but it is something to take into consideration. The Las Vegas Bowl can be attributed to the howling winds that were faced throughout the game, and the Poinsetta Bowl featured statistics that show a pretty even matchup.

Games that do not follow:

Obviously, USC's route of Boston College, and UCLA's defeat of Temple are games where it was cold, and had teams from both types of climate. It is interesting to consider how the weather effects the teams that aren't used to it. I'd love (and hate at the same time) to see the game time temperature in Miami be about 42 degrees with rain, just a miserable setting for the Georgia Tech team, and a welcome respite from the bitter cold of the Midwest for the Hawkeyes. Since I'm going to the game, I don't really want to see this happen, but I wouldn't be opposed to it if it gave the Hawks an advantage.

What was my takeaway?

It would be interesting to see the ESS-EEE-SEEE speed be forced to play in conditions like the Minnesota game. Tebow would have a hard time adjusting to the frigid cold, and snow that often grace the fields of the Midwest late in the season. Southern teams that run a lot wouldn't have a tough time adjusting, as the game plan doesn't have to be altered thanks to the conditions. The only way I can see the running games not being successful is when those RBs start getting pounded by the defense (it seems to hurt more when you get blown up when it's cold out). I can only imagine the effect weather would have on the MNC game if it was at Soldier Field (this will never happen, the southern folk are a bunch of pussies when it comes to cold weather).

Last night's Civil War Drinking Game, and the subsequent hangover I am experiencing this morning inspired me to alter a drinking game for the Big 12 Championship that was posted here in 2002. Here are the rules:

• Rule #1: Whenever Brent Musberger refers to someone as "the young man" everyone must drink twice. For example, Brent says "the young man from Omaha, Nebraska."
• Rule #2: Everyone drinks 1 when Brent says "Folks." However, if Brent says "Hold on Folks", everyone must drink once but the first person to drink has to finish their drink for not holding on.
• Rule #3: Whenever Brent says "It's a foot race!" everyone has to finish their drink, last person to do so must drink again.
• Rule #4: "Dr. Pepper". Every time Brent says "Dr. Pepper" everyone has to yell out "I'M A PEPPER!" and take 2 drinks. Afterwards, each person must give out a satisfied "AAAAAAAHHHHH!", as if in a Dr. Pepper commercial. Anyone who fails to do so must drink again.
• Rule #5: Anytime the lead in shot is something that is stereotypical of Texas, everyone must drink twice. For example, if they show cattle on the open plains, everyone must drink. This is up to your group's discretion.
• Rule #6: Calling a touchdown before the player actually scores. For example, during an interception return, Brent says "It's a touchdown!" before the player actually scores. In this case, everyone must start drinking and continue to drink until the player actually does score. If by some odd event, the player does NOT score, everyone must finish their drink.
• Rule #7: Whenever Brent or Kirk talk about Ndamukong Suh, everyone must yell out: "SOOOOOOWEEEEEE!" like they’re chasing a pig down, and then take three drinks.
• Rule #8: Whenever the camera pans to Colt McCoy’s face without his helmet on, everyone must drink five drinks, and comment about how he looks like he has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This also applies if a picture of Colt McCoy is shown.
• Rule #9: If both teams exchange touchdowns in a period less than two minutes, everyone must scream out: "Nintendo 12," finish their beers, and then jump on them like Mario hopping on top his enemies.
• Rule #10: Each time there is a reference to Tim Tebow in the SEC Championship game that finished earlier, everyone must cross themselves, recite the following prayer: "Merciful Tebow, grant me the patience to survive this year so I won’t have to hear or read any more about you in the CFB ranks," and drink once in honor of the savior. (H/T chitownhawkeye)
  
• Rule #11 (per Twin Cities Hawk): Each time Musberger mentions any one particular aspect about the stadium (i.e., that stupid fucking scoreboard), two lucky people in your group have to have a beer duel.

If you want a fun drinking game that will result in you passing out before the SEC Championship game is over, here are the rules (they're simple):

• The Only Rule: Drink once whenever Tebow is mentioned.

Enjoy everyone!