1.  Pitt is too good on offense. Iowa will not be able to hold them down for four quarters.

 2.  Pitt D doesn't scare me. Iowa O does scare me. 

 3.  I did a lot of reading on Iowa throughout the KF years.  I don't blame Greg Davis. I blame KF.  His tendencies are easily mapped. Iowa offense is not a powerhouse.  KF has the governor set to pedantic and that pace will not win football games consistently.

 4.  ...

1.  Iowa will limit their own field goal opportunities this weekend.

2.  Iowa's punts are so short there will not be any dangerous returns.

3.  Speaking of Jarvis West... he will be enemy #1 and his touches will be minimized.

4.  Has Iowa State scored in the 2nd half this season?

5.  ISU has a leading rusher with 90 yards in 2 games. That person is also their leading passer.  Not a blueprint for success.

6.  In 2009, Iowa came ...

1. I would have to go back and investigate, but I do not think Ball State has ever scored against Iowa.

2. Iowa is too tough on offense

3. Iowa's linebackers do not have to face David Johnson... EVER again.

4. Ball State is not that special on either side of the ball, and although Iowa may not be either... they are Iowa. Granted, if I remember right, Ball State beat NIU last year... something Iowa did not do

5. Iowa 38 Ball State 13

Ohhh 2009. A game so similar to one in 2002 that haunts a lot of Hawk fans.  In 2009, Iowa had to do something that had never been done before; block two consecutive UNI field goal attempts to escape with a victory.  In 2002, they fell asleep in the second half and a spirited ISU rally overtook the Hawks and dealt them their only regular season loss.  Some would say it cost Iowa a chance at a National title game appearance.

My argument that is in 2002, Iowa ne...

Fran has been suspended 1 Game. I think it brings up some interesting questions.  I am all for the suspension. I think it is funny he got suspended for Fran bobblehead night... but we can now get one on Jan. 19.  Hope it has a red face.

The B1G suspending Fran is perplexing to me.  I  think he deserved a game, but now-- coaches can go off and show emotion and get suspended, but players can flip people off before a bowl game and not have any repercussions...

Great day for ISU. Keep rolling.

Thank you, Notre Dame for beating Duke and Xavier for beating Butler. Iowa's RPI is going to rise.  Now Iowa just needs to bring it against Wisconsin.

I needed some time for reflection.

Iowa lost 21-14 to LSU. Parts of the game were that close and parts weren't. It's like A tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times and worst of times... and sometimes that was on the same damned play.  Here are 10 things I learned.

10.  I hate moral victories, but to lose by 7 to a team that beat Auburn (who is playing for the National Championship) by 14 does mean something. It means Iowa hung in there. It...

Iowa Mens Basketball ended their non-conference at 11-2 and ranked in the top 25. They could've been 13-0 and 9-4 realistically... so 11-2 is fine. Time to start the B1G schedule against Nebraska, Dec. 31.

I had them going 12-1 in this section so 11-2 is not bad as I overestimate my hopes usually.

Lowlights--

***Streaky shooting-- They need to make a few more from 3. Hopefully Oglesby will help, as he showed his promise against APB, but remember, he was AWFUL last yea...

By Steve Myers

With Iowa State and Iowa both in the AP Top 25 poll at the same time in who knows how long, it got me thinking of the special year this could be for the state during another Midwest winter.  Hopefully both will be ranked when they meet on Dec. 13th so the nation takes notice.  Win or lose, both teams and fan bases will smiling alot during the conference season.

I said it at the end of the season last year and I am still sayin...

BY KATELIN MARIE

Special to Dear Old Gold.com

Going into Game 5 of the season, the Hawkeyes are 4-0 with an average victory margin of 42 points. They host Penn at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 6 p.m. Friday, and Iowa should have little or no trouble making the Quakers its sixth victim.

After Penn, the schedule does not get any easier. The Hawks open with Xavier in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. Five of the next seven games t...