By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher
The Big 12’s collection of football coaches participated in their post-spring teleconference earlier today.
Here are a few notes and my thoughts concerning what Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads had to say. I’ll have more reports from this teleconference coming to you later on this week at CycloneFanatic.com.
Bo Williams being treated for concussion
Coach Rhoads commented on the concussion that Cyclone running back Bo Williams suffered in the offseason.
Rhoads told reporters that specialists are out east looking at Williams.
“I wish that I knew more of the specifics,” Rhoads said. “As the national attention there is on concussions and the post-concussion symptoms and getting guys back in action how fast and how do we say they are ready to play? At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, they are at the forefront of research and that is where he is. Hopefully we will find out some answers and get medical clearance or not.”
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Rhoads on the Big Ten expansion talk…
Are you tired of all this Big Ten expansion talk yet? It seems like it has been going on for years. Rhoads commented on this today, as far as how it might potentially affect the Big 12.
“I think that it is crystal ball work right now until our peers get together in the month of May and we sit down and maybe the commissioner and the administrators can shed a little bit more light on it for us but right now, I think it is just crystal ball speculation,” Rhoads said.
Chris’ Take: This whole situation scares the living ‘you know what’ out of me. It sounds like everything will initially come down to Texas. Reports have indicated that the Horns aren’t interested. Honestly, I have no idea. I need to do more research. But what if the Big Ten starts sniffing around Nebraska, Missouri or Kansas? I really don’t care if the Big Ten takes a few teams from the South. Whatever…I’d just like to keep Iowa State’s northern rivals in tact. I’d really miss that, should one of those schools potentially make a move. I’ve written this before and I’ll go there again. The Big 12 needs to get aggressive. Why isn’t the Big 12 making headlines with expansion talk right now? It’s time to fight fire with fire. The Big 12 needs to quit reacting and start being aggressive.
Bowl victory spurred momentum for Cyclones
No man ever likes to admit that he was wrong. That’s what I’m about to do right now though. There have been times where I’ve thought to myself and even said that really, winning or losing a lower tier bowl game doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things. I gladly stand corrected after this spring.
I remember that aura around the program after Iowa State lost the 2005 Houston Bowl. I covered those teams back in the day. Now, I have covered a spring after Iowa State won a bowl game. There is a big difference and I think that this team legitimately used every ounce of momentum possible from that Insight Bowl win. Of course, these are two different eras of Cyclone football that I am talking about, but these players really have seemed to be feeding off of that Minnesota win.
“I think that the cap of the bowl victory certainly catapulted us into our offseason conditioning and weight workouts and spring practice and the time that we have spent around alumni and friends in a very positive light,” Rhoads said. “I think that as much progress was made in the regular season and getting six wins and so forth, if we don’t beat Minnesota for the Insight Bowl championship, I don’t think that we have as strong of momentum that we took into the spring. I think that we capitalized on that.”
Again, I stand corrected. Let’s test out this theory again next spring as well.
I’ll have more coverage from Tuesday’s teleconference popping up later this week.
