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[ketelmeister]

This guy is a moron. The article is interesting, but certainly interesting observations. Take a look.


The Loop: ESPN's Herbstreit expects Iowa to contend for January bowls

December 16, 2007

Think the Iowa football program will continue spiraling southward?

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit doesn't.

"I believe Iowa can be a perennial power in the Big Ten as long as Kirk Ferentz is the coach because you're always going to recruit a certain type of individual to go to Iowa," Herbstreit said last week during an interview about his involvement with the Liberty Mutual coach of the year award.

"You're not going to have a roster full of five-star recruits. There's a certain guy who fits into the Iowa program. He falls in love with the campus, he loves the small-town feel, he loves the facilities, he loves Kirk Ferentz, he loves the staff, he loves the blue-collar work ethic, he loves the weight room, whatever it is - maybe it's all of those things.

"They are, to me, a great collection of players determined to prove doubters wrong."

Doubt has seeped in after consecutive 6-6 regular seasons replete with injuries and off-the-field troubles.

"Their margin for error is much smaller than other programs who draw those four- and five-star recruits, so when they sustain injuries the way they have the last couple years, there's a substantial drop-off from the starters to the next-level player," Herbstreit said.

"There's no doubt in my mind Kirk Ferentz will have Iowa back up and competing for Jan. 1 bowl games and doing a lot of good things. He's one of the good guys in the business, he's one of my favorite people in the business, and there's no doubt he'll continue to put Iowa up at a level where they're going to be competing for Big Ten championships." — Rob Gray

Not everyone in the national media was so kind to the Hawkeyes. Rivals.com claimed Iowa authored one of the "biggest collapses" of this season. The Web site said: "Iowa started 3-5, then won three in a row, and all the Hawkeyes had to do to clinch a bowl bid was beat a 3-7 Western Michigan team in Iowa City. Final: Western Michigan 28-19. No bowl for the Hawkeyes.