The Week 8 Pick’ems board brought a mix of confidence, sarcasm and straight-up chaos, with six Gazette Sport staffers weighing in on three games and leaning on everything from rivalry trends to mascots, uniforms and even boxelder bugs.
The Iowa-Minnesota matchup drew the widest range of takes, and several picked the Hawkeyes to keep rolling. Madison Hricik went with Iowa 31, Minnesota 21, while Jack Knowlton had it 21-10 for Iowa and Rob Gray chose 24-14.
K.J. Pilcher also backed Iowa, predicting a 24-17 win, and Beth Malicki followed suit with Iowa 28, Minnesota 20.
Jeff Johnson was the lone dissenter, taking Minnesota 24, Iowa 20.
Knowlton’s comment centered on Kirk Ferentz “backing the Brewers,” while Gray pointed to Iowa’s recent dominance in the series, noting the Hawkeyes have won 10 of the past 11 meetings with Minnesota. Pilcher took a different route, joking that “Hecklinski and Brown sounds like a law firm that deals with mesothelioma lawsuits or workman's comp cases.
They'll deliver justice for Floyd.” Malicki also had a little fun with the setting, saying, “Minnesota's dance team will likely be performing at this game and let me tell you - that alone is worth the drive, price of admission, and the boxelder bugs.”
At No. 25 Arizona, Iowa State drew a split that leaned toward the Wildcats.
Hricik picked Arizona 28, Iowa State 17 and Knowlton had Arizona 28, Iowa State 21. Johnson went even bigger for Arizona, calling for a 28-15 win, while Pilcher picked the Wildcats 30-20 and Malicki had them 31-23.
Gray was the outlier, seeing Iowa State finally getting over the hump with a 27-24 win over a ranked opponent in the Jimmy Rogers era.
The most back-and-forth chatter came with No. 16 USC at Wisconsin.
Hricik took USC 24, Wisconsin 20, Knowlton had the Trojans 27-24, and Johnson joined them with USC 31, Wisconsin 28. Gray was the only writer to back the Badgers, picking Wisconsin 28, USC 24 and saying the home crowd at Camp Randall Stadium would have plenty to celebrate.
Johnson also summed up the whole exercise with a blunt reminder: “The fact that Pilcher is tied for first in this thing is all you need to know about how much of a dart throw it truly is.”
In Other News...
Big Ten Rival Just Sent Kirk Ferentz A Message Iowa Fans Will Love
P.J. Fleck did something a rival coach rarely does when he talked about Kirk Ferentz this week: he went out of his way to praise him. The Minnesota coach called Ferentz one of the greatest coaches of all time, pointing to the way he has kept Iowa steady through changing eras while adapting enough to keep the program competitive year after year. For Iowa fans, hearing that from the other side of the rivalry only reinforces the long-held view that Ferentzs run in Iowa City has been something unusual in modern college football.
Fleck also had to admit what the matchup has looked like from his end, saying he has struggled against Ferentz and has gone 1-8 in the series. That kind of candid respect says plenty about the way the Iowa-Minnesota rivalry has come to define both coaches, with Ferentzs consistency still the standard Fleck is measured against. It is another reminder that even in a heated border clash, the Hawkeyes longtime coach continues to draw admiration well beyond Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Quarterback Battle Just Took A Turn Before Minnesota
Jeremy Hecklinski made a strong case for himself in Iowas road win over Washington, and the Hawkeyes are sticking with the momentum. After throwing for 202 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback will get another start at Minnesota, with Kirk Ferentz confirming the decision after an injury sidelined Hank Brown. It is the latest twist in a competition that has been under a microscope as Iowa tries to settle on a direction under center.
For now, the job belongs to Hecklinski, and his performance against Washington gave the staff reason to trust him in a tougher road setting. Browns injury changes the immediate picture, but it also keeps the longer-term quarterback battle from being resolved just yet. Iowa gets a clearer look at Hecklinski again this weekend, and the way he handles it could carry real weight beyond one game. [Read more 🡒]
Former Iowa Linemen Delivered A Hawkeye Moment Fans Will Love
Before a Week 6 NFL game between the Buccaneers and Steelers, former Iowa linemen Tristan Wirfs and Yahya Black gave Hawkeye fans a familiar kind of moment, the sort built on size, laughs and the easy bond that seems to follow players out of Iowa City. The pregame exchange surfaced on social media and quickly resonated because it felt less like a staged clip and more like two former teammates or brothers-in-arms catching up in the middle of a professional weekend.
Wirfs and Black talked about how much they have grown physically and traded memories tied to Iowa traditions, a reminder of how the programs culture tends to stick with its former players long after they leave. For Iowa fans, the appeal was obvious: two successful NFL linemen, both still carrying a little of that Hawkeye identity with them, and a brief pregame conversation that turned into a feel-good snapshot of the programs reach. [Read more 🡒]