Kirk Ferentz has found himself in an unusual spot this fall: getting early Coach of the Year buzz from Brandon Walker, one of the loudest and least expected voices in the mix.
Iowa’s 5-1 start has changed the conversation in a hurry. With a key road game against Minnesota coming in week eight and a favorable stretch still ahead, the Hawkeyes suddenly have a realistic runway not just to the College Football Playoff, but to giving Ferentz another piece of hardware. He has won national Coach of the Year honors once before, in 2002, and has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times - in 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2015.
The bigger picture around the sport has only helped Iowa’s case. Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and Washington were supposed to be major players this season, but the race has not played out that way.
Oregon and Penn State are described as being in a freefall, while Michigan and Washington are also likely on the outside looking in. That has created room for surprise teams, and Iowa is one of them.
Walker, a popular Barstool analyst and long-time Iowa skeptic, said Ferentz is firmly in the Coach of the Year mix if the Hawkeyes finish the job and reach the CFP. After picking Iowa to lose to Washington in Seattle just a week earlier, Walker has already shifted his stance and is now backing Ferentz if this run keeps building.
Iowa’s schedule is a big part of the appeal. There is only one ranked opponent left, and if the Hawkeyes handle what is in front of them, Ferentz’s name will stay in the award conversation.
The roster has also helped Iowa get here. The team has looked strong even without everyone firing at full capacity.
The offense has been steady despite constant movement at quarterback, and there is still no word on whether Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski will start against Minnesota. Either way, both have shown they can direct the offense.
On defense, Iowa has been stout against the run, but the front four has not generated enough pressure, and that has left the unit exposed to some big passing performances. If Iose Epenesa, Bryce Hawthorne, Will Hubert and Kenneth Merrieweather can get more heat on opposing quarterbacks, the turnovers should start coming in bunches.
Special teams has been another bright spot. Chris Polizzi’s first season running the unit has gone better than expected, and it has become one more reason Iowa has positioned itself for a potential surprise run.
There is still work to do, but the path is there. If the Hawkeyes keep winning, Ferentz may end up in the center of the Coach of the Year race after all.
In Other News...
Iowa Faces A Different Kind Of Pressure At Minnesota
Saturdays trip to Minneapolis brings a different kind of pressure for Iowa, even with the Hawkeyes listed as 6.5-point favorites. A road game at Huntington Bank Stadium against Minnesota has a way of turning routine Big Ten weekends into something more tense, especially with kickoff set for Saturday and Iowa trying to keep its momentum intact while dealing with the usual noise that comes with playing away from home.
Hank Brown is expected to be available after missing the previous game with an injury, which gives Iowa another layer of stability heading into the matchup. The game will be on FS1 and streamed on Fubo, and while the betting line points in Iowas direction, the Hawkeyes will still need to handle a Minnesota team that tends to make opponents earn everything. [Read more 🡒]
Hawkeyes Land Big Recognition As One Iowa Star Keeps Making History
Kade Pieper and Zach Lutmer are giving Iowa a nice midseason snapshot of where the program stands, and it comes with recognition that reaches beyond the usual weekly grind. Pieper earned AP Midseason All-American First Team honors after starting 19 games at right guard, a sign of how steady the Hawkeyes have been up front, while Lutmers work at safety put him on the list of quarterfinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The broader Iowa sports picture kept piling up, too. Kylie Welker added to her own growing legacy with a third straight gold medal at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, and Iowa womens basketball reportedly got the better of Oklahoma State in a closed-door scrimmage. For a program that loves to point to breadth as much as depth, it was the kind of day that reminded everyone how many places Iowa keeps showing up in the national conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Keeps Minnesota Guessing With One Huge Week 8 Mystery
Iowa is leaving Minnesota with a little extra homework this week, and the biggest question sits right at the top of the offense. Kirk Ferentz still has not named a starting quarterback for the upcoming game, with Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown both in the mix as the Hawkeyes sort through their options heading into a key Big Ten matchup.
Brown is working his way back from a sprained AC joint, while Hecklinski has given Iowa a reason to keep the competition open after a strong recent showing. The depth chart also points to some movement elsewhere, with Xavier Styles and Xavier Williams set for bigger roles in the back end and at running back, while L.J. Phillips remains uncertain after a recent injury, leaving a few more pieces of Iowa's game plan unresolved. [Read more 🡒]