Kirk Ferentz had some fun with the College Football Playoff rankings conversation this week, and he made sure ESPN caught a little of the heat.
When asked whether he pays attention to the rankings, the Iowa coach answered with a grin and then leaned into a joke about the way college football’s media landscape works. Ferentz suggested that the networks carrying the sport tend to give their own properties plenty of attention, and he tied that thought directly to the CFP setup.
“Geez, I can’t wait! Yeah, that’s tonight?!?! Not to be a smart ass, but no.
“So, not to make fun of it, but it’s great for TV, right? It’s going to be televised?
ESPN is loving it. Next time I look at my iPad, I’m sure I’ll be reading all about it and can’t wait.
“I did notice they seem to promote the sports that they carry. Is that correct?
I’m figuring that out. You couldn’t find anything on the Baseball World Series until the last game.
Is that fair? I’m living in the same world, right?
“I’m like, are they still playing the World Series or what? Oh, yeah, FOX, ESPN -- I got it, okay. I better watch out because I’m pro-FOX, right?
“We’re a FOX conference and several others, but we’re not ESPN, so we probably won’t make the rankings. Haven’t gone that far, but anyway, I’m not too worried about it,” Ferentz added.
The backdrop is obvious: college football is a massive business, and the CFP sits right in the middle of it. ESPN owns the exclusive broadcast rights for $7.8 billion, and the network’s reach helps shape how the playoff is sold to fans.
Ferentz’s jab also landed in the middle of a broader reality for the Big Ten. The conference’s games are spread across the Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, CBS, and NBC, with some also streaming on Peacock. That leaves the league tied to nearly the full broadcast menu - just not ESPN.
And that’s exactly the point Ferentz was poking at: in a system built on television money and constant promotion, he’s aware of who gets the spotlight and who doesn’t.
In Other News...
Iowa Heads Into Northwestern With One Huge Worry On Both Sides
Iowas trip to Northwestern arrives with the kind of injury uncertainty that can shape a game before the first snap. The Hawkeyes are dealing with a notably thin offensive line, with starting center Cael Winter out and Michael Myslinski stepping in, while two of Iowas starting defensive backs, Jaylen Watson and Zach Lutmer, are both questionable heading into the weekend.
The larger concern is that the injury report runs deep on both sides, with the two teams combining for 29 players listed. Northwesterns quarterback Aidan Chiles is also questionable, leaving one of the games key positions in flux as Iowa tries to sort out its protection up front and its coverage on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Campbell Shared An Update After A Frightening Week 8 Scare
Jack Campbells Week 8 scare was the kind of moment that stops everything. The former Iowa linebacker suffered a severe injury during an NFL game and was motionless on the field for more than 10 minutes, a frightening scene that immediately shifted attention away from the box score and toward his health.
Campbell later delivered a positive update on his condition, offering some relief after such an alarming sequence. For Hawkeyes fans tracking the weekends NFL action, it was a reminder of how quickly things can change, even as other former Iowa standouts like TJ Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, Amani Hooker, Drew Stevens and Lukas Van Ness continued their own Week 8 performances. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas November Edge Could Suddenly Mean Much More This Year
November has long been a comfortable month for Kirk Ferentz and Iowa, and the numbers back it up. Since 2014, the Hawkeyes have gone 36-13 in the month, a stretch that has become part of the programs identity as the weather turns and the games start to matter a little more.
Ferentz has pointed to the same formula behind that late-season success: handling stress, keeping the right mindset and leaning on fundamentals when conditions get difficult. This year, though, the stakes feel different, because another strong November could do more than just preserve a familiar Iowa tradition. It could put the Hawkeyes in position for something much bigger, with a College Football Playoff berth now part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]