Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football prepares to play for a title, Hawkeye Hoops toughness, Degenerate Picks

Episode Date: November 21, 2022

Trent and Biz are back for the latest Locked on Hawkeyes Podcast.Biz gives his first hand account of what transpired in Minneapolis as the Hawkeyes keep Floyd of Rosedale in Iowa for the 8th straight year. Phil Fleck falls to 0-7 all time against Iowa including 0-6 as the Gopher head coach and he just doesn't learn.Next, a look at the last time Iowa played for a title in Kinnick Stadium for the last game of the year from 2004 when the Hawkeyes took down Wisconsin.Some hoops talk, Biz's Beat and Degenerate Picks to wrap things up.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at Linkedin.com/lockedoncollege Terms and conditions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Underdog FantasySign up on underdogfantasy.com with the promo code LOCKED ON and get your first deposit doubled up to $100!SimpliSafeWith Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnCollege to learn more.UpsideDownload the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/locked to get $5 or more cash back on your first purchase of $10 or more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming up today on Locked On Hawkeyes, Trenton Biz with you as we get ready for the matchup. Coming up this week against Nebraska, championship is on the line. We break down the win against Minnesota and talk some Iowa hoops. Plus, our picks for the week, as bad as they've been, we're going to try to do it once again. That's all coming up today on Locked On Hawkeyes. Our Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Back with you once again.

This is the Lockeddown Hawkeyes podcast. I'm Trent, that's Biz, and we talk Hawkeyes with you. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen each and every day. Don't forget about Lockdown Sports today. All the biggest stories in the world of sports in a short half hour. And we are available also on YouTube. While you're there, hit subscribe. It helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans.

Iowa fresh off a victory against Minnesota 13-10. Biz, I did the instant reaction afterwards on Saturday night. It was one of those games where you just kind of left shaking your head. How in the world did we find a way to win that football game? Bo Ibrahim absolutely dominating our rush defense. And yet, time after time, Kirk Ferentz in these kind of games against P.J. Fleck, he finds a way.

Phil, as you said, when is he ever going to learn? Trent, it was a great day to be a Hawkeye. And it's a great couple days to be a Hawkeye. As a 45-year-old ex-athlete, now just couch potato, it doesn't get any better than the last few days for me. I was in Minneapolis for the Hawks win on Saturday, went to the women's game with my youngest yesterday, and I'm going to the men's game with my two oldest tonight.

So hopefully, unless Nebraska-Omaha pulls off a shocker, you're looking at uh three wins in three days like i said it doesn't get much better for a uh middle-aged hawk fan so but yeah it was man we had no business winning that game on saturday but uh we found a way we found a way found a way and this one is uh i think it'd go down in lore as the jack campbell game this is going to be one that's remembered i know sc Scott Dockerman wrote an article at The Athletic kind of talking about that. This guy, he has been incredible. The first time I saw Jack Campbell, he had picked up an Iowa offer.

It was during the winter, I believe during his sophomore year of high school. And I saw him at the state basketball tournament. You know, he's 6'4", 6'5", playing the post for a pretty good Cedar Falls team. A.J. Green was on that team. Had a couple other D1 kids. They're really good, really talented. And I see Campbell out there, and I'm like, I don't get it. Didn't really move that fluidly.

And it's kind of clunky at times out there. And then the following season, his junior year, I see him in the Unidome playing football. I'm like, oh, okay. He's a football player. And just completely different, looked completely like a different kind of athlete on the football field than he did on the hardwood. And watching this guy, his development, he's huge.

He's six foot five, the ranginess that he has. Middle linebackers, I know, are not the same as they once were in the NFL, but this guy's got a long, long career in front of him. And it begs the question, what is he going to be remembered? You know, how is he going to be remembered with some of the great Hawkeye linebackers that we've had, certainly the Ference era? Well, the other thing with Campbell is that the man is certifiably insane too. And I mean that in the best possible way.

So going up to the game on Saturday, the smartest decision I made was that we did not buy tickets until the day before because with as cold as it was and as windy as it was going to be, the ticket prices just plummeted throughout the week. So we ended up getting phenomenal tickets. We were the 40-yard line, 20 rows up, right behind the Hawk bench. And I happened to be literally right behind the bench where the Iowa defensive starters sat.

And after every possession, they'd all come over, right behind the bench where the Iowa defensive starters sat. And after every possession, they'd all come over, they'd all put on a coat, except for one person. At no time, not for one second in that game, did Jack Campbell put on anything other than what he had. Didn't put a coat on, didn't put anything on. I mean, I should have taken a picture of it, because it was pretty funny, because there were multiple times where they're all sitting on the bench,

11 starters basically, 10 of them with a coat, not one second. He was not going to let the weather win, let's put it that way. But, you know, the flip side, let's talk about the Jack Campbell game. As you know, I took my oldest up to the game. We talked about it on the way home. He was fortunate enough six, seven years ago, whatever year it was, to get to see Saquon Barkley, the Saquon Barkley game in Kinnick.

And I told him, I think six, seven years from now, you're still going to be talking about the Mo Ibrahim game too. I mean, that guy, he's a decade-long pro. I mean, he just is a different human of a running back. I mean, the way he makes different human of a running back. I mean, the way he makes two-yard carries into six-yard carries consistently is so impressive. And, you know, he's a guy that, you know, I remember the St. John Barth again when he had 260 yards.

I mean, I thought we did a pretty decent job with him. And honestly, other than, you know, he got loose a couple times, but for the most part, we were hitting him one, two yards, and he just moves the pile. He moves it for fives and six. And so, you know, it's a testament to Iowa football. You know, we just kept fighting. We kept fighting.

We kept fighting. And like you said, eventually Phil never learns. You know, same thing. Third time in four years, Trent, they pretty clearly had the better football team than us and three straight losses. So I jotted down four key plays where, where Phil just didn't learn. So you're ready to go into my, my Phil, my, my Phil Fleck rant. Oh yes. We, we always love poking Phil Fleck and the goofiness.

I had some gopher fans from the lockdown account. I tweeted out picture of him in his Capriza. Those are photoshopped. And so I had to respond and say, well, this isn't photoshopped. And it's his own six record as the gopher coach against Iowa. You're right. These teams, you go back to last year's game. I rewatched that one last week, kind of leading into it. And how does Iowa find a way to win this game?

Well, it's Kirk pushing the right buttons. And a lot of times it's Phil Fleck pushing the wrong buttons well last year was obvious I mean it was simple they ran up and on the field on us but then kick field goals and wouldn't go for it on fourth and shorter and this year same thing I mean there's four four plays that I think are the key to the game here I wrote them down second drive of the game they get to fourth and one at the 40-yard line. They go up, pretend like they're going to go for it, and then Phil Chicken's out. And they end up wasting the timeout. He wasted all three timeouts, the first 10 minutes of the first quarter, but wasted timeout, punts, and doesn't go for it in that situation. I look back at that point,

we hadn't had a single play where we'd stopped their running attack for less than two yards. So fourth and one, I know it's your own 40-yard line, but if you're the great running team that they really are, go for it. He didn't. Then more importantly, last drive of the first half, they're running it right down our throat. Nine plays, nine straight runs, 73 yards. They get to third and one at our 15 yard minute 10 to go instead of rushing up

to the line handing it off and just pounding it down our throat they wait they wait they wait they waste 30 seconds off the clock and then throw it inexplicably decide to throw the ball incomplete kick the field goal miss it i mean if you just hurt up to the line run you, you know, you're at the 15-yard line with a minute 10 to go. You can run eight more plays there if you go quickly. And nope, they just decided to pass it. So then they come out, first drive of the third quarter, same thing. Run it completely down our throats. Get down to the nine-yard line, second and six.

Mo Ibrahim has run for 70 yards in that drive alone. What's he do? Back-to-back passes. Incomplete, incomplete. Field goal to tie the game. And then one last chance, Trent. They run it down the throat again in the fourth quarter. Three and a half minutes to go.

They run it down the field, run it down the throat. And what's he decide to do? Rest Mo Ibrahim. Inexplicably, they get to the 35-yard line. He brings in Trey Potts for two plays in a row. Those two plays, Potts for two, interception. And there's your ballgame. I mean, you completely dominated the game. You manhandled us for three quarters, and when it came down to it,

those are the four plays. I mean, four times, he had a chance to be aggressive in the first quarter, didn't do it. had a chance to be aggressive in the first quarter, didn't do it. Had a chance to be aggressive in the second quarter, screws up and passes the ball. Third quarter, running it down our throats, passes it again. Fourth quarter, you have the best player on the field, you take him out for back-to-back plays.

So you get what you deserve, Phil. So there's a reason you're 0-6. Yes, there's no doubt about it. And a lot of things that you can point to. And I saw plenty of Gopher fans after the game going after old Phil Fleck and not real pleased about it as they take another one. So how much did you get chanted at? How much did you get yelled at? I'm sure your son got to go in front of the student section.

You said you're going to do that and have him really feel the wrath of those Minnesotans. Yeah, I made sure. We walked over and got the full Who Hates Iowa chant to start the game. Then we went to it. Honestly, we were in a – like I said, we had great seats. We were in a good section. We had a group of some super nice guys in front of us, and I was fired up enough at Phil.

At one point, one of them turned around to me and was like, did he do something personal to you? That was about the angriest they got. No, actually, our section was great. And, you know, for the most part, for most of the game, we didn't have much to cheer about. So

for me, I stayed quiet for most of the game. But then clearly, we had the last laugh. At that point, it was so amazing that we won. I don't think I was even overly obnoxious then I'm sure the people around me probably disagreed, but, uh, I was more shocked. I'm going to disagree. And I wasn't even there. I know you too well.

I try to be a little better when my son's involved. That's good. That's good. Well, hopefully the old man doesn't rub off too much out of too. Cause, uh, yeah, well we know how things went, but. The funny thing is for whatever reason, he despises, just despises Nebraska. So, yeah. So this, this week is like personal to him. You know, they, they have the, who hates Iowa. He has the, who hates Nebraska. He's he's always had. So he's fired up for this week.

Well, it's going to be a good one. Iowa gets ready to play for a championship in Kinnick Stadium. We'll talk about that here a little bit, break things down and get ready for the matchup Black Friday against the Cornhuskers as we continue. This is the Hawkeyes podcast. Today's podcast is brought to you by SimpliSafe. Did you know that over the holidays, property crimes like burglaries,

package thefts spike nationally? That's why our friends at Simply Safe Home Security are offering 50% off their award-winning security system so that more families can feel safe and secure this holiday season. Order your Simply Safe system for half off today and enjoy advanced security and greater peace of mind this holiday season. In an emergency, 24-7 professional monitoring agents use Fast Protect technology exclusively from SimpliSafe to capture critical evidence and verify the threat is real so you can get a priority police response.

SimpliSafe is a whole home security system. Advanced sensors for every room, window, and door. HD security cameras inside and out. Smarter ways to detect motion that alert you when a threat is real. With the top-rated SimpliSafe app, stay in control of your system anytime, anywhere,

arm or disarm, unlock for a guest, access your cameras, or adjust system settings. Don't miss your chance to stay big on the only security system that I recommend. Get 50% off any new SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com slash LockedOnCollege. This is their biggest discount of the year. Don't wait. SimpliSafe.com slash LockedOnCollege.

There's no safe like SimpliSafe. Trenton Biz back with you on the LockedOnHawkeyes podcast. Again, thanks for making LockedOnHawkeyes your first listen today. Biz, it's Nebraska. It's Black Friday now. I learned before you are not real fired up for Team USA against England leading into the game. You've never, never watched a soccer game where you made the choice,

where you hopped on your TV remote and actually flipped on a soccer game ever in 45 years? I don't think so. And it's not like I don't think so and it's not like uh I don't I don't hate soccer I'm not like I'm not one of those uh grumpy old men you know moaning about the old days when you know soccer's not I hope we win but uh until you told me before today I didn't know we were playing today I knew we were in the world cup but uh I'm in the random uh pool that ourate friends put together. I think I have the Netherlands as like my number one team, which go Dutch, I guess.

Yes, yes. No, I literally have never, I can't remember another time where I was like, I'm going to turn it over to soccer. So yeah, I will try Trent. I will, like I said, it's not a conscious decision. It's not like I'm intentionally not watching, but I've never intentionally watched either.

So I will, what time do they play again today? What o'clock today? No, I will make an attempt to turn around. We play whales. I think I saw. So that sounds made up,

but we'll go with that. So whales. Yeah. And then England on Friday and try to advance. It would be fun to see them actually make a little bit of a run. Didn't make the world cup before, but nobody cares about soccer here. That's not why we're here. We're here to talk football and looking forward to black Friday.

So I'm truly baffled. Where the hell are they even playing? Is it cutter or cater? How do you pronounce it? Where is that? I assume it's somewhere over the middle. That is Qatar. That seems like one of the shadiest decisions of all time I'm guessing

there was some under the table money uh yeah exchanged to be able to play the games over there well not only that and they also had to change it I mean the world cup's normally in the summer and they had to move it to here late fall in order to make it happen just make it actually palpable because it's 174 degrees there in the summer or what yeah that's basically it but money talks and they're building new stadiums or one of the stadiums. They can't drink beer even there. Yeah.

They shut down the Budweiser tent. That would not be good. If you're making the trip over there, can't even have a beer. That sounds pretty rough, but well, you can have a beer at Kinnick stadium on Friday and it'll be unseasonably warm for what we've dealt with the last couple of weeks in

the forties. Got a nice day there on black Friday at Kinnick stadium. Yeah. I was kind of, you know, selfishly I was coming up with the weather to be crappy, but just because I think that if, you know,

as we've seen the last two weeks, crappy weather is not a bad thing for the Hawks, but I'm not, I'm not going to mind not having to freeze my butt off for four hours. Like I did on Saturday either. So yeah, it's, you know you look at this game Trent I honestly think Nebraska they're closer to Rutgers and Northwestern than they are the 14 you know the Minnesota Illinois Ohio State Michigan that we had fits

with I mean the rest is not good. But the fact of the matter is we still got to score points. And so nobody – there's not a single Iowa game right now ever you should be overly confident going into. So I can't imagine we'll be overly confident, but keep doing what we've been doing. Same formula. It's one of the last four, I think. Hopefully we find a way to do it one more time so Iowa goes into this game I was surprised by

the number I was favored currently right now by 10 and a half the total open at circa at 42 and a half and that was my first bet of the week on the under there is the unders continue to cash it's down to 37 and a half now even at that number boy it's really difficult to see it it getting over that number. It still feels very, very high. As well as Nebraska played for the first three quarters against Wisconsin, it was still a 14-3 game. I mean, it's not like they were blowing them out or anything like that.

And Wisconsin was able to run the ball against them. I think Iowa's going to have certainly more success running the football this week. It's a matchup that I think sits very well. That 10.5 number seems huge, but we'll get into that with our picks. But the biggest thing this weekend, of course, is we talked about the path, and the path opened up as Michigan comes back with three fourth-quarter field goals to beat Illinois. Harbaugh, we talk about Ferentz in the way that just kind of pushing

the right buttons. Harbaugh did that. He did not ever go for it on those fourth and shorts. There's a fourth and four where they're down by four. I got to go for it. Nope. Kicks another field goal and gets it done. The path opens up and now Iowa playing for a championship back in Kinnick stadium. And you had staff boy, I believe go to work on that this week. Yep. So this is, this is one of my more enjoyable trips down memory lane,

Trent. Cause when I asked that boy, let's, let's take the time machine back to the last time we were playing for a title in Kinnick Stadium. It's been a while, Trent. When was it? 2004 is where you're going. So the 2015 snow game with Purdue in town, that was to clinch the division. There was still another game afterwards, though, also on top of it that they could have. This is basically kind of an outright victory, if you will. Obviously, Iowa tied that year for the Big Ten championship with Michigan. But I believe you're going back to 2004 for this one, the Wisconsin game.

Yeah. Yeah. I guess I should have clarified. In the season ending game, when's the last time we can end the year with a a big 10 trophy being presented at the midfield at kinnick stadium and you are correct it's 2004 it was actually 18 years ago yesterday i saw it was uh november 20th uh 2004 and man that said fun trip down memory lane because you know you forget that was such a crazy team and honestly there's so many similarities between that team and this team when you go back and dig into it.

You know, that year, 2004, you had an amazing defense. You had an all-time bad running game. And you had some luck. I mean, all three of those things had to happen. I mean, go back and look. You forget that team averaged 2.0 yards of rush that year. Historically awful. And this team this year is averaging 2.8, which is by far the worst since then.

But that team, obviously, they had some talent running back. They had, you know, Jermell Lewis, Damian Sims, Albert Young, all those guys. But it was the year of the, what do they call it, the airbag? Yes. The angry Iowa running back hating God, I think it was. But because of that, you had no running game, an amazing defense, and you had some luck because a mediocre Ohio State team had to beat Michigan for us to get there.

And that's exactly what happened here is a mediocre Michigan State team and a good but certainly not great Purdue team had to beat Illinois. So that team rode the luck all the way to the end. And let's hope we can do the same on Saturday. Ready to dig back into that unbelievably fun game back in november 2004 yeah i mean just the memories that kind of pop back i remember we were down early in the game um you remember how we were down though that's the key well it's drew tate didn't he throw a couple interceptions brutal two two first two possessions first two picks both both by who jj watt who's who's the head coach of wisconsin now oh jim leonard jim leonard two picks wow yeah so jim leonard gets two picks we're down early

we battle it's ugly it's seven seven and then the uh the quintessential Drew Tate play right at the end of the half. Do you remember what happened? I don't. He rolls directly into a blitzer, scrambles out of it, scrambles back the other way, throws up an unbelievably perfect 50-yard pass right to Clinton Solomon with like 50 seconds to go in the half. And we take the lead right before the half, and then the second half the defense absolutely dominated so 37 was the final but it was it was 7-7 with 45 seconds to go in the half until until drew tate did what he did best that year which was uh pull a miracle

out of his hat was that the play after he threw the touchdown he was doing like the helicopter arm that's a good one so yeah that game was one of the most fun environments in Kinnick Stadium, too. And just as the second half continued to unfold, you know, the anticipation, the excitement level is this team's going to do it again and win, which is crazy. Their last Big Ten title, now that was shared and they lost to Michigan in the regular season. But what a fun season that was. of the regular season, but what a fun season that was. Kind of looking back, of course, it culminated in the LSU game in the Capital One Bowl, but in today's environment, they would have been playing in a New Year's Six game.

I mean, they would have had a chance to go to the Sugar Bowl or the Cotton Bowl or something like that. Great game. Obviously, we'll remember that in Hawkeye lore, but could have been a little bit different in today's environment on top of it, too, the way the season ended. Yeah, it was funny. There was a stat boy, as he always does, brings it, pulls up the newspapers for me and found a great article from Mike Colas,

who 18 years later, still at the Gazette, still writing great articles. But there was a quote from that article that again, you could drop it into the paper this week and it would sound exactly the same. His quote, two months ago, who but even the most blind Iowa loyalists would have believed that the league's golden football would find its way onto a makeshift stage in the middle of Kinnick Stadium. So same opportunity this week. If you thought, not even two months ago, if you thought a month ago

this was going to happen, I think uh, I think, I think honestly, if I remember you and I actually joked about it happening, uh, we said, you know, miracle of miracles, we just got to win five in a row. And I think the only reason we joked about it is we said, uh, that's the only way Brian Ferentz would keep his job. But, uh, here we are, but here we are, Trent. I mean, that's, that's it. That quote applies. And then there's one other quote in there that I thought was great

because it was from the ultimate – we talked about Jack Campbell being the ultimate warrior. That team had – my favorite player on the team was Tyler Lubke. You were there. We loved Tyler Lubke. That guy was – the crowd loved him. He was just – got the most out of his limited talent. His quote was – how do you explain the turnaround?

Simple. It's just simple, hard work. That's how it happened. So, you know, same thing with this team. Are they even a – they're an above-average team, obviously, but are they a team that should be playing for a championship? No. But they are because it's a testament to their their work ethic and their hard work and

their never say die attitude because everybody else quit on them a month ago but they sure as heck haven't so uh yeah very similar storyline 18 years later let's hope for the same outcome 18 years later and get another championship championship as Iowa takes on Nebraska. We'll talk about that game and give our picks with the degenerate picks. We'll also talk a little basketball as we continue here. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Today's Locked on Hawkeyes podcast is brought to you by Nissan. This week's thrilling moment in college football brought to you by Nissan.

The thrilling designs behind the new lineup from Nissan are intended to empower drivers in vehicles as capable as the drivers themselves when i think of unbelievable abilities on the field this week's thrilling moment it's got to be jack campbell we talked about it at the top is that play which should have been a pick six and ultimately maybe not a good thing there wasn't a ton of time on the clock if he would have ran it back for the touchdown there but obviously it turned out incredibly good because even up 17-10, I didn't want to see Mo Ibrahim out there anymore. Yeah, I don't think it would have mattered either way. I don't think Minnesota was going down and getting seven

the way their passing game was. But, yeah, it was – you said it earlier. It will be remembered for a long time as the Jack Campbell game, just for what he did and how he did it late in the game. But a pretty obvious play of the game when it comes to whatever the sponsor was, Trent, your Nissan play of the game, I believe. That's right. The thrilling moment,

this segment inspired by the thrilling new designs featured across Nissan's new lineup of vehicles. Pursue what thrills you in the thrilling new designs featured across Nissan's new lineup of vehicles. Pursue what thrills you in the all-new Frontier Armada or Pathfinder today. Available now at NissanUSA.com. Trent and Biz wrapping things up on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. All right, Biz, time to talk a little basketball before we make our degenerate picks of the week. It's Omaha, then it is Clemson down in Florida,

and then likely TCU. Though the Horned Frogs have struggled here out of the gate, not playing very well, had a tight win against, I think, a SWAC team at a loss this season. So not the top 15 team we anticipated, but a chance to continue the run here. And we were talking before we went live today, a couple of bets that we're liking to fire at here against the Mavericks

from Omaha. Yeah, the Mavericks-Mobo must not be very good because it's a very high spread tonight, but rather than break down the Nebraska-Omaha game, we need to take a step back of that Seton Hall game, Trent, because I was just unbelievably impressed with the toughness

of our team. The first three minutes was kind of an avalanche of what could go wrong, did. We fought on 10-2 and they had like seven offensive rebounds in the first three minutes. I was like, man, we're in trouble here because they're just a tougher team than us. That was wrong because the last 36 minutes, we were definitely a tougher team than them. Anytime you get Connor McCaffrey, you're always going to have – you're going to always have somebody that's an instigator.

But, you know, Rabracha, Perkins, Uless, all those guys, they don't back down from a fight. And that's – you and I have talked about it in the past. Fran's teams have not always done a very good job of that. They've always had – you know, Fran've always had pretty soft teams in the past. Finesse teams. This team was not a pretty first half in any way. The second half was more Iowa

basketball with trading buckets. That first half was a slog. We won the slog. That toughness is really nice to see because we're not always going to be the prettiest team this year, but man, that was, they battled. So fun team in general.

They are. Yeah. And the toughness component, maybe why this team can be a bit different. We'll see. I mean, there's a ton of season in front of us, the big 10, and a lot of people thought it was going to be deep coming into the year, but nobody great. I think that still might be the case. Michigan has a big set of issues issues they survived last night after getting blown out by arizona state uh you have michigan state what they've done in the early portions of the season of course indiana at the top and and uh they lose a tough one or no they did they end up winning

against aviator friday night yeah they beat him by one i think yeah down down to the wire in that one but all that aside you know ken pomoy, you know my love of Ken Palm, as he's projected the Big Ten in just his statistical model. Right now, he has Iowa as the second-best team in the conference. He has them finishing 13-7. You're like, eh, 13-7, that's pretty good. 14-6, winning the Big Ten with Indiana at 14-6. You were, well, maybe just out of diapers the last time that it happened i was not even born

yet the last time it happened 1979 a regular season crown for iowa basketball i don't care if it's a six-way tie at 14 and six and iowa gets a share of it whatever it would take sign me up it would just it would be yet another step of the development of this program and just shows year after year what a good coach Fran McCaffrey is, even when we complain about some things he does. Well, and it's never good to look too far ahead, Trent, but if you look at that first half of the Big Ten schedule for Iowa, it's very doable.

The schedule gets harder as the year goes on, but there's no reason this team can't be 7-3 halfway through the season and just be in it. Honestly, that's all I care. I mean, awesome if we won a regular season title, but it'd be fun to just be in the race with five games to go. That just hasn't happened in a long time for Iowa basketball. So just let's have some hope.

Let's hope come mid-February we're at least in the conversation. And I think there's a real opportunity for this team. Not a real deep team, a little bit different than what we're used to with Fram, but got a chance. Biz told me take Iowa first half tonight. I like that one. I thought a 17.5 out there as we were searching. I think that one's good. Take the team total over for Iowa tonight.

Can I make that one of my three picks? I suck at college football picks. Oh boy. I was dominating the contest going into the week with a 15 and 17 record. So I think that says how this season has gone. Let's do it, though, and make our picks for the week. We start off with the game. I'll be hanging out with my future brother-in-law in Cleveland this weekend,

watching the game with him. He's an Ohio State grad. And I'm going to be rooting for Michigan. I don't think I will tell him that. But under my breath, you and I'm going to be rooting for Michigan. I don't think I will tell him that, but under my breath, you know I'm going to be rooting. I'd rather see the Wolverines as opposed to the Buckeyes if Iowa completes the deal and gets it done on Friday against Nebraska. A little over a touchdown here with the Wolverines banked up,

but Ohio State's kind of banked up too. What do you like? I think you've got to take Michigan. Just from Iowa having played both those two teams this year, I came away with the impression that Michigan is just simply the tougher team of the two. I mean, Ohio State's got more talent, but you look up and down the year, Ohio State has not been the dominant force everybody expected them to be. I mean, I'm not sure either one of these teams is great.

They're both very good. But, you know, I don't know. You're going to give me Harbaugh and his, as you talked about, his methodical ways. You're going to give me more than a touchdown, I'll take it. So give me Michigan, whatever it is, plus seven and a half. Grabbing Michigan. I'm going to be on the other side here.

I'm going to lay it with the Buckeyes. The Blake injury more than anything, obviously, we'll know as the week goes on his availability, but not just him, also the backup running back there. And you know, JJ McCarthy, I've been kind of waiting to see that, that game from him. And he's going to have to keep up here. I think against Ohio state. I just, I don't know if McCarthy quite has that. I anticipated he'd be a little bit better than what we've seen out of him this year. Got a score to hang with State and I'm just not sure right now the construction of the Buckeyes if they can I got Ohio State winning this one 34-24 and covering the point spread pick number two for the week it's our best bet of the week I'm going to Black Friday and I am going to the matchup of

Florida Gators going to Tallahassee to take on Florida state. You saw Florida last week. I mean, that team has given up losing to Vandy and that fashion year, number one of a coaching staff. And it is certainly not going very well. Florida state, Mike Grovel, not only saved his job,

they're all right. They're pretty good. Florida state. I'll lay the nine and a half. Destroying teams. The last they have nine and a half. So number it's a big one in a rivalry game. I'm going to lay it here. I'm going to take a favor for once. Give me Florida state land teams the last month. They have. Nine and a half is the number. It's a big one in a rivalry game. I'm going to lay it here.

I'm going to take a favorite for once. Give me Florida State laying the big number. Well, mine's a rivalry game as well, Trent. I don't think you're supposed to call it this anymore, but go to the Civil War. Give me the Oregon State Beavers. They're the rarity in the Pac-12. They're a Pac-12 team that plays legitimately good defense.

They've, for the last five games, they've held their opponents under 10. It's a home game, and they're getting 3.5. I don't know if they'll win, but I think they'll keep it very close. So give me the Beavers plus 3.5. Going with the Beavers, Bez's best bet of the week, and we wrap it up as we always do with our pick for the Iowa game. Hawkeyes are favored by 10.5. The over-under sits at 37.5 this week. I told you I jumped aboard right away in that total.

Now it's gone down to 37.5. I'm going under again, though. This thing seems destined for the 2013, 17, 13, something like that. So, yeah, I'm going to go under once again and continue that annuity that helps all my bad picks that I make every single week, just taking those Iowa unders. Yeah, as I say, my picks have been terrible, but the one thing I've been right on is Iowa unders, and same logic as the last two weeks. I'd like to take the Hawks. I think they have a decent chance of covering, but the safe bet's the Iowa under. If possible, Trent, the last four weeks,

Nebraska's offense has been worse than ours. I went and looked. Their yardage the last four games, 248, 267, 146, and 171. Wow. And those were against the four probably the four best defenses outside of Iowa in the Big Ten. And we're clearly right in that that same uh that same area so you know the big worry here for me for the hawks is you know can we can we put up enough points to win and is laporta gonna play i worry no one said a peep about this but i think caleb johnson's heard also he didn't play the last three possessions he had a nice 25 yard run and ran right in front of us,

and he kind of pulled up gimpy at the end of the run. And so I'm interested to hear what happens today. I hope he's healthy because without Caleb Johnson, without Sam Laporta, you're right back to where we were the first month of the year where there's not much weapons there. But the most important thing to think here, Trent, Friday's an important day. You know why? Why why it's my birthday oh birthday present for biz yeah the last time the hawks played nebraska on my birthday was six years ago it was my 40th birthday at the time and we hung 40 on we

won 40 to 10 for my birthday present so all i'm asking for is the Hawks to put up 46 on Friday. I didn't seem like much to ask. No, not at all. Not with this offense. That's no problem. Well, let's see. Three defensive scores, a special team score, and then 16 out of the offense. I think that's manageable. You can pull that off. Your only

hope is that, what was the year we went to Nebraska and they 100% just quit. We destroyed them. The only hope is that they just the year we were we went to Nebraska and they 100 just quit and we destroyed them with you know the only hope is that they just literally pack it in and just uh play play flag football the second half I think that's the only way we can get to 46 well one thing is watching a lot of that Nebraska Wisconsin game on Saturday that team has not quit and say what you want about them they have not quit and I think that says something about Mickey Joseph. He's going to have a stop. Not going to get the head coaching job,

but he's certainly going to be there going forward, and I think that says something about this team. So the hope that is, you know, it'll be a turnkey, and we'll just show up and be able to win it 24-3. I don't see that happening. I think there's going to be a little fight here, but bring up some good points. They got their own issues offensively.

All right, Biz, let's get out of here. It is time once again for Biz's Beat. Well, it's my annual Biz's Beat, Trent. It's Thanksgiving week, and so I always give the same one. I'm thankful for a lot of things, but because this is an Iowa sports podcast, I am really, really thankful for Iowa sports right now. Man, it's been a great year. I mean, you go back, you go back and look.

for Iowa sports right now. Man, it's been a great year. I mean, you go back, you go back and look. You can't take for granted just how great of a year it's been for Iowa football. Big Ten, on the doorstep of a second straight Big Ten West championship, you had an unbelievable basketball run last year. I know it didn't end well. I know neither did the football season. But, man, I mean, the amount of fun we've had.

You add in the Iowa women's basketball. You've got the Iowa wrestling is always great. I mean, it's just been a fun run. And let's hope the ride continues. My annual thanks for Iowa sports because they are my one and only true hobby, and it's been a fun hobby the last year. No doubt about it. Good stuff, Biz.

We will talk again next week and hopefully be preparing for a matchup against the winner of Ohio State Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game. We'll recap of course basketball with three games this week and then a big week in front of them, ACC Big Ten Challenge and of course Duke around the corner, Iowa State, Wisconsin.

Big weeks in basketball. Thanks, Biz. Have a good Thanksgiving. Go Hawks and happy Thanksgiving.