Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Why Iowa Hawkeyes' Defensive Line Needs Jonah Pace's Impact & Hawkeye Christmas Wish List

Episode Date: December 24, 2024

Can the Iowa Hawkeyes football team secure a top spot with their latest transfer portal moves? Discover how the addition of defensive tackle Jonah Pace could reshape the Hawkeyes' defensive line, addr...essing the crucial need for depth after Lloyd Black's departure. Host Trent Condon shares his Christmas wish list for Iowa sports, spotlighting key figures like Cade McNamara and Nick Jackson, while exploring the potential impact of recruits like Aaron Graves. The discussion extends to basketball, with hopes for both men's and women's teams to break into the Sweet 16, and touches on wrestling, baseball, and softball aspirations.Tune in for an engaging analysis of Iowa's strategic moves and future prospects.Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondonLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyesFor your next listen, check out the Locked On College Football podcast! From NIL deals to never ending conference realignment rumors, Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron! Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Rocket MoneyCancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com/lockedon today.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelThe NFL Playoffs are almost here, but it’s not too late to get in on the regular season action with FanDuel because right now, new customers can finish the season strong with TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins. Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Starting point is 00:00:00 it's Christmas Eve and we got our Hawkeye wishlist coming up today. Locked on Hawkeyes plus a commitment from the portal. Iowa gets number two. We're breaking down today. Locked on Hawkeyes. You are locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast.
Starting point is 00:00:34 Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Well, it is that time of year once again to get involved with FanDuel and of course our friends over at GameTime and the GameTime app. Today's episode brought to you by GameTime. Download that Game app create an account and make sure you use the code lockdown college for twenty dollars off your first purchase we'll tell you more about fan duel coming up here in just a little bit but we kick things
Starting point is 00:01:14 off today with some good news from the transfer portal after the disappointment of a miss at the quarterback position bo prevula a guy that there was a lot of buzz, a lot of excitement about. I know in Hawkeye, quarters around the country didn't come to be. We're going to talk quarterback here in just a little bit. But they hit on Jonah Pace, and this was another position of need for Iowa. Defensive tackle was a spot where Iowa needed help.
Starting point is 00:01:40 And as we saw this year, they were able to get through it relatively unscathed. Aaron Graves got off to a great start in the season, put together a tremendous effort against Illinois State, got to the quarterback a bunch. And then from there, the production was not huge by any means. And then on the other side, Y.A. Black. And we've talked a lot about Y.A. Black. He is that typical Iowa defensive tackle, occupying space, eating up blockers, and allowing the linebackers and the defensive ends and the safeties to come up and make the plays.
Starting point is 00:02:12 And he did an incredibly good job of that. Well, A. Black's done, and he'll be off after the bowl game, and he'll be departing and playing professionally. And with it, they needed help because, though I'm very excited about what Iowa has coming at the defensive line, and certainly in last year's recruiting class, some of those guys I think have some tremendous upside. You go through and you look at that group. Devin Kennedy I think is one that you definitely get excited about, has the NFL bloodlines from his dad playing in the NFL.
Starting point is 00:02:42 Joseph Anderson, another one with the NFL bloodlines. Incredible athletic guy. Probably a defensive end. But when you talk about this group. They're still probably a year away. From being big time contributors up front. And most of the guys are also outside guys. So you're looking for help inside.
Starting point is 00:03:01 And a couple years ago. They were able to go out and get Jack Heflin. Who turned out to be a tremendous defensive tackle for them. And the hope is that Jonah Pace is going to be that same kind of guy. Pace, production-wise, defensive tackle, again, you don't want to overreact to what the numbers are. But here's something that we learned also a year ago in the transfer portal. Yes, quarterbacks are number one, right? Quarterbacks are going to command the most money? Quarterbacks are going to command the most money.
Starting point is 00:03:25 Quarterbacks are going to command the most headlines and the most attention and the most conversation and everything that goes along with it. It's quarterback is the most important position in sports. And there's a reason that it's going to be talked about even more. But what we also learned last year, what teams were searching for was not that extra wide receiver or another running back or even another offensive lineman. What teams were looking for was depth on defensive line, particularly at defensive tackle. Now there was a tackle from Wyoming a year ago. I think he ended
Starting point is 00:03:57 up at Texas, a guy that had a pretty nondescript year, and he was commanding seven figures in the portal for a guy that became a rotational piece at his next stop that's what you're talking about and you're getting a player in jonah pace that was wanted and offers from the sec nebraska offered him this was a guy that was coveted in the portal and iowa was able to nab him so take this as a win yes i understand the angst or the frustration that iowa hasn't done more at this point in the portal. You wanted to see them already pick up five, six, seven portal commitments, and you were going to have that excitement that was going to build. And I get that. It hasn't happened yet.
Starting point is 00:04:34 Iowa's got two, Hank Brown and Jonah Pace. However, when you get Jonah Pace, just don't whine about it. Don't complain about it. It's Christmas. Crying out loud. Enjoy what you have. Pace, a good prospect. We'll see if he can hold up. And you look at the defensive line next year. Of course, you got Aaron Graves coming back for another season. That's huge. And you have to credit the Swarm Collective for making that happen. Now you bring in Pace and you couple that with Jeremiah Pittman. Look, I don't know if Jeremiah Pittman is ever going to be a guy that's going to be able to consistently give you high level 40 to 50 snaps a game. But he proved it this year.
Starting point is 00:05:11 At minimum, he can give you a good 20. And maybe he can build on that another season. I think we certainly saw more consistency out of Jeremiah Pittman this year. And now you have that depth. Maybe one of these young guys starts to hit a little bit more. Maybe we finally do see one of these youngsters become that rotational piece. A series here and there, 8, 10, 12 snaps a game, something like that, and he continued to build. Will Hubert, maybe back for another season, a guy like that.
Starting point is 00:05:37 They're building depth. Because defensive end, that's where the excitement is. Brian Allen on the outside, what we saw from Hurkak coming back for another year. Obviously, Max Llewellyn and what we saw out of him at the end of the season. And, you know, these guys with eligibility, they got opportunities. Now there's chances for these guys to go out there
Starting point is 00:05:57 and make a whole lot more money at other places. And they're sticking here. And they're sticking here because of the work that's being done by the collective. You can complain about the collective. you can complain that it didn't go well about kade mcnamara look it's loser talk it really is don't be a loser don't worry about the miss of kade mcnamara get excited about the hits of nick jackson they're not all gonna work out look at the nfl draft these guys are paid handsomely and they miss and there's going to work out. Look at the NFL draft. These guys are paid handsomely and they miss,
Starting point is 00:06:26 and there's going to be misses in this environment. But to whine and complain, or I'm not going to donate anymore because it didn't go well with Cade McNamara, it's loser thought. And when you go down that path, it's not going to help the team that you root for. Look, if you're invested enough that you want to help out the program and you have the ability to help out the program and you want to donate, don't take the negative viewpoint that I'm not going to do it because one guy didn't work. I mean, think of that. You have season tickets to the Packers, the Vikings, the Bears, the Chiefs, whoever it may be. Well, you know what? They missed on their first round draft pick a year ago. I'm not going to ever do that again. No,
Starting point is 00:07:03 come on. That's not how fandom works. If you're going to do it, you can't just look at the negative side. Take this as a win. We're going to take a win on the Christmas side of things. We're going to take a look at my wish list for Iowa Hawkeye sports. Now, it's a Christmas wish list. Sometimes we get a little bit crazy. Yes, searching for national championships, that's out there. And well, outside of probably women's wrestling, it's going to be out there for basically any sport. Maybe we'll try to close in that gap a little bit more. We're going to talk about some players, what we want to see out of the teams, what it's going to be for Iowa sports going forward. My wish list for Christmas going into 2025 as we continue. It's a Christmas Eve
Starting point is 00:07:46 edition of Locked On Hawkeyes. Stay right there. We're back with more in a moment. Today's episode of Locked On Hawkeyes is brought to you by FanDuel and the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Look, the NFL playoffs are almost here. It's not too late, though, to get on the regular season action with FanDuel. FanDuel, it's America's number one sportsbook. Going on right now with the FanDuel Sportsbook app, new customers can finish the season strong with $250 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. FanDuel has so many ways for you to pick up a W. I love betting on which players are going to score a touchdown.
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Starting point is 00:08:46 Let's go for that big price. Maybe predict the Super Bowl. Hey, you think it's going to be a Chiefs-Packers? You put that together, parlay it together, and see if you can hit big. That is what you can do on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Just visit FanDuel.com to join today. That's FanDuel.com for your chance
Starting point is 00:09:01 to win $250 in bonus bets if you win that first $5 bet. Make every moment more with FanDuel.com for your chance to win $250 in bonus bets if you win that first $5 bet. Make every moment more with FanDuel, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Trent Conant back with you once again, a Christmas Eve edition of Locked on Hawkeyes. And thanks for being with us and making Lockeddown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. All right, it's wishlist time. Let's get into our Hawkeye wishlist. And I want to start the proceedings
Starting point is 00:09:34 where we started the conversation today with Iowa football. And let's start with the portal. What's on the wishlist? Now, going through, we've talked about the quarterback position, the importance of the quarterback position, and what Iowa goes into next season.
Starting point is 00:09:49 Hank Brown, a developmental quarterback with three years of eligibility coming in from Auburn, a guy that I think there is excitement about, upside certainly with him. Brendan Sullivan, who left Northwestern. They were ready to move on, and they were ready to move on because I think of concerns about him reading defenses. And the completion percentage is nice, but down the field, you saw it in the UCLA game, throwing late, cross the middle, doing it two different times, shows you the concerns about him. He's tough, he's rugged,
Starting point is 00:10:20 he can run, and that's exciting because we haven't seen much of that in a Hawkeye uniform. However, there is a knock against him. We're not talking about a Northwestern program. Like Dan Purse is not walking through that door. They weren't putting up 50 points a game. And they were ready to move on. And then Jackson Stratton, who nobody wanted this summer. And Iowa gave him a walk-in opportunity.
Starting point is 00:10:42 That's the quarterback room. But that's not at the top of the portal wish list, certainly for me, for the Hawkeyes this year. I want to see, first and foremost, them to add speed. Now, there is one speed guy at the wide receiver position, and that is Seth Anderson. The problem with Seth Anderson has been injuries. He hasn't been able to stay healthy.
Starting point is 00:11:07 I know we saw it a couple of times this year, the speed down the field had one big catch, had open for another one that McNamara missed in the end zone. We see the speed component, but we just haven't seen enough of it. And with that, you can't go into next season saying, well, we got Seth Anderson and that's it, as it pertains to speed. If we're going to see this Iowa offense take that next step forward, it was a step forward this year overall. Their running game improved immensely.
Starting point is 00:11:36 Caleb Johnson had a ton to do with that. A healthy offensive line also there, but it also was schematic. You saw what they did schematically this season, working a lot more instead of just strictly inside outside zone, doing a bunch of different things, counter looks, different opportunities for Iowa to do things. And then when they did that outside zone play, it wasn't strictly turning completely outside, but instead going off the outside hip of the tackle. Excuse me. So that's what we have.
Starting point is 00:12:08 Still battling that cough. We're battling our way back. The run game improved, but the passing game didn't. And in order to unlock this passing game and to see even more, you need more talent, you need better quarterback play, but you need more speed on the field. better quarterback play, but you need more speed on the field. Jacob Gill proved to be a very solid Big Ten receiver, and the best that Iowa has. Reese Van Der Zee shown that, yes, he can make plays at this level,
Starting point is 00:12:39 but you need more, and the speed element. And that's where I start the conversation. As we continue the wish list here for Iowa football on Christmas Eve, we go next to cornerback. No, not quarterback, cornerback. We saw the troubles that Iowa had this year, finding that number two. On the other side of Jamari Harris, they went through three different guys and they all had their highs. They all had plenty of lows. And going into next season with those being at the top of your depth chart, TJ Hall, ups and downs. John Nestor, certainly up and downs.
Starting point is 00:13:11 And Deshaun Lee, ups and downs. I don't know how confident you can feel with all three of those guys next season competing for two spots. I want to see that ready-made starter. Unfortunately, some of the swings that Iowa took early in the portal have come up empty. The quarterback straighter that we talked about from Miami, Ohio, he's committed to Auburn. So there's been some misses there. And that leads to frustration, no doubt. You got to keep swinging. And I think you need to find more talent at that position. Another thing that I do wonder when you
Starting point is 00:13:41 talk about the defensive backfield is how much flexibility is there with some of these guys you know we saw Zach Luttmer he played a lot more in the back half of the season and he did in the dime package that they employed a whole lot more now with the cash position which one of those guys are more interchangeable you know which one of these players can be a guy that can play different you got Wampa coming back you have have Cohen entering or coming back. You have some other guys that they're excited about their future and how you kind of mix and match and let them amongst them, how you make this all work. And do we see the cash position as a morphing more into that safety role? And we saw Sebastian Castro, who was a big safety or small linebacker,
Starting point is 00:14:24 right? But we've seen guys of different size and statures in that role before. And Dane Belton is not going to be a guy that is confused with a guy that is built like Sebastian Castro. So what Iowa can do with that position and kind of what it means going forward. But I do believe that Iowa needs help at the cornerback spot. And that's number two on my wishlist in the transfer portal. We get to number three, wide receiver, speed wide receiver, cornerback. And next up on the list for me is a left tackle. Now it looks like I was on the outside looking in with Ottawa, the rice
Starting point is 00:15:01 offensive tackle. Ohio State, a couple of guys over on three, a couple of the national reporters over there put in their, I don't think they call them crystal ball, their prediction, and they had it that he was going to go to Ohio State. Here's the crazy thing. So Iowa finishes second for Boba Pribula. Iowa finishes second, likely, for Ottawa. And with both of them,
Starting point is 00:15:28 it wasn't because Iowa was just completely outbid. It was close. And close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, right? But I don't know. There's something that does give me a little bit of excitement. Because I go back to two years ago when Iowa did do well in the portal. They all didn't work as we've talked about, but we did do well. And when that happened, it wasn't everything that happened all at once. Yeah, they got McNamara very early in the process,
Starting point is 00:15:56 but there was more of that trickle effect. And timing's different, periods are different. They're always changing the landscape and the periods and the clock and the way that the dates all match up here. But I was not done. And personally, if it came down to getting a quarterback and getting four or five guys that can be starters or at least depth pieces for the team this year, I'm going with the depth part of it. Maybe that's crazy and maybe that's just a little stress disorder that we've seen watching quarterback play for Iowa over the last six years.
Starting point is 00:16:27 That probably has a little something to do with both of those, but I think you can build this team up in other areas, and I think you can get enough as it's currently constructed out of this quarterback group. So it's tackled, and a left tackle for Iowa. Now, again, this is not going to be easy to find a left tackle that's going to be able to come in and play right away. Be ready to go. Be able to take what Kirk Ferentz wants out of a left tackle and make it hit.
Starting point is 00:16:50 And then we go back to a couple years ago and speak in that. Dajon Parker was a guy that Iowa beat out what Virginia and a couple other programs for his services. I think Syracuse might have been involved. And Parker looked like a steal. Got injured, got banked up early in August camp and was never heard from again. That is a concern when you're going to those lower levels and if it just doesn't hit or an injury hits,
Starting point is 00:17:15 you got nothing left. When you're looking at these one-year stopgaps, that very well could happen. But I look at this Iowa offensive line, Logan Jones coming back and the improvements that we've seen out of him at the center position. Mo Stevens, a fine guard. And hopefully he's got a step forward that he's able to take this upcoming season.
Starting point is 00:17:34 And then Jennings Dunker coming back at right tackle. I don't think there is a realistic way that Jennings Dunker is going to be a left tackle. I don't think he has a requisite foot speed to be that. Right tackle is definitely probably the place for him and foot speed to be that. A right tackle is definitely probably the place for him and likely going to be the place, maybe even inside at the next level, but that aside. A left tackle is tough to find. They're going to be expensive. It's number three on my wishlist for Iowa football in the transfer portal. Now we get to number four, and all right, then we get to quarterback. I think this just shows you, though,
Starting point is 00:18:06 I think people know my thoughts on Brandon Sullivan. Look, there was a reason that we went into the year with a lot of question marks about him. And I love him as a runner. I love the tough guy. I love that they employed something to get him involved because he does have a special skill set. But I just don't believe that he is a difference maker.
Starting point is 00:18:27 And that's what you need at the quarterback spot. If I was going to have an even good season next year for Iowa standards, win eight, nine games next year with the schedule that they have, I think they need somebody special at quarterback. I don't think that's Brendan Sullivan. I don't think he's a special quarterback. Good quarterback, sure. Tough quarterback, absolutely.
Starting point is 00:18:45 A guy that could win you games? Yeah, some. But what they have next year, how difficult that slate's going to be, I just don't see him being the difference maker that you need at that spot. And because of that, if it is building up the rest of your roster even more, I'm a proponent of making that happen. So that is a look through my Christmas wish list for Iowa football in the portal. But we got more.
Starting point is 00:19:09 There's other sports. What does the wish list include for basketball? We got a little wrestling here. We got some other thoughts. Let's talk about that. We continue. This is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime.
Starting point is 00:19:29 Well, GameTime, it is great being together during the holiday season and getting together with your friends, your families, not just at your gathering, your special event, whatever it may be, but being together
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Starting point is 00:20:44 Again, create an account and redeem code LOCKDONCOllege for $20 off your purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code LOCKEDONCOllege, L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N-C-O-L-L-E-G-E for $20 off. Download GameTime today. What time is it? GameTime. Back with you one final time. I'm Trent Condon, and this is Locked on Hawkeyes. Hit that subscribe button if you're watching this on YouTube.
Starting point is 00:21:09 If you're listening on the audio side podcast way, make sure you give us a five-star review. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. And this Christmas Eve, we are making our wish list. So we had our portal wish list. Let's talk about Iowa football. First and foremost, Kirk Ferentz, get a win in the bowl game. Get the tie with Woody Hayes for the Big Ten record. Then next season, keep that win percentage over 600 or round it up over 600.
Starting point is 00:21:38 So he's eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame. Look, I know there's plenty of you out there that don't like Kirk Ferentz or you're done with Kirk Ferentz. I strongly disagree. I still think there's more there. And I caution that the other side is not always better, right? The grass is not always greener. And Iowa football is not an easy job. Iowa football is not a turnkey operation that anybody can come in and win the games that Kirk Ferentz has. Has the game passed him by? I don't believe so. Does there need to be more out of the offense? Sure. And I think he would tell you the same, but I just, look, I went through the Dr. Tom era and I was a brash, young idiot that thought he had all the answers. And I thought Steve Alford was going to be the guy.
Starting point is 00:22:29 And then I found out very quickly, not only is he not the guy to do it, he's also a terrible person. And Kirk Ferentz is a good person that wins a lot of football games. I don't know what the expectation should be. Every fan has to have their own set of expectations of what it is. But I want to see him be able to maintain that 600 threshold in the terms of win percentage and get and be eligible to be a college football Hall of Famer. And that means next season, put together another successful year. And as we've talked about, that's going to be incredibly difficult. How about this? And this is number one on my wish list out of all this that we've talked about today. It's for Freya McCaffrey to make the Sweet
Starting point is 00:23:08 16. And I don't care what the path is. I don't care if there's an upset in front of them. Iowa is the 10 seed. They beat the 7 in the first round. The 2 gets upset by a 15 and they make it that way. I don't care. I just want
Starting point is 00:23:24 to end the narrative of the second weekend, the Sweet 16, for 25 years. It's been too long. And we can go around and around about the Iowa basketball program and why people aren't showing up, why people have free and fatigue, why people will never come back, or the reasons that they haven't come back in the last 20 years. The reality is I don't think a Sweet 16 is going to change the perception for many people,
Starting point is 00:23:51 but I just want to see a narrative. And I just want to see Iowa in the Sweet 16. Look, I was a freshman in college, 98, 99. That was a long time ago. Last time they were in a Sweet 16. I remember being a one-eyed Jakes watching the game against UConn in that Sweet 16. A bunch of my friends were down in Arizona. We were able to see it in person.
Starting point is 00:24:12 Wish I was able to make that trip. But that moment, the buildup, those three days that you get or four days that you get leading into that Sweet 16 matchup where anything could happen. You can pull another upset. You can be that Cinderella. You can be anything could happen. You can pull another upset. You can be that Cinderella. You can be that Dark Horse. You can be that team that comes out of nowhere and makes a Final Four.
Starting point is 00:24:32 Look, we've seen South Carolina make a Final Four. We've seen Florida Atlantic make a Final Four. San Diego State make a Final Four. And I'm not saying Final Four here. I'm just asking for a Sweet 16. Number one on my list this Christmas. Santa, I've been relatively good. Can't you hook a Hawkeye fan up? Speaking of sweet 16s, I want to see the same thing for the women's basketball program. Again, we're not shooting for the moon here. We're not
Starting point is 00:24:57 talking about national championships, but to continue the momentum. And a year after losing Kaitlyn Clark to the WNBA, her moving on, not just her, but Kate Martin and Gabby Marshall. If you can maintain another successful year where Iowa finishes in the top third of the Big Ten, top five, six, something like that, on the fringe of the top 25 all season long as they have been, and you couple that with a run to the Sweet 16, I think that will say a lot about this Iowa basketball program. And it will keep them, that it's not just one person. And we know it wasn't one person. Now, that one person was different in Kaitlin Clark. But continuing that momentum and hopefully building the foundation now where it is sustainable, where it is year in and year out,
Starting point is 00:25:40 Iowa's going to be a team that's going to be a contender. year out, I was going to be a team that's going to be a contender. Not for a national championship every year, but for an opportunity to play at that level. So it's a sweet 16 for both the men and the women's program. Finally, a couple others. Wrestling. How about that? Just beat Penn State. I know it's impossible, but it has not been fun on the wrestling front. They've retooled, and they've rebuilt, and they went to the portal, and they've hit it hard. It just isn't very fun to go into a march and see that behemoth that
Starting point is 00:26:14 is Penn State. And a wrestling school like Iowa and feel like you don't have a shot, that you don't have an opportunity. Let's get a return to the NCAA tournament for the baseball team. How about the softball team? They're going through some transition. Coach Gillespie's not going to be with them this season. Certainly hope, though, they continue to build. A couple years ago, they went to basically the equivalent of
Starting point is 00:26:35 the softball NIT and won that, I believe, a couple years ago. Get that momentum going. There's so much good softball here in the state of Iowa, and build that program up and be as successful as we've seen some other programs certainly around the area and keep those ladies home to play their college softball at Iowa. And I know I miss some, you know, there's other sports that I missed and I apologize for missing them. Can't be everything for everyone. Those are the top of my wishlist. How about, oh, there you go. Another national championship for the women's wrestling team. Two for two.
Starting point is 00:27:06 Let's make that happen as well. Hope everybody out there has a Merry Christmas. Santa, please give me a sweet 16. That's all I ask. I don't ask for much. I don't need much. I'm here talking Hawkeyes with you each and every day. Have a Merry Christmas to everybody out there.
Starting point is 00:27:21 Again, hit that subscribe button if you're watching. And don't forget, we got you covered on the Hawkeye front, but not alone. Locked on your favorite baseball team, your favorite NFL team, your favorite NHL, NBA. We got you covered on that front. Just search Locked On. Could be Locked On Bears, Locked On Saints, could be Locked On Jaguars. Whatever it is, we got you covered there. Locked On Big Ten, Craig Schieman, he's got you covered, talking all things Big Ten and stopping that narrative about the SEC. We're working hard, all of us, to do that. We'll be back with you after Christmas and a lot to get into, including a breakdown of the bowl game.
Starting point is 00:27:56 Let's see if Santa's got something nice under your tree. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Go Hawks.

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