Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Why Iowa Hawkeyes' Quarterback Situation & Brendan Sullivan Could Decide the Game vs. Wisconsin

Starting point is 00:00:00 it's a crossover edition locked on Hawkeyes locked on Badgers myself Trent Condon and Ryan Herrings as we talk the world of the old Big Ten West it is different days no doubt and we're going to get into it the battle for the bowl Iowa versus Wisconsin certainly one of my favorite games each and every year Ryan I grew up in North Iowa had family in Madison growing up went to this game many times as a youngster. And in the 80s, it was really good. Through the 90s, it was really good until the end. And then by the time I was in college, it went disastrous.

Starting point is 00:00:33 We've turned it back into a rivalry here these last couple of decades. Good to talk to you again this year. Ryan, how are you doing? Man, I am great. Are you kidding me? It's Iowa-Wisconsin week. Let's fire up. I love it.

Starting point is 00:00:44 I love this matchup I love this game and we were talking before the show it feels like we're both kind of back to where we've been which is yeah five and three ish like not really battling for anything really uh but but like really a fun game I can't wait for it I love it and outside of the fact that you guys now score points and we run an air raid. Everything feels the same. That's the first two differences from the last couple years. It really is odd, and Iowa's turned into an over wagon now. They have hit the over in the point total in every game but one so far this season, completely opposite of what it was a year ago,

Starting point is 00:01:19 where Iowa week after week after week was hitting these historic lows in terms of the point total that you can find at FanDuel. Not the case this year. They're scoring points. Now, it's not all offense and it's certainly not the passing game, but we'll talk about that as we dive into this matchup a little bit more. Ryan, first, I want to get your perspective. As we sit here, we did this a year ago as Iowa-Wisconsin were getting ready to face off a little bit earlier in the season, a couple of weeks earlier when that was. You guys came in at four and one. Iowa had just lost Cade McNamara. We saw Deacon Hill, who of course you guys knew, and I felt like Iowa had no chance. You felt like Iowa had no chance. And I still hear it here today from some of my buddies about that

Starting point is 00:01:59 one. Deacon didn't do much. It was one long play and a great defensive effort for Iowa that day that pulled out the victory. But now that momentum that you guys maybe had early in the season looked like it was starting to come back. I don't want to say it came crashing down with that loss to Penn State because we're talking about an undefeated top five team. But just in general, where would you say this Wisconsin fan base is? You're number two of Fickle and Company. And what the program,

Starting point is 00:02:26 Villango running the offense, where the temperature is of Badger Nation? Yeah, it's a great question. And honestly, it probably depends on who you ask. There's certainly some people who are still a little salty, a little frustrated about losing Paul Crist, felt like he should have a longer leash given his track record. And then two years in, though, that contingent of Badger fans will tell you, well, it doesn't seem that much better with Luke Fickle.

Starting point is 00:02:46 I would say the majority of Badger fans, though, are still pretty on board with Luke Fickle, what he's done, what he's building. Recruiting has gotten much better, more dynamic. And patience is required, is where I'm at. Like, you can't shift so much from a culture that had been established and etched out of granite for two decades.

Starting point is 00:03:03 And in a year and a half, it clicks, right? So so i think this year we've started to see some stuff come together the vision is looking like we want it to look like on defense they've got some more athletes at linebacker it's not the traditional wisconsin defense of the last three or four years five years that jim leonard and david randall those guys orchestrated it's not that good but we're starting to see things come together there and thenly, it's been a lack of cohesion, a lack of consistency. Now, I would also point out, like, sometimes sports, much like life, are just unfair. For the second year in a row, Phil Longo has lost his starting quarterback to injury. Last year, it was Tanner Mordecai.

Starting point is 00:03:38 This year, it's Tyler Van Dyke. It's hard, right, when you're playing with your number two guy for the second straight year and you're playing against a really tough schedule. To your point, it looked like Wisconsin had started figuring some things out. They had that three-game stretch against Northwestern, Purdue, and Rutgers where they basically rolled all of them to different degrees. And then they had a home game against Penn State. It felt like throughout that game, I was there, I was in Madison.

Starting point is 00:04:00 It felt like throughout that game, Penn State was slowly taking more and more control of it, but it was still 14-13 going into the fourth quarter. So I wouldn't say momentum has completely shifted away. That's a really good team. They're better than Wisconsin. There was some disappointment in the way it got away at the end, which is similar to the way the game against USC got away in the end. So there are Badger fans are getting frustrated about, hey, win the big game. You got enough of the progress, enough of the moral victories. You got to win the big game.

Starting point is 00:04:27 And to me, I was a big game. Like you go into Kinnick and you beat Iowa. It's it's not beating Penn state on defeated Penn state, but that's a big game. And that's what this, this program, this fan base, I think this coach steps leaning into, this is maybe their last realistic shot this season to get a quote unquote kind of signature victory. So yeah, I don't know if that answers your question in terms of temperature, but I think most Badger fans are cautiously optimistic still,

Starting point is 00:04:49 and it's just taking a little longer than they had hoped. Well, and I look at you guys and your closing stretch that you have after this one, Oregon at Nebraska, Minnesota, of course, the Oregon games, Oregon,

Starting point is 00:05:00 the number one team in the country. And both those final two games are losable. I don't think the Gophers are great by any means, but they've shown a propensity to play at least okay. And of course, we know Nebraska. We saw when they show up and do what they do defensively a week ago against the Buckeyes, just how good that team could be.

Starting point is 00:05:17 Arroyo is going to be a guy, and there's going to be his moments that he's going to make here. You lose this one, and all of a sudden, you're looking at that three-game gauntlet at the end from a Wisconsin perspective and I'd say, boy, look out here because you know how things

Starting point is 00:05:29 get and you know how ugly things can get. That losing streak continues. We're in year number two and we end the year losing even three out of four, something like that down the stretch. It's going to get negative in a hurry and it's a lot of losing, something you guys aren't used to over the last quarter

Starting point is 00:05:45 century plus. Yeah, no, it's a great point. And that this is a huge, a huge game for both programs are both sitting at five and three, but the Badger schedule this year has just been a bear, right?

Starting point is 00:05:54 Wisconsin has played Penn state. They had Alabama, they had USC in the Coliseum early when USC was playing a little better. They're going to have Oregon still like this game is so important to the Badgers, because if you win this, I think you can paint yourself a picture where they finish with seven or eight wins. They're going to drop

Starting point is 00:06:09 Oregon, but I think they can beat Minnesota and Nebraska if you can get this game in Kinnick. For Iowa, this feels like a springboard to getting to eight or nine wins. If you can beat Wisconsin, suddenly that path opens up to eight or nine. I think it's a huge moment for both teams, really.

Starting point is 00:06:25 Looking down the stretch of the season, what can we end up with as a win-loss record? This is kind of a crossroad moment for both these programs. And I want to kind of shift it to you on that one. Crossroad moment for both these programs. Crossroad moment for the quarterback room a little bit. We saw Sullivan come in last week and look great. Like led four straight scoring drives.

Starting point is 00:06:43 Brendan Sullivan, the former Northwestern quarterback, obviously Badger fans are familiar with him, more athletic. I think he plays much better with Caleb, just the ability to do some more RPOs where he can actually cause the defense some havoc, some stress. That's an area the Badgers defense has had some issues with. What do you expect to see week two of Sullivan? Because there is an element of now there's a week of film.

Starting point is 00:07:05 The Badgers are going to be a little more prepared for that element of the game. Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt. And with the running quarterback, it is going to kind of flip this Iowa offense on its head and what it is. Now, I continue to hear going back to practice in August that the gap between McNamara as a thrower and Sullivan was pretty significant. It wasn't a small gap. It was significant. The problem was that Cade McNamara was struggling himself. And in games throughout the course of this year,

Starting point is 00:07:29 he was struggling making some very simple throws. Even before the injury, the concussion he sustained last week against Northwestern made a big play, nearly overthrew it. It took a diving grab to get it up the middle of the field. If you would have thrown it on the spot, it would have been a touchdown. Then at Seth Anderson, again in the end zone, it overthrows it out of bounds and missed. So he was out of sorts throughout the course of this one. Brendan Sullivan's always been accurate. It's not a whole lot of deep shots down the field, but accuracy really hasn't been a major problem for him. And then you add this running component

Starting point is 00:07:58 to it. Caleb Johnson said it after the game, the second leading rusher in the country. He said, you know what? It's pretty good having a guy out there like this. And Brendan Sullivan's been a part of the team ever since the debacle against Iowa State in week two, when they had the ball three times, well, overall would have been seven times inside the three yard line and got two field goals out of it and lost by a point. They developed this package inside the 10 yard line for him. So he's been playing ever since then. And he's been out there in those inside the 10-yard line situations. So he's got plenty of experience now. It's just going to be, can they open up the playbook?

Starting point is 00:08:33 Can there be more in the passing game for Brendan Sullivan? I think that's what all of us are kind of waiting for here. You mentioned that kind of crossroads moment. And given the Badger kind of perspective of uh what we're seeing here for the hawkeyes this was supposed to be the year they returned a ton of guys back a lot of six-year guys they use their nil money instead of going out in the transfer portal no they use that to get those guys to come back for another year guys that it would have been fourth fifth sixth round draft picks no we're going to spend the money keep these guys around for another season and nick jackson

Starting point is 00:09:04 jay higgins uh sebastian castro guys that are all all big 10 honorees in No, we're going to spend the money, keep these guys around for another season. And Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins, Sebastian Castro, guys that are all Big Ten honorees in the past. We're going to bring them back. The schedule set up incredibly well. Your tough matchups. Well, Washington, we see Washington is certainly not the team that played for a national title a year ago. And short of the road trip to Ohio State, it was a manageable schedule. Yet they're out of it. They already have three losses. There will be no college football playoff. The hope was this team could get to 10-2, maybe sneak in the back door of the college football playoff because the schedule becomes a bear. Not going to be the case, and with it, as you guys certainly remember up there in Wisconsin, an aging coach and a lot of questions, and that's what's happening down here right now

Starting point is 00:09:42 with Iowa. Let's get into the matchup here coming up on Saturday. We'll break things down. Ryan and Trent with you. Locked on Badgers, locked on Hawkeyes. It's a crossover edition. We dive into the game, what we expect to see on Saturday. Stay right there as we continue Locked On. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. We'll be right back. The FanDuel Sportsbook app gives you everything you need to place live bets on the NFL all in one place.

Starting point is 00:10:26 So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats, view live play-by-play, and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. Having that information there, seeing if your eyes actually match up with the numbers, incredibly important when you're jumping in live. And of course, you can bet college football as well. Iowa, Wisconsin, that thing's been bouncing back and forth just around a field goal, three, three and a half, depending on what time you're shopping

Starting point is 00:10:49 on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Get started with FanDuel and visit fanduel.com to join today. You'll get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 bet. Again, fanduel.com, never waste a hunch and make every moment more with FanDuel, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Trent and Ryan, back with you once again. Locked on Hawkeyes, locked on Badgers,

Starting point is 00:11:16 crossover edition as we look forward to the Battle of the Bull, the Heartland Trophy. The Heartland Trophy? Couldn't we come up with a better name than that? I know this is a new trophy. This is not something that dates back to the late 1800s, early 1900s. But the Heartland Trophy, I don't know. I love the Heartland, but come on. I kind of like it, actually. Maybe just compared to other trophies they've shoehorned into us. Sure, yeah, you've dealt with that a lot, yeah.

Starting point is 00:11:42 The Freedom Trophy, I mean, that AI-generated thing. So I actually don't mind the Heartland Trophy. sure yeah you've dealt with that a lot yeah the freedom trophy i mean that ai generated thing so i actually don't mind the harland trophy that and and the the actual trophy itself looks good with the bowl like i'm good with it um by the way i feel like i should just have you come on every time do my ad reads that was way easier and nicer i don't have to deal with it something out yeah let's do it that works a lot better right because i actually really want to ask you specifically what did michigan state do outside of one big run was there anything schematically they did to stop caleb john caleb johnson it was just one big 74-ish yard run and outside of that it felt like they had them locked up they really did a good job of crashing hard.

Starting point is 00:12:28 And the thing that more than anything that I saw, and it was really surprising because Tim Lester, the new offensive coordinator for Iowa, he's done a really nice job of mixing in a few counterplays, doing some things to the outside, even showing jet sweep motion. And every once in a while, giving it to the guy. There was none of that against Michigan State. It was such an odd game plan. And they were behind the sticks. McNamara was three of nine in the first half of that game. They're playing from behind. He played a lot

Starting point is 00:12:52 better in the second half of the game, at least throwing the football. But more than anything, that's what it was. They just, they didn't have any counterpunch at all. Nothing that they could do. And Michigan State was charged up. I mean, they were run blitzing seemingly every single time and McNamara couldn't make them pay. So they're able to keep doing it time in and time out. So I think more than anything, that was what it was. But you mentioned outside of the 75 yarder, that's something that Caleb Johnson does. And you'll see him even going back last week against Northwestern. Northwestern did very similar. In fact, his only runs of double figures more than 10 yards a week ago were his

Starting point is 00:13:25 three touchdown runs. And they went for a 23, 30 and 30 and 40, something like that. That's what he does. He is a big play back and it just takes a small crease. You look at him, he's angular. He's kind of a bigger running back. Dude is fast. So I tell the story all the time, his freshman year, his first game, we had a lightning delay. Game didn't end until like 1.30 against Nevada. He's played late in the game, has a long touchdown, and it looks like he just, okay, well, he's played an overmatched opponent, right? And then it had one of those, I see one of those Twitter accounts

Starting point is 00:13:56 that measures their miles per hour. It was the second fastest in college football in the season, a couple weeks into the season. We're talking about a freshman at the time that was 18. He doesn't look as fast as he is because he's a long strider. And there's so many defensive backs that think they have an angle on him. No, they don't. He just, they missed the angle because of the speed that he doesn't look like he has. And he absolutely does. So you're going to see that from Caleb Johnson. He's done it every single game. He even did it against Ohio State that was late in the game. So he's going to have a big one in there. I think the big thing

Starting point is 00:14:28 for Wisconsin is those plays. Instead of letting him make it a second and four, is it a second and eight? There's not much there, but he falls forward for a couple. Those are going to be the things because Iowa, I believe with Sullivan, is not going to be built in a way nobody can play from behind the sticks, right? Second and 12 is death, but it's even more death for Iowa football. You know, it's really interesting to me here. And for Badger fans who haven't seen Caleb Johnson in a row, like you're in for a treat. He's a bigger guy, but he finds holes really well. Then he's fast. He's physical. He's awesome. He's, I think I saw averaging right now, some 24 yards per carry, I think is what it's up to down to. That's an absurd number absurd number for the workload he gets he's really really good and it's always fun to see really great players

Starting point is 00:15:09 i think the the interesting matchup here the obvious matchup here sometimes we tend to make things so complicated i think it's just literally who's going to run the ball better like his constant run the ball because braven lock much much like sull Sullivan and or McNamara or whoever, Deacon last year, it doesn't matter. Insert Iowa quarterback. But also insert Wisconsin quarterback. It doesn't matter. Neither of these teams are set up to throw the ball consistently if they don't have that running game complimenting them, that running game putting them in second four. And more importantly, that running game drawing a safety into the box.

Starting point is 00:15:43 And that's what both of these teams need. And the Badgers started the year with a three-back carousel. More importantly, that running game drawing a safety into the box. And that's what both of these teams need. And the Badgers started the year with a three-back carousel. I would probably remember Ches Malusi. He stepped away after three, four weeks after the USC game. And Tyree Walker has really emerged as the bell cow. Pretty good back. I would call him a – he's definitely a hammer.

Starting point is 00:16:02 Big load, runs with great leverage. He does not have the deep speed. He's not that guy who's going to break a 50, 60, 70-yarder, but he's going to run physical. He's going to be a tough interior challenge for the Iowa front seven. And then they complemented with a freshman they really like, Darren Dupree. But ultimately, again, it's who's going to win the line of scrimmage in this game on both sides. And the team that's more able to run the ball is going to set their passing game. And

Starting point is 00:16:25 I think that's the team that wins. And it's possible maybe both teams are able to do it somewhat consistently and we get a higher scoring game than Wisconsin-Iowa traditionally has been. And I can see that path happening as well. So very simply for me, it comes down to turnovers. I said it a week ago, as I loved Wisconsin last week. I loved them getting the points on the FanDuel app. I was jumping aboard. I was putting all kinds of money on them. But I said it very simply. I said, if Brayden Locke doesn't turn it over,

Starting point is 00:16:51 they don't cover. They win the football game. And I still believe that. He turned it over. And of course they lose and don't cover on top of it. Go back to last year. What happened? Wisconsin turned it over twice. They outgained them.

Starting point is 00:17:01 They had double the first downs in the game. 18 to nine. Iowa, zero turnovers. Wisconsin, two and one big play. The difference is that. Now this Iowa offense is more dynamic. I'm going to hope that Brendan Sullivan does not go, what was it, 6-14 for 37 yards like Big Deke did a year ago for the Hawkeyes. I think they're going to get a little bit more out of the passing game. Speaking of that though, I want to throw this by you, Ryan, because I'm sure it's probably flying under the radar a little bit, just how dire things are in the Iowa quarterback room right now.

Starting point is 00:17:31 Cade McNamara was not back at practice as of Tuesday. In fact, he went to the quarterback group meeting and had to leave because he had a concussion and the lights were too much, the fluorescent lights, and he had to leave that one. So the likelihood that he's going to be able to play this weekend, incredibly low. The backup quarterback to him, Marco Lyon, as again, played a little bit at the end of the bowl game a year ago. Athletic guy can run around. Not a great thrower right now.

Starting point is 00:17:56 He had an injury last week in practice. He hurt his hand. Doesn't sound like he's going to be available this week. So the only other quarterback that was on the roster that's a scholarship quarterback, well, he's no longer a quarterback. James Rezar, the freshman that they brought in this year from Florida, they've already moved him to wide receiver and he got hurt on top of it. So he can't even be practicing right now at the quarterback position. You're looking at a walk-on Jackson Stratton as the backup this weekend. He played two years ago at Colorado State. He went a Deacon Hill-like, 4 of 17,

Starting point is 00:18:27 with two interceptions in his appearance with Colorado State. And if it's not him, it is a defensive back walk-on that played quarterback in high school. That is what I was looking at. I do wonder, long way of saying, we know Brendan Sullivan, his strength is his legs legs but with what's behind him if mcnamara isn't available even in a backup role this weekend does that mean that they have to hey we got a throttle down here we can't use those zone re-com sets you can't be running around and

Starting point is 00:18:56 making plays because we can't afford you to get hurt maybe that falls in line there and certainly helps the wisconsin perspective that that's wild it reminds me of, was it six, seven years ago when Maryland lost their top four quarterbacks? Lane the linebacker? Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's kind of wild because there have been calls for Braden Locke. No, Braden Locke is not the athlete Sullivan is,

Starting point is 00:19:16 but obviously Braden Locke is the number two. Behind Braden Locke, the Badgers have a true freshman, maybe a mentor, they like him, but he's a true freshman. They're not ready to throw him into the bullet. There's been calls from Badger fans about, man, Braden Locke on some of these RPOs because Wisconsin, Phil Longo, he also wants to use RPO action. If you're an Iowa fan and you're used to 20 years of Wisconsin football and you somehow slept through last year, you're not going to recognize what you see.

Starting point is 00:19:38 It's going to be shotgun. It's going to be three wide, four wide, and he still uses tight ends. He still wants to run the ball, but he wants the RPO action, and Locke very rarely keeps it, so the end crashes down backside blows a lot of place up but the badgers also don't really want lock running because even even in a place where you get five because if he gets hurt it's a true freshman coming in so similar although it's a bigger part of sullivan's game which to me is interesting they're obviously going to have to limit some of those hits but they're still gonna have to pick and choose because you're if you if you don't let him run then you might as well not

Starting point is 00:20:06 have Sullivan play right like that's I mean that's kind of what he does to some degree so yeah that's an interesting one I don't know how they're gonna manage that one exactly any other big injuries for Iowa or anything else where you guys are down a body or two where I would feel better about my Wisconsin vet perhaps so a couple of different things that have cropped up here recently. And it's funny, about three weeks ago, Kirk Ferentz, in about as atypical a fashion for Kirk Ferentz as possible, he said, you know, this is as healthy as we've ever been. Oh, Kirk. Oh, no, no, no.

Starting point is 00:20:38 And apparently he pissed off the football gods because since then, the injuries have continued to pile up since then. A couple of big ones now. stevens is starting guard for them he is anticipated that he's going to be back this week at a full-time capacity probably not though they've been rotating a couple of guys over there including a redshirt freshman in kate peeper uh who's a little bit undersized at the guard position so that's one to keep an eye on if stevens is out there john nester he came in, got his first extensive action at Michigan State at cornerback, and he looked awful.

Starting point is 00:21:09 We found out why. He was hurt, and he didn't play last week. He was out. He's going to be out again this week. Probably the biggest thing, though, is the tight end position. You guys obviously know the importance of tight ends. We know the importance of tight ends. Not just Addison Estrenga, the number two, who plays a ton because of the way that Iowa plays. He's been out for a couple of weeks. He's going to be out again. Luke Lachey got banged up. They said he could have came back if an emergency arose against Northwestern, but as they were

Starting point is 00:21:34 blowing out the Wildcats, it didn't matter. Sounds like he's pretty touch and go. So all of a sudden, Iowa goes from down to the certainly top 15 tight ends in the Big Ten. And now you lose both of those guys, potentially if Lachey can't go or he's limited this week. It kind of gets scary in a hurry in the way that Iowa wants to play because we're not talking about a program that, eh, we'll just go three wide every single time.

Starting point is 00:21:57 That's not a strength, certainly, of this Iowa football team. And with what they want to do in the running game, again, you throw another component in there. I would anticipate Hayden Large would be the guy who is a fullback for them, but he wears a number in the 80s. He was playing D2 football. Just a crazy story. His name's Hayden, but he's not named after Hayden Fry.

Starting point is 00:22:17 Just all kinds of craziness with this kid's background there. He'll be out there in a blocking role, but you're not going to see any dynamic plays, I don't think, in the passing game out of the tight ends with what they have there. So, yeah, kind of a walking wounded. How about the Badgers? You mentioned Lucy stepped away. There's been a few others, obviously, Van Dyke being out. Anything else a little bit deeper down to the roster we should know about?

Starting point is 00:22:38 No. Honestly, the Badgers are actually really healthy for this point of the year. You need Fickle to talk about it then. Can Fickle talk about it? I'm finding something to knock on some voodoo dollar break or whatever. But they're actually – again, all things considered, you lose your starting quarterback, how lucky can you really be? But for the most part, the offensive line is healthy.

Starting point is 00:22:58 They are down Bryson Green, who's one of their starting receivers, but not the type of guy that you're going to build a game plan around. The running backs are pretty healthy. The defensive line lost a guy right before the year. That would have been the best defensive lineman on the team, but that was before the season. They've been really healthy. Nothing I can really point to that says, man, this just happened, and I don't know how the Badgers are going to fill that void. So, yeah, I mean, the football injury gods have shined relatively brightly on the Badgers since the Tyler Van Dyke injury, which obviously is a big one,

Starting point is 00:23:26 but since then they've been pretty, pretty lucky, which is so much of football, right? It's luck. It's you stepped the wrong way. You get rolled up the wrong way. It sucks, but that's, it is what it is. All right, Ryan, we're going to get into our predictions. What we anticipate we're going to see on Saturday on the field night game, and always a fun one at Kinnick Stadium when that one happens. Plus, I got to ask you what's happened with basketball. I got a question for you on the Badgers.

Starting point is 00:23:50 We'll talk a little Big Ten hoops to wrap things up and make our predictions. We continue. This is a crossover edition locked on Hawkeyes and locked on Badgers. Our friends over at 5-Hour Energy know that being a passionate football fan isn't just a hobby it's a way of life it takes a lot of energy to power through all day tailgates touchdown celebrations or an agonizing second overtime look it was incredible watching i will pull away and how about that big return by kate and weege in 85 yards and put the game on ice those big moments Hawkeye fans you're looking for your fan fuel for the week when that moment comes

Starting point is 00:24:30 be ready with it with five hour energy five hour energy knows that no matter what team you root for being a fan requires heart soul and a whole lot of energy whether you're prepping for a big tailgate or ironing your jersey your game day to-do list is always a mile long. That's why the limited edition Stand the Fan 5-Hour Energy Shot is here to help keep you fueled throughout the season. What's your fan fuel this week? Whatever it is, do it with a 5-Hour Energy. Available at 5hourenergy.com.

Starting point is 00:25:01 That's 5hourenergy.com. That's 5hourenergy.com. And shipped nationwide. Trent Coddett alongside Ryan Herring is back with you one final time here on the Crossover Edition, Locked On Hawkeyes and Locked On Badgers. I got to ask you, I just saw this from, was it Club Trillier, the guy on Twitter that has all the box scores. So I'm a Tavern Hawk. I went to Iowa for two years, transferred to UNI. That's where my degree's from. Dual fan, if you will.

Starting point is 00:25:34 My Panthers got the Badgers in the exhibition game. Is that true? Well, yeah, in the secret scrimmage. They actually played another – the Badgers just played one today against UW-River Falls. I didn't see what happened in the UNI one, but listen, I'm guessing that they're not a secret powerhouse this year. I'm guessing that's.

Starting point is 00:25:51 They're picked second in the MVC, so they should be pretty good. Okay. Yeah. Not exactly what you want to see, right? Not exactly what you want to lead off the season, right? The leadoff hitter, that's not what it is. I love basketball, though. I love hoops.

Starting point is 00:26:07 I was watching their scrimmage today against UW-River Falls. I've been looking at other Big Ten squads. Iowa, lots of shooting. It looks like if I'm looking at the Iowa team, it looks like shooting everywhere. Some really talented players, man. So, yeah, I can't wait. I love the center you guys got. A big kind of physical guy with Freeman.

Starting point is 00:26:27 Yeah, Owen Freeman. Like I like him a lot. He feels like he might be one of the best centers in the Big Ten. Obviously, Sanford is legit, legit good. So I can't wait, man. The Badgers have a whole bunch of new pieces. And one thing I've said on my show, it's this is going to be a bit of a test for Greg Gard in the NIL era.

Starting point is 00:26:43 How well can he reload and replace via transfer portal? Because that's a lot of what he has to do this offseason. 18-team league is going to be weird. You guys seemingly all the time find a way to finish up there and be a tournament team. I mean, is that the bare minimum this year? Be an NCAA tournament team? Is that the expectation? At least the baseline for the...

Starting point is 00:27:01 I'm sure it is every year for Wisconsin, right? Yeah, it's got to be. That's wisconsin right yeah like it's got to be like that's got to be and i was got to be there too like you have to set the expectation to make the tournament uh badger fans are very split on gray guard like he was a five he was a five seed last year and you would not think it based on the conversations i have now he also got bounced in round one as a five seed and pretty convincingly so So you got, you can't, you can't backslide. Like there's a certain level of expectation at Wisconsin. And that expectation is have a good team year in and year out, run a clean program, get

Starting point is 00:27:34 to the tournament. And I think Iowa falls along a lot of those same lines as well. Like consistent success over there as well. Yeah. And you know, a year ago they were on the bubble on the wrong side of it. Had an opportunity to finish up with Illinois and then played Illinois again and got bounced both games in the Big Ten tournament, the irregular season finale. If they would have won one of those games and both those games,

Starting point is 00:27:53 they would have been a tournament team. And that was the first time they missed the tournament in six years, which from what Iowa was and kind of the crater they fell into under the Licklider era, they'd have at least pulled themselves out of that. All Iowa fans now are hoping for is to get to the second weekend. In fact, speaking of my college days, that was the last time it happened. 1999, spring of 1999, my freshman year in Iowa City was the last time that Iowa made the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. It's been a long drought, and that's what people are waiting for there. But we got a long time before basketball. Let's get

Starting point is 00:28:22 together during basketball season. But let's talk football to wrap it up ryan prediction time coming into kinnick stadium kinnick under the lights and i saw today that i was going to go with the all blacks worked pretty well the last time bucky came to town what do you see in saturday night first of all iowa's uniforms are amazing i'm not just saying that because you're here. I, people that I talked to, I was talking to people last weekend. Cause I think Penn state is the most overrated uniforms in college football.

Starting point is 00:28:51 It looks, it's the most, it's just me. Like I know people like, ah, it's so pure. No, it's like a white helmet.

Starting point is 00:28:58 It's like someone didn't finish an art project. I think it's ridiculous. If they were like, if they weren't a blue blood, they look like a Mac school. Iowa, meanwhile, I love the colors. I love everything about that look. It's an iconic helmet.

Starting point is 00:29:12 It's also unique. It's clean. It's not too busy. And then with the all blacks under the lights, Kinnick, that's going to be an incredible thing. I do think Iowa wins. I think it's like a 26-23 game. I think it's close. I just think they've proven that they have a little bit more offensive identity than the Badgers do.

Starting point is 00:29:28 I'm more confident that they can run the ball versus us than us against y'all. And I think that's the key to the game, as I said. And then also you mentioned turnovers. I'm not confident Braden Locke makes it through a game without throwing a turnover, or throwing a pick, because he hasn't yet. It's been his bugaboo. He throws too many picks. He fumbles in the pocket.

Starting point is 00:29:43 If you can get a clean Braden Locke game, I think the Badgers can absolutely win this game, but we haven't seen him do that. And at some point people tell you who they are. 24, 20 Iowa under the lights. I think the defense is going to be a little too much. You met, you mentioned that Michigan state game. Iowa missed 19 tackles in the game. They'd never lost in the pro football focus area the last five years. Anything close to that? The high water mark was 13. They missed 19 tackles in the game. They'd never lost in the pro football focus era the last five years. Anything close to that. The high water mark was 13. They missed 19 tackles in the game. They cleaned that up a week ago, and I'm sure practice was not very fun. Charged up atmosphere, the excitement of Brendan Sullivan. So many people had checked out on Cade McNamara. I think that's going to create even more buzz in here, and I just don't see enough. Speaking of counter punches that

Starting point is 00:30:22 we talked about earlier, I don't see enough counter punches from Wisconsin outside of what they can do on the ground game in this one as he said I think there's going to be a few more points that people would be anticipating in an Iowa Wisconsin game but I got eventually Iowa pulling it out 24 20 the final for me Iowa gets a win to cover and another over as the overtrain continues for the Hawkeyes this season. Boy, if that does happen, Ryan, it's going to be some, I'm sure, difficult conversations with Oregon looming up next for you guys. Oh, gosh. I don't want any part of that game. Although, listen, come game week, I will find a path to victory.

Starting point is 00:30:58 I will find the reason they could trip them up. Yeah, like I said, it's just a tough battle, man, you go into Kinnick. Wisconsin does have a couple weapons on the outside. Vinny Anthony is a really fast boundary receiver who's made some plays this year. Maybe they can get something there. But, yeah, I just think it's tough against Iowa. Again, I think they have a more proven identity on offense right now. So I'm looking forward to it, man.

Starting point is 00:31:19 This has been awesome. The second year in a row we've been able to get together to do this. I really appreciate it. But, yeah, I'm looking forward to a good game. I do think Iowa's going to win, but we'll see. One final thing. Iowa has had some trouble in that second cornerback

Starting point is 00:31:33 spot. You speak of a speedy guy. Iowa's given up more long touchdowns this year than any season, certainly a recent pass. We'll leave it at that. We are out of time. Ryan Herring, you can find him on Twitter, at Ryan and Bucky, and of course, LockedOn Ryan Herrings. You can find him on Twitter X at Ryan and Bucky. And of course a locked on Badgers.

Starting point is 00:31:52 You can find myself Trent Condon at Trent Condon and locked on Hawkeyes. Thanks for being with us for this crossover edition and make sure to check out locked on big 10, Craig Scheman, always doing a great job and putting the big 10 first by locked on big 10 on YouTube and wherever you listen to your podcast. Hit subscribe if you're watching either side here. Locked On Badgers, Locked On Hawkeyes. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.

Starting point is 00:32:11 Go Hawks and... On Wisconsin, baby. Let's go. On Wisconsin. There it is. There it is. See you guys.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Why Iowa Hawkeyes' Quarterback Situation & Brendan Sullivan Could Decide the Game vs. Wisconsin

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