Is Kirk Ferentz on the cusp of becoming the Dean of Big Ten Football coaches?

With Joe Tiller retiring at Purdue at the end of this season, and with Joe Paterno's status at Penn State up in the air, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz could become the Dean of Big Ten Conference football coaches this off season.

Kirk Ferentz came to Iowa City as J. Hayden Fry's replacement, before the 1999 season.

Here are the coaches that have come and gone, since Mr. Ferentz arrived in Iowa City ahead of the 1999 season:

Indiana: Cam Cameron, Gerry Dinardo, Terry Hoepner, Bill Lynch
Illinois: Ron Turner, Ron Zook
Michigan: Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez
Michigan State: Nick Saban, Bobby Williams, John L Smith, Mark Dantonio
Minnesota: Glenn Mason, Tim Brewster
Northwestern: Randy Walker, Pat Fitzgerald
Ohio State: John Cooper, Jim Tressel
Penn State: Joe Paterno (Joe Pa is 81 years old and his contract expires after this season)
Purdue: Jor Tiller (on his way out after tomorrow, with Danny Hope in waiting)
Wisconsin: Barry Alvarez, Brett Bielema

peace

Iowa wins Senior Day game over Purdue 22-17

The Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) picked up a nice win over Purdue (3-8, 1-6 Big Ten) 22-17 on Senior Day. It was Iowa's Kirk Ferentz final match up with retiring coach Joe Tiller from Purdue. Ferentz may become the Dean of the Big Ten coaches, if Penn State's Joe Paterno retires after the 2008 season.

The Hawkeyes pick up their first win in three seasons on Senior Day, after losses by the 2006 and 2007 teams.

Next week, at Minnesota, in the final game in the Metrodome, the Hawkeyes look to win their seventh game in eight seasons, in their final conference road game of the year in the Big Ten Conference, under coach Ferentz.

The Hawkeyes had a very good run from 2002 to 2004, finishing #8 nationally for three straight seasons. From 2005 to 2007, Iowa was stuck at six to seven wins per season. Bowl eligible, but not particular competitive game in and game out.

In 2008, Iowa has been very competitive. In their four losses, Iowa lost by a total of 12 points. The Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale is ahead for Iowa, at Minnesota. A 5-3 finish in the Big Ten was my projection entering 2008. Huge game for Iowa next week!

peace

One Team succeeds, while another team falls short

The Iowa Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) are bowl eligible for the eighth straight season. The Hawkeyes will host Senior Day at Kinnick this Saturday vs. Purdue (3-7, 1-5 Big Ten), in Joe Tiller's final game in Iowa City as the Boilermakers' coach.

The Iowa State Cyclones (2-8, 0-6 Big 12) are closing out head coach Gene Chizik's second season in Ames. The Cyclones host Big 12 rival and Big 12 North leader Missouri (8-2, 4-2 Big 12) on Saturday night.

It was a tough 24-28 road loss at Colorado for the Cyclones this past week, while the Hawkeyes boot a late 31 yard field goal to beat Penn State 24-23! Ironically, the radio announcer for the Cyclones Radio Network suggested ISU might go to the option. It appears the Colorado defense was prepared for it.

peace

College Football is certainly a better place for this man...

Purdue's head coach Joe Tiller is right... while Penn State will certainly miss Joe Paterno, when he decides to step down from coaching. However, college football in general, will miss this great ambassador when it comes time for Joe Pa to step down.

Tuning into the Big Ten Network tonight, it was refreshing to listen to Joe Paterno speak to the media. On one question, he basically gave his feelings, but closed by saying, whatever the younger coaches feel is right, I can live with that. The question was on an early signing period.

One job I think Joe Paterno would have been very good at... would be as an in-studio TV analyst. He is a just a bright and refreshing ambassador for college football.

Cheers Joe! Here's to your health and family!

peace

Big Ten Football Coaches Meet with Media Today

All eleven Big Ten head football coaches met with the media today in Chicago. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany also meet with the media, as well.

Ten of the eleven coaches are returning from last year, with the exception of new head coach Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, who moved over from West Virginia for the '08 season.

Ohio State is considered the front runner entering the '08 season. Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel is going for his fourth title or share of a title in four straight years. Wisconsin and Illinois join OSU as the Top 3 in the preseason for '08.

Eight teams will bring their version of the spread offense to the field in '08. Rodriguez brings over his version of the spread offense from the Big East Conference.

Purdue's Joe Tiller will wrap up his final season as head coach for the Boilermakers in '08. Plenty of questions about Joe Paterno's future at Penn State and whether '08 could be his final year.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz met with the media on a variety of fronts. One is looking at the '08 team that began building towards the '08 season back in March. Ferentz also met with the local Iowa media and other media to address another front. The other front was resolving questions regarding a highly publicized sexual assault case that lead to Coach Ferentz dismissing two players in the middle of the '07 Big Ten season.

All eyes are on the Big Ten, especially the Ohio State Buckeyes, after two straight defeats in the BCS Title Game. The 2008 Big Ten season should be another outstanding one, with the quality of head coaches in the conference. The race for #2 in the conference should be a very interesting one.

peace

Is Joe Pa coaching his final games in '08?

Joe Paterno has been an icon at Penn State and for college football for quite some time. He became head coach at Penn State in 1966.

My first memories of Joe Paterno were in the early to mid 1970s. I began attending Iowa football games in 1974. Iowa and Penn State were playing one another back then.

With Joe Paterno under contact only through the end of this season, it's pretty easy to speculate that one of his assistants could be taking over on the sidelines quite soon.

Reports out of Pennsylvania speculate that Joe Paterno and Penn State will look inside the Nittany Lion program for his replacement.

So, could former Florida Gator head coach and current Penn State offensive coordinator Galen Hall be a top candidate in the near future? I have heard many college football fans mention current Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who has been a loyal Joe Pa assistant for more years.

Galen Hall coached at Florida from mid-1984 to mid-1989. There were problems associated with the SEC program back in the 1980s. But, Hall is coaching currently at Penn State, so past issues shouldn't be relevant today? Hall was 40-18-1 for the Florida Gators as head coach. His best season, they went 9-1-1, but were ineligible for post season play and conference honors.

Ironically, UCLA hired former college head coach Rick Neuheisel, who has been coaching in the NFL as an assistant after run-ins with the NCAA, while a head coach in the Pac Ten.

It will be an interesting season, but conventional wisdom seems to indicate that Purdue's Joe Tiller may not be the only head coach in the Big Ten finishing his career as a football coach after the 2008 season. Stay tuned.

peace