Week 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

#4 Iowa beats Iowa State 35-7 for Cy-Hawk Trophy!

It's only Week 2 that has concluded, so there is plenty we don't know right now about certain teams, likely conference races and who is truly worthy for the BCS in 2010. Figuring out a decent Top 25 is still a crap shoot, but Week 2 has provided us some very interesting moments.

The Good in Week 2

1. #1 Alabama 24, #20 Penn State 3 in Tuscaloosa


2. #2 Ohio State 36, #11 Miami-FL 24 in Columbus


3. #3 Boise State (1-0) idle


4. South Carolina (2-0) beat #14 Georgia (1-1) 17-6 to give coach Steve Spurrier a big win, only the second win ('07 last) over Georgia in past nine seasons


5. The Denard Robinson show (502 total offense for sophomore QB) for Michigan (2-0) continues as coach Rich Rodriguez enjoys some fun as the Wolverines win 28-24 @ Notre Dame (1-1)


6. Kansas (1-1) coach Turner Gill picks up his first win as Jayhawks head coach with 28-25 victory over #19 Georgia Tech (1-1)


7. #18 Oklahoma (2-0) looks strong at home in beating #21 Florida State (1-1) 47-17 in Week 2, after unimpressive Week 1 victory


8. FCS victories over FBS programs continue in Week 2 with four more victories, after two big victories in Week 1 over BCS programs


9. The State of Iowa remains the "Hawkeye State" for another year when #4 Iowa (2-0) defeated Iowa State (1-1) 35-7 on a super weather day at Kinnick Stadium


10. In FCS play, Northern Iowa (1-0) defeated North Dakota State (1-1) 16-9 to open the 2010 College Football season and play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference

The Bad

1. The ACC takes a fall in Week 2 as everyone in the Top 25 falls in OOC play: #11 Miami-FL (@ # 2 Ohio State), #9 Virginia Tech (vs. James Madison), #19 Georgia Tech (@ Kansas) and #21 Florida State (@ #18 Oklahoma)


2. Ball State (1-1), the Iowa Hawkeyes opponent in Week 4 falls 23-27 to Liberty (2-0), a FCS program, in Week 2


3. Akron (0-2) joined Ball State as the second MAC program to fall to a FCS program, when Zips lost 27-28 to Gardner-Webb


4. After Week 2, no teams in the Coastal Division of the ACC, the Sun Belt or all three Independents have an undefeated program remaining in the FBS standings


5. Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker misses Cy-Hawk game, due to hospitalization brought on by complications to diabetes (missed game @ ASU in '04)

The Ugly

1. Virginia Tech (0-2) fall out of the Top 25, after losing 16-21 to James Madison, a FCS program, in the Hokies home opener in Week 2


2. Minnesota (1-1) gets derailed from another Dakota school in the coach Tim Brewster era, as South Dakota, a newer FCS program takes out the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.

peace

Thoughts on Iowa basketball coach Todd Lickliter and the next two seasons for the Hawkeye program

I have been an Iowa football and basketball fan, since 1974. I am a football first guy and I follow other basketball programs, such as my alma mater, in basketball, but I am a Hawkeye fan.

The past three years have certainly proved the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Iowa basketball.

Like in football, all we can wish for is a competitive program in the Big Ten. Our demographics clearly suggest that.

From 1981-2009, Iowa Football has become a program to be proud of. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out after Iowa was 10-1, the Iowa program is good for College Football. Coach J. Hayden Fry and Coach Kirk Ferentz have both been a great source of pride for the University, the State and the sport.

The Evy era was great on the field, but his time as a AD was some of the lowest points in our history. The term Ugly is appropriate.

Iowa Basketball has three great seasons, two back to back in the 1950s and the 1980 season.

Lute Olson brought in one point guard and rode him to the top and his next job. Ralph Miller was good too, but his top team at Iowa couldn't play defense, as a recent story by a friend pointed out, but they were able to out score most opponents in a super season.

Coach Todd Lickliter appears to be a great fit for Iowa. The Iowa program has had a poor decade, since the 2001 season, which was the last time Iowa won a first round game in the NCAAs. Heck, look at the University of Michigan in basketball. They went from NCAA Champs to a decade of decay.

Personally, I believe Iowa is in a better position to succeed in basketball than Michigan. Iowa has a long climb to make, but let's be patient, and like the ride in 1999-2001 in football; the next two seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12) should be worthy to let unfold.

If Coach Lickliter and his staff can take five new parts and develop them as we are seeing with May, Cougil and Payne ... the future should be bright for Iowa.

The product has declined. We saw that during the Dr. Tom Davis era, we saw that throughout the Steve Alford era and the Lickliter nearly three seasons reminds people of the three awful years under Dick Schultz.

Life often is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I am looking forward to some better fruit and better dividends over the next two seasons. Has Iowa ever had a coach who hates losing at the level our current coach does?

Lickliter appears to be a good person, a competitive coach, a solid X and O guy, a teacher and a stand up guy. I wish Todd Lickliter good health and look forward to the next couple of years ...

peace