Iowa travels to Ohio State for Saturday’s game and already the pre-kickoff compliments are reaching sickeningly sweet proportions. Any more backslaps between good friends Hayden Fry and John Cooper and someone’s going to need to be treated for welts.
“This is the best Iowa team I’ve seen since I’ve been in the conference,” said Ohio State’s Cooper.
“We’re honored to have a chance to play Ohio State, but to say we’re excited would be overdoing it,” said Iowa’s Fry.
See?
Both teams are 4-0. Both teams think they have a chance to win the conference title. Both teams have some weak spots.
Cooper still is concerned about his offensive line and a rushing attack that ranks an uncharacteristic seventh in the conference and hasn’t gained 100 yards in Ohio State’s last two games. The Buckeyes also are playing tag-team quarterback and star linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer is just starting to play up to his lofty capabilities. There’s also a question about the availability of freshman wide receiver and kick returner Ken-Yon Rambo, who pleaded innocent Monday to misdemeanor charges of drug abuse, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
“We have to play our best ballgame of the year, no question about that,” Cooper said.
Fry’s team is first in total offense and second in total defense, but hasn’t exactly been tested. A game at Columbus, where the Hawkeyes have had a tendency to get overrevved, will answer some questions.
“This year we’re going to take the approach that it’s just another ballgame, simmer down and see what happens,” Fry said.
Medical leave: Maybe the Michigan quarterback competition between Brian Griese and Scott Dreisbach wasn’t so close, after all.
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Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said Tuesday that Dreisbach continues to be bothered by a wrist injury, an injury that forced the senior quarterback to miss “substantial” amounts of practice this fall.
Dreisbach’s hand was placed in a cast last week and his condition is being re-evaluated by team doctors (a medical redshirt?). Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Tom Brady, who has five career pass attempts, has moved up to second team.
In other changes, Carr is predicting an expanded offensive role for All-American defensive back Charles Woodson. Woodson only appeared in four plays as a wide receiver against Notre Dame Saturday and only had one pass thrown his way–it was high.
Carr said Woodson’s cameo appearances had more to do with his workload on defense (44 plays in the first half), than a change in philosophy among Michigan coaches.
“He should play more on offense and he will play more,” Carr said.
Notes: Michigan State’s 3-0 start has persuaded Coach Nick Saban to go public with an admission. “I’ve always felt like this was our best football team,” said Saban of his three-year tenure at Michigan State. . . . True story: So good was Tavian Banks as a junior soccer player, that USA soccer officials tried to persuade him to join their Olympic development program. Instead, he stuck with football, much to the pleasure of Iowa’s Fry. “We didn’t know he could make as many big plays as he’s made this year,” Fry said. . . . Purdue is 3-1 and Joe Tiller is an early season Coach of the Year candidate. Of course, Tiller remains unimpressed by the Boilermakers’ start. “This is not a huge surprise to us,” he said.