Aftermath of Big Ten Media Day

Pat Harty of the Iowa City Press Citizen wrote an article leading up to the Big Ten Media Day questioning whether the two-day ordeal is even worth the trouble anymore. After reading all of the news coverage in the wake of it, I tend to agree that it does not provide much value in terms of information. All of the coaches say how excited they are about the upcoming season and they are all looking forward to see which players developed the most during the summer. Nonetheless, I love it because it means that camp is right around the corner and that the season is almost upon us. Here are some of my thoughts from in the wake of Media Day.

-One Opportunity Is All It Takes. It is nice to hear that Tony Moeaki still has a positive attitude going into the season. If there is any justice in the world of college football, Moeaki should have an injury-free season. We have all seen during sporadic moments of his ability the past few seasons. Who can forget his 8 catch, 112 yard, 3 TD performance against Syracuse in 2007? One can just tell that he oozes athletic ability and if (IF) he remains healthy, I think he certainly has a good chance at 1st team All Big 10 in a league that boasts the likes of Garrett Graham (WI), Charlie Gantt (MSU), and Michael Hoomanawanui (Ill). Likewise, Moeaki has NFL talent written all over him and as long as he has a productive year, I think he has the potential to be a 3rd round draft pick.

-Senior Leadership. AJ Edds will likely not be remembered in the same breath as other Ferentz-era linebackers like Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway, but his steady contributions for the past three years have been just that, steady and consistent. After listening to him speak, it is easy to understand why he was named to the Team Leadership Group for three consecutive years. A model example of a student-athlete (Academic All-Big Ten the past two years), Edds embodies what it means to be a Hawkeye and will certainly be missed next year, but let us all hope for another solid season out of him.

-Future MMA Fighter. Pat Angerer will pick up this year where Mitch King left off. That is to say that I think Angerer will be the emotional leader of this year’s defense. From almost quitting the sport to leading the team in tackles and interceptions (well, tied at five with Tyler Sash), Angerer proved last year that he is as solid as they come at MLB in the Big Ten. The Angerer, Edds, and Hunter trio will certainly be exciting to watch this year. As long as the young interior defensive line occupies space and bodies, the Iowa linebacker corps should be able to roam freely and once again establish the Iowa defense as one of the best run defenses in the country.

Other Thoughts from Big Ten Media Day

-Running the Mouth. Why on earth is Arrelious Benn running his mouth about how much he hates Iowa? HawkeyeNation.com’s Rob Howe had the opportunity to interview Benn here and quoted him as saying “Yeah, I seriously dislike Iowa.” Do not get me wrong, Benn is without a doubt a future NFL receiver, but come on, the guy has had five, repeat five, touchdowns in his first two seasons at Illinois. It is obvious that Benn is still upset about his ranked Illini squad got beat in Iowa City two years ago by a very mediocre Iowa team. It is really too bad that Illinois is off the schedule this year because you know that things like these always seem to come back to bite the speaker in the you know what.

-Classy. Although it has been hard to swallow Iowa losing to Northwestern twice in the past three years, is there a classier or better coaching prospect in the country than Pat Fitzgerald?

-Expansion Talk. Can everyone agree on the fact that the Big Ten should not expand, under any circumstances, until Notre Dame agrees to join the conference? This incessant talk about Missouri, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, etc. gets old and will never happen, especially as long as Jim Delany is at the helm.

-Joe Pa. I hope that ESPN compiles a hit parade of Joe Paterno’s press conference comments. In case you missed it, Paterno was asked about Twitter at Big Ten Media Day and said “What do you guys call those things? Tweedle-do? Tweedle-dee? I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re looking at?” Here is hoping that Paterno is able to coach as long as he wants.

Final Thoughts

-My next blog post will be lengthier and will be a summary of various items heading into camp, especially as to the various position battles that will be taking place during camp.

-HawkeyeSports.com now has the incoming freshmen listed on the roster along with their number. Here is a link to the entire roster. Some ones of note:
Keenan Davis #6 WR (Did anyone else have the same reaction I did when I saw this number? I am not going out on a limb here, but this guy will get significant playing time this year.)

Brandon Wegher # 3 RB/ATH (Our starting KR)

Jordan Cotton #23 WR

Micah Hyde #18 DB (My pick for the sleeper of the class)

Marty Hopkins #35 DL

Brad Rogers #38 RB (May see some playing time due to the uncertainty with Jewel)

Dakota Getz # 80 TE

That does it for the first of many posts during the year. Please feel free, if possible, to provide comments. Is it September 5th yet?

Go Hawks!