Hawks are going bowling again. Some first thoughts

By Jeff Orvis

Some immediate thoughts in the wake of the news that Iowa will play Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2, 2015:

Many fans were disappointed with the Hawks' 7-5 record this season. Coach Kirk Ferentz and the man before him, Hayden Fry, set the bar pretty high over the past 20+ years. This year's team had plenty of promise, with experienced players at many positions and a premed major at quarterback, along with a former Air Force Academy student as the main running back.

My parents instilled in me the gift of optimism. Sometimes it is a hindrance, when you always see the glass as half-full until you are proved wrong. With that in mind, consider the fact that the Hawks had a legitimate chance at winning every game they played, except for that laugher at Minnesota. They were eight total points away from a 10-2 season and 15 points away from an 11-1 campaign. They lost two games by three points each, another by two and a third by a touchdown.

With that in mind, along with the way Hawk fans love to follow their team to bowl games, they were rewarded with a Jan. 2 bowl in Florida against an opponent with a rich tradition.

Before the bowl invitation was received, Athletic Director Gary Barta indicated that he still has full confidence in Ferentz. He is evidently not alone, as the bowl scouts seem to agree. When an AD makes such a statement, some coaches may start packing their bags, as sometimes this is a prelude to a firing.

While I don't think that is the case here, Barta is a man of character. But several factors could still lead to a new coaching staff before next season. If the Hawks don't perform well in the bowl game, there could be trouble. If the fans don't follow their team to Florida with the customary enthusiasm, the handwriting could be on the wall. Or if the frustration displayed by some fans was reflected in a drop in financial support for the program, we all know that money talks in big time athletics. This year's single game ticket prices of $60-$70 spoke a specific language to me: “Not in this lifetime.”

A more remote possibility could be that Ferentz may decide this would be a good time to explore other opportunities. He's said his family likes living in Iowa City. But he and his wife have just one child still in school, Steven, who is completing his third year in the Iowa program. The coach has prior experience as an NFL assistant coach and depending on his level of enthusiasm for the college game, he might entertain offers to move up to the next level as a head coach. Looks like San Francisco could be a real possibility, for instance.

A lot of the talking heads on national TV have said that the Big Ten isn't a premiere football conference this year. But it's interesting that 10 teams from the league are going bowling this year. Not too bad for a weak conference.