Tag: Big Ten football

Big Ten desirability ratings: where each current league member ranks per Sports Illustrated

If Power 5 conferences started from scratch tomorrow, how desirable would the Iowa Hawkeyes and the rest of the current Big Ten programs be?

If Power 5 conferences started from scratch tomorrow, how desirable would the Iowa Hawkeyes and the rest of the Big Ten’s league members be? That’s precisely what Sports Illustrated set out to determine in their desirability ratings.

In order to compile their full Power 5 desirability ratings, there was a set of five categories used to rank the programs: football ranking, academic ranking, all-sports ranking, football attendance, and broadcast viewership.

For the football ranking, SI used the five-year average Sagarin ratings for each Power 5 team from 2017-21. Academic rankings were listed according to the U.S. News & World Report’s national universities rankings.

The all-sports ranking was according to the Division I standings for the 2021-22 academic year in the Learfield Directors’ Cup which rates performance in 19 sports. Football attendance rankings were based on average home-game attendance (minus the 2020 season) from 2017-21.

Finally, broadcast viewership was based on the total number of football games for each program that drew one million or more viewers from 2017-21. Again, that list excluded the 2020 season due to COVID-19 skewing the results.

From worst-to-first, here’s how each of the Big Ten schools ranked in SI’s desirability ratings based on those five categories among the now 69 Power 5 programs.

Iowa Hawkeyes TE Sam LaPorta named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list

For the third straight year, Iowa standout tight end Sam LaPorta has been named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list.

For the third straight year, Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta has been named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list. The John Mackey Award is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding tight end.

Iowa has a rich history with the award. Dallas Clark captured the John Mackey Award in 2002 and T.J. Hockenson won it in 2018. Meanwhile, Tony Moeaki (2009), Allen Reisner (2010) and Noah Fant (2018) have all been John Mackey Award semifinalists.

After reeling in team-highs in both receptions and receiving yards in 2021, seeing LaPorta back on the Mackey Award preseason watch list felt like a foregone conclusion. The 6-foot-4, 249 pound tight end from Highland, Ill., finished last season with 53 grabs for 670 yards and three touchdowns.

LaPorta had six games in 2021 with five or more receptions and he averaged 12.6 yards per grab. In addition to making the Mackey Award preseason watch list here, LaPorta has enjoyed a parade of preseason recognition.

Phil Steele and Athlon Sports both listed LaPorta as the Big Ten’s preseason first-team tight end, while On3 ranked him as the No. 8 tight end on its Impact 300.

As the Power 5 leader in returning receiving yardage among tight ends, naturally, LaPorta is garnering plenty of 2023 NFL draft buzz, too. ESPN’s Mel Kiper listed LaPorta No. 2 on his most recent big board and he was also included on Pro Football Focus’ draft watch list for tight ends.

LaPorta’s decision to return to Iowa City was one of the biggest of the offseason for the Hawkeyes. Recently, he touched on why returning to Iowa was the right choice.

“Yeah, I mean, I just wanted to make myself happy most of all, and I’m happy to be a part of this team and this program. I’m getting my college paid for, I’m getting my degree. They can never take that away from me once I get that, and I’m earning that every day. Just to be a part of this team and, you know, all my boys. I get to live with four great roommates and go to a great university, great campus, so that’s why I chose to come back,” LaPorta said.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcxf97xrgg1awc player_id=none image=https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=5313]

[listicle id=6314]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Can Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi accomplish a rare UW rushing feat in 2022?

Can a refined Badgers offense and the dynamic talents of Allen and Mellusi create the first 1,000-yard rushing duo since 2013?

The University of Wisconsin, better known as RBU, hasn’t had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season since Melvin Gordon and James White did it back in 2013.

So, It’s been nearly a decade since a pair of Badgers running backs hit the 1,000-yard milestone in the same season; it’s also never happened at UW during the Paul Chryst era.

The only other UW RB pairing to achieve this feat was James White and John clay, who did it back in 2010. Had Montee Ball accumulated four more rushing yards, they would have had three 1,000-yard rushers that season.

It might be a long shot, but Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi of the Wisconsin Badgers have a legitimate chance to end UW’s drought and become just the third RB tandem in school history to run for 1,000 yards apiece.

In 2021, Allen, a Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin native, was a Freshman All-American and second-team All-Big Ten member after amassing 1,268 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground last season on 6.8 YPC.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound wrecking ball became just the fourth UW true freshman RB to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing plateau, joining Ron Dayne, Jonathan Taylor, and James White. He’s one of the best RBs in America and should be a lock to surpass last season’s rushing total as the offense’s focal point.

As for Mellusi, In nine games, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound RB carried the ball 173 times for 815 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught an additional seven passes for 66 yards, totaling 881 yards from scrimmage.

He opened 2021 as Wisconsin’s starting RB before suffering a non-contact knee injury in November against Rutgers – forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Had the Clemson transfer not gotten hurt, there is a genuine possibility the duo could have achieved this feat last season.

The Badgers are in a fortunate position; they essentially have two No. 1 backs that makeup one of college football’s best duos in 2022.

It would take an incredible season from both backs, no doubt. Still, the Badgers have begun re-shaping their offense under first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Engram, and the Wisconsin backfield could be the biggest beneficiaries.

If both backs stay healthy, can get off to a hot start against their weak non-conference schedule, and the run-blocking improves marginally in 2022, they’ll have a real chance.

Can a refined Badgers offense and the dynamic talents of Allen and Mellusi create the first 1,000-yard rushing duo since 2013? I think yes.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Wisconsin, Nevada join list of Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2022 home sellouts

With Nevada and Wisconsin joining the list, four of Iowa’s seven-game home slate are now officially sellouts.

It’s now looking like just a matter of time before the entirety of Iowa’s 2022 home slate turns into sellouts. Two more home dates inside Kinnick Stadium were added to the list of preseason sellouts for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The official Iowa football account announced on Friday that both the Wisconsin and Nevada home games were officially sellouts. Iowa welcomes in Nevada on Sept. 17 for a night game during the Hawkeyes’ “Gold Game & Family Weekend.” The final nonconference tilt of 2022 for the Hawkeyes is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on the Big Ten Network.

Meanwhile, Iowa’s second-to-last home game is against Wisconsin on Nov. 12 for the Hawkeyes’ “Military Appreciation Black Out Game.” At least going in, the date against the Badgers appears to be one of the most important games all season long in the Big Ten West.

Iowa lost last season in Madison, Wis., 27-7, losing three fumbles and registering just 156 total yards of offense. The last time the Badgers were in Iowa City, though, Iowa handed Wisconsin a 28-7 setback as Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras had 211 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes.

Earlier this week, Iowa announced that both the Iowa State home game on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and the Michigan home game on Oct. 1 were sellouts.

With Nevada and Wisconsin joining the group of 2022 Iowa sellouts, that means that now four of Iowa’s seven-game 2022 home schedule is officially sold out.

If you’re interested in getting a single-game ticket to one of the Hawkeyes’ other home games, you may be running out of time. Hawk Central’s Chad Leistikow noted that Iowa is awfully close to selling out the remainder of its home games, too.

According to Leistikow, there’s just 2,500 tickets left for the South Dakota State home opener on Sept. 3, 500 tickets for homecoming versus Northwestern on Oct. 29 and 1,100 tickets for Senior Day versus Nebraska on Nov. 25.

The South Dakota State home opener is set for an 11 a.m. kickoff on FS1, Northwestern will be a 2 p.m. kickoff and Nebraska will kickoff at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

[listicle id=6760]

[listicle id=6757]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Iowa Hawkeyes 2022 schedule breakdown: Nebraska

What players do Iowa fans need to know about for the Hawkeyes’ regular-season finale against the Cornhuskers from inside Kinnick Stadium?

Here it is, the last game of the season! Hopefully, Iowa is standing at an 11-0 record with upsets over Ohio State and Michigan and the Cornhuskers represent their last stop before the Big Ten Championship… and then the national championship. Whether or not this is indeed the reality (we can certainly hope), Nebraska is a heck of a game to end the season on.

The Cornhuskers are an extremely interesting team with how they are portrayed in the media. Many have called Nebraska the greatest three-win team in college football history and suggesting that they were much better than their 2021 record suggested. If a few possessions swung the other way, Nebraska could have finished as one of the best teams in the conference!

At the end of the day, though, the Cornhuskers were still a 3-9 team last year, and coach Scott Frost is on the hottest of hot seats. As many have pointed out, Nebraska is a tough out. They gave multiple top teams a tough fight last year, including both Michigan and Michigan State. They feature a sturdy defense and hope the offense takes a step forward in 2022.

Badgers C Joe Tippmann Named to Rimington Trophy Watch List

Badgers C Joe Tippmann named to prestigious preseason watch list:

On Friday, the 2022 Rimington Trophy Watch List was announced, a list that included Wisconsin Badgers lineman Joe Tippmann. 

The Rimington Trophy is given annually to the nation’s top center in college football. 

Last season, Tippmann, an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten lineman, was the sixth highest graded starting center in the country, according to PFF.

In 687 snaps at C, the Indiana native allowed four pressures and zero sacks all season.

Per PFF, The 6-foot-6, 320-pound C finished last season as Wisconsin’s second highest-graded offensive lineman (85.1). He also finished with the second-best run-blocking grade (85.0) and the best pass-blocking grade on the team (76.7).

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Where does Wisconsin land in Phil Steele’s preseason Top 40 poll?

Where do the Badgers fall in the preseason Top 40?

An annual tradition of every college football preseason is digging into Phil Steele’s guides and rankings.

In this season’s edition of Steele’s Top 40 poll, the Badgers fall near the middle of the pack, but lead all Big Ten West squads. Leading the way for the Big Ten are a pair of preseason top-five teams in Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines will look to recreate the magic of a 2021 College Football Playoff run, while the Buckeyes will look to get back on track spurred by a comeback win at the Rose Bowl.

Here is a complete look at Steele’s preseason poll, and what he had to say about Wisconsin:

Everything Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz had to say about the Hawkeyes’ SWARM collective

Iowa Hawkeyes head football coach Kirk Ferentz was on hand for the SWARM collective news conference. Here’s what Ferentz had to say.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was on hand for the news conference unveiling SWARM, the newest collective supporting Hawkeye student-athletes.

Naturally, he had plenty of nice things to say about SWARM CEO Brad Heinrichs, executive vice president and COO Scott Brickman and vice president of events and engagement Jayne Oswald.

Here’s everything that Ferentz had to say about how it will impact his football program going forward on the day SWARM was officially unveiled.

‘It’s a sign of the times’: Kirk Ferentz shares thoughts on the Big Ten’s USC, UCLA additions

Iowa Hawkeyes head football coach Kirk Ferentz said “it’s a sign of the times” that the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are joining the Big Ten.

As Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was meeting with the media discussing the brand new Iowa Swarm Collective, the topic of Big Ten expansion naturally came up.

With Hawk Central and other Iowa reporters in attendance, Ferentz dove into his thoughts on the Big Ten adding both the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins beginning with the 2024-25 college athletics season.

“Yeah, it’s a sign of the times. Just it’s one more reminder that tradition, the sense or concept of tradition is kind of getting minimalized I think in college athletics. Pretty much everything’s driven by TV. There are a lot of things I can’t tell you after 23 years. How the NCAA works, all that stuff. One thing I have observed is if TV wants something, it’s probably going to happen. I’m not saying TV encouraged this. I’m just suggesting that there’s some certainly, I’m sure that’s part on the minds of the people who joined the conference, but it puts us in a better, stronger position,” Ferentz said.

Again, as Ferentz stood and discussed what this new Iowa Swarm Collective would mean for his program going forward, the conversation circled back into USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten.

“It’s really not a matter of do we like this or did we want this? It’s just a matter of that’s a reality of college football, college athletics. Just like it’s a reality that USC and UCLA are going to be in the Big Ten in two years, so whether you like that, whatever your opinion may be, the bigger picture is it’s going to be. It’s just part of the times that we’re navigating through right now,” Ferentz said of Iowa Swarm Collective and USC and UCLA joining the league.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery was in attendance for the Iowa Swarm Collective announcement as well and shared his thoughts on USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten.

“Obviously, a credit to Kevin Warren for getting two of the most prestigious programs in the country to come to our league. I think anything that benefits the league is a good thing,” McCaffery said of the pair joining.

He didn’t seem too concerned with future setups of the Big Ten Tournament either.

“You know, I think there’s always a solution you can find for any situation like that. You know, we can make it work, scheduling wise,” McCaffery said.

[listicle id=5830]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Hawkeyes in Hollywood: A recap of the University of Iowa in famous movies and TV shows

Contrary to what you might think, the University of Iowa has been well represented in television and movies. Here are the best examples.

When you think of Iowa, you don’t really think of Hollywood. The Hawkeyes aren’t the flashiest university around and not really the team you picture when you hear “marketability.”

While Iowa has a very strong local fanbase, they certainly aren’t the national superpower that teams like Alabama, Ohio State, or Notre Dame are. You would be surprised, though, just how well represented the University of Iowa has been in movies and television. Here’s a look back at some of the best and wackiest examples of the Iowa Hawkeyes in pop culture.