Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery.  See, it's funny because it's true:

T/F/J: Scumdog0331

Speaking of the big finish, Rittenberg gets A.J. Edds' account of the end of last week's game:

"I haven't been a part or around, or even heard of anything similar to that," Edds said. "To have it happen once is pretty long odds. And then to emotionally flush the first [block] and try to find a way to do it again, it leaves you speechless. Big play. We would have loved to not be in that situation, but we were and we found a way to get it done."

Edds had always been instructed to stay away from a blocked kick unless he could easily scoop up the ball and run. He imagines the wild finish will be used by numerous coaches to teach their players the little-known rule about blocked kicks behind the line of scrimmage when it isn't fourth down.

"That's a situation where you live and learn," Edds said. "It's a situation where you don't want to live through it again, but now we know what has to happen. "After we got the second block, Pat [Angerer] jumped on it. We tried to leave nothing to chance on that one. We had a couple guys jump on. I jumped on Pat to make sure we took care of it."

It's abundantly clear from the reaction of the players, media, and blogosphere that nobody had any idea what is going on.  The players stayed away from the ball.  The coaches acted like it was over.  Hlas was already halfway to the radio booth for the postgame with Dolphin and Podolak.  I was back in my car.  It's a long-standing rule, apparently, but a dumb one; how is a team supposed to determine whether a ball has crossed the line of scrimmage before it is blocked?

This is Called "Burying the Lede."  Or "Don't Torch the Huts and Kill the Livestock Just Yet."  Morehouse is reporting that Bryan Bulaga has missed some practice this week (it's in the text of his afternoon chat), and his status for Saturday is uncertain.  Obviously more will be posted as soon as it's available, but Riley Reiff might have to strip down and play left tackle this week.  If it's confirmed, prepare for the Thunderdome.

Some May Cost a Little.  Some May Cost a Lot.  Scott Dochterman, who is unquestionably the Iowa-centric version of CNBC's Darren Rovell, details the financial ramifications of the Iowa-ISU game:

Since 2004, Iowa State has received nearly $1.8 million in revenue sharing by playing at Iowa, about $600,000 each year. The Hawkeyes, in two trips, have received $717,303, or about $360,000 annually.

The schools use different formulas for paying one another. According to Steve Malchow, ISU’s senior athletics director for communications, Iowa State determines the gate as the total of single-game ticket revenues plus season-ticket revenues divided by the number of games played. Iowa State also chooses to divide revenue equally into thirds from the school’s $99 three-game mini-pack, in which Iowa is included. So Iowa’s 20 percent comes from the average of all Iowa State home games, not just its own appearance at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa uses strictly the Iowa State home date to pay its gate share, according to Iowa Associate Athletics Director Mick Walker.

Say what you will about the series as a football proposition (I'm still in the lose-lose camp), but it's a remarkably unfair system of revenue sharing.  When Iowa State walks away from a trip to Kinnick with 66% more money than Iowa gets at Jack Three Times, and Jamie Pollard still has the nerve to charge $92 for a single-game ticket, they deserve to have the cash cow terminated.  Fortunately, despite Bob Bowlsby's considerable efforts to the contrary, BLOODPUNCH is keeping our money at home: Starting in 2013, revenue sharing is done.

Footnotes:

• Doug Gillett, of Hey Jenny Slater and Doc Saturday fame, thinks ISU is an upset special.  We're still pissed about finishing second to HJS as the funniest college football blog in 2008, so fuck Doug Gillett.
• I don't know who Guy Dupuy is, but OH MY FUCKING GOD.
• The Daily Gopher previews Minnesota's game with the nation's #1 team, Air Force.  It's the first time in Minnesota's history that the Gophers are favored over a top 5 team.  Clearly, the Tim Brewster mindset has infiltrated Vegas.
• West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, feelin' so crazy right now.