It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Is Living in the Past

EPIC COMCAST.  From the digital cable information on Saturday's game in Ames:

Young, Sims, and Meyer graduated two years ago.  So, yeah, you might want to update that.  (T/F/J: Stein)

Fun With Depth Charts.  The all-new Arizona two deep is out.  No huge surprises, but a few interesting developments:

• Adam Robinson remains the starter at halfback.  Brandon Wegher (who really deserves a good nickname; we have four years to go) replaces PAKIBOMB on the second line, thereby bringing the APAKILYPSE to its end.  After the Iowa State game, Ferentz admitted he hesitates to rely of true freshmen, but in Wegher's case he might have something.  Wegher will play the third series of the game and split carries with Robinson throughout.
• The offensive line takes form, from left to right: Bulaga, Richardson, Eubanks, Vandervelde, Calloway.  First, it means Bulaga is probable for this week, which should assuage the fears of a serious medical problem that could keep him out for an extended period or -- gulp -- threaten his career.  Second, given how the line played once Vandervelde entered last week indicates just how important he is to the continuity of the line.  The problems that plagued the offensive front in week one were largely missing in week two and shouldn't be an issue so long as these five stay healthy.
• Shaun Prater is back, but doesn't fall into a starting job.  Willie Lowe starts opposite Amari Spievey, and Prater takes the second-string spot.  It still remains a matter of time before Prater is the starter, but Lowe deserves a start after last week.
• Paul Chaney replaces Spievey as kick and punt returner.  For the first time all year, I agree with the selection.  Chaney looked dangerous in limited play at returner last week (he only had one official punt return for two yards, but nearly broke a punt return called back for a clip away from the play), and anything that keeps Spievey so fresh and so clean on defense is fine by me.

"That's not just an alma mater. That's the root system of a California redwood."  The Arizona Daily Star (registration required, and it's probably worth it) gives the definitive summary of the Stoops brothers at Iowa and coaches who return to face their alma maters.  For the uninitiated:

Mike Stoops is returning to his home turf this week, Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, and at some point Saturday he will surely look across the field to check out jersey No. 41, worn for 11 consecutive years by him or his brothers.

Life goes on. Freshman safety Jacob Reisen now dons No. 41, a jersey worn consecutively from 1979 to '89 by Bob, Mike and Mark Stoops.

No. 41 is also worn for eternity by the Stoops' father, Ron, who was buried in the gold and black jersey at his 1988 funeral in Youngstown, Ohio. The family's ties to the Hawkeyes were so great that the esteemed Hayden Fry, coach of the Stoops brothers, was told that Ron Stoops was about to buried in a traditional coat and tie. With the help of Mike's mother, Dee, the former Iowa coach helped change Ron's coffin outfit, removing coat and tie, and replacing it with jersey No. 41.

Be true to your school, indeed.

If you wonder why some people insist Bob Stoops would consider returning to Iowa if Ferentz left, this is usually Exhibit A.  Of course, it was also Exhibit A in 1999, when Stoops shunned Iowa for Oklahoma.  Cue StoopsMyAss rant in three, two, one...

You Like Me.  You Really Like Me.  Tyler Sash, with 10 tackles, 3 interceptions, and a forced fumble, splits Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week with Minnesota linebacker Nate Triplett.  Before you kick and scream, Triplett recorded 17 tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown against the #1 team in the country, and won National Defensive Player of the Week.  The split award is deserved.  Sash is the first Iowa Defensive Player of the Week since...Tyler Sash, after last year's Penn State game.  BSD, of course, doesn't remember this.

Footnotes:

• Postgame video:  Dochterman has the trophy and Stanzi, and follows it up with Dace Richardson and Bruce Davis.  Morehouse gets his own video of Stanzi and Davis.
• Fred Jackson, who is filling in for the suspended Marshawn Lynch at running back for the Buffalo Bills, is a graduate of Coe College in Cedar Rapids and a former member of the Sioux City Bandits of the National Indoor Football League.  Much like Paki, he's destined to be the eventual backup, but it's a great story nonetheless.
• Minnesota opened their new stadium in horrendous yellow-on-yellow uniforms that changed colors as they absorbed sweat.  It was initially passed off as bad fashion, but The Rivalry, Esq. digs deeper and gets to the bottom of the story: TCF Bank owns everything.
• Just when I think Dick Vitale is killing college basketball, he goes and does something like this and totally redeems himself.