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What Ice Cream Flavor Is Your Big Ten Coach?

2013-05-21T22:55:46Z

Other than learning that Kirk Ferentz's college nickname was "Fetus-Head" (seriously, WTF), my biggest takeaway from The Des Moines Register's interview with Iowa football's big cheese? He might need to go to Ice Creamaholics Anonymous.

How do you celebrate after a big win, or vent after a tough loss?

"I might knock out a couple of Ben & Jerry’s (ice cream) after a good win. I might knock out three of them after a loss. I guess Saturday night’s are for Ben & Jerry’s for me, either way. Cherry Garcia is the old standby. The Red Velvet (Cake) they’ve got now is pretty good, too. And I’m a huge (Wells) Blue Bunny fan."

Do you have an ice cream problem? Do you need counseling?"

I do, big time. I’m trying to control it. I’m winning the war, temporarily, though."

If Ferentz was pounding three pints of B&J's after losses last year (of which there were a lot, in case you've successfully managed to erase the 2012 Iowa football season from your memory banks), it's a goddamn wonder he's still as svelte as he is. Screw coaching football, maybe he needs to market his workout plan.

In addition to outing himself as an ice creamaholic, Ferentz also revealed his favorite flavors. To the surprise of many, that flavor was not vanilla (and I'm talking the plain-jane, not-actually-pure-white-but-actually-kinda-cream-colored vanilla ice cream, not something legitimately good like vanilla bean-vanilla ice cream), but rather Cherry Garcia and Red Velvet Cake. Red Velvet Cake?! Gasp. Clearly, becoming Iowa football's $4-million-man has changed him and unleashed a newfound decadent side in Ferentz.

But enough about Ferentz. We now know that he's a Cherry Garcia/Red Velvet Cake man. But what about the rest of the Big Ten coaching fraternity? Luckily, BHGP Investigative Services is up to the challenge.

ILLINOIS -- TIM BECKMAN

The ice cream for people who can't decide on just one or two flavors, but instead would rather just say "Fuck it" and throw everything in a bowl. Bonus! It also describes Illinois' offensive and defensive schemes under Beckman.

INDIANA -- KEVIN WILSON

Because you need all the therapy you can get -- even in ice cream form -- to coach football at a school where hoopyball reigns supreme.

MICHIGAN -- BRADY HOKE

Regrettably, Ben & Jerry's has not yet entered into a taste bud-annihilating flavor-mash-up with Domino's Pizza, so Brady Hoke's dream flavor remains the stuff of dreams (and homemade blender concoctions). And while Chubby Hubby and Chunky Monkey were tempting choices here, they were also too obvious. No, Hoke is a Cinnamon Buns man, slamming together two delicious things that are bad for you to create a caloric atom bomb of things that are bad for you. Go big -- because that's how a Michigan Man does it, dammit.

MICHIGAN STATE -- MARK DANTONIO

Sadly, Ben & Jerry's also does not make a MURDERDEATHKILL flavor just yet. So what's left? B&J's most Italian-inspired flavor for the Big Ten's most Italian coach. FUHGEDDABOUTIT.

MINNESOTA -- JERRY KILL

Look, sometimes the obvious answer is the right answer. Deal with it.

NEBRASKA -- BO PELINI

The ice cream flavor in B&J's flavor stable that does the most nudge nudge wink winking at profanity seems more than appropriate for the Big Ten's most profane coach.

NORTHWESTERN -- PAT FITZGERALD

Only the most expensive-sounding -- it's French! look at all those punctuation marks! -- ice cream will do for a true Northwestern man. You know, if a Northwestern man has to slum it and eat Ben & Jerry's rather than this preferred artisanal organic ice cream made with real cream, pure cane sugar, and eggs from grass-fed chickens. (Also, Ben & Jerry's has yet to unveil a Big Chunks o' Ass flavor, to Fitzy's eternal regret.)

OHIO STATE -- URBAN MEYER

Urban Meyer is an unstoppable cyborg ~~killing machine~~ football coach sent back in time from a cruel and unforgiving future to ~~enslave humanity~~ win football games. He doesn't have time for pathetic meatbag luxuries like "ice cream."

PENN STATE -- BILL O'BRIEN

Scandalberry Crunch is yet another flavor not currently offered by Ben & Jerry's (ATTN: Ben & Jerry's decisionmakers: I am willing to offer you my services as a Flavor Scientist), so we'll go with something traditional and wholesome-looking instead.

PURDUE -- DARRELL HAZELL

Hazell isn't quite accustomed to having B1G funds at his disposal yet when it comes to ice cream shopping; he's still operating under a more frugal #MACtion mindset where you get your ice cream from the store-brand section at Wal-Mart.

WISCONSIN -- GARY ANDERSON

We don't really know a damn thing about Gary Anderson yet, but it's Wisconsin and the law there mandates that everything has cheese in it.

BONUS! Maryland and Rutgers aren't yet full members of our brotherhood, but they'll soon be rubbing shoulders with us, so it seemed wrong to leave them out of the fun.

MARYLAND -- RANDY EDSALL

Randy Edsall is more boring and conservative than Kirk Ferentz and he will goddamn prove it.

RUTGERS -- KYLE FLOOD

Oh come on -- what else could it be for the coach of New York's college football team?

BONUS BONUS!

Bret Bielema is gone, but most certainly not forgotten around these parts.

Ice cream with fudge-covered potato chips?! BOOM. The card said go for a second pint, bro.

And last but not least...

The WIN FIGHT TRY of Ben & Jerry's flavors is perfect for the late, lamented Mr. Tim Brewster.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It: Kirk Ferentz Talks To The DSM Register

2013-05-20T14:30:02Z

FETUS-HEAD FERENTZ. That's what his high school pals used to call him. In a lengthy and candid interview with the Des Moines Register, Ferentz discusses his old nicknames, among other topics. We don't share much from the Register here anymore. Not since they moved to a pay-model. This is worth your time though.

NOW WE'RE ALL EVEN, KINDA. Iowa made their final payment to Iowa State for the annual Cy-Hawk football series. The previous deal said that each home team paid the other 20% of the gate for the series. For payments,

Over the last eight years, Iowa's payments to Iowa State totaled $2,371,074, an average of $592,768 after each home game. For its four most recent appearances at Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa received $1,526,555. That averages to $381,638.

Each school keeps the entire gate for themselves moving forward.

THE EARLY WEEK ONE COLLEGE FOOTBALL LINES ARE OUT. Iowa has opened on betonline.com as a 6.5 point favorite over Northern Illinois. Surprised? I certainly am. Playing in Kinnick is worth some points but I expect that line to get beat down closer to Iowa -3 by kickoff.

LAST WEEK'S NEWS WAS DOMINATED BY SCHEDULING. Here's a post on ESPN's Big Ten blog about how it all came to be. We've discussed Iowa's seemingly easy schedule in 2014. Get used to those teams, that's our new reality in the Big Ten West. At some point Iowa is going to have to beat Nebraska. To make the rivalry worthy of that title. They'll have the Hero's game ending each season in the Big Ten's version of rivalry weekend.

ESPN SELECTS TWO INDISPENSABLE PLAYERS FOR IOWA FOOTBALL 2013. Brandon Scherff and B.J. Lowery get that nod. I think you could probably select a linebacker over Lowery but his selection says a lot about this team. There maybe isn't a glaring indispensable guy, really. We're still waiting for one to emerge.

MEANWHILE, ON THE I-CLUB CIRCUIT. Mike Hlas, of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, was in attendance for the meeting in Webster Country. He has audio of Fran McCaffery, Brian Ferentz and Tom Brands on his Hlog.

OTHER LINKS:

In Kirk We Trust (To Stick Too Long With A Bad Offensive Coordinator)?
Greenway Joins ANF Team
"Are You There AIRBHG? It's Me, Margaret.
Morris Named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
Chad Greenway makes the NFL Top 100 list
Troy and Terry Steiner earn HOF nod
How's Bryan Bulaga's Hip? Good Enough to Shoot a 39 Round of Golf
An SEC vs. Big Ten historical comparison (with charts)
Horse Latitudes #7 - KF convo from last November
Baseball: Hawkeyes Finish Off 3-Game Sweep
Golf: Hawkeyes Place 11th at NCAA Southeast Regional
Hawkeyes left with no excuses for 2014
The Big Ten in Review: Iowa

Grading The (Real) Ricky Stanzi Mix CD, Song By Song

2013-05-17T21:58:41Z

If you'll recall, last week we found out that Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry had been jamming out with our own favorite son Ricky Stanzi—or at least jamming out with Stanzi's mix tape, which we assumed was just a playlist he had put together on his iPod or what have you.

Mr. Berry has since followed up with the Internet by Instagramming the actual mix Stanzi put together. Behold:

First things first: he burnt a CD. It is the year 2013, Stanzi makes over $500,000 per year, and he is a young person with access to all the latest technology. And he burnt a friggin' CD. I didn't know CD-Rs were even a thing anymore. Maybe he just had some left over from 10 years ago, as we all do if we look hard enough in our desk drawers at home. Anyway, that was the first thing that blew our minds.

Second thing? This mix looks, on its face, not that bad. We don't have most of the songs on it, but we see some that we like and very little that we don't.

But if High Fidelity taught us anything, it's that 1) we're a little tired of John Cusack's sadness face and 2) there is an art to the mix tape, and the arrangement is every bit as important as the song selection itself. Thus, we have compiled this very mix and will listen along to it song by song, with notes herein. This is the most important journalistic thing we have ever done.

Onward!

1) M83 - Midnight City

Strong, strong opener. Hits you from the first note, demands to be played loud, and finishes with a saxophone so overtly sexual you would expect this guy to be playing it. This is one of my favorite songs and albums of 2011. Off to a great start.

2) Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

Doesn't have the raucous energy of Midnight City, but isn't a letdown either; you're settling in here. Clocks in at a respectable 3:19, but ends at what feels like the middle of the song. Not the worst thing for the second song in a mix—they can't all have big endings with a sense of finality.

3) Miike Snow - Animal

Another semi-electronic falsetto song—a motif is emerging here. That's good. You want motifs if you're putting together a mix, even if a group of Swedish dudes in skinny jeans has to be a part of it.

4) The Knife - Heartbeats

More Swedes with high voices and a drum machine! They also sound a whole lot like a band that comes later in the mix. Anyway, if you're not bobbing your head by the end of it, you are probably no fun. Still going strong.

5) The Naked And Famous - Young Blood

This mix has fully settled into a groove of summer songs, the type you listen to with the sun in your eyes. That's good. It's not summer, but it's damn close, especially in Kansas City. Still having fun listening to this mix.

6) Solid Gold - Get Over It

Nothing profound going on in the lyrics to this one, but it's a fine next song down the line. No departure from the norm thus far, although if this kind of music isn't your cup of tea you should have abandoned this mix long before now. But it's our cup of tea. Yeah, hipsters write BHGP. Deal with it.

7) Foster The People - Helena Beat

Thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank you for not being Pumped Up Kicks thank y

8) My Morning Jacket - Wordless Chorus

Pretty much the first foray into what old people and young morons call "real music," and the first real departure from the "foreign people with a drum machine" motif. And yet Jim James' falsetto game is pretty much the best out there and it's on full display here. Since we're getting into the second half of a mix, Golden might ordinarily be a better call (Wordless Chorus leads off "Z," for some perspective), but it wouldn't be a good fit on this mix.

9) The Naked And Famous - All of This

Some people are mixed on whether to include more than one song by the same band on a mix tape. I'm of the mindset that it's a dumb rule—especially if you're trying to put together a coherent mix instead of "these are 15 songs I like"—but that's just me. Anyway, very strong second-half song here, when you can start

10) Paramore - Here We Go Again

Not just Paramore, but old Paramore. Hipster cred firmly established at this point. Fun fact: Hayley Williams was still 16 years old when this song was made, and she sounds twice that. In a good way. Anyway, highly underrated song, highly underrated band, totally fine with it here—it's a thematic shift from most of the mix, but that shift started with the My Morning Jacket a couple songs ago, remember?

11) Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

When we mentioned The Knife (song 4) sounding like a later band, it was Passion Pit—obviously the vocals are different on account of Passion Pit has a dude and The Knife doesn't, but everything else is awfully similar. So it's cool to see that symmetry and callback from effectively half the mixtape ago. You see the alternation of "bands with drummers" and "bands with drum machines" coming into view, and that's kinda cool.

12) Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too

w--what

13) AWOLNATION - Sail

It's funny—we all see the name of the song, but it doesn't sound like sailing music at all. Christopher Cross is like "turn this noise off."

14) Incubus - Talk Shows On Mute

Ten years ago, there was a not-insignificant portion of people (mostly college students) who absolutely swore by Incubus. As in, they'd tell you with a straight face that Incubus was the best band out there. The weirdest part about it is that their other musical tastes were pretty straightforward—you couldn't dismiss them with a "yeah, but they like [insert annoying band here].' I never understood that. I didn't hate Incubus, still don't, but they sound like another alt band, and sure enough this sounds like another alt song. Which is fine, and it's not a bad song to put here.

15) Fun. - Some Nights

Okay. Ricky Stanzi likes Fun. Okay. We can... we can work through this. We can get past this. Okay.

Sighhhhhhhhh.

All in all, this is a very, very good mix, and although we appreciate the strategy of using the second half of it to work in some different stuff to take the mix to a different place—you can''t do a full mix of songs that all sound the same, because that gets boring—his choices would not have been our choices. Ah well.

Still, to be clear, we want Ricky Stanzi to make more of them and share them with the world. If he's taking requests, though, no more Fun. That's all.

Kirk Kill & Jerry Ferentz

2013-05-17T14:03:33Z

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Kirk Ferentz and Jerry Kill swapped hairstyles? Wonder no longer, thanks to LSUFreek.

This nightmare fuel is our gift to you for being patient during this week's technical difficulties. Good luck sleeping tonight.

The rest of his rivalry hairswaps are available at EDSBS.

Big Ten Releases 2014 Conference Schedule; Iowa Gets Favorable Slate

2013-05-16T18:05:11Z

Continuing the schedule-based theme of so many of our posts of late, we now bring you word that the Big Ten has finally released the revised 2014 conference football schedule. You might recall that they'd released a schedule a while back, but then they went and added Rutgers and Maryland, which required a bit of a rethink. Apparently some people didn't think just having Rutgers and Maryland play each other eight times in a row while the rest of the league went about its business would be such a hot idea. HARRUMPH. (If you're wondering what the original 2014 schedule looked like, just take a peek at the 2013 slate and flip the home/away status for every game.)

Anyway, without further ado...

This... is a pretty damn favorable schedule for Iowa -- at least on paper. There's been a lot of consternation about the Iowa's 2013 schedule and, to be sure, it does look rather unfriendly with Iowa hosting fellow Legends Michigan and Michigan State, and replacing Leaders Indiana and Purdue with Ohio State (in the 'Shoe) and Wisconsin. But the 2014 schedule... that looks much more navigable. Ohio State's return to the schedule lasts just one year, while Michigan and Michigan State also rotate off. Iowa gains former Leaders Wisconsin and Illinois (who?) as part of the new divisional alignment and their cross-divisional opponents are Indiana and Maryland, probably the two softest teams in the new East division.

From a talent standpoint, 2014 is a year that we've been cautiously optimistic about for a while, hoping that the mass blooding of young players in 2012 and 2013 would pay dividends that season, with those raw youngsters becoming seasoned, experienced Big Ten players. Hopefully that transformation does indeed occur for Iowa and if it does, well, now we know that they appear to have a very advantageous schedule.

A few other thoughts:

* The home/away balance of games in this schedule is a little out of whack. Iowa opens with three home games and closes with a pair of home games, but in-between Kinnick Stadium is going to be a very lonely place. In fact, between Iowa's mid-September home game against Iowa State and their November 1st date with Northwestern, Iowa plays a whopping one home game: Indiana on October 11th. That's not exactly fan-friendly.

* As Pat pointed out on Twitter, that schedule is also going to make it tough for Iowa to get a home night game in 2014. Barta is unlikely to sign off on the Iowa State game at night or a November night game, which leaves just UNI, Ball State, and Indiana as potential home night games. In fact, assuming the Big Ten continues to shy away from November night games, it's hard to find any potential night games for Iowa on that schedule. The most interesting games on the slate are all back-loaded into November.

* It's worth noting that the double-bye week feature is just a quirk of the calendar. Labor Day comes very early in 2014 (and in 2013 as well, when Iowa also has double bye weeks).

* The 2014 season will come down to performance in November. Unless something goes really wrong, Iowa should enter November with their West Division title hopes alive and in their own hands. They also get probably their three toughest West Division opponents at home (Northwestern, Wisconsin, Nebraska).

* Who's that Iowa plays on 11/15? BAH GAWD, THAT'S ILLINOIS' MUSIC! Yes, for the first time in six years, Iowa will play the Fightin' Illini in football. Mind you, the last time Iowa and Illinois played (2008), that game was also in Champaign, meaning that there will be an EIGHT YEAR SPAN between Iowa-Illinois games in Iowa City (2007-2015). Good job, good effort, Delanybot 9000.

* Speaking of the Delanybot 9000 and weird scheduling quirks... Iowa plays at Minnesota on 11/8. This follows on the heels of trips to Minneapolis in 2010, 2011, and 2013, meaning that Iowa will have played the Gophers in MSP in 4 out of 5 years. That's pretty damn weird. As a resident of Minneapolis, I can't say I mind getting to watch Iowa play 20 minutes from my house... although I sure wish those games didn't always end with me wallowing in sadness.

* The 2014 conference schedules for every B1G team can be found here; if you think Iowa has a favorable conference slate, look at Wisconsin's. (On the flipside, Rutgers is getting the "bag full of doorknobs" welcome to the Big Ten; in addition to games against fellow East Division teams Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State, they also have to play Wisconsin and Nebraska from the West.)

* Thanksgiving weekend is now non-stop rivalries, beginning with Iowa-Nebraska on Black Friday and including longstanding blood feuds like Michigan-Ohio State, Indiana-Purdue, Wisconsin-Minnesota, Illinois-Northwestern... and Maryland-Rutgers and, of course, Michigan State-Penn State. LAND GRANT TROPHY WAR BACK, BABY.

* The 2015 schedule hasn't been released yet, but there's a good chance it's just the 2014 schedule with the home and away games flipped.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It: Big Ten Meetings Notes II

2013-05-16T13:34:04Z

BIG JIM TALKED EXPANSION. The door never closes on possible league expansion. Jim Delany said yesterday that the issue is not dead and that "dead is a strong word." Delany poached Maryland from the ACC and other ACC teams were rumored to be next. The ACC recently put a grant of media rights agreement together that probably stopped the poaching. The addition of Maryland and Rutgers came as a surprise last fall. If the Big Ten expands again, it's possible the schools and timing will again come when not expected.

THE B1G BOWL LINEUP IS CHANGING. Yesterday, there was news that the Holiday Bowl may agree to a six year deal with the Big Ten starting in 2014. The Pinstripe Bowl and Music City Bowl are also in the future for eligible teams. The additions mean the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, formerly the Insight.com Bowl, is out. Iowa played two consecutive years in the then Insight.com Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. The loss of the BWW Bowl is also a loss of a game against a Big 12 opponent in post season play.

THE BIG TEN STILL WANTS SEVEN TO BE THE NEW SIX. Teams with six wins are and will remain bowl eligible. Jim Delany says the Big Ten Athletic Directors unanimously agree that seven wins should be the minimum. The truth is that there's just too many bowls.

MARVIN MCNUTT AND KEN O'KEEFE, REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD. Just one day after McNutt was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles he was picked up by the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins wide receiver coach is former Hawkeye offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe. With a roster full of young wide receivers it's possible McNutt has found a home.

DEVYN MARBLE AND AARON WHITE WILL TRYOUT FOR TEAM USA. Training camp for the World University team is July 24-August 1st. The World University Games included teams from 24 countries and play bi-annually.

OTHER LINKS:

Indiana AD: Everyone has ‘expansion fatigue'
OSU's Smith favors indoor B1G title game
The Big Ten is making that money
Video: Wrapping up B1G spring meetings
Mike Gesell, DI male freshman athlete of the year
James Ferentz, still learning the offensive line
College football study: Best / worst red zone defenses over last 3 years
Big Ten ADs form scheduling 'co-op'
Breaking down Iowa's B1G single-plays
Big Ten breathes life into next round of bowls
Iowa's Barnes lands with Vanderbilt
B1G 2013 // This Is About The Future
B1G meetings: No divisions, 18 games for hoops
B1G to take more control of bowl pairings

Iowa's Conference Basketball Schedule Might Be The Toughest in the Big Ten

2013-05-15T20:31:30Z

Much was made of Iowa's comically easy non-conference schedule last season, and while it certainly did the Hawkeyes no favors as they tried in vain to make the NCAA Tournament, it's also worth noting that the Big Ten slate was also a major problem for Iowa's tourney hopes.

Yes, the Big Ten was by far the best conference in basketball last season, and it proved so over the course of the postseason in both the NCAA Tourney and the NIT. But Iowa's conference strength of schedule was dead last in the Big Ten, according to Ken Pomeroy ($$), thanks to a season-ending diet heavy on Nebraska and Penn State. Iowa missed a game with four tourney teams from the Big Ten last season, including three of the top five teams in the conference standings.

That will not be the case in 2013-14.

The Big Ten Network released a list of the Big Ten's "single plays"—which is to say the teams each Big Ten school will only face in conference play once—and suffice it to say Iowa's winter is going to be pretty rough.

Iowa gets home games with Purdue and Nebraska but no road dates, and the Hawkeyes will miss Penn State and Indiana at home in 2013-14.

It's enough that BTN labels Iowa's slate the "worst draw," saying this about the Hawkeyes' road ahead:

A popular sleeper team, the Hawkeyes will have their work cut out for themselves, with a pair of games vs. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Clearly, RPI won't be an issue for Iowa in 2013-14.

That's definitely true. Between the three tough games in the Bahamas in the non-conference, the tilt with Notre Dame and the annual Iowa State slugfest, Iowa's going to be loading its schedule with opportunities for quality wins in the non-conference and even quality losses; it's far better for the RPI to get demolished by the top team than to beat a bottom-feeder by 60 points, which, yeah, great system guys.

Seeing the Big Ten schedule come into picture, however, it's also worth reiterating that Iowa still needs to put together a record that'll impress the tournament committee come March, because sure wins are not going to be easy to come by all year long. The Big Ten's elite class is a bit down after last season, but it's fair to predict improvement from most of the middle of the pack, so we're looking at another absolute grind for even the best teams in the conference.

The upside, however, is that this surfeit of quality is going to boost the Big Ten's schedule strength and thus conference power ratings, and we're probably looking at another season with the Big Ten being the top conference in all the land. So if Iowa can even recreate its 9-9 record from last season—and it's fair to argue that the team's goals should be higher, what with just about everybody coming back and strong depth at each position—then the concurrent schedule ranking should be enough to safely secure an NCAA bid well before the Big Ten Tourney even gets underway.

But man, what a bear of a schedule it'll be en route. If Iowa gets back to 21 wins by the end of the regular season it's fair to call that a triumph.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It: Big Ten Meetings Notes

2013-05-15T13:11:50Z

BIG JIM IS GETTING THE GANG TOGETHER. There's a lot of news coming out of the Big Ten meetings in Chicago. The conference will announce future Big Ten schedules Thursday, with new members Maryland and Rutgers included. The conference will expand league games to nine conference games in 2016. Iowa knows for sure they will have Illinois and Wisconsin on their future schedule. The Illini and Badgers will move to the Big Ten West as Maryland and Rutgers will make up the Big Ten East.

THE FUTURE NINE GAME CONFERENCE SLATE LIMITS IOWA'S OPTIONS FOR NON-CONFERENCE GAMES. According to Gary Barta, "We'll (Iowa) have two games to fill every year and they won't be home-and-homes, because I have to have seven home games." Barta says that the rivalry game with Iowa State will remain Iowa's premier BCS league non-conference game. He then adds this:

"It's a good rivalry, it's good for college football, but the unique challenge is they're [Iowa State] not in our conference. Our No. 1 goal is to win the Big Ten Conference and whatever beyond that. But because our in-state rival is there, it's great for the game, it's great for for the state, it just doesn't apply toward that No. 1 goal of winning the Big Ten Conference, which is unique."

WHAT'S NOT ON THE TABLE IS CONFERENCE EXPANSION. Earlier in the year rumors circulated that the Big Ten was considering a few ACC schools to get the league to 16 teams. Those remained just that, rumors. Expansion talk is on the shelf these meetings.

THE BIG TEN BOWL LINEUP IS GETTING A SHAKEUP. According to Scott Dochterman, the Holiday Bowl could pair the Big Ten's third bowl eligible team with the PAC-12's second in 2014. Also new to the lineup, the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City and the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

IOWA BASKETBALL KNOWS THE SINGLE PLAYS FOR NEXT SEASON. Iowa will play Nebraska and Purdue at home and Indiana and Penn State on the road. Nebraska, Purdue and Penn State all finished in the lower half of the Big Ten in 2013. Iowa's schedule will be pretty tough next year.

WHAT ABOUT HOOPS DIVISIONAL PLAY? Fran McCaffery doesn't think that will happen. The exact science to hoops scheduling is still on the table at the meetings.

BARTA WOULDN'T SPECULATE ON JACK DAHM'S JOB. Iowa baseball is (19-27) on the season. Barta says he "won't discuss the future of Iowa baseball coach Jack Dahm until the season is completed."

OTHER LINKS:

Video: B1G spring meetings Day 2 wrap-up
Incoming freshman running back LeShun Daniels looks ready for fall camp
Ferentz's future son-in-law is leaving for a job at Vanderbilt
Eagles release WR Marvin McNutt
Big Ten ADs like 'national' bowl lineup
B1G 2013 // Iowa's Newest Guys in the Room
B1G Meetings: Hello, Nashville and Jacksonville
Iowa to Host 3rd Annual Ladies' Football Academy
Iowa MBB notes: Future skeds, Marble to Russia?
B1G spring meetings Day 1 notes
B1G 2013 // Iowa Cocktail Party Preview
Iowa finishes second in recruiting battle for 4-star running back