Alright, Dan Harmon Is a Mastermind. This is incredibly not safe for work. It is also amazing.
Taking Care of Family Business. Summer in Iowa City nearly ended with a couple of Russian-in-the-Pine-Barrens-esque loose ends. For one, there was the pesky matter of starting halfback-turned-exile Adam Robinson. When we last checked in with Robinson in May, he had officially been set adrift and planned to enroll at a new program in time to enroll in summer school and avoid another bout of academic indigestion. Then there was silence for almost three months until Monday, when we learned Robinson is enrolled at reigning Division II National Champions Minnesota-Duluth. Robinson will reportedly sit this year while he gets his grades in order -- according to Dochterman on this week's BHGPod, Division II athletes have as many years as they would like to exhaust their eligibility -- and will presumably start playing in 2012. It's a great move by Robinson; he successfully joined the best football team in the state of Minnesota and doesn't even lose a year of eligibility in the process.
Speaking of mysterious transfers, Anthony Hubbard left Iowa under a cloud of homesickness and stuff. He then flirted with Nebraska and (reportedly) Wichita State, neither of which were within half a continent of his Maryland home. Those may not have materialized, but Hubbard might have found the next best thing: Morgan State, the 2009 and 2010 MEAC champions, coached by former Cal head man and serial rulebreaker Todd Bozeman and located in Baltimore. That's Baltimore, Maryland, right in the backyard of the homesick 26 year old. Everyone wins.
Everybody Loves Raymon. Rumors started spreading Monday night that incoming freshman defensive end John Raymon had posted to his Facebook wall that he was about to leave the program. Obviously, it was a stunner: Raymon had been a longtime commit to Iowa, had mentioned his affinity for Midwestern hospitality as a strong factor in his decision to choose Iowa, and was being mentioned as a potential special teams contributor this year. As of yesterday, though, Raymon was apparently back with the team, at least for the moment. From all indications, Raymon's had some difficulty adjusting to life away from Philadelphia, and he, his family, and the staff are working to fix whatever is ailing him.
Ed. Hawkeye radio color analyst Ed Podolak continues to recover from an offseason accident where he was hit by a car that was doing 40 while crossing a street. Podolak shattered both legs and sustained rib and head injuries, and has spent the spring and summer in and out of surgery. A Monday bone graft surgery reportedly went well, and Eddie still plans to be in the booth in 18 days when Iowa opens against Tennessee Tech. Eddie's fought through quite a bit of adversity over the past few years, and as always we wish him and his family the best as he fights off yet another challenge.
BULLITZ ON PARADE
Penn State starting halfback Stephfon Green is not practicing with the Nittany Lions and is believed to have been dismissed from the team. PSU still has sophomore Silas Redd, who had been in competition with Green for that starting spot and has some experience (437 yards rushing last season), but this decimates the halfback depth we all presumed the Nittany Lions would rely upon to counteract their ginger quarterback.
Nebraska lost quarterback recruit Bubba Starling to a bag with a dollar sign on the side, as the five-star recruit signed a deal to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals. The contract included a $7.5M signing bonus payable over three years, an offer which could only be matched by 2002 Miami Hurricane boosters, and those guys are all in jail.
FOTP Rick Reese, who now writes for more blogs than Jacobi, expertly analyzes Iowa's use of the H-back and comes to the conclusion that the anxiety felt by many over the lack of a fullback is much ado about nothing.
Indianapolis-based point guard recruit Pat Ingram will announce his college choice this afternoon. Ingram, a Rivals 3-star recruit, holds offers from Iowa, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Saint Louis. He made a visit to Iowa City this weekend, so coaches are optimistic.
Dochterman examines the link between Kirk Ferentz and Chiefs GM Scott Pioli.
Arrested Development in Legos? Arrested Development in Legos.