LUNCH LINKS BATTENS DOWN THE HATCHES

Unless you live under a rock (which would be a safe place right now tbh) you’ve probably heard that some hurricanes barreling towards and around the Atlantic or going to do the darndest to delay a not insignificant amount of college football games this weekend.

In fact, as of this writing, 18 college games have been rescheduled, postponed or cancelled. That’s almost 36 teams! Maybe it’s a good thing Iowa doesn’t travel too far these first few weeks of the season.

We talk about being in God’s country quite a bit around here, but let’s remember to think of those on the coast during these next few days and wish everyone safety. And good vibes to all our Readers Out East, we know there’s more than a few of you.

And more than anything: be thankful we aren’t speculating how a hurricane could benefit the team this season.

The Smoking Musket has a conspiracy theory about why its game got cancelled. This is a must listen folks.

In more scheduling news: Iowa State is paying something called Incarnate Word $300,000 to come to Ames on Dec. 1 to play a football game. Iowa State is conceding that it will not be in the Big 12 Championship. While Iowa State plays a football game in December in Ames against a football program that’s just nine years old, two Big 12 teams that aren’t Iowa State will be in Arlington — not fighting for bowl eligibility — but likely playoff implications.

But yes, tell me more about strength of schedule.

So much has been lamented about Iowa’s passing troubles (and to a lesser extent, rushing troubles) through the first two games, it’s tough to diagnose the problem from a living room or press box.

Some postulate it’s footwork. Others blame rhythm. I say it’s playcalling and the tides.

The reality of the situation is it’s a combination of everything we can imagine and more.

I’m not ready to hit the panic button (I am disappointed we haven’t been able to hit the Easley button this year, however) but if the passing game still struggles mightily against UNI, it’s more than reasonable to question how the hell we’re going to score points against Wisconsin in two weeks.

Speaking of Wisconsin ...

Chad Leistikow predicts it’s gonna be the loudest game in Kinnick’s rich history.

Boy oh boy that’s gonna be a good one. Me, an idiot, booked a trip to Europe that weekend. It will be 2:30 AM local time in Croatia for kickoff. Anyone know of any American Sports bars in Hvar?

In the only relevant bowl prediction, Stewart Mandel has Iowa playing Washington in Pasadena.

Former Hawkeye Austin Blythe did a pretty good job for the Super Bowl-bound Rams in week one.

• I know I’ve talked about the great work Scott Dochterman has been doing at the Athletic just about every time I do one of these link dumps, but today he dropped a history of Iowa’s Swarm. Must read.
• Tristan Wirfs spent his suspension by watching the Iowa-NIU game at his 83 year-old neighbor’s house. That would probably count as community service at Iowa State.
• Another list where Iowa sits at No. 1? No way!

And who’s ready for another Cactus (cacti?) in Iowa City?!

The rest

• This is the most measured piece of writing I’ve read in regards to the Serena Williams US Open debacle. Don’t want to say tennis is getting anywhere near FIFA territory, but this is not a good look.
• If you went to college around the same time I did, you likely heard Mac Miller on speakers or a Bose sound deck just about every weekend at house parties and tailgates. By no means would I consider myself a Mac Miller Stan, but hearing his music upon my graduation has always triggered fond memories of Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Keystone Light in Iowa City. His passing last Friday was incredibly sad and this obituary from master wordsmith Rembert Browne is the best thing I’ve read in a long, long time.
• These parents doing the Haka for their sons first appearance in a New Zealand All Blacks test match is awesome:

• This feels like it has a home here:

Go Forth, and Go Hawks.