Wrestling in Iowa Isn't Just Political

While there has been a lot of political wrestling going on because of the state's recent caucus, the sport of collegiate wrestling has had a foothold in the state of Iowa for a long time. The state's very first title was won by little Cornell College in 1947. Many of the state's schools today still have fine wrestling programs. In fact, the state of Iowa collectively has an opportunity to do something a state has never done in NCAA history before. That is having the number one ranked team in the Division I, Division II, and Division III polls in the same sport.

Call Iowa stubborn if you wish, but Iowans are proud of their wrestling. "Wrestling is part of the culture. In just about every small town in the state wrestling is the top program. A lot of the sport's icons come from Iowa," commented Cornell coach Mike Duroe. The legend of state lore is Dan Gable. Gable won two NCAA titles for Iowa State, an Olympic gold medal in 1972, and coached Iowa to 15 team championships. In regards to this, Wartburg head coach Jim Miller said, "I think the state of Iowa has always taken pride in college athletics. You can drive across the state and see school emblems on barns, see the schools they are supporting. It really blew up with Gable. He raised the awareness of the non-wrestling fans and made them acknowledge that we weren't just seeing the best in the country but the best in the world."

Let's begin are look at Iowan collegiate wrestling today with the small schools, Division III. But just because they are small does not mean, they don't take it seriously. In case you didn't know, NCAA Division III schools aren't allowed to give athletic scholarships, which means that all these guys are wrestling because of their love for the sport. Five Iowan schools are currently in the top 16 of the NWCA rankings, led by #1 Wartburg. This comes as no surprise as the Knights have won eight DIII titles since 1996, including three of the last four. The state's other ranked schools are #5 Coe, #6 Cornell, #11 Luther, and #16 Dubuque.

The only Division II school in Iowa is Upper Iowa. Since joining DII in 2005, the Peacocks have been flexing their muscle on the mat. They are currently #2 in the DII polls. Upper Iowa head coach Heath Grimm understands the importance of maintaining success no matter who you are competing against. Grimm stated that, "Coaches have a big responsibility to continue with that tradition."

Then, there are the big boys of Division I, University of Iowa, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones are currently on the outskirts of the rankings looking in. Everyone in DI though is looking up at the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes are 6-0 as a team so far and have been wrestling very well.

Now, let's look at what this means in retrospect to this weekend. DIII #1 Wartburg looks to hold its spot atop the rankings when they travel to Springfield, Illinois to North Central College to take on the hosts, Dubuque, and other schools. DII #2 Upper Iowa hopes to surpass #1 Newberry with a win at the National Duals. DI #1 University of Iowa plays host to #2 Oklahoma State on Saturday night. This means that if the Knights, Peacocks, and Hawkeyes all win this weekend, the next NWCA polls to be released will feature an Iowan school atop each of their respective divisions.

College Football Week 11 Preview & Predictions

5. #19 Nebraska @ #12 Penn State - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN

Nebraska is traveling to without a doubt the most hostile environment in college football right now, a very unhappy Happy Valley. Two weeks ago, Nebraska looked dominate against Michigan State in 24-3 win. Then, last week in typical Big Ten fashion they choked and lost to a backup quarterback led Northwestern team. Penn State is adrift with scandal, the firing of their president and one of the most legendary coaches in the history of sports, and rioting students. Meanwhile, the football team is the only Big Ten team who remains undefeated in conference play. The question is can interim coach Tom Bradley rally the troops and get his team to focus on what they've been doing best, winning football games. Prediction: Penn State 27 Nebraska 10

4. #17 Michigan State @ Iowa - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN2

The Big Ten has some very intriguing games this weekend. Last week, Iowa was coming off a humiliating loss to Minnesota 22-21. In order for them to have a chance at a Big Ten championship, the Hawkeyes would most likely have to run the table the rest of the way. Last week, they accomplished step one in a hard-nosed win over Michigan 24-16. Michigan State survived the upset bug who paid them a visit last week in the form of the Golden Gophers. Iowa sits a game behind the Spartans in the Legends Divisions standings. If Iowa can pull the upset at home again this week, they will have completed a miraculous comeback that will amazingly propel them into first place in the division. Prediction: Iowa 21 Michigan State 20

3. #20 Auburn @ #15 Georgia - 3:30 PM EST, CBS

Many people said Georgia was no longer a contender after they started the season 0-2. Now, the Bulldogs have rolled off 7 victories in a row and control their fate atop the SEC East. They can clinch the division with a win over Auburn and a Florida win over South Carolina (12 PM EST, CBS). The Dawgs will also be welcoming back standout freshman runningback Isaiah Crowell back from a one-game suspension. Auburn is rested and healed coming off a bye. Before that, the Tigers bounced back from a pounding at the hands of LSU to win 41-23 over Ole Miss. Prediction: Auburn 23 Georgia 20

2. TCU @ #5 Boise State - 3:30 PM EST, Versus

These two Mountain West heavyweight fighters have had some great bouts over the past few years. TCU's only losses this season are a 2 point loss the opening week to Baylor and a overtime loss to SMU. This year's version of the Horned Frogs does not have nearly as talented of a defense as past years. They are also missing Andy Dalton, who is now a leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year as the starting quarterback for the surprising Cincinnati Bengals. TCU has won 4 straight games and 21 consecutive against MWC opponents. However, the Horned Frogs will have a tough time pulling the upset on the blue turf at Bronco Stadium. Boise State hasn't lost a conference home game since 1998 (That is 13 years ago!). The Broncos are led by star quarterback Kellen Moore. Interestingly enough though, Moore hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in either of his last two games against TCU. Prediction: Boise State 41 TCU 24

1. #7 Oregon @ #4 Stanford - 8:00 PM EST, ABC

While last week's game of the week featured a defensive battle, these week's game of the week will almost certainly showcase an offensive explosion. In last year's matchup, Oregon came out victorious 52-31, largely due to LaMichael James, who ran for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Stanford has won 17 consecutive games since (the nation's best winning streak) and will counter with this year's Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck, who NFL scouts say might be the best prospect since Payton Manning came out of Tennessee. The offensive matchup should be a stellar one. Stanford's 48.2 ppg vs. Oregon's 46.0 ppg. Oregon's 510.67 ypg vs. Stanford's 505.78 ypg. The Cardinal are 9-0 (7-0 Pac-12), while the Ducks' (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) only loss was a week one loss to #1 LSU. Will Andrew Luck's senior year run of luck continue, or will he be out of luck against the Ducks? Prediction: Stanford 48 Oregon 45

Alabama, Michigan, & Nebraska All Choke and Fall

Alabama made the plays to beat the number one team in the land and rival LSU, but just couldn't put the ball in the endzone. Instead they settled for six field goal attempts and missed four of them, including one in overtime. LSU kicker Drew Alleman connected on his field goal attempt in overtime giving #1 LSU the 9-6 victory. The game was defensive dominated in most every aspect and featured many fine defensive plays, including a beautiful play where LSU safety Eric Reid took a jump ball away from Alabama tight end Michael Williams to prevent a touchdown. LSU is now in the driver seat to a berth in the SEC Championship Game and BCS National Championship Game.

Iowa was coming off a humiliating loss to Minnesota 22-21. In order for them to have a chance at a Big Ten championship, the Hawkeyes would most like win out the rest of the season. Their first opponent was the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan's defense didn't seem to have an answer for the Hawkeyes offense. Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg hooked up with wide receiver Marvin McNutt for nine catches and 101 yards. Marcus Coker ran for 132 yards and touchdowns. Offensively, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson overcame some first half turnover mistake to do all he could through the air to lead the Wolverines to a comeback win, but came up just short. Were there many possible missed calls toward the end that went against the Wolverines? Yes, there were some close calls. However, Michigan never should have put themselves in that spot. Now, they are a game behind Michigan State in the Legends Division. Iowa now sits a game back as well. The Hawkeyes get another tough opponent at home next week in Michigan State. If they can pull the upset though, they will have completed a miraculous comeback that would propel them into first place in the division.

Who is Kain Colter? Everyone at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska were just shocked to find out. Nebraska fans had to be a little concerned when their Huskers 7-0 nearing half-time, but that's when Northwestern starting quarterback Dan Persa was injured, so back Kain Colter was brought in. Colter took over the second half. He completed only 4 passes, but they were for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-25 upset win over #10 Nebraska. Nebraska played poorly early and their comeback came up just short when the Wildcats recovered an onside kick to help seal the victory. The Huskers now sit a game behind Michigan State in the Legends Division. They have tough road trip next week to Happy Valley, where they have to take on Penn State, the only team who is still undefeated in Big Ten play.

College Football Week 10 Preview & Predictions

I know that this is the first one, but starting today, I will spend Thursdays blogging about the Top 5 college football games for each week. My previews will include some pregame analysis and my predictions.

5. #15 Michigan @ Iowa (or any Big Ten game for that matter) - 12 PM EST, ESPN

With the exception of Penn State (bye this week), all of the Big Ten contenders are heavy favorites this Saturday. Nebraska hosts Northwestern, Michigan State hosts Minnesota, Wisconsin hosts Purdue, and Ohio State hosts Indiana. The Big Ten game that intrigues me the most is Michigan against Iowa. Michigan has looked solid this season behind the play of quarterback Denard Robinson and runningback Fitz Toussaint. However, the Wolverines have lost two times in a row to Iowa. Additionally, they should face an angry Hawkeyes team that lost 22-21 to lowly Minnesota last week. What will happen in this game (or any of these games), who knows? It is the Big Ten after all. Prediction: Michigan 24 Iowa 17

4. Texas A&M @ #6 Oklahoma - 3:30 PM EST, ABC/ESPN 2

Last year, Texas A&M pulled a stunning upset of Oklahoma 33-19. Many people think that they will do it again this year, but I am not one of those people. Last week, Texas A&M blew a second-half lead for the third time this season. If that wasn't bad enough, the Aggies' pass defense ranks dead last among FBS teams, allowing 318.3 yards per game. Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Dominique Whaley, but should focus on airing it out with quartback Landry Jones, who only threw for a school-record 505 yards and five touchdowns last week against a then undefeated Kansas State team. Prediction: Oklahoma 48 Texas A&M 24

3. #9 South Carolina @ #7 Arkansas - 7:15 PM EST, ESPN

Wait a second. There is another SEC Top 10 matchup this Saturday. I know that all of the media is focusing on the other big SEC game (don't worry I am getting there), but it's true. While South Carolina hasn't looked pretty in many wins this season (14-12 & 14-3 the past two weeks), on thing they've done a lot of this season is winning (only loss was by 3 to Auburn). Arkansas' only loss was a manhandling at Alabama. The Razorbacks have some solid wins (Texas A&M & Auburn), but haven't looked to strong the past two weeks having to come up with come-from- behind victories, after facing double-digits deficits. The storyline of the game might be the Hogs ability to protect quarterback Tyler Wilson, who has been sacked 15 times in eight games so far. Wilson is the SEC's leader in passing yards, but will need time to throw. South Carolina is No. 14 in the country in scoring defense (17.1 points per game).The Gamecocks' d-line will look to get after Wilson. Prediction: South Carolina 17 Arkansas 16

2. #14 Kansas State @ #3 Oklahoma State - 8PM EST, ABC/ESPN 2

Kansas State (who was then undefeated) was exposed in a 58-17 loss to Oklahoma last week. The Sooners exploded for 690 total yards of offense, including 505 passing yards and five touchdowns by quarterback Landry Jones. It won't get any easier for the Wildcats who head to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have the #2 scoring (49.9 ppg) and #4 passing (373.3 ypg) offense. Quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon have been been one of the best dynamic duos in all of college football. Additionally, running back Joseph Randle has ran for 290 yards in the past two games combined. Unless the Wildcats took some miracle drug this week, this game should look like a repeat of their last game. Prediction: Oklahoma State 48 Kansas State 28

1. #1 LSU @ #2 Alabama - 8PM EST, CBS

Could this game be any bigger? #1 against #2. The two SEC West rivals are nose-to-nose in almost every way. Both teams crushed their first eight opponents in double-digit wins. They both annihilated East Division foes Florida and Tennessee by a combined 61 (LSU) and 59 (Alabama) points. LSU has the #13 scoring offense and #2 scoring defense. Alabama has the #12 scoring offense and #1 scoring defense. The winner clearly has inside track to play for both the SEC Championship and National Title. If this kind of matchup doesn't make you want to watch college football, I don't know what kind will. Prediction: Alabama 45 LSU 43 (3OT)