Comments on: Commentary: Win of great significance for the Hawkeyes

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:48:14 +0000

One significant fact is that a BCS win and final top 10 finish helps you in recruiting. Top athletics want to go to top schools.

By: Doug Carlo

Doug Carlo — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:52:50 +0000

While I remember, like Mr. Morsch, being at the Michigan State game that sent us to the Rose Bowl in ’81 as being a huge game for the overall program. I think Mr. Morsch touched on the correct significance of this game when he said “…more important to the program at that time than this game was to this program in this era.” At that time we were trying to get out from under the title of “worst college fortball team in America” as Sports Illistrated called us in the early 70′s. This Orange Bowl victory with the exposure that major college athletics gets puts the Iowa program and the Big Ten in the minds of not only every recruit but every freshmen looking for a great school with a great football prograam to be part of. So at this time, I would consider it the most important win in Iowa history to keep us on par with the other top programs in the country and keeps us moving forward.

I would also point out that the Big Ten conference which has been called weak this year was only 14 points away from being 7 – 0 vs the rest of the country. Not too bad for a weak conference.

Doug Carlo
UI Class of ’92 MBA

By: Dean Dort

Dean Dort — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:16:41 +0000

The Atlanta Journal Constitution sports writer, Jeff Schultz, thinks the Hawks’ victory last night was significant. In today’s AJC, Schultz said it better than most:

“Tech lost to Iowa 24-14. The Hawkeyes were smarter, disciplined, tougher, more physical and, in this game, better prepared and better coached. The score would’ve been more lopsided but the defense held the Jackets in it, even equaling the offense in touchdowns.”

Congratulations to the entire program!

Dean Dort
UI Class of ’66, College of Law ’69

By: Deni

Deni — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:48:05 +0000

I watched the game here in the desert, scared, hopeful, happy and then estatic. I was hoping that the paper here, The Desert Sun, would have at least close to the size of article that it had for Ohio State, who played a Pac Ten team. Am I a goof-ball or what? I am going to try to send this article to the sports editor and see what happens. There are alot of Big Ten people down here, especially for the winter. The address, incase someone wants to do the same and add to it is… sports@thedesert.com It has been great to see the Hawkeyes on TV.. and also on the Big Ten Conference channel. Go Hawks!!!

By: Mike Morsch

Mike Morsch — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:24:53 +0000

Brendan:

While it was indeed a big win for the Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl, to call it bigger than any win in the Hayden Fry era would at the very least be subjective and at the very most uninformed.
One should remember that when Coach Fry came to Iowa, the program had been dismal for more than 20 years. Victories over Nebraska and UCLA in the early Fry years served notice that there was indeed a new sheriff in town and things were going to be different.
And even though it wasn’t a close final, the final regular season game against Michigan State in 1981 that sent the Hawks to their first Rose Bowl in more than 20 years was arguably more important to the program at that time than this game was to this program in this era.
Nevertheless, comparing big games in different eras is a slippery slope. For those of us who were among the throngs that swarmed the Kinnick Stadium turf waving roses after the Michigan State game in 1981, I’d quibble with last night’s great win being the biggest wince the 1959 Rose Bowl.

Mike Morsch
UI class of 1982
Executive editor
Montgomery Newspapers
Fort Washington, PA