Dantonio appreciates what King has contributed while leading the Iowa defense. “But maybe a little bit more in terms of the attitude and the work ethic and the continuity and some of those things”.
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Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game will all but be decided at the line of scrimmage.
Heck, ESPN’s David Pollack said Michigan State “doesn’t have many quality wins”.
Friday’s press conferences for the two coaches repeated numerous same topics they’d covered throughout the week since the Spartans clinched the East Division title Saturday with a win over Penn State: the potential for a CFP berth, their close games and how alike they are in toughness and schemes. Connor Cook was in the midst of a breakout season as Michigan State’s starter while defensive end Shilique Calhoun was having a season that ended with him being named the Big Ten’s top defensive lineman.
Cook has a track record of coming up big in the postseason as well. “He’s built a tremendous football program”, Ferentz said. Computer engineering sophomore Brian Jean said he’s staying with family outside of Indianapolis after the game to make the weekend cheaper. “Iowa is a program that is coached by a great coach”.
“I don’t listen too much to what’s going on outside”, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said when asked about respect for his team.
Ferentz, in his 17th season with the Hawkeyes, entered this year with a 26-25 record the past four seasons and watched quarterback Jake Rudock transfer to MI. Defensively, Iowa football yields 221.7 yards in passing and 110.0 yards in rushing.
“Funny how the world turns around sometimes”, Ferentz said.
Iowa was undefeated during the regular season for the first time in 93 years.
Going back from 2013, weve won a lot of games.
Dantonio insists that even in 2007 he never had any doubts that the program would get to where it is now.
“I’m not here to say this is the best conference but I am here to say right now we are excelling”, Mark Dantonio said. “We’re going to have to be on the top of our game and go out and play”. Ohio State, at No. 6, the defending national champion that finally looked the part against No. 15 MI, hopes for a chance to repeat. A year before, the team finished 11-3, short of a Big Ten title but capped the 2011 season with an Outback Bowl victory over Georgia, sending off seniors Kirk Cousins, Keshawn Martin, Edwin Baker, and B.J. Cunningham in the best possible way. As we’ve heard earlier, the success this conference has had this year sort of puts everyone in a position to do that. “They’re very tough, very fundamental, quick to the ball, so we know it’s going to be a fight”.
The Hawkeyes will get that opportunity Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium against Michigan State (11-1, 7-1) in the Big Ten Championship Game. The 100th Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s of 2014, and a Cotton Bowl “instant” Classic exactly one year later.
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Following the 2015 Big Ten Championship, Sunday will bring the Bowl Selection Show. That’s how it should be. More evidence that the team’s offense is improving from a season ago. “No matter what happens it doesn’t diminish what both of these teams have accomplished”.
