3 and Out: Ferentz, Iowa football reaching conclusions on 2016

1. Translating the coach speak

— This is not the time of answers. That might come Nov. 26, the day after whatever happens to the Hawkeyes in the next three weeks.

In each of those three weeks, we'll have some results to talk about. No matter what those are, there will be questions. That's how this works.

Games played. Questions asked. Conclusions reached. You have your conclusions. They range from extreme disappointment to 'fire Greg Davis.' We in the media reach conclusions. I've written a few times this year that Iowa's offense looks like a turtle trying to get off its back and the defense, we've been over the missed assignments, missed tackles and, not new to the list but totally right there for everyone to see last week, the breakdowns on the perimeter.

I believe Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz reaches conclusions every week, maybe every meeting, every play.

And so that is why I asked this week if offensive coordinator Greg Davis was still calling plays and if they've changed any of the mechanisms on offense. If something there changed, it's not information Ferentz would volunteer. So, you have to ask.

'No, our mechanics are still the same, and we meet collectively daily, coaches all go through the same process the players do,' Ferentz said. 'Sunday we go back and review, talk about the what-ifs, those types of things, and then Sunday afternoon we flip it over and start moving forward on the next opponent, so we're still going the same way.'

OK, let's assume 'mechanics are still the same' means Davis still is calling plays. Ferentz didn't answer that part head on, but that also could just be a wave of the hand to the entire concept.

Now, this is what you say when the No. 3 team is coming into Kinnick Stadium for a game on ABC. It's what you say for the next two weeks. Let's see if it's what Ferentz says after Nov. 26 (day after the last day of the season) or Feb. 1 (national signing period).

I also asked this week about in-season fixes on offense. Are those harder to achieve? Is it something you can fix midstream?

This was one of those questions where Ferentz started answering before it was finished. He had his idea of what he was going to say and he went right into it. That's fine. When Iowa is 5-4 and expectations nose dive every week, there's simply going to be a certain amount of defense.

'I guess I'm not aware of a lot of them that have worked, whether it's coaching changes or system changes,' Ferentz said. 'I think that's probably ill-advised. That would be my guess. At any level, I think that's probably really taking away from than adding to ...'

I was more reaching for small changes, like running more quickly developing outside zone plays or can you make a living off some of those nice guard lead plays, like the one that won the Minnesota game? I wasn't thinking fire Davis. I might've been thinking 'man, it'd be cool to see what Brian Ferentz the playcaller might do.' I wasn't thinking, hey, put in that power coast thing that Jim Harbaugh has going with the Wolverines right now.

I know for the next three games there are certain fixed variables that aren't budging. You can be creative with talented and experienced personnel. At 5-4 (3-3 Big Ten) the jury is out on that for Iowa. Ferentz knows that, too. You can see it.

So, when you hear Ferentz say 'All we can do is focus on what we can do, which is practice and prepare as hard as we can, then we've got to go out and compete on Saturday night, knowing that we're playing a really good football team,' know that's what you're going to hear at least until Nov. 26.

Maybe hard answers come after that. Maybe some conclusions. Maybe Ferentz gets to the elephant in the room before the rest of us.

2. Recruiting

It's a night game at Kinnick Stadium against Michigan, the No. 3 CFP team, the bluest of the blue bloods. It's on ABC, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder. It's a big deal. It's a really big deal in recruiting.

HawkeyeReport.com publisher Tom Kakert takes us through some of the multitude of visitors who'll be here in Kinnick.

Here's Tom ...

With a night game on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium, the Iowa football coaching staff is going to take full advantage of the atmosphere and bring in a large group of recruits from the 2017 and 2018 classes and even a couple of 2019 prospects.

There will be one official visitor this weekend and that's Scott Nelson

, a 6-2, 190-pound safety prospect from Detroit. Nelson has been a longtime target for the Hawkeyes, and defensive coordinator Phil Parker has been working hard to land him. He took his first official visit to Wisconsin a few weeks ago and now he gets to see the Hawkeyes in person. Michigan State, Northwestern and Penn State are also potential official visits for the three-star prospect.

Topping the unofficial list of visitors this weekend is Iowa City West wide receiver Oliver Martin

, the top prospect in the state and a hot commodity at the wide receiver position. Martin has been a pretty regular unofficial visitor to Iowa games this year, which is certainly a positive for the Hawkeyes. Having said that, he's a very hard read in recruiting and is playing the process close to the vest. Iowa, Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State are probably still near the top of his list of schools.

There will be several 2018 prospects with offers from Iowa in town this weekend, including Cameron Brown, a WR from St. Louis, Dallas Craddieth, a DB from the St. Louis area, Cameron McGrone, an LB from Indianapolis, Alex Reigelsperger, a DE from Ohio, I'Shawn Stewart, a WR from Illinois, Tyrone Tracy, a WR from Indianapolis and John Waggoner, a DE from West Des Moines. There also will one 2019 prospect in town with a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes, David Bell

, who is from Indianapolis.

In total, 60 prospects will be in town to watch the Hawkeyes. A few other names of note include Muscatine running back Alfonso Soko (2017), Cedar Rapids offensive lineman Andrew Todd (2018) and Kade Warner, a 2017 wide receiver from Arizona. He is the son of Iowa native and former NFL standout Kurt Warner

. Right now, Iowa is looking at Warner as a potential preferred walk-on.

2017 commits to the Hawkeyes that will be in for the game include: Djimon Colbert, Jacob Coons, Levi Duwa, Cameron Harrell, Matt Hankins, Mark Kallenberger, Ivory Kelly-Martin, Coy Kirkpatrick, and Josh Turner

.

3. Big Ten Love Tester

Rutgers at Michigan State

— Michigan State went from a College Football Playoff final four team to 2-7 and winless in the Big Ten in the span of, what, two months. The Spartans have lost seven straight, a first in head coach Mark Dantonio's nine seasons. They need to win their last year and hope for APR shenanigans to keep Dantonio's perfect bowl streak alive.

This is not a 'hot seat' situation. Dantonio is MSU's statue coach. Dantonio and Michigan State remain a 'cool throne' situation.

Still, this game is clammy.

The Spartans are 2-7 and 0-6 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights are 2-7 and 0-6 in the Big Ten. Someone gets their first B1G victory of the season, just not one of the ones we all thought.

This is an 11 a.m.'er on the Big Ten Network.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com