Hlist Week 2: End of Iowa's MAC nightmare is nigh

1. Broncos Bust: Iowa's football team has never lost three straight games to the Mid-American Conference.

That's not exactly something you put on billboards, I grant you. By the way, James Morris, I think I saw you on a Hawkeyes football billboard as I buzzed out of Cedar Rapids on I-380 (but not over the speed limit, of course) over the weekend. What's your cut from that?

Anyway, the Hawkeyes have a two-game losing streak to the MAC that is 12 days from ending.

The Western Michigan Broncos play at Iowa on Sept. 21. That will be two weeks after its 27-23 home loss to FCS Nicholls State, which was led down the stretch by third-string quarterback Tuskani Figaro.

No. 1 Nicholls State quarterback Beaux Hebert -- yes, Nicholls State is in Thibodaux, La. -- had a concussion the week before in the Colonels' 66-3 loss at Oregon. No. 2 QB Kalen Henderson was doing a good job Saturday in Kalamazoo until he broke a leg.

Enter Figaro, who guided two scoring drives to seal the win.

Some Bronco fans have already had their fill of first-year WMU coach P.J. Fleck two games into his regime.

Western Michigan is at Northwestern Saturday. The Hawkeyes, who lost to Central Michigan last September and Northern Illinois nine days ago, mayfind their next home opponent is shell-shocked.

2. Texas-Sized Problems: Money can't buy you happiness.

Texas has the largest athletics budget in the NCAA and its own television network, but shoot the luck, that doesn't make the other teams curtsy and roll over.

BYU stampeded the Longhorns Saturday night in Provo, 40-21. The Cougars rushed for 550 yards. The mind reels.

Sunday, Texas Coach Mack Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, whose 2012 salary was $700,000.

One more time: Money can't buy you happiness.

3. Johnny Manziel Said a Funny Thing: Say what you will about Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, he can play. He has six touchdown passes in six quarters this season.

But JohnnyFootball is still given to saying things that you may not want to take at face value. After the Aggies socked Sam Houston State, 65-28, Manziel said this about his team's next game, this Saturday against Alabama:

"It feels like another game, like week three of the season."

Uh, the last A&M-Alabama game won Manziel the Heisman Trophy. That was not "another game." Neither is this week's.

Why can't football people just speak the truth?

4. The Fall of Troy: The Hlist tried to stay up for the finish of Saturday night's Washington State-USC game, but the teams wouldn't let him do it.

In a mind-numbing contest, Wazzu edged the Trojans, 10-7. There were 415 total yards in the game. USC averaged 2.6 yards per pass atttempt.

Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times wrote this: "I admit to having the wrong Lane Kiffin tipping point, figuring it would come with an intolerable home loss to Utah State on Sept. 21."

Without the right head coach and coaching staff, every superpower in college football is suddenly vulnerable. We saw it at Alabama, we saw it at Michigan, we're seeing it at USC.

5. Other Than the Play, Mrs. Lincoln ...: Here's what Stephen F. Austin Coach said about this team's trip to Texas Tech Saturday:

"Everything was good.  It was a great trip.  Flight was great, hotel was great, everybody was first-class.  Everything was great."

Well, except for maybe the Lumberjacks' 61-13 loss to the Red Raiders.

6. Trick Question: Which is the only unbeaten team of this group: Texas, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Georgia, USC, Florida, Kansas.

Kansas is 1-0. It opened the season with a 31-14 win over South Dakota.

Oh, Kansas was 1-0 last year after beating South Dakota State. It finished 1-11.

7. Surgical Wasp: Emory & Henry senior quarterback Kyle Boden completed 26 of 31 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the Wasps' 49-13 romp over the Ferrum Panthers.

“I don't think there's a better quarterback in the nation,” Wasps wide receiver Lucas Kirby said.

Boden may not be as good as every quarterback in college ball, but he could be the smartest. He plans a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

The Hlist doesn't remember hearing Johnny Manziel saying he'd like to attend medical school. But the season is still young.

8. Off You Go, Missouri State: We'll not soon forget Missouri State, which covered the offshore betting spread of 24.5 points in losing to Iowa by just 28-14.

This week, the Bears play Murray State's Racers. Murray State had a fabulous Saturday, obliterating Campbellsville, 83-14. Campbellsville lost to Lindsey Wilson the week before.  That's 2-0 Lindsey Wilson to you people.

Here's a late addition: Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder lost to North Dakota State on Aug. 30, but later took the time to send NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen a note. Pretty, pretty nice.