3 and Out: One last challenge for Scherff

1. Barnett vs. Scherff

— Tennessee true freshman defensive end Derek Barnett has had a whirlwind of a freshman season. He basically stepped off the school bus at Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tenn., and put up dominant numbers for the Volunteers. The 6-3, 270-pounder set UT freshman records in tackles for loss (20.5) and sacks (10.0).

Yes, Barnett was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, but no one saw this kind of success coming this early.

'He came in and certainly we liked him as a player,' UT defensive coordinator John Jancek said. 'We had no idea he was going to turn out the way he did. That's to Derek's credit. He's very intelligent. He's a mature young man. He picks up things well. I think his level of consistency and the improvement that he showed throughout the course of the season was really most impressive.'

It's hard to gauge how much Barnett might lineup across from Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff. UT likely will move around Barnett and try to find a favorable matchup. But football being football, you know they'll want to square off.

'For a kid who's just 18, I know he's a lot farther than I was as a freshman,' Scherff said. 'He's quick off the edge and he's a very powerful guy. They like to do what we want to do and that's being the most physical team on the field.'

2. The last inside running drill

— There was a moment Wednesday when you thought maybe Scherff and linebacker Quinton Alston and running back Mark Weisman were going to get misty eyed. The subject was 'lasts' for the seniors. One of those lasts was a 9-on-7 rushing drill in practice on Tuesday.

OK, 'misty' might be pushing it.

'It sunk in on me yesterday when we were doing our last 9-on-7 drill,' Scherff said. 'We all talked about it. Coach [Kirk] Ferentz said this is the last one you'll ever do. I never thought about it until after he said it.'

The Hawkeyes staged this week at the Omni Amelia Island. The Iowa support staff put up a countdown clock in the facility where all the players eat their meals. For all everyone, it was a countdown for the TaxSlayer Bowl. For others, it was a countdown on their careers.

'It didn't sink in to me until we were going to a meal and I saw a countdown to kickoff and it said three days and some hours,' Alston said. 'It really sank in, I have three days left in my senior season. The emotions all mix together in your mind. You're anxious or nervous and you're ready to get to the game and play football. You have to focus on what's ahead of you.'

3. One last Weisman mileage check

— Weisman practice this week with a harness on his left shoulder, the residue of 206 carries, 806 yards, 14 TDs and a ton of short-yardage situations this season.

Weisman didn't miss anytime this season, but the wear and tear built up. The stated plan going into the season was to preserve Weisman enough to get to the fourth quarter of the season.

'I feel good right now,' Weisman said. 'You're sore after every game. If you're not sore, you're probably not playing much. It's the life of a running back. You don't know what each hit is going to be. You have no control and I'm not going to make any guys miss, so I take a couple of extra hits. I've stayed pretty healthy this year and that's been a good thing.'

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