Horse Latitudes III -- Probably the final edition

The horse latitudes are the driftless calm that make everything seem to take forever. This likely the final (I'm guessing) installment of photos from the Iowa official site that gives us a glimpse into camp practices. The Hawkeyes went at it Thursday night in what liked as if it might have been a full-blown scrimmage.

Photo 1 -- I think this might be first O vs. second 2. LB Jeff Tarpinian is caught out of position here with, I believe, RB Adam Robinson taking the ball outside. DE Lebron Daniel is getting stood up by OT Kyle Haganman, who must still be in there for Bryan Bulaga, who sat out last week's scrimmage with a leg injury.

Photo 2 -- Definitely 1 O vs. 2 D. Dace Richardson is still at tackle, meaning Kyle Calloway must still be nursing the IT band strain that has held him out of most of camp. RB is Paki O'Meara, FB is Brett Morse and I can't really tell who the DE is getting run by Richardson.

Photo 3 -- O'Meara is shown making a cut here. He will soon be running into the defender that G Dan Doering is pushing into the play.

Photo 5 -- This is either the 3s or developmental. TE Dakota Getz is hooking up with a DE. RB Josh Brown is making a cut. Brown is a running back. He's built like a running back. Huge lower body.

Photo 6 -- FB Wade Leppert wore a red jersey last week, so he was in a no-contact situation. Last night, he was in full-go yellow. Good hands, tough blocker, will never run the ball. The life of an Iowa fullback.

Photo 8 -- This is Woody Orne, a transfer from South Dakota State. He's from Fairfield originally. I'm not sure if he's eligible this season. I think he played center last week. He's 6-5, 295. Judging from these photos, he's every bit of that. He passes the look test.

Photo 10 -- TE J.D. Griggs and DE/DT Christian Ballard hook up in a one-on-one. Two big bodies.

Photo 12 -- This is head coach Kirk Ferentz working with the O-tackles. Orne is in this group, so he must be a tackle. Also in this group is Matt Murphy, who worked out with the TEs on Saturday. Remember, that's where he played for Clinton High School last season. He's 6-4, 238 likely projects to tackle.

Photo 15 -- Kind of a different foursome for inside drills on the O-line -- Riley Reiff at T, Josh Koeppel at G, Rafael Eubanks at C and Doering at G.

Photo 16 -- That's Ballard and Doering (I think) going 1-on-1.

Photo 18 -- This is O'Meara making a catch in front of LB Bruce Davis in 7-on-7.

Photo 19 -- RB Brandon Wegher making a catch in front of LB Troy Johnson. Wegher, a true frosh, sat out Saturday, but has been in practice pix all week, so he must be good to go.

Photo 22 -- Doering must have his foot in the door. Here he is in a 2-on-2. He's teamed with Richardson. It looks as though DE Broderick Binns might have a step on him to the outside shoulder.

Photo 23 -- Richardson appears to be riding Binns out of the rush.

Photo 25 -- This picture is mixed into some 7-on-7 stuff, so CB Shaun Prater must've had a pick. He's seen here running the ball.

Photo 26 -- TE Allen Reisner makes a catch with FS Brett Greenwood moving in.

Photos 27 and 28 -- This is WR Keenan Davis running with the No. 2s. John Wienke is the QB.

Photo 29 -- This is WR Jordan Cotton getting behind Kyle Steinbrecher (I believe). Remember, Cotton committed to the Hawkeyes when it wasn't cool.

Photo 30 -- This is Adrian Clayborn going up against I'm not sure. I think it's Reiff or might be Doering from the looks of the next frame.

Photo 31 -- This OL configuration seems to have Doering at OT and Reiff inside. Clayborn has missed O'Meara, who looks to be making a cut outside.

Photo 32 -- This could be the 3-4 D-line with Clayborn, Karl Klug and Ballard.

Iowa sports info's Darren Miller hasn't lost the photographic eye that won him multiple awards at the Tipton Conservative.

Hawkeye thought of the day -- Is there something to what Jake Christensen told ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg, about Iowa QBs and mechanics? Or was that semi-sour grapes?

Here's the quote:

“The coaches [at Iowa] focused more on the X's and O's than mechanics,” Christensen said. “I don't think [offensive coordinator Ken] O'Keefe had much to do with mechanics. If you watch me now compared to last year, it'd be completely different throwing the ball, in a good way.”

Offensive coordinators are football lightning rods and Iowa's Ken O'Keefe takes his share of strikes, mostly because he doesn't talk to the press after the season begins. That's fine, that's Iowa's decision and that's how it goes. Say what you will, O'Keefe has won at Iowa with Kyle McCann (too skinny), Brad Banks (wide receiver), Nathan Chandler (shot putter), Drew Tate (too short) and Ricky Stanzi (no completed passes going into last year except to Syracuse).

Does Iowa not spend enough time on QB mechanics? Are QB mechanics the QB's responsibility?

In my mind, mechanics are QB training wheels. How does a QB get to become a D-I starter with flawed mechanics? A 4.3 40 might override that, but mechanics are crossed off when the journey begins in seventh grade. Or they should be crossed off. Tate did tell me once that his mechanics went south after his oblique injury and it was noticeable during that Ohio State night game in '06. He said his dad caught it and he fixed it.

I think this is emotion talking more than anything else. Christensen was named starter at Eastern Illinois on Thursday. I've written this before, but I really do hope he finds what he's looking for. I've never had an Iowa player say one bad thing about him. His heart was always in the right place, he just got beat out.

Big Ten thought of the day -- I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about Michigan State. Good thing the Detroit Free Press' Shannon Shelton has. Looks as if Keith Nichol is edging Kirk Cousins in the QB race.

Who has your back, Big Ten? Well, none other than CBS Sportsline's Dennis Dodd.

National thought of the day -- How much does a Prince George Jet or Maryland Marauder get paid in the semi-pro ranks? Well, it might cost Oklahoma LB Mike Balogun his career, writes Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman.