Hlas column: Suddenly, the Hawkeyes belong to the nation

IOWA CITY - A 7-0 football record at Iowa is a lot different than a 6-0, and an 8-0 mark is a lot different than a 7-0.

The escalator of national focus on the Hawkeyes has been climbing more than one floor a week.

Winning at Wisconsin, becoming the only remaining unbeaten team in the Big Ten, getting perched high in the first BCS rankings, winning at Michigan State, advancing from sixth to fourth on that BCS chart - anyone getting lightheaded from the high altitude?

“Interestingly,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz joked Tuesday, “it seems we've had a lot more interview requests in the last week-and-a-half.”

Can you imagine the whirling and swirling around here if the Hawkeyes get to 9-0, 10-0 . . . and beyond?

Tuesday afternoon, Iowa's players were reminded by their coaches to put Michigan State in the rearview mirror. Indiana, and only Indiana, is next.

The Hawkeyes know better than anyone they can't assume a victory over anyone, anytime, anywhere. Even though all they've done so far is win?

Not that those of us outside the Hawkeye football complex can't dare to look ahead. I double-dog dare you to find a national

pundit's bowl projections this week that don't place Iowa in the Rose. Which requires at least three wins in the last four games.

Hawkeye football is currently a topic in places past the Tall Corn State. Being 8-0 and fourth in the BCS standings will do that for a program.

“I was visiting with Coach and said ‘Well, it looks like 2002 all over again,' ” said Iowa sports information director Phil Haddy.

“Normally we'll get two or three requests a week for radio interviews. This week, maybe 20. From every different ESPN affiliate across the country, they want to visit with Kirk. They want to visit, of course, with the team's quarterback.”

There's only been one year like this in Ferentz's 11 seasons as Iowa's head coach, and that was 2002. The Hawkeyes closed the regular-season with nine straight wins to take an 11-1 record to the Orange Bowl. That team was a spotlight magnet.

“That thing spiraled out of control the last four weeks ago from outside interests,” Ferentz said. “I'm not sure if we'll get there (this season) or not. In 2002 we had more dramatics. The Brad Banks story was emerging. Dallas Clark, that was such a flamboyant player.

“We'll see what happens. I hope we have to deal with that problem.”

Ferentz is the judge and jury in deciding how media obligations are placed on players. As well as how many are put on himself.

“I've learned to be proactive on that front,” he said. “If (continuing to win) in fact does happen, then we'll have to be as smart as we can.

“I have to practice what I preach to the players.”

It's a fine line. While Ferentz wants to keep a lid on distractions as much as possible, doesn't a program like Iowa's need to strike while the iron's hot? Don't you milk as much national publicity out of this unbeaten run as possible since good times like these aren't yearly occurrences at Iowa?

“To a degree,” he said.

“It's a balance. What I can do is make sure I don't compromise what I'm doing to affect our football team. Just like we're asking the players not to compromise what's going to affect the team's performance.

“I know this: If we do our jobs well, they'll still be there in November wanting to talk.”

Will they ever. If Iowa defeats Indiana and Northwestern at home these next two games to get to 10-0, the week leading up to the Ohio State game in Columbus will be a little . . . how should I put this? . . . wildly insane.

“It'll be escalated,” Haddy said, “even more so than in 2002. Because the highest we got that year in the BCS was fifth.

“If we can stay in the hunt for the national-championship, it escalates things.”

It wouldn't be a mere escalator. It would be a rocket to the moon.

But first, Indiana.

To contact Mike: (319) 368-8840 or mike.hlas@gazcomm.com. Twitter: @Hlas