The Pylons -- Minnesota

1. Somewhere sunny -- The Orange Bowl rep was at the Johnson County I-Club breakfast Friday morning. A Fiesta Bowl rep is en route to Iowa City. The Sugar Bowl was at Ohio State last week (scouting the Buckeyes?). The Capital One/Citrus Bowl people will be there. They've been there nearly every week this season.

So, somewhere sunny.

Where exactly? Don't know. These bowls don't travel to Iowa City for the halftime hotdogs. I can't exactly say how the ratings/fans equation will work. I do know that Fox passed on the BCS bowls and ESPN takes over next season (thank you, TV/college football, Fox lacked luster). So, ratings might not be as important as butts in seats.

A story in the USA Today this week touched on that point.

“This year is one where I think most bowls will look at schools that will bring large numbers of enthusiastic fans,” Fiesta Bowl President & CEO John Junker said. “The economy is driving that and making it a bigger factor.”

That's a good thing for you, Iowa fans, which makes Iowa a heavyweight come bowl season. Iowa took 20,000 to Arizona for the ASU game in 2004. Iowa has some 5,000 alumni in AZ. Of course, the Orange Bowl is still teary eyed about 2003, when Iowa fans outnumbered USC fans at least 2.4 to 1.

Iowa and Penn State might be head to head for a BCS at-large.

A victory over Minnesota will likely keep the Hawkeyes locked in suspended animation until or very close to the Dec. 6 BCS selection date. If Iowa isn't being considered for BCS, it could be released and available for the Capital One Bowl, which is Jan. 1 in Orlando, Fla.

So, sit tight. Nothing will be answered today.

2. Personnel -- Will Iowa RB Brandon Wegher play? Probably yes. He suffered a reaction to pain medication last week and couldn't play, surprising coach Kirk Ferentz, who learned Wegher was iffy from ABC sideline reporter Holly Rowe.

RB Adam Robinson returned from a high-ankle sprain and carried 20 times for 74 yards against OSU. Iowa's running game needs to be a threat today. It has to shift some of the pressure of QB James Vandenberg, who will be making his second career start.

LB Jeremiha Hunter (ankle) might be out today. He sat out most of the second half with an ankle sprain last week. Ferentz said he was iffy.

OL Dace Richardson will not play today. I believe he's coming out as a senior, but that doesn't mean he won't apply for a sixth year. They usually don't ask for that sixth year until all eligibility is exhausted. If he wants it, year No. 6 should be there for Richardson. If he wants it.

Gophers wideout Brandon Green will miss today's game after undergoing knee surgery. CB Traye Simmons ended last week's game in a boot, but no word on him.

3. Vote of confidence -- Minnesota coach Tim Brewster isn't on the ropes . . . yet. Minnesota AD Joel Maturi gave a sort of vote of confidence for 2010, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported this week.

Sort of vote.

"He's our football coach, and I expect him to be our football coach," Maturi told the Star Tribune. "There's always issues there. You know me -- I don't like to be dishonest. And I don't want to be [Alabama coach] Nick Saban and say 'yes,' and then two weeks later say 'no.' But I expect [Brewster] to be our football coach. . . . I think you've got two more games to decide that. I'm excited about the passion and the energy that he's brought to this program.

"We've beaten three bowl teams [Michigan State, Northwestern, Air Force], and every team that's beat us is going to a bowl except Illinois. I want to see the whole season, and that's the aspect. Everybody's balancing on last week's game [a 16-13 win against South Dakota State] and the Illinois game, the last two games, and that's not fair."

See, sort of vote.

The Gophers (6-5, 3-4 Big Ten) are looking to save their season with a victory today.

"But if we go down there and we beat (Iowa), our season is still a success," junior quarterback Adam Weber said. "That's how I view it right now. When you look back on it, we had an opportunity for a couple more wins. I'm just glad our season isn't over."

This team is ornery. If the Hawkeyes get caught thinking palm trees (Miami and Phoenix), they will be in trouble.

4. Top-flight recruits visit -- The top offensive lineman in the country will stop at Kinnick Stadium today for an "unofficial" visit (which means the visit is paid for by the recruit).

Seantrel Henderson, a 6-8, 301, offensive lineman from Cretin-Derham Hall in Minneapolis, will be in Kinnick for Iowa's game vs. the Gophers today, according to HawkeyeReport.com.

"I just want to go down and check them out again," Henderson told HawkeyeReport. "I know they've been playing real well and having a good season this year. I've never been to a game there before, so I want to see how the atmosphere is and just talk to the coaches again."

Henderson will make the trip with former Hawkeye Jon Alt, whose son, Mark, is a QB for Cretin-Derham. The Hawkeyes have become interested in Alt as a football player. Mark Alt already has a hockey scholarship at Minnesota.

Cretin-Derham advanced to the Class 5A state championship with a 45-19 victory over Brainerd on Friday night.

Also according to HawkeyeReport.com, Illinois tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz will visit Iowa today. The 6-7, 240-pound tight end from Johnsburg, Ill., committed to Illinois this summer, but is still taking visits.

Fiedorowicz had 44 catches for 921 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ended his high school career with 42 touchdown catches.

Fiedorowicz will visit Illinois Dec. 11.

The Hawkeyes have 19 commitments for the 2010 recruiting class. Ferentz has said that recruiting is nearly finished, with around 20 scholarships available.