Quick news conference notes . . .

-- Yes, TE Tony Moeaki is hurt again and he's doubtful for this week's game. This times, it's the same leg strain that cost him four weeks after the Pitt game, a calf muscle. No timeline for his return. When he was in last week, he blocked really well. He's an asset, he just can't stay healthy. Also, G Andy Kuempel (separated shoulder) is doubtful this week.

-- College football coaches are the biggest grinches in the world. Purdue coach Joe Tiller professed his dislike for Christmas. Tuesday, Kirk Ferentz followed suit. "We had six wins last year and we were all sitting around the fireplace for Christmas, with chestnuts and all that stuff roasting, music playing," Ferentz said. "I'm not a big fan of egg nog. I'm hoping that maybe we can do a little better." The most popular Iowa bowl pick on the interwebs is Iowa v. South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. I would vote for that.

-- Ferentz was asked if he thought RB Shonn Greene would play his last game in Kinnick on Saturday. Greene is a 23-year-old junior who's obviously putting up a tremendous season (1,374 yards, 6.1 yards a carry). NFL draft gurus have taken notice and, most certainly, the NFL has, too. Will he jump to the NFL? My educated guess would be yes. He'll be 24 next football season. But he doesn't have a lot of miles on the odometer. Plus, we don't know who's coming out at RB. "Hopefully, it won't be," he said, "but you know, at the end of the day, whatever is best for the individual. It's like everybody else on the team and that's what we'll support."

-- The Hawkeyes will prepare for both Purdue QBs, Justin Siller and Curtis Painter. Painter has missed the last two games with a separated shoulder. Siller suffered a bruised sternum and hyperextended knee in last week's loss to Michigan State, but has been cleared to practice.

-- Ferentz was asked about calling timeout Saturday with 6 seconds left before Daniel Murray's kick heard around college football last week. The question was, why not wait until 3 or 4 seconds? "Probably should've," he said. "I got caught up in the heat of the moment. It cost us a second."

-- What happens now at kicker? "We'll just see how it goes," Ferentz said. "We felt good about both guys." I really don't think they know. "I really don't know what we're going to do," Ferentz said. "We'll see how the week goes. The good news is that we have confidence in both. We went from a situation not knowing where we were at in the spring to feeling confident right now that both guys plan an important role. I threw a depth chart out there (Mossbrucker was listed No. 1 Monday), but flip a coin. I think we're in good shape right now." 

-- Asked if he misses the NFL, Ferentz replied, "No, not really," he said. "I've enjoyed every job I've had."

-- I've never put Ferentz on the hot seat. That's just not a reality, not after last year's 6-6 and not after the three-game losing streak this year. Of course, AD Gary Barta wants victories, but no, Ferentz was never on the hot seat. Some newspaper sometime over the weekend must've had something about Ferentz being on a hot seat. "You might as well put 116 (coaches) on that page," he said. "Realistically, you might as well." In my opinion, there was never any hot seat, only the heat Ferentz seems to put on himself.

-- Ferentz's name was mentioned in a Cleveland Plain Dealer story as a replacement for Browns' coach Romeo Crennell. Ferentz's response: "A week ago, I was on the hot seat. Let's see if I survive the hot seat, then I might be on the ejector seat. Is that good? An ejector? A catapult? What's it called when you go to another job? The catbird? Obligatory reminder, James Ferentz is a true frosh O-linemen at Iowa.

-- If Murray would've missed, was he prepared for the poo storm? "That's the world I live in," he said. "If you're charged with making decisions, you make them and move on. I'm not saying there aren't moments where you beat yourself up a bit, but you can't do that for too long, otherwise you know you're going to have a hard time making decisions. That's how it worked. I've blown my share of calls, that's for sure. Recently and long term. You do what you do." "Do what you do," wasn't that an INXS song?

-- What he told Trent Mossbrucker, who had the rug pulled from under him, basically, after holding the kickers job six weeks. (Mossbrucker, a true frosh, is a sparkling 13 of 15 this season.) "I just made sure he understood why we did it. I also assured him that I believe he'll have a lot of great moments in his career. He's an excellent kicker and I'm really thrilled he's on our football team."