Greg Davis rested and ready for more

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla., — Iowa offensive coordinator Greg Davis started his news conference here Monday with a 'I've done this, I'll be willing to say, longer than most of y'all.' Considering the fact that Davis began his coaching career at Barbe High School (Lake Charles, La.) in 1973, he's probably right.

The 63-year-old has five grandchildren, won at a national title at Texas in 2005 and is finishing his third season at Iowa. He doesn't seem to be slowing down.

'I don't know,' Davis said when asked how long he plans to keep doing this. 'I'm healthy and good-looking, we'll see.'

When Davis was hired in 2012, the Hawkeyes' offense flatlined, finishing 11th in the Big Ten with 310 yards a game. Since that bottoming out, Iowa has climbed the ladder from ninth in 2013 to sixth this season (398.3 yards per game, which is Iowa's best since 432.4 yards a game in 2005).

There are questions. Has Iowa's offensive improved quickly enough? Has it been consistent? Has Davis helped the quarterback position develop?

Iowa's coaching staff for 2015 remains to be seen. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this month that evaluation is ongoing.

'That's an ongoing process just like it is player evaluation,' Ferentz said.

Physical maturity gap

... Tennessee coach Butch Jones has mentioned a few times during bowl prep that because of a lack of depth he's been forced to play more true freshmen than he's wanted in his two seasons at the school.

Jones opened this season by playing 21 true freshmen in a 38-7 win over Utah State, the most true freshmen to play in a season opener in UT history. The Vols lead the nation overall this season with 23 true freshman.

'They [Iowa] are an older veteran football team, so they're able to redshirt their players and their players grow up in their systems,' Jones said. 'When you watch them on film you see a football team that is very, very fundamentally sound in all aspects of football. They've done a great job of developing that, that is a product of their systems and their systems being in place for many, many years.'

With UT relying on so many freshmen, can the physical maturity gap go in favor for Iowa?

'They do have a lot of young guys playing, but most of those guys are four- and five-star recruits, too,' Ferentz said. 'There's a reason why we redshirt our guys. We're two different operations that way.'

The comparison game

... This is always a fun game to play during bowl week.

On Tuesday, Ferentz compared Tennessee's offense to Maryland and Minnesota. Iowa lost at Maryland, 38-31, and was stomped at Minnesota, 51-14. The defense Ferentz compared the Volunteers to was Nebraska. Iowa lost four turnovers to the Huskers in a 37-34 overtime defeat.

Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek was asked about Iowa's offense.

'Yeah, Georgia was a two-back run game. Vanderbilt was some of the 12 personnels were very similar,' he said. 'Those two teams primarily. Alabama was not as much 12 as they have been in the past. Georgia and Vanderbilt were the most similar.'

UT offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian didn't throw out any direct comparisons, but did say the key word for Iowa's defense is 'discipline.'

'They're relatively simple, schematically, and they don't give up the big play,' Bajakian said. 'Their personnel fits their scheme very well, too. Their corners are outstanding players. Their safeties complement them very well and their linebackers do a good job of keeping everything in front of them and breaking on the ball. I think, first and foremost, that's where it starts for them.'

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