You couldn’t make this college football stuff up. Why would you?

These are my college football declarations of faith:

I believe a book about the Iowa football team’s season called “How the West Was Won, Really” wouldn’t sell very many copies, but would be a great read all the same.

Players suspended for betting on games with no explanation why only players in Iowa were subject to it. The supposed savior transfer quarterback who was the reason all Iowa’s games were sold out before the season started getting injured in Game 5 and having his season ended.

The team continuing to win with an offense ridiculed by anyone with a keyboard or microphone. A victory denied because of a highly controversial replay official’s ruling. The head coach’s son getting fired in midseason but remaining on the staff until season’s end.

The team then winning the Big Ten West to find itself in the Big Ten championship game as a heavy underdog against an unbeaten superpower. Perhaps against one with a coach fresh off a 3-game suspension by the conference for a bizarre sign-stealing saga.

Yeah, I’d read that if it were a little more believable.

I believe Kirk Ferentz knew at least a little something when his team was 6-2 and he held his first press conference after the announcement of Brian Ferentz’s dismissal at season’s end:

“We have an opportunity to do some really good things right now,” Ferentz said. “I think we're all excited about that. Historically, this program has had 10 10-win seasons in 100 and whatever years. We have an opportunity for that and potentially beyond that too, which would be historic.”

I believe I didn’t see Iowa State getting to 5-2 in the Big 12 after it lost at Ohio on Sept. 16 and then was beaten 50-20 at Oklahoma on Sept. 30.

I believe the Cyclones upsetting Texas Saturday night would be an interesting way to bid the Longhorns farewell from Ames forever.

I believe it’s amusing that Mississippi State and Texas A&M fired their coaches in the days after the two teams played each other last Saturday.

I believe the Aggies owing Jimbo Fisher $76 million is very funny. Funnier yet is the school on the hook for that $76M even if Fisher takes another job.

It makes the $15 million Nebraska had to pay Scott Frost after firing him look like peanuts. By the way, Frost paid $5.4 million for a house in Phoenix last December.

I believe the Big Ten’s 3-game suspension of Jim Harbaugh during an ongoing NCAA investigation into an alleged sign-stealing operation orchestrated by former staffer Connor Stalions is mighty comical, too.

But not nearly as funny as what Harbaugh said Monday.

"This has gotta be America's team," he said. "America loves a team that beats the odds, beats the adversity, overcomes what the naysayers, critics, so-called experts think. That's my favorite kind of team."

You can’t make this stuff up. Why would you?

I believe there’s something even funnier about this. Namely, Monday’s reaction of ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

“I found it sad and pathetic,” Finebaum said. “Why? Because this isn’t America’s team. This isn’t what America’s about. … This team is not representative of anything other than a program accused of cheating. Cheating.

“Trying to steal signs to gain an unfair advantage, that’s not the way this country was built and that’s not what should be described as America’s team.”

No, this country wasn’t built on stealing anything. OK, maybe a little native land. Some say 1.5 billion acres, but who’s counting?

I believe everyone’s bowl projections this week. I also believe most of those projections will change next week.

I believe Penn State head coach James Franklin firing offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich Sunday was easier for Franklin to do than fire himself. Especially since Franklin makes $8.5 million per year in total guaranteed compensation.

Penn State’s next OC will be the sixth at Penn State in Franklin’s tenure, which is 10 seasons long.

I believe something every day is really hard to believe.

I believe that book I suggested about Iowa’s 2023 season has at least one more wild plot twist to come. Oh, it’s going to be a doozy.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com