Welcome to the horse latitudes . . .

That sort of explains what I'm up to today.

I'm going to look at the Aug. 12 photos at the University of Iowa's Camp Central website and see what I can see.

I'm come back later with something better (hopefully), but we are in the horse latitudes here. We've reached the calm waters with little or no wind. We can see the destination but the voyage is taking forever.

Tuesday was the first day of pads,  but it looks as if this morning's practice was shells and shorts.

(Don't forget, Kid's Day is Saturday. Gates open at 11 a.m. with the practicing slated to begin at noon. You might as well come. It'll be a big deal if it's a big crowd. Remember the Ohio State headlines from its 90,000 spring game?)

Photo 4 -- RB Jeff Brinson looks to break free for a run with DE Lebron Daniel and LB A.J. Edds in the pic.

Photo 5 -- Hello, Riley Reiff, welcome to the first team O-line (at least for now). Gosh, who wrote that back in March? OK, OK, I didn't exactly put it on a billboard. Reiff is shown here with C Rafael Eubanks. LB Jeremiha Hunter is in the picture. Reiff could be keeping a seat warm for OL Julian Vandervelde, too, who's not practicing.

Photo 6 -- Here's RB Jewel Hampton with a sleeve on his left knee, which is a good thing. That's either Reiff or Andy Kuempel clearing the way. Dace Richardson appears to be the right tackle in this pic. That would make some sense with senior Kyle Calloway, already facing a game suspension, not in pads.

Photo 7 -- I can't tell if this is 1 O vs. 2 D, but here's another one of Jewel finding some space. Senior Dan Doering is on the O-line, with DT Steve Bigach and OLB Tyler Neilsen on D. This is No. 2 D, not sure about O, though.

Photo 8 -- This is OT Bryan Bulaga and Reiff, the left side of the No. 1 OL, it appears, for now.

Photo 9 -- This is No. 2 O, with TE Brad Herman looking to throw a block on DT Travis Meade. QB here is James Vandenberg.

Photo 10 -- Here's the No. 1 O-line right now -- Dace at RT, Doering at RG, Eubanks, Reiff and Bulaga, with Tony Moeaki at TE.

Photo 11 -- I'm guessing the photography stopped here because there was probably some "speaks" -- a word my friend Hank Hughes uses for disagreements. That looks like Bulaga and Lebron Daniel having a go. And an OL has a helmet pointed at MLB Pat Angerer's knee.

Photo 13 -- Kuempel shown here blocking for Brinson, so this must be No. 2 O. Someone D already has their hands on Brinson.

Photo 14 -- RB Paki O'Meara runs first team, taking a handoff or short pass from No. 1 QB Ricky Stanzi. Meade is in pursuit. He seems to be in a lot of these pictures.

Photo 15 -- I'm sure I'm reading way more into this than I should, but is that an RB facemask on true freshman Josh Brown?

Photo 17 -- True freshman RB Brad Rogers gets a carry with the 3s.

Photo 18 -- Looks like QR Marvin McNutt really is a No. 1. He's shown here catching a pass in front of CB Amari Spievey, everyone's No. 1. This also offers photographic evidence that Spievey does give up a pass or two occasionally.

Photo 19 -- Here's CB Willie Lowe and walk-on WR Steven Staggs, who has clearly made the 105 and is working his way up. I wonder if this is No. 2s or just a random 7 on 7.

Photo 24 -- This is Markus Zusevics or Casey McMillan vs. DE Broderick Binns in a one-on-one rush drill.

Photo 25 -- This looks to be Eubanks getting in on DT Mike Daniels.

Photo 26 -- Moeaki catches a ball in front of Hunter and Spievey in 7 v 7.

Photo 27 -- WR Trey Stross catches and runs with Hunter and Jordan Bernstine in the background.

Photo 31 -- O'Meara running with the 1s.

Hawkeye thought of the day -- I keep hammering O-line, but I find it fascinating and essential. Just going on today's five, it looks as if Doering is ahead of Kuempel. But I wonder what happens when Vandervelde comes back. What happens to Reiff and Dace? What's up with Calloway? I think eventhough he's suspended, he'd still be able to practice, so he must be aching. Ebanks seems to be hanging in there at center. I wonder if Josh Koeppel is getting snaps or if James Ferentz is.

Also, internet buzz on a possible injury to Bernstine. No confirm from me. I do not know. We'll find out for sure Saturday if not before.

Big Ten thought of the day -- Is it put up or shut up year for Illinois' LB Martez Wilson? The kid was stabbed this year, so he's in "everyday is a gift" mode. . . . This QB competition thingie is legit up at Michigan State. . . . ESPN's Adam Rittenberg one-on-ones NU coach Pat Fitzgerald. Man, Fitzgerald is only 34?

National thought of the day -- When a USC QB

hurts his knee, we all instinctively stop what we're doing and look toward southern California. We don't know why, we just do. Kind of like "The Happening," but no one dies.