Good-Timey Radio Hour Covered a lot of ground, and that’s that for Hawk Talk 2014

Gary Dolphin opens the phones to all topics.

He's talking Tennessee. And then bounces to Wisconsin and Paul Chryst. Kirk Ferentz is 1-0 vs. Chryst. I thought it was the game this season where Iowa exceeded expectations. OK, Northwestern, too, but the second-half comeback is a rarity in the Ferentz era. In fact, it was the Hawkeyes first road win after trailing by 10 or more points in the second half during the Ferentz era, a span of 16 seasons.

So, we can argue that during this bowl special of Good Timey.

Let's have fun, keep it informational and not spill anything on the good carpeting. The crowd certainly sounds festive at Carlos O'Kelly's.

McKinney from Dayton, Ohio, speak into that awesome technology and try not to cough and turn down your radio.

I don't hear a question. Dolph is running clock masterfully here. He's a pro.

Dayton is home of the Wright Brothers. 'Nothing like flying into the Wright Brothers airport there in Dayton,” Dolph just said.

- McKinney is over Ohio State. How do people in the not the Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State region, how do they feel about going to non-New Year's Day bowls? What would it take Iowa to compete with those schools in recruiting?

The last player McKinney remembers who played for Iowa is Chuck Long.

McKinney is clearly a shut-in and this is actually a distress call. Dolph calls him an 'average football fan.” Might as well have called him a peasant.

Dolph running clock. Man, he's good, you guys. He's running down the old-timey bowl schedule with the times and everything. This guy is a ninja!!!!!

- Ila from Paulina, let's do the talky thing.

Ila is loyal and has just one question. At halftime of the Nebraska game, why throw a pass instead of keeping the score where it was.

I don't know what Ila is talking about. She sounded like she had an ax to grind.

Dolph: 'I know Iowa had a 24-7 lead in the second half, that's what I remember.”

That's what I remember, too.

Mike in Dubuque, he has quickfires.

Looking at the coaching changes to land Iowa a recruit or two. Thirty-eight bowls is too many. Wants at least a winning season. If you can't do better than 6-6, tough rockos, boyos.

Quickfire: You can only spend so much money in your lifetime.

Taking issue with Dolph, reminding him of the cold 1983 game. I think the orange crop was lost that year and then we got the movie 'Trading Places.” I loved that movie.

Ratings are good, Dolph counters, or the networks wouldn't be showing bowls. 'That's American society.” He points out that Iowa will have the whole TV deal to itself that day. And he's right. Games are spaced out perfectly to give Iowa-Tenn a wide-open national window.

Lines are open!

Dolph says the coaches have been recruiting like crazy. Iowa leaves on Christmas day for Jacksonville, he said.

Iowa remains in transition into the new $55 million indoor facility and ops building. He said there would be tours available before next season.

Getting back to Ila's call: Nebraska scored a TD with 20 seconds left in the first half. Stuff, stuff, stuff. Bottomline, Dolph says, is Iowa was up 24-7 and the punt returns punched out the Hawkeyes.

- Ron in Coralville, he called into the Fran McCaffery show and whined about On Iowa Live predictions with Iowa basketball vs. Northern Iowa.

Ron says let the coach do the coaching and the fans do the cheering. Ron would be perfectly happy living in North Korea.

- Chad in Omaha, this sounds great . . . going to be a good one . . .

Lives in Omaha, hates losing to Huskers. Hates taking stuff from Husker buds. Iowa happy being mediocre. Chad has crystallized views.

Mentions Black Heart Gold Pants. Dolph sighs into the mic. Ferentz enters the building.

'What's that called ‘Black Heart Gold Pants'?” Dolph asks. 'Who's the author? Patrick Vint . . . OK, that's a new one.”

This is gold, Jerry.

Here's Pat's post on Black Heart Gold Pants. Give it a read.

Chad hopes CJB gets a fair shake to start. KF has got to be loving this deal here. Chad is getting it all off his chest. Good for him.

When will CJB have a chance to get some starting experience. Rudock is great at checking in and out of plays. CJB release and throwing motion. 'You're the one in practice, I totally understand that.”

And here's KF: A lot of people are frustrated with the last thing. As far as QB goes, nobody is really happy. Disappointing loss. Everything is fair game and we'll look at everything with a fresh eye. We'll put guys in a lot of different positions. We have an open mind, we'll do everything we can to win this game.

- Stewart from Northwood, speak into the helmet phone.

Points out that Iowa will have a Florida QB playing in Florida bowl and a QB from Tennessee playing against Tennessee.

KF: Guys looking forward, not backward. This week is hands off with everyone in finals. Practice begins this Friday night in earnest.

Dolph is asking about the first days after the season, which ended with the two bitter losses. Dolph asks what he didn't like.

KF: Played best in season vs. Wisconsin. Best team they played all season. Called Iowa-Minnesota and Iowa-Northwestern two of the outliers this year. Thought Iowa played hard and well vs. Wisconsin. Kinnick was electric. Didn't walk away without a lot of reservations.

'Can't say that about the last game, unfortunately.” Had opportunities during the game. Tough to life with, but that's what we got. Last ball game was a snapshot of what plagued us, turnover margin, too many big plays vs. the defense and special teams mishaps.

KF on Scherff: We're all pleased for Brandon, especially with the Outland Trophy. With OL, it's subjective. I credit the people who voted on the Outland board. I can't imagine there are any guys better than Brandon. I'm sure in the back of his mind, this is what he thought about.

Not enough superlatives to throw his way for what he's done in his five years here.

KF on LTP: He had 'both feet out of the circle.” He was gone, but his high school coach and family talked him into staying. He's played well the last two years. Graduate student, great guy.

Again on Scherff: Michigan DT Mike Martin had a clip where he ate up Scherff shown a lot on when Martin was drafted. Scherff didn't come here in a limosuine, but he's going to leave in one. That's kind of a direct quote. I think Scherff might leave in a Ford F-150. Or maybe a Tundra, loaded.

- Dave from Montana, he's talking on a wire and a can and a wire (I kid! I kid!)

Question on Willies: Going to sit on it with Willies and will speak again after the season. Ball's in his court. See what he chooses to do. (Sounds like a conditional return has been offered.)

More CJB stuff.

KF: The CJB starting bit that College Football Talk ran with is getting roasted over a spit. KF emphasizes that things are open. Doesn't really name a starter and then drops a trolly bomb.

He said CJB 'could” start the bowl and that anything's possible.

TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO!!!!!

- Billy in Winterset asking for the results. Facilities, talent, fan base, all there. Not seeing the results.

KF said guy is entitled to his opinion. Loves the new facilities. It won't win games, but it's first class. Broader picture, it should help in recruiting.

'We do have talent . . . it's a matter of putting it all together and putting together the right pieces.”

Try to coach as hard as they can. Players play as hard as they can.

Going over stuff now in the losses.

- Jim from CF: He wants to win every home game and wants all the traveling trophies back. He believes Iowa should set those as goals. Best of luck vs. Tennessee and happy holidays!

KF: Winning home games and winning the trophies have been goals every year.

Tennessee stuff: Very young team. Played 21 true frosh this year. Flipped over the roster. It worked. First bowl since 2010.

Switch at QB three or four games into the season.

And stuff about Tennessee.

More Iowa stuff: RB Damon Bullock might be out for this game, KF just said. He limped off against Wisconsin and I don't think he played vs. Nebraska. RB Jordan Canzeri not right and, KF said, hasn't looked right all season (knee injury in camp and then a few other things after that, not the season he wanted, certainly). RB Akrum Wadley is getting pushed. RB LeShun Daniels, out since Maryland with a foot/ankle injury, could play, but not in playing shape right now. He mentioned Jonathan Parker as possibly seeing some RB time, too.

- Bill has a question about a 'global view” of Iowa football. He's going back a decade. Iowa has averaged a 7-5, one game over .500 in the Big Ten. Is that the best Iowa can hope for?

KF: I don't know what to expect and hope for. We take it a season at a time. There's a fine line between the years we have won. There are a lot of close games and defining moments. When we got them, we were in the winner's circle. A lot of games that could've gone either way.

Do the best we can every year. We've had some good seasons and we've had some that have been disappointing. That's part of football. There are a lot of teams in a similar situation. You could say a lot of the same things about them (mentions Georgia Tech as an example).

Play as hard as we can, some years are better than others.

- Mike from IC: Is it tough to take the criticism from people who don't know the difference between a draw play and a corner blitz? And then a question about 2016 when the Big Ten goes to nine conference games and the unbalanced league schedule.

KF believes B1G could go to 10 before it goes back to eight. The nine game schedule is going to be an unfair advantage. If you have east-west or north-south, you don't have a round-robin schedule but the one that did (Big 12) didn't get a playoff team. KF is in line for the 10-game conference schedule.

- Max is the last caller, says Merry Christmas! Talking on the assistants, how KF keeps them accountable? And throwing on a crooting question and pinning the MAC players angle.

Everybody is accountable. It's a day-to-day process. Shows up in record, citizenship and academics. KF said they're recruiting the same players they've recruited in his 16 years at Iowa.

And that is it for Hawk Talk this year.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com