Iowa media pelt Herbstreit, Pollack with questions

INDIANAPOLIS — Three elevator doors stood between ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit and a media horde from Iowa brimming with provincial questions ranging from Hawkeye bowl hopes to the team's national perception.

The elevator dinged, the middle door opened, and Herbstreit stepped into a mob. One reporter likened the rush to the Hawkeye swarm, of which Herbstreit said he was unfamiliar. For seven minutes Friday afternoon, Herbstreit was pelted with questions, starting with why national media outlets slight unbeaten Iowa.

'I don't think there's a slight,' said Herbstreit, analyst for ESPN's popular College GameDay pregame show. 'I think people are excited to see them play a big-time team in a challenging atmosphere. I think we've been saying the last six or seven weeks about Iowa is it's all in front of them. If you think they're great, if you don't think they're great, whatever it is, they control their own destiny.'

Then he was asked whether Iowa could beat Michigan State.

'Oh yeah,' Herbstreit said. 'They're doing all the little things that don't show up. But when you watch the game, they're winning the field position, they're winning the turnover margin, they're not self-destructing ...'

One reporter wondered if Iowa would get left out of the playoff with a win, to which Herbstreit replied, 'Impossible.' Then someone interrupted the Hawkeye party and asked about Michigan State.

The queries quickly returned to the Hawkeyes and specifically their fans. This fall Herbstreit was pelted relentlessly on Twitter by Iowa fans after not elevating the team into a high-enough ranking. To laughter, Herbstreit said, 'They're vocal.'

'What's funny is I've been a Kirk Ferentz fan and an Iowa fan for a long time,' said Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback. 'In fact I picked him last year to make a run and be a surprise team. I was a year off. Every fan base has a portion of fans that feel disrespected and slighted. They're the same fans that if they lose, they want to fire Kirk Ferentz or C.J. Beathard's terrible. They always are right. It's fun. Every year there's a fan base for whatever reason gets fired up. This year it's Iowa.'

A few questions later — will Ferentz be national coach of the year, a 'done deal' if he wins Saturday — and Herbstreit exited toward the ESPN GameDay stage in downtown Indianapolis. Replacing Herbstreit was former Georgia defensive end David Pollack, who navigated his questions with less political maneuvering and more swagger.

Teams thrive on disrespect, Pollack said, but it's more evident in meetings, practices and film sessions than on the field during games.

Pollack then veered into an area national analysts rarely venture. He spoke honestly even in the face of unfriendly cameras.

'I don't care if people like me so I tell you what I feel,' he said. 'It's not one of my strengths. I think the national perception (of Iowa) has changed, but it's also difficult to judge Iowa with who they've played. They've been very beneficial in dodging Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State. It's a great schedule. There's a lot of teams in the country that I think would be undefeated right now playing Iowa's schedule.'

Without retreating, Pollack then gave Iowa some credit.

'Have they done what they're supposed to do? Absolutely. Is there a great, dominant team in college football? No, we already talked about it. They're exceptionally sound. They do a great job of not beating themselves, they don't turn the football over, they're efficient on both sides of the ball, they've done everything that they've needed to do. This is a great stage for them and a great opportunity if there are still people who doubt and hate. They can shut everybody up and they can go to the college football final four. You can shut some more people up. That's the great thing about it.'

The mob finally dispersed and ESPN's talking heads shifted into their roles with more space between their face and the camera. For Iowa, it's evident. The Hawkeyes still have much to prove on the national level to attain the recognition they crave. They also get that chance Saturday night on a stage bigger than the ones Herbstreit and Pollack provided Friday afternoon.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com