Welcome to the ‘Horse Latitudes’

We do mostly college football here and so yeah, this is the yearly dive into what I like to call 'The Horse Latitudes.”

The Horse Latitudes are a real thing and also a Doors song I don't recommend. It's kind of a weather term defined as 'a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies.”

It's basically a drift. You've got sea in front of and behind you and you're not really going anywhere.

For us college football people, spring football is the receding shore while conference media days are the tropical isle off in the distance (July 30-31 in Chicago for Big Ten interests, not that I'm counting). (1)

I'll concoct some stuff to try to get us through the Latitudes. I've written that Top 45 the last couple of years. We've all had great laughs over leaving RB Mark Weisman off the 2012 top 45. Last year, I know starting corner Greg Mabin didn't make the cut (hey, he hadn't played a snap!). And my all-time No. 1 Brandon Scherff is now a Washington Redskin, so who knows? QB C.J. Beathard? WR Tevaun Smith? CB Desmond King (oh so quietly proficient)?

That's not meant as a teaser. Your interest in that silly thing will be passing at best. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for you to internalize it, but this is summer. This is the time of swimming pools, beaches, books and the Wisconsin Dells. You see vacation. College football is an outline on the horizon if that.

This is the nature of the horse latitudes. You will see 'lists,” 'power rankings,” 'if the Big Ten were the Game of Thrones, your school would be _______.” (2) (BTW, I suggest this SBNation post on power rankings for non-power conferences. Let's not kid ourselves, we will watch a handful of these games. I know I will. And so a little thumbnail might serve you well come MACTION!)

You might've noticed last week that the ESPN Big Ten blogger army already has issued way too early Big Ten bowl predictions post. Sure, scoff. You clicked. I clicked. Doesn't make us monsters, people. (3)

You might see some really great projects. You might see some excellent features. There will be actual news. I thought the stuff this week with the Big 12 and its footsie with having a championship game was interesting. If for nothing else, the Big 12 and commish Bob Bowlsby seemed to thoroughly shut down the idea of expansion. (4)

I would avoid 'watch lists.” I applaud college football awards and love being asked to vote on each and every one. Last year, I was on the FWAA All-American committee and found it an enriching experience. (5)

But c'mon, a list of every center who played a snap in college football last season for the Rimington Award coming out in June or July? That's not compelling. Iowa center Austin Blythe made that list last summer and basically said, 'That's not compelling.”

Actually, here's what he did say, 'I am surprised [there are so many lists],” Blythe said with a laugh. 'I had to ask my dad [Curt] about the Bednarik watch list. I didn't know what that was. The big step is to get on the next stage of the list. No one has done anything at this point. You just kind of take it, shrug your shoulders and keep working.”

That's not to say On Iowa won't post 'watch lists.” We are only human here. We are not monsters. Horse Latitudes.

We're probably a month away from college football magazines being a thing. I endorse two: Phil Steele's fun-tastic Keroaucian scroll of trends and numbers and statistical oddities. I'm done wrestling with whether or not I need reading glasses, so bring it on. Also, Lindy's Sports. Why? I wrote the Iowa section for Lindy's, that's why. (6)

I'm sure I'm missing some vehicles. Countdowns! Almost forgot those. Also, we do giant capsules here for the Big Ten and Iowa's opponents. Those are a lot of work and don't do much traffic, but some of this stuff is for my reference. I need to have a general outline for what North Texas might look like come Sept. 26. You might file that with the 'Des Moines BBQ restaurant watch list,” and that's OK.

Horse Latitudes.

'If your Big Ten team were a county fair in Iowa, ________.”

Horse Latitudes.

Follow the breeze. If it feels good, click it.

(1)

I count conference media days as the beginning of the season. My clock is set a little differently. How about you guys?

(2) Did I do one of those? Man, I hope not. Oh no, no, no. I did. It was the Big Ten as 'Breaking Bad.” I remember forgetting Skyler but remembering Gale Boetticher. No one said anything. I believe that was my last 'Power Ranking” because of that very fact.

(3)

So, if you could put the Pinstripe Bowl in the bank, would you be happy with that? Hypothetical, I know. Remember, Horse Latitudes.

(4)

I like the idea of the Big 12 actually being 12, but the league seems to like it at 10 (fewer mouths to feed, round-robin schedule). I see BYU sitting out there and I have to think some kindly giant money machine conference will find a spot. Maybe not.

(5)

Phil Steele knows all the players. All of them. Abso-freaking every one of them.

(6) You might remember last week when I asked for Iowa's MVP, emerging star and top newcomer (had to be a newcomer and not an already here). Black Heart Gold Pants had a post on that (hey, it's horse latitudes, man, everyone for themselves). Tell me your picks and I'll tell you mine.

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