Barta's Message Needs to be Heard

Did you get the e-mail from Gary Barta this week? If you are a season ticket holder for Iowa football, you most likely did. If you aren't, I will briefly summarize it for you.

The general gist of the message was that rushing the field is dangerous, so think twice before doing it next time.

Now that that's covered, I am not here to babysit anyone. I was out on that field with everyone else Saturday night. The second time, not the first when there was still one second on the clock.

The message I hope gets across is the latter part of the message: think twice before doing it next time.

Rushing the field is fun, but make it mean something. I am a Junior here at the University of Iowa, and in the three seasons I have been on campus, there has only been one game worthy enough of rushing the field. That was Saturday.

But if I am correct, we have rushed the field 6 additional times dating back to the start of the 2006 season. Are you kidding me? Let's take a look at those games we have been rushing the field for...

2006 vs. Iowa State - Sure, we got the trophy back, but the Cyclones finished 4-8 that season.

2007 vs. #18 Illinois - Were we really that desperate that any Top 25 team is going enough to rush the field for?

2007 vs. Michigan State - If this game hadn't gone into overtime, I'm sure this wouldn't have happened, but still, the Spartans finished 7-6.

2007 vs. Minnesota - I have no words for this. It was great getting Floyd back, but this loss dropped our northern rival to 1-10 on the year. Not exactly an incredible upset.

2008 vs. Iowa State - For the second time in three seasons, we give Cyclones the satisfaction of thinking they are actually important despite them limping in with another horrible record.

2008 vs. Wisconsin - Another trophy game against a team having a down year.

After looking at this list, I almost wish we didn't have traveling trophies. They build the game up to be incredibly huge, no matter what the record of the opponent.

Next time you want to rush the field against a team who may not even make a bowl game, think twice. We are not Iowa State. Most years, Iowa State's bowl game is against Iowa in the third game of the season. We are better than that. We win an emotional game against an in-state rival and move on to our loftier goals for the season.

Maybe, before stepping off down the aisle, take a look at the scoreboard. If the opponent doesn't have a single digit to the left of it's name, they're probably not worth it.

What's in Your Wallet???

With just 2 games left in the season, and Iowa sporting a bowl-eligible 6-4 record, it is time to talk about possible bowl destinations.

To do this, we must figure out two things. First, the bowl selection order, and second, the Big Ten pecking order.

The order the bowls pick Big Ten teams for the 2008 season is as follows:
1) Rose Bowl
2) Second BCS (If applicable)
3) Capital One Bowl
4) Outback Bowl
5) Alamo Bowl
6) Champs Sports Bowl
7) Insight Bowl
8) Motor City Bowl

With that being said, the Big Ten looks to be in position to get two teams into the BCS this season. If Penn State and Ohio State both win their final two games, Penn State will head to the Rose Bowl as Big Ten Champions. Ohio State would most likely be in the Top 10 in the BCS Standings, and would be picked up as an at-large bid for any of the other 3 BCS Bowls (not including the BCS National Championship. The Buckeyes will most likely head to either the Fiesta Bowl or the Orange Bowl. The Sugar Bowl is almost certainly going to select the loser of the Florida-Alabama SEC Championship Game, and the last thing a bowl game wants is to see Ohio State get run over by an SEC team for the third consecutive season.

Then begins the non-BCS bowls and talks about Iowa start to take place. While it is unlikely, a spot in the Capital One Bowl is not out of the discussion. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at my projected final Big Ten Standings:

1. Penn State 11-1
2. Ohio State 10-2
3. Michigan State 9-3
4. Iowa 8-4
5. Northwestern 8-4
6. Minnesota 7-5
7. Wisconsin 7-5
8. Illinois 6-6
9. Purdue 4-8
10. Michigan 3-9
    
11. Indiana 3-9

The rule for selecting Big Ten teams for bowl games is as follows: The bowl can select a team with a worse record than another team, as long as the record is only worse by 1 game. For example, a 10-2 team could be selected over a 11-1 team, but a 9-3 team cannot be selected over an 11-1 team. An exception is, a 6-6 team may not be selected over a 7-5 team.

This means the Capital One Bowl would have 3 options: Michigan State, Iowa, and Northwestern.

While Michigan State and Northwestern both defeated Iowa during the regular season, Iowa will end the season stronger, and would be Penn State's only defeat all season. The importance of ending the season on a 3 game winning streak cannot be overstated.

If this scenario plays out, Michigan State ends the season with a loss to go along with getting blown out against Ohio State.

Northwestern would also be ending the season with a loss, and would have a 3-4 record in the last two months of the season.

Take into account the press time Iowa has received this week, and you have a very good chance at the Capital One Bowl selecting Iowa. Its only other reasonable option would be Michigan State with the better record.

The bottom line is, Iowa needs to take care of business, and they will be playing in January. An 8-4 Iowa team will get selected to the Outback Bowl long before an 8-4 Northwestern based on the larger fan base alone.