Sunday, December 20, 2015
The Iowa Hawkeyes vs. The Drake Bulldogs
On December 19, 2015, the Iowa Hawkeyes faced off against the Drake Bulldogs in the Hy-Vee Classic. Each year, the Iowa Hawkeyes face off against either Drake or UNI in the Big Four Classic while the Iowa State Cyclones play the other team. This year, the Hawks looked to come away with a win, after losing last year to UNI and losing last week in a heartbreaker against the Cyclones. While the Drake Bulldogs are not quite as good as the other three teams from the state of Iowa, they definitely came to play to try and upset the struggling Hawkeyes. They played very well in the first half staying neck-and-neck with the Hawks through the first half. Going into the second half, the game was tied at 30 apiece. Iowa managed to pull off a 6-point win however with a strong 17 point performance from Mike Gesell. The Hawkeyes also managed to block a school-record 14 shots led by the freshman out Bettendorf, Iowa, Nicholas Baer. The Hawks will look to continue this momentum on Tuesday at Iowa City, against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
UNI Upsets ISU
For the second time this season, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers have upset a top five ranked team. Earlier in the season the Panthers hosted the then ranked Number One University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Although they were without their best player, Marcus Paige, who happened to be from the great state of Iowa, the Tar Heels were unable to come away with a victory. This time however, the Panthers played away from their hometown in a neutral arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The Panther led by nine points 46-37 going into halftime, but the Iowa State Cyclone managed to claw their way back trailing by only two points with the ball on the final possession. The Panthers were able to hold on, however, and complete their second upset of a top five team this season, handing Iowa State their first loss. UNI tends to thrive in these situations against other Iowa teams after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes last year in a similar situation.
Baker Bowling Tournament At Lancer Lanes
On December 19, 2015, sixteen different bowling teams from the state of Iowa traveled to Lancer Lanes for a baker bowling tournament hosted by Prairie. Because I am a member of the Kennedy Bowling JV team, I went to watch it to support my varsity teammates. During the first half of the tournament, the sixteen teams were split into two divisions. Each team would play the other seven teams in their division in two baker games, and the top eight teams who scored the most points in their fourteen baker games would advance to bracket. In bracket, the number one seeded team would face the number eight seeded team, the number two team would face the number seven team, and so on. The winners of the first round of bracket would move on to the semi-finals and then the winners would play for the championship while the other semi-finalists who came short would play for third place.
Most people who read this may not know what exactly a baker bowling game is, unless of course they are familiar with bowling. While I was unaware of exactly what it was at the beginning of the season, I have quickly become familiar to what it is and the importance of certain aspects in order to achieve a high score. In the baker bowling format, the coach selects five of six players on their team, and places them in order 1-5. The player in the first spot bowls the first and sixth frame, and this pattern continues with the fifth spot player eventually bowling the fifth and tenth frames.
Order is very important in baker bowling, as some players thrive in certain slots, while they tend to not do as well in others. For the most part, the best player on the team bowls in the fifth position, or the anchor position. This is because they have the opportunity to basically bowl three frames in just the tenth frame if they can strike. It also puts them in a position to seal the game if the scores are close. The next best player in the team usually bowls either in the first spot or the fourth spot, which are both very important and crucial in the game. The first spot is important because the player has the task of setting the tone for the team and getting some much needed early momentum. Momentum is a key in baker bowling because players tend to bowl well if they're team is doing well and they aren't too stressed out. If the first player can gain momentum early, the team has a good shot at bowling a great game. The fourth spot is also very important because it is the set-up spot. Like I mentioned earlier, the tenth frame is very important and many times can be a deciding frame of the game. The player who bowls in the fourth slot needs to set the fifth player up in the best position to win. If the fourth player bowls a spare, the first ball of the fifth player is doubled. Likewise, if the fourth player bowls a strike, the fifth player's next two balls are doubled, which has the potential to add 20 points to a teams score. The second and third spot are also very important in a baker's game because the players in those spots need to either strike or spare to keep momentum going, and any time a spare or strike isn't bowled, the opposing team has a chance to take a big lead, or if they're losing, a chance to come back and cut the lead. Personally for me, I bowl the best in the fourth or fifth position because I like having control of the game, and I tend to do well under a lot of pressure. My worst position would probably be the first position because I don't feel like I have control of the outcome of the game and I'm not as good as starting momentum as I am at continuing it or capitalizing on it.
For Kennedy, the six players that were selected to play on varsity for the tournament were Aaron, Max, Dakota, Bert, Nick, and James. For the most part of the tournament, as well as most of our meets, Bert played in the fifth spot, as he is one of our most reliable players in getting strikes when we need them. Nick usually played in the first position, and was probably the most consistent throughout the day at getting strikes. The rest of the team was jumbled around quite a bit, with Aaron, being a freshman and being a former JV player, sitting out the most of all the Cougars, although he did perform very well when he was called upon.
In the first fourteen games against the seven teams in their division, including Jefferson, Vinton-Shellsburg, Washington, Durant, Marion, Iowa City West, and Louisa-Muscatine the team played very well. They played each team twice, with their total score deciding whether or not they would make bracket. In their first two games against Vinton-Shellsburg, the Cougars won one of the two games, however in total points, they managed to outscore their opponents. Next they played Jefferson, and unfortunately lost both games with Jefferson striking multiple times in a row. They split their next two games with Washington, but outscored the Warriors in total points. After that they won two straight games against Durant, and then won two more against Marion. The Cougs then went on to outscore Iowa City West, but then get outscored by Louisa-Muscatine after splitting the series.
After a long and suspenseful wait, the teams that made bracket were announced. The Cougars ended up celebrating after earning the fifth seed, outscoring 11 of the 16 teams in total points. The bracket games were played in a different format than the first round, with the teams playing in a best of three series. In their quarter-final match up, Kennedy went head-to-head against the fourth-seeded team of West-Delaware. With strong performances from Bert, Nick, James, Dakota, and Max, Kennedy decisively upset their opponents in two games, not even needing a third game to seal the deal. Their semi-final matchup came against the first-seeded team, the North High Wildcats. In the first game, the Cougars started off with five strong frames, but fell apart in the final half of the game dropping a close one to the Wildcats. After switching lanes with the Wildcats and moving closer to Kennedy supporters, the Cougs came back strong winning a decisive match up against the nervous-looking Wildcats. In the third and final game, the Cougars once again started strong leading by more than 20 pins entering the sixth frame. Unfortunately for the Cougs, anchor Bert Goodwin missed a spare in the fifth that could have largely helped Kennedy seal the game. The Wildcats came charging back with a run of strikes, and the Cougs began getting tense. James missed a spare that he had been making all day which ended up hurting the Cougars a lot. Going into the tenth frame, the Cougars had already lost the game. Even if Bert could manage to throw three strikes, which would have been very possible, the Cougars would have lost the game by one point in a heartbreaker. Bert threw a strike on his first ball, knowing that they had already lost, but could not finish the game as he would have liked to. Although the Cougars may not have made it to the finals where they wanted to be against the Linn-Mar Lions, they knew they still had to play in a rematch against Jefferson for third place. After winning the first game, the Cougars lost momentum and looked too down to compete the way they were capable of, and they ended up losing the remaining two games finishing in fourth place.
While the Cougars did not finish the day like they would have preferred, they still had a great day and a lot to be proud of. Going into the tournament with a young team of underdogs, the Cougars managed to upset the fifth-seeded team in the first round, and finished fourth out of sixteen schools throughout the state. This team has a huge amount of potential, and if they can keep working at it, and fix a few mistakes here and there, I have no doubt that they could come back next year and win the whole tournament. This season is still far from over, and the Cougars will just keep on improving.
Most people who read this may not know what exactly a baker bowling game is, unless of course they are familiar with bowling. While I was unaware of exactly what it was at the beginning of the season, I have quickly become familiar to what it is and the importance of certain aspects in order to achieve a high score. In the baker bowling format, the coach selects five of six players on their team, and places them in order 1-5. The player in the first spot bowls the first and sixth frame, and this pattern continues with the fifth spot player eventually bowling the fifth and tenth frames.
Order is very important in baker bowling, as some players thrive in certain slots, while they tend to not do as well in others. For the most part, the best player on the team bowls in the fifth position, or the anchor position. This is because they have the opportunity to basically bowl three frames in just the tenth frame if they can strike. It also puts them in a position to seal the game if the scores are close. The next best player in the team usually bowls either in the first spot or the fourth spot, which are both very important and crucial in the game. The first spot is important because the player has the task of setting the tone for the team and getting some much needed early momentum. Momentum is a key in baker bowling because players tend to bowl well if they're team is doing well and they aren't too stressed out. If the first player can gain momentum early, the team has a good shot at bowling a great game. The fourth spot is also very important because it is the set-up spot. Like I mentioned earlier, the tenth frame is very important and many times can be a deciding frame of the game. The player who bowls in the fourth slot needs to set the fifth player up in the best position to win. If the fourth player bowls a spare, the first ball of the fifth player is doubled. Likewise, if the fourth player bowls a strike, the fifth player's next two balls are doubled, which has the potential to add 20 points to a teams score. The second and third spot are also very important in a baker's game because the players in those spots need to either strike or spare to keep momentum going, and any time a spare or strike isn't bowled, the opposing team has a chance to take a big lead, or if they're losing, a chance to come back and cut the lead. Personally for me, I bowl the best in the fourth or fifth position because I like having control of the game, and I tend to do well under a lot of pressure. My worst position would probably be the first position because I don't feel like I have control of the outcome of the game and I'm not as good as starting momentum as I am at continuing it or capitalizing on it.
For Kennedy, the six players that were selected to play on varsity for the tournament were Aaron, Max, Dakota, Bert, Nick, and James. For the most part of the tournament, as well as most of our meets, Bert played in the fifth spot, as he is one of our most reliable players in getting strikes when we need them. Nick usually played in the first position, and was probably the most consistent throughout the day at getting strikes. The rest of the team was jumbled around quite a bit, with Aaron, being a freshman and being a former JV player, sitting out the most of all the Cougars, although he did perform very well when he was called upon.
In the first fourteen games against the seven teams in their division, including Jefferson, Vinton-Shellsburg, Washington, Durant, Marion, Iowa City West, and Louisa-Muscatine the team played very well. They played each team twice, with their total score deciding whether or not they would make bracket. In their first two games against Vinton-Shellsburg, the Cougars won one of the two games, however in total points, they managed to outscore their opponents. Next they played Jefferson, and unfortunately lost both games with Jefferson striking multiple times in a row. They split their next two games with Washington, but outscored the Warriors in total points. After that they won two straight games against Durant, and then won two more against Marion. The Cougs then went on to outscore Iowa City West, but then get outscored by Louisa-Muscatine after splitting the series.
After a long and suspenseful wait, the teams that made bracket were announced. The Cougars ended up celebrating after earning the fifth seed, outscoring 11 of the 16 teams in total points. The bracket games were played in a different format than the first round, with the teams playing in a best of three series. In their quarter-final match up, Kennedy went head-to-head against the fourth-seeded team of West-Delaware. With strong performances from Bert, Nick, James, Dakota, and Max, Kennedy decisively upset their opponents in two games, not even needing a third game to seal the deal. Their semi-final matchup came against the first-seeded team, the North High Wildcats. In the first game, the Cougars started off with five strong frames, but fell apart in the final half of the game dropping a close one to the Wildcats. After switching lanes with the Wildcats and moving closer to Kennedy supporters, the Cougs came back strong winning a decisive match up against the nervous-looking Wildcats. In the third and final game, the Cougars once again started strong leading by more than 20 pins entering the sixth frame. Unfortunately for the Cougs, anchor Bert Goodwin missed a spare in the fifth that could have largely helped Kennedy seal the game. The Wildcats came charging back with a run of strikes, and the Cougs began getting tense. James missed a spare that he had been making all day which ended up hurting the Cougars a lot. Going into the tenth frame, the Cougars had already lost the game. Even if Bert could manage to throw three strikes, which would have been very possible, the Cougars would have lost the game by one point in a heartbreaker. Bert threw a strike on his first ball, knowing that they had already lost, but could not finish the game as he would have liked to. Although the Cougars may not have made it to the finals where they wanted to be against the Linn-Mar Lions, they knew they still had to play in a rematch against Jefferson for third place. After winning the first game, the Cougars lost momentum and looked too down to compete the way they were capable of, and they ended up losing the remaining two games finishing in fourth place.
While the Cougars did not finish the day like they would have preferred, they still had a great day and a lot to be proud of. Going into the tournament with a young team of underdogs, the Cougars managed to upset the fifth-seeded team in the first round, and finished fourth out of sixteen schools throughout the state. This team has a huge amount of potential, and if they can keep working at it, and fix a few mistakes here and there, I have no doubt that they could come back next year and win the whole tournament. This season is still far from over, and the Cougars will just keep on improving.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
ISU Comes Back Against The Hawks
On Thursday, December 10, 2015, the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled to Ames, Iowa to play the Number Four Ranked Undefeated Iowa State Cyclones. Last year, the Cyclones defeated Iowa decisively with incredible shooting and put on an absolute display from behind the three point line. This year, the Hawks looked to return the favor against their in-state rival. In the first half of the game, the Hawks, behind an incredible 30 point first quarter performance by star player Jarrod Uthoff, did just that outscoring the Cyclones 49-35, making the home fans very nervous. Uthoff was practically unstoppable scoring from the three point line, the foul line, mid-range, and throwing down monstrous dunks.
The second half, however, was a completely different story. The Iowa State Cyclones buckled down on Jarrod Uthoff, only allowing him to score two points. This proved very crucial in the final minutes of the game. Without their key player scoring the ball, the Hawks were forced to turn to Peter Jok for points, but after getting hit in the eye accidentally by a Cyclone, he was unable to continue his momentum. With 9:34 left in the game, the home team Cyclones were able to cut the lead under double-digits 60-69, and the home fans went crazy. Iowa was able to keep them under control for awhile, but with 10 seconds left, Monte Morris hit a jumper to give Iowa State a lead, and the building went wild. Head Coach Fran McCaffery of the Hawkeyes refused to call a timeout and let his team play, and Jarrod Uthoff missed a three pointer after being cold all half, and the Cyclones stole a close one. In my opinion the Hawks kind of lost the game more than the Cyclones winning it, due to Fran refusing to call crucial timeouts, and the Hawkeyes unable to inbound the ball twice in the final minute and a half, but credit to the tough Cyclone team for making a comeback. This continues to be a very exciting rivalry.
The second half, however, was a completely different story. The Iowa State Cyclones buckled down on Jarrod Uthoff, only allowing him to score two points. This proved very crucial in the final minutes of the game. Without their key player scoring the ball, the Hawks were forced to turn to Peter Jok for points, but after getting hit in the eye accidentally by a Cyclone, he was unable to continue his momentum. With 9:34 left in the game, the home team Cyclones were able to cut the lead under double-digits 60-69, and the home fans went crazy. Iowa was able to keep them under control for awhile, but with 10 seconds left, Monte Morris hit a jumper to give Iowa State a lead, and the building went wild. Head Coach Fran McCaffery of the Hawkeyes refused to call a timeout and let his team play, and Jarrod Uthoff missed a three pointer after being cold all half, and the Cyclones stole a close one. In my opinion the Hawks kind of lost the game more than the Cyclones winning it, due to Fran refusing to call crucial timeouts, and the Hawkeyes unable to inbound the ball twice in the final minute and a half, but credit to the tough Cyclone team for making a comeback. This continues to be a very exciting rivalry.
Bucks Hand Warriors Shocking First Loss
24 straight games. Last year's champions the Golden State Warriors won 24 straight games. That's pretty unbelievable. Under star player and defending MVP Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors managed to pull off one of the greatest starts in NBA history with 24 straight wins. Since the start of the NBA season, no team has been able to crack the code on how to stop the defending champs' small ball approach, at least until the Warriors faced the Milwaukee Bucks. After a couple weeks of being compared to Michael Jordan's 72-10 Chicago Bulls team, the Golden State Warriors were handed their first loss against a surprising opponent, the currently 10-15 Milwaukee Bucks led by center Greg Monroe.
The game started off close, with both teams playing well. Monroe and O.J. Mayo played well for the Bucks in the first quarter to give them a 30-28 lead going into the second over Steph Curry who had a decent first quarter for the Warriors. In the second, however, the Bucks took complete control over the game, scoring 29 points in the second quarter over the Warriors' 20. With a mixed attack on offense, practically everyone was able to score for the Bucks, while Golden State couldn't find the rhythm they'd been having all season. By halftime break, last year's champs found themselves trailing by 11 points 48-59, and began to worry that their perfect season may come to halt that very night.
In the third quarter, Draymond Green of the Warriors decided that he would not go down without a fight, bringing the Warriors within three before the start of the final quarter. Green is definitely a catalyst for the Warriors' offense and is sort of a spark plug for this team with his electric personality. Going into the final quarter, however, the home team Milwaukee Bucks held an 80-77 lead.
During the first half of the final period, the Bucks went on an 11-2 run, increasing their lead to 12. With 4:43 left in the game, Steph Curry did what he's been doing since he came into the league knocking down a huge three pointer to bring the game within 9, but that was the closest the Warriors were able to come for the rest of the game. The Bucks finished strong outscoring the Warriors by 10 points in the final twelve minutes and ended up shocking the world with a decisive 108-95 victory over a tired Warriors team, who hadn't lost all season and just came out of Boston with a double overtime victory. I don't exactly know how they were able to do it, but congrats Bucks on the victory.
The game started off close, with both teams playing well. Monroe and O.J. Mayo played well for the Bucks in the first quarter to give them a 30-28 lead going into the second over Steph Curry who had a decent first quarter for the Warriors. In the second, however, the Bucks took complete control over the game, scoring 29 points in the second quarter over the Warriors' 20. With a mixed attack on offense, practically everyone was able to score for the Bucks, while Golden State couldn't find the rhythm they'd been having all season. By halftime break, last year's champs found themselves trailing by 11 points 48-59, and began to worry that their perfect season may come to halt that very night.
In the third quarter, Draymond Green of the Warriors decided that he would not go down without a fight, bringing the Warriors within three before the start of the final quarter. Green is definitely a catalyst for the Warriors' offense and is sort of a spark plug for this team with his electric personality. Going into the final quarter, however, the home team Milwaukee Bucks held an 80-77 lead.
During the first half of the final period, the Bucks went on an 11-2 run, increasing their lead to 12. With 4:43 left in the game, Steph Curry did what he's been doing since he came into the league knocking down a huge three pointer to bring the game within 9, but that was the closest the Warriors were able to come for the rest of the game. The Bucks finished strong outscoring the Warriors by 10 points in the final twelve minutes and ended up shocking the world with a decisive 108-95 victory over a tired Warriors team, who hadn't lost all season and just came out of Boston with a double overtime victory. I don't exactly know how they were able to do it, but congrats Bucks on the victory.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
2015-2016 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series
Every year, the Iowa Hawkeyes and their in-state rivals the Iowa State Cyclones compete in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series. The schools compete against each other in twelve different events throughout the year, with each event worth about two points. At the end of the year, the school with the most points wins the competition. The events in the competition include, Football, Men's and Women's Basketball, and Soccer, along with many other events.
This year, the Hawkeyes have led the competition since its first event of soccer took place in Iowa City. The Cyclones have not been able to catch up and currently trail the Hawks 10-4. After winning in soccer, the Hawks increased their lead on the same day, with a win in a volleyball match up, also held in Iowa City. The next day, the Iowa Hawkeye football team traveled to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, to play the Cyclones in the first event on Iowa State's own turf. Unfortunately for the home team, the Hawkeyes were able to come out with a victory to increase their lead in the Cy-Hawk series 7-0. The next duel between the two schools took place two months later on November 11, when the Hawkeyes once again defeated the Cyclones, this time in an academic competition worth one point. Later on in the day, the Cyclones picked up their first victories with both their Women's and Men's Cross Country team defeating the Hawkeyes to bring the score to 8-4. The two rivals would not meet up for another two weeks, until the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled back to Ames for a wrestling competition in arguably the best state for wrestling. Despite having home advantage, the Cyclones lost once again on their home turf, bringing the score of the series to 10-4, where it currently sits. With just five events remaining in the series, the Cyclones still have a great shot at winning the competition. Their odds are increased even higher due to the fact that all five remaining events will take place in Ames, Iowa. Although the Iowa State Cyclones are 0-2 at Ames, home-court advantage is always a huge factor. However, the Hawkeyes only need to win two of the five remaining events to clinch a victory, and just one event to avoid losing.
The next event in the Cy-Hawk series takes place today, December 10, 2015. The Iowa Hawkeyes, led by senior Jarrod Uthoff, will be traveling to Ames for a tough matchup against senior Georges Niang and his fourth-ranked Iowa Cyclones. Last year, the Cyclones traveled to Carver-Hawkeye arena and completely routed the Hawks 90-75 with a complete barrage of three pointers. The Hawks will look to return the favor tonight and secure at least a tie in the Cy-Hawk series.
Tomorrow, both the Swimming and Diving team and the Women's Basketball team of the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Ames for some more tough competition. The Hawkeyes Women's Basketball team are currently ranked 23rd in the nation and will hope to increase their ranking in a tough match up against the Cyclones who will look for the upset.
After those three events, the remaining of events of softball and gymnastics will take place next year, both in Ames. With Iowa State currently leading in overall series wins 6-5, the Hawkeyes, who currently hold a commanding lead, will hope to take the trophy back to Iowa City and tie the series.
These remaining events look to be very competitive and hopefully very exciting.
This year, the Hawkeyes have led the competition since its first event of soccer took place in Iowa City. The Cyclones have not been able to catch up and currently trail the Hawks 10-4. After winning in soccer, the Hawks increased their lead on the same day, with a win in a volleyball match up, also held in Iowa City. The next day, the Iowa Hawkeye football team traveled to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, to play the Cyclones in the first event on Iowa State's own turf. Unfortunately for the home team, the Hawkeyes were able to come out with a victory to increase their lead in the Cy-Hawk series 7-0. The next duel between the two schools took place two months later on November 11, when the Hawkeyes once again defeated the Cyclones, this time in an academic competition worth one point. Later on in the day, the Cyclones picked up their first victories with both their Women's and Men's Cross Country team defeating the Hawkeyes to bring the score to 8-4. The two rivals would not meet up for another two weeks, until the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled back to Ames for a wrestling competition in arguably the best state for wrestling. Despite having home advantage, the Cyclones lost once again on their home turf, bringing the score of the series to 10-4, where it currently sits. With just five events remaining in the series, the Cyclones still have a great shot at winning the competition. Their odds are increased even higher due to the fact that all five remaining events will take place in Ames, Iowa. Although the Iowa State Cyclones are 0-2 at Ames, home-court advantage is always a huge factor. However, the Hawkeyes only need to win two of the five remaining events to clinch a victory, and just one event to avoid losing.
The next event in the Cy-Hawk series takes place today, December 10, 2015. The Iowa Hawkeyes, led by senior Jarrod Uthoff, will be traveling to Ames for a tough matchup against senior Georges Niang and his fourth-ranked Iowa Cyclones. Last year, the Cyclones traveled to Carver-Hawkeye arena and completely routed the Hawks 90-75 with a complete barrage of three pointers. The Hawks will look to return the favor tonight and secure at least a tie in the Cy-Hawk series.
Tomorrow, both the Swimming and Diving team and the Women's Basketball team of the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Ames for some more tough competition. The Hawkeyes Women's Basketball team are currently ranked 23rd in the nation and will hope to increase their ranking in a tough match up against the Cyclones who will look for the upset.
After those three events, the remaining of events of softball and gymnastics will take place next year, both in Ames. With Iowa State currently leading in overall series wins 6-5, the Hawkeyes, who currently hold a commanding lead, will hope to take the trophy back to Iowa City and tie the series.
These remaining events look to be very competitive and hopefully very exciting.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Who's In?
The regular season and the Conference Championship matchups are over. Each team throughout the nation has done what it could to put together a resume decent enough for the playoff committee to consider them one of the top four teams in all college football. The committee takes into consideration many things when deciding "who's in", including strength of schedule, number of wins against Top 25 teams, and control over the game. Going into the final week of the regular season, Clemson was ranked Number 1, followed by Alabama at Number 2, Oklahoma at Number 3, and the Iowa Hawkeyes ranked Number 4. However, after the conference championship games, things have changed. So Who's In?
Coming in at the Number One Overall Ranking are the Clemson Tigers, which should not be much of a shocker to anyone. After defeating North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game, the Tigers finished with the only undefeated record in all of the FBS, following Iowa's loss to Michigan State. They had held the Number One spot for many weeks, and never seemed lose grasp of it. Clemson boasts key wins over Notre Dame, Florida State University, and, of course, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
At the Number Two Spot are the Alabama Crimson Tide, who secured their spot in the playoffs after a victory in the SEC Championship game against the Florida Gators. Alabama finished the season with an overall record of 12-1, with their only loss coming early in the season against Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide had stood at Number Two for the majority of the season through strong play, but were unable to finish ahead of Clemson after the Tigers never lost a game. Alabama's key wins came against Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, and Florida.
The biggest change in the College Football Playoff rankings came at Number Three with the Michigan State Spartans. After defeating Iowa in a tough-fought matchup that came down to the final minutes, the Spartans secured a spot in the College Football Playoffs. The Spartans finished with a 12-1 overall record, with their only loss coming against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a somewhat controversial finish. The Spartans sat just outside of the College Football Playoff rankings the previous week at Number 5, but after spoiling the Hawkeyes perfect season, the committee had to reward them with the spot. Michigan State's key wins include victories over Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes.
Taking the final spot in the College Football Playoffs at Number Four are the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners finished with an 11-1 record, and didn't even play this week after becoming the undisputed Big 12 Champions. Their only loss came early in the year against the Texas Longhorns. Notable wins for the Sooners came against Tennessee, West Virginia, Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State.
Number One Clemson will take on Number Four Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in the semifinals. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Cotton Bowl between the Number Two Crimson Tide and the Number Three Spartans.
Coming in at the Number One Overall Ranking are the Clemson Tigers, which should not be much of a shocker to anyone. After defeating North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game, the Tigers finished with the only undefeated record in all of the FBS, following Iowa's loss to Michigan State. They had held the Number One spot for many weeks, and never seemed lose grasp of it. Clemson boasts key wins over Notre Dame, Florida State University, and, of course, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
At the Number Two Spot are the Alabama Crimson Tide, who secured their spot in the playoffs after a victory in the SEC Championship game against the Florida Gators. Alabama finished the season with an overall record of 12-1, with their only loss coming early in the season against Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide had stood at Number Two for the majority of the season through strong play, but were unable to finish ahead of Clemson after the Tigers never lost a game. Alabama's key wins came against Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, and Florida.
The biggest change in the College Football Playoff rankings came at Number Three with the Michigan State Spartans. After defeating Iowa in a tough-fought matchup that came down to the final minutes, the Spartans secured a spot in the College Football Playoffs. The Spartans finished with a 12-1 overall record, with their only loss coming against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a somewhat controversial finish. The Spartans sat just outside of the College Football Playoff rankings the previous week at Number 5, but after spoiling the Hawkeyes perfect season, the committee had to reward them with the spot. Michigan State's key wins include victories over Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes.
Taking the final spot in the College Football Playoffs at Number Four are the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners finished with an 11-1 record, and didn't even play this week after becoming the undisputed Big 12 Champions. Their only loss came early in the year against the Texas Longhorns. Notable wins for the Sooners came against Tennessee, West Virginia, Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State.
Number One Clemson will take on Number Four Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in the semifinals. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Cotton Bowl between the Number Two Crimson Tide and the Number Three Spartans.
Hawkeyes Headed To The Rose Bowl
After a disappointing last-minute loss against the Michigan State Spartans, the Hawkeyes hopes and morale were down. Although they had accomplished an incredible season, it definitely would have been nice to head to the College Football Playoffs being on of the only two teams with an undefeated record with the other being Clemson. However, the Hawkeyes knew that they would still make a pretty good bowl game. While many people throughout the world believed that the Ohio State Buckeyes would jump ahead of the Hawkeyes and take the Rose Bowl, the committee decided that Iowa had been the better team this year, ranking them at Number 5, and sending them to the Rose Bowl to battle head-to-head against Pac-12 Champion Stanford. This will be the Hawks' first appearance in the Rose Bowl since 1991. The Buckeyes, who fell to Number 7, in turn will go to the Fiesta Bowl to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Big Ten Championship Game
On December 15, 2015, the Number 4 Ranked Iowa Hawkeyes met the Number 5 Ranked Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Hawkeyes were representing the Western division of the Big Ten after an undefeated 12-0 season. The Spartans represented the Eastern division after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in a crucial matchup, and finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record. Michigan State's only loss came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a controversial finish. The winner of the game was almost surely going to make it into the College Football Playoffs to represent the Big Ten.
Before the game, Michigan State won the toss, and deferred the opening kickoff to Iowa in order to receive the ball at the start of the second half. On Iowa's opening drive, Henry Krieger Coble, who has some of the best hands on the Hawkeyes team, fumbled the ball to Michigan State, giving the Spartans excellent field-positioning on Iowa's 27 yard-line. Luckily for Iowa, their defense was able to stand strong, and the Spartans were forced to settle for a field goal. The Spartans then kicked off to the Hawkeyes, who were unable to answer the Spartans score, and were forced to punt the ball back to Michigan State. On the fourth play of the Spartans next drive, quarterback Connor Cook threw the ball off his own player to avoid a sack, and Josey Jewell of the Hawkeyes intercepted the ricochet to give the Hawkeyes good field positioning. In response to Iowa's tough defense, Michigan State was able to stand strong and hold the Hawks to a field goal to tie the game at 3 apiece. After some tough penalties against the Spartans, Iowa was able to get a nice three and out to get the ball back. After getting the ball back, Iowa made some nice plays before something tragic happened. During a Jordan Canzeri run, a Michigan State defender fell on the back of Canzeri's ankle, and he was unable to return for the rest of the game. This was a big blow to the Hawkeyes who had just gotten Canzeri back to 100% after a great game for him against the Cornhuskers last week. Fortunately for the Hawks, they still had three good running backs and were able to get a field goal to take the lead 6-3. The Spartans were unable to answer after they missed a field goal, and Iowa once again had the ball. Iowa took the ball all the way down to the Michigan State 5 yard-line to once again threaten to score. In an incredibly lucky turn of events for the Spartans, C.J. Beathard's pass was not caught by Krieger Coble and landed on a Michigan State defender's back and Demetrious Cox was able to pick it up for an interception in the in-zone. For the remainder of the first half, both teams were unable to score, and Iowa went into the halftime break leading 6-3, despite everyone's doubts.
Michigan State started the second half with the ball, and in a series very similar to the first half, the defense stood tall. Fortunately for the Spartans, Iowa was also unable to score, and Michigan State regained the ball. The Spartans were able to score on their next possession with a field goal to tie the game. After an Iowa Hawkeye punt, Michigan State was once again able to make a field goal to take the lead 9-6. On the second play of Iowa's next drive, C.J. Beathard was able to throw an incredible 85-yard pass to Tevaun Smith for his most explosive play of the season and also score a touchdown for the Hawkeyes to retake the lead 13-9. Both teams then traded punts until MSU got the ball back with 9:31 left in the game. On an incredibly long drive for the Spartans, which took 9:04, the they finally got the ball in the in-zone to take the lead 16-13 with only 27 seconds for the Hawkeyes to do something. On the first play of Iowa's drive, the Michigan State front line stood strong and sacked C.J. Beathard forcing Iowa to have to spike the ball to stop the clock with no timeouts. Iowa was unable to make a miracle happen after Tevaun Smith fumbled the ball back to the Spartans with no time left ending the game in a heartbreaker for the Hawkeyes. This game was Iowa's first loss this season and C.J. Beathard's first loss as a starter. However, while they were defeated, the Hawkeyes proved that they accomplished a great season after staying close to the Spartans until the final minutes after many said that the game would end in a rout for the Spartans. This was a nice end to a great season for both teams.
Before the game, Michigan State won the toss, and deferred the opening kickoff to Iowa in order to receive the ball at the start of the second half. On Iowa's opening drive, Henry Krieger Coble, who has some of the best hands on the Hawkeyes team, fumbled the ball to Michigan State, giving the Spartans excellent field-positioning on Iowa's 27 yard-line. Luckily for Iowa, their defense was able to stand strong, and the Spartans were forced to settle for a field goal. The Spartans then kicked off to the Hawkeyes, who were unable to answer the Spartans score, and were forced to punt the ball back to Michigan State. On the fourth play of the Spartans next drive, quarterback Connor Cook threw the ball off his own player to avoid a sack, and Josey Jewell of the Hawkeyes intercepted the ricochet to give the Hawkeyes good field positioning. In response to Iowa's tough defense, Michigan State was able to stand strong and hold the Hawks to a field goal to tie the game at 3 apiece. After some tough penalties against the Spartans, Iowa was able to get a nice three and out to get the ball back. After getting the ball back, Iowa made some nice plays before something tragic happened. During a Jordan Canzeri run, a Michigan State defender fell on the back of Canzeri's ankle, and he was unable to return for the rest of the game. This was a big blow to the Hawkeyes who had just gotten Canzeri back to 100% after a great game for him against the Cornhuskers last week. Fortunately for the Hawks, they still had three good running backs and were able to get a field goal to take the lead 6-3. The Spartans were unable to answer after they missed a field goal, and Iowa once again had the ball. Iowa took the ball all the way down to the Michigan State 5 yard-line to once again threaten to score. In an incredibly lucky turn of events for the Spartans, C.J. Beathard's pass was not caught by Krieger Coble and landed on a Michigan State defender's back and Demetrious Cox was able to pick it up for an interception in the in-zone. For the remainder of the first half, both teams were unable to score, and Iowa went into the halftime break leading 6-3, despite everyone's doubts.
Michigan State started the second half with the ball, and in a series very similar to the first half, the defense stood tall. Fortunately for the Spartans, Iowa was also unable to score, and Michigan State regained the ball. The Spartans were able to score on their next possession with a field goal to tie the game. After an Iowa Hawkeye punt, Michigan State was once again able to make a field goal to take the lead 9-6. On the second play of Iowa's next drive, C.J. Beathard was able to throw an incredible 85-yard pass to Tevaun Smith for his most explosive play of the season and also score a touchdown for the Hawkeyes to retake the lead 13-9. Both teams then traded punts until MSU got the ball back with 9:31 left in the game. On an incredibly long drive for the Spartans, which took 9:04, the they finally got the ball in the in-zone to take the lead 16-13 with only 27 seconds for the Hawkeyes to do something. On the first play of Iowa's drive, the Michigan State front line stood strong and sacked C.J. Beathard forcing Iowa to have to spike the ball to stop the clock with no timeouts. Iowa was unable to make a miracle happen after Tevaun Smith fumbled the ball back to the Spartans with no time left ending the game in a heartbreaker for the Hawkeyes. This game was Iowa's first loss this season and C.J. Beathard's first loss as a starter. However, while they were defeated, the Hawkeyes proved that they accomplished a great season after staying close to the Spartans until the final minutes after many said that the game would end in a rout for the Spartans. This was a nice end to a great season for both teams.
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