Football Fantasy

Maybe it's the Iowa Hawkeye in me, but I am totally in love with football right now. Of course it might also be that I am poised to take over first place in my Fantasy League tonight. (Actually, if tonight's game wasn't even played, I still would move into first, as I have enough points banked this week that there is no virtual way I could lose... Nor escape the residual slide from second place to first in my league.) Being a 14 team league, this is no small accomplishment. But anyway... The Hawkeyes are the only team in the nation with a 9-0 mark... Bet you didn't know that. Despite that, and the fact that they have what is power-ranked as the 7th toughest schedule in the nation, they are getting almost no love from the national media. No team in Big Ten history has won at Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State in the same year as Iowa has this year, except Michigan who did it in 1997. That same year Michigan went on to become the AP National Champion (Nebraska won the coaches poll, a year before the BCS went into effect.). If Iowa knocks off Ohio State in Columbus in a couple of weeks, that mark will be unprecedented and put Iowa in a class all their own. Ironically, the two Big Ten teams that Iowa does not play this year are the two worst teams, Purdue who is 3-6, and Illinois who is 2-6. So, to eliminate Iowa from the National Championship conversation seems a little premature at this point, especially based off of their supposed weak schedule. The national media loves TCU, Boise State, Oregon and Cincinnati. The same media shuns Iowa despite this little discussed factoid: No team on that list has beaten more teams with a winning record than Iowa. Take a look: Number of opponents defeated that currently have winning records Iowa 6 Cincinnati 4 Texas Christian 4 Oregon 3 Boise State 2 Let it be known that TCU has not beaten a single team slotted in today's Top 25. On the other hand, no team on this list except for one has beaten more teams in the top 25 than Iowa, who has beaten three, two of which were on the road. (Penn State, Wisconsin, Arizona) The exception is Oregon, but all three times the deed was done within the comforts of the Ducks' home stadium. (Utah, California, and USC). Cincinnati and Boise State have each beaten one current team ranked in the top 25. So... National media... Where's the love? Ok, on the lighter side of life, back to baseball... I laughed at this article and immediately thought of Len, the only person who leaves comments on this blog, and the resident Cardinals fan: Mark McGwire To Teach Cardinal Hitters At What Point In Swing To Evade Congressional Questioning. Gotta love the Onion. Ok, that's all for now. Essie just made some hot chocolate, and I have a game to watch.