Tuesdays with Torbee

This is the text I sent our away game football watching group chat as Iowa headed into the locker room, down 7-0 at halftime against Ohio State in Columbus last Saturday:

“Considering they made a couple boneheaded mistakes and terrible coaching decisions, that’s about as good as you can hope. At least they looked like they belonged on the same field as the Buckeyes.”

Oh, you sweet naïve child.

Despite pinning Ohio State back on its own 14-yard line after the second half kickoff, the outmatched Hawkeye gave up an 86-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 56-yard bomb where once again an Iowa safety let someone past him. On the first play after going down 14-0, Cade McNamara gives up a strip sack at his own 19-yard line, three plays later Ohio State punches it in for a 21-0 lead and the rout was on.

The next two Iowa drives also ended in McNamara turnovers – an interception and yet another fumble – also resulting in Buckeye touchdowns. And suddenly Iowa looked like it could never be competitive with a team the caliber of Ohio State.

The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Despite the dispiriting final score, the litany of self-inflicted second half wounds and another abysmal outing from the quarterback the Iowa Swarm paid to come to Iowa City, there were signs that Iowa has closed the gap between it and elite teams, even if much less than we’d hoped.

The defense held its own for much of the first half, generating two turnovers and holding Ohio State to a single scoring drive. Iowa missed a field goal of its own, and in what can only be described as getting in his own team’s way, Kirk Ferentz second-guessed himself on what would have been a successful punt fake, killing a momentum-gaining potential scoring drive, resulting in a shanked punt.

From an “in-the-trenches” perspective, it seemed to me Iowa held its own much better than the 2023 and 2022 teams did against marquee opponents. They battled valiantly until mistakes and misfires doomed the entire enterprise.

Here is where we must address the giant, soul-sucking blind spot that I believe is holding Iowa football back from being as good as it can be right now. Kirk Ferentz’ absolute hatred of a “quarterback controversy” is once again making it harder for his team to win.

It should be obvious to anyone that as of game five of the 2024 season, Cade McNamara is damaged goods and a shell of the player that led Michigan to the 2021 Big 10 championship. This is not his fault and in no way impugns his competitive spirit and evident leadership qualities. He simply isn’t physically able to do the things necessary for Iowa to be a threatening offense and a Top 20 team.

Unfortunately, it is abundantly clear that Ferentz has no intention of turning to the more mobile, at least equally strong-armed and fresher Brendan Sullivan. He quashed any hopes of that in the post-game press conference when, despite all evidence to the contrary, he insisted McNamara is “improving.”

We have observed for more than two decades now that Ferentz’ biggest flaw as a head coach is stubbornness and willful refusal to make changes that are necessary and clear to most others. Especially when it comes to quarterback changes.

Am I saying Iowa would have won the Ohio State game if it had either started Sullivan or put him in after McNamara’s abysmal first half performance? No, but I sincerely believe the game would have been more competitive.

The most vexing thing about the coach’ quarterback change phobia is it undercuts one the most fundamental rules he applies to every other player on the field. That is, if you don’t take care of the ball, you see the bench. Unless, of course, you are the Chosen One under center.

A fumbling running back? Bench. A punt returner who muffs balls? Grab some pine. A starting quarterback that gives the ball directly to the defense three times in a row resulting in a blowout loss?

“He’s improving.”

To quote my favorite childhood television program “one of these things is not like the others.”

This is the same show we saw last year when Deacon Hill fumbled and bumbled his way to one of the worst quarterbacking seasons in Iowa – if not Big 10 – football history. It defies belief that the guy consistently giving the ball away and failing to reach 100 yards passing in a game gives the team “the best chance to win.”

I may not be a football genius, but I’m not a football idiot, either.

Nor is Ferentz, obviously. But this blind spot is becoming increasingly difficult to defend. The quarterback position is the most critical component of a functioning offense and Iowa’s insistence at going into battle with it as its most vulnerable weakness is borderline malpractice.

When the 2024 season began, the road trip to Columbus always loomed a likely loss. So Iowa’s season is not ruined, despite the frustrations of last weekend. There is a good chance Iowa will be favored or at most a slight underdog in its remaining games and there is no reason it can’t go on a season-defining run.

Once again, Iowa has a defense capable of shutting down opponents if the Iowa offense can merely hang onto the ball. The Hawkeyes have a more functional offensive line and a more dynamic run game than it has in years. Kaleb Johnson remains a legitimate Doak Walker award candidate. Drew Stevens is among the best kickers in the conference.

But the quarterback position threatens to derail and obscure the very real progress the program has made on offense since sinking to worst-in-the-nation last season.

It’s time for a change and it’s time for Ferentz to embrace it.

Follow me on X @torybrecht and the 12 Saturdays podcasts @12Saturdays.