Wine: Get Used To It!

January 21, 2005

Football question: What does Iowa have in common with Southern California, Oklahoma and Georgia?

Answer: They are the only four schools that have finished in the Top Ten in each of the last three seasons.

But you knew that, didn’t you? Yeah, sure. USC, Oklahoma, Georgia and Iowa — the cream of college football.

Might seem a little strange to see the Hawkeyes included with Southern Cal and Oklahoma, who played for the national title this season, plus Georgia, a power from the Southeastern Conference. But that’s the way it is.

As the saying goes, get used to it.

Iowa fans should be getting accustomed to success after seeing their favorite team post its third straight No. 8 national finish and win its second consecutive January bowl game.

Coach Kirk Ferentz has now surpassed his predecessor, Hayden Fry, in Top Ten finishes in Associated Press polls. Fry’s teams were ranked No. 10 in 1985 and again in 1991. Ferentz just completed his sixth season. Fry was Iowa’s coach for 20 years.

Forest Evashevski, with five, has more Top Ten finishes than any Iowa coach. The AP polls had his teams No. 9 in 1953, No. 3 in 1956 and 1960, No. 6 in 1957, and No. 2 in 1958. The Football Writers of America awarded Iowa the 1958 national championship; the AP gave it to LSU.

The first and only other Iowa team to be ranked in the Top Ten were the legendary 1939 Ironmen, who finished No. 9. Eddie Anderson was the coach. Nile Kinnick, who won the Heisman Trophy that season, was the star.

The Associated Press began to rank college football teams in1936. Had there been polls in 1921 and 1922 when Howard Jones coached Iowa to consecutive undefeated seasons, the Hawkeyes might have been crowned national champions.

In the nearly 70 years the AP has been conducting polls, the Hawkeyes have been among the Top Ten 12 times. In getting them there in each of the last three seasons, Ferentz has put himself alongside the best coaches in school history.

Kirk’s last three teams have a combined record of 31-7. That’s the most victories over a three-year period in Iowa football. The 81.6 winning percentage is spectacular, but not the best-ever at Iowa.

In the final three years under Jones (1920-21-22) the Hawkeyes were 19- 2, winning 90.5 percent of their games.

Evashevski’s 1956-57-58 teams finished a combined 24-3-2, winning 86.2 percent of their games.

Fry’s best three consecutive years were 1985-86-87. The record was 29- 8 for a 78.3 winning percentage.

Kirk Ferentz deservedly draws comparisons to the three greatest Iowa coaches of all time — Howard Jones, Forest Evashevski and Hayden Fry. He has built a solid program with a dedicated staff and disciplined players. His most recent team rose to the top despite crippling adversity. With a strong nucleus of talent returning, the future looks bright.

The Hawkeyes will begin next season with an eight-game winning streak. They have 18 straight victories at Kinnick Stadium. They have won two Big Ten co-championships in the last three years, three bowl games in the last four seasons.

Kirk Ferentz has the Hawkeyes winning. Get used to it.

Editor’s Note: George Wine, the University of Iowa’s long-time sports information director who is now retired and living in Coralville, Iowa, is the author of George Wine Online. George has remained very close to the intercollegiate athletics program at the UI since his retirement and, in fact, has authored two books during that time. The first was a collaboration with the subject of today’s editorial, Hayden Fry, and named “A High Porch Picnic.” The second, “Black & Gold Memories, The Hawkeyes of the 20th Century,” included many of the essays George originally wrote for “The Voice of the Hawkeyes.” As he wrote in the book, “Collectively, they serve as a historical reference, and hopefully provide entertaining reading.” “Black & Gold Memories” is currently available at Barnes & Noble book stores across Iowa and on the world wide web.