USA TODAY Sports’ Scooby Axson hammers Iowa, Kirk Ferentz for offensive nepotism
The national chorus is getting louder. Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com didn’t hold back in his evaluation of No. 2 Ohio State‘s soul-crushing, 54-10 beatdown of Iowa.
Lesmerises wrote that Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is failing Iowa fans and that offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Ferentz should be fired.
He pressed Kirk Ferentz on why Iowa would be willing to make an in-season quarterback change, but wouldn’t consider replacing his son as the offensive coordinator. Lesmerises also asked if the evaluation of Brian Ferentz would be the same as any other assistant when that time comes following the season.
“We’ve, I’ve tried to treat everybody with consistency on our staff past and present. Same thing with players. I’ve had three family members play as well in our program, and, you know, they’ve got to earn everything they get. Just like coaches do,” Kirk Ferentz said in response.
The first passage of Lesmerises’ postgame writeup wasn’t playing around.
Iowa changed quarterbacks Saturday, maybe because the starter is named Spencer Petras and not Spencer Ferentz. Unfortunately for Iowa fans and every player on the Iowa football team working hard in practice, the change that needs to be made at offensive coordinator won’t even be considered until this dismal Iowa football season is done. – Lesmerises, Cleveland.com.
There’s plenty of Iowa fans that feel like those words and Lesmerises’ column bear plenty of meaning. Right here at Hawkeyes Wire, there’s concern about what all of this offensive futility and inability to show any signs of improvement says about Iowa’s future.
USA TODAY Sports’ Scooby Axson shared similar sentiments in his Week 8 college football report card. Naturally, Iowa got a “Barta system” grade of “F, should be relegated to a lower division.”
Axson started by referencing his most overpaid coaches list, and wrote that Kirk Ferentz was a glaring omission because his list stopped at five.
But there is no doubt Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz would have been on an extended list for the nepotism that’s going on in Iowa City.
There are many people to blame here, including athletic director Gary Barta and anyone else, fans included, who supports what’s going on.
It came full circle on Saturday. The Hawkeyes once again wasted a defense that played its tail off for the most part against Ohio State, getting no help from the offensive coordinator (that would be Ferentz’s son, Brian), who is robbing Iowa with his $900,000 a year salary. Iowa had six turnovers, gained a grand total of 158 yards and went 1-for-13 on third down in a 54-10 blowout. The Buckeyes only had 360 yards themselves, nearly 200 yards below their season average.
Offensive, indeed.
The fact is, Iowa should be peppered with questions every week and shamed into changing not only the offense, but the entire culture there. If this was anywhere else in America, this performance alone would be a fireable offense. Again, if the fans are content with mediocrity, just admit it; The rest of the country will gladly say good riddance. Have fun until 2029, when Kirk Ferentz’s contract runs out. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
With each passing defeat, the heat in the media sessions are ramping up and takes like Axson’s seem to be more and more the norm. Iowa (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) welcomes in Northwestern (1-6, 1-3 Big Ten) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. to Kinnick Stadium. Between the two teams, they have lost a combined nine straight.
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