Hawks seek to mend bruised pride
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Perhaps the two biggest exams the Iowa football team will take this season are sitting in front of the Hawkeyes this afternoon.
The tests are both physical and psychological for Iowa today. There's the big, blue bundle of talent known as second-ranked Michigan, and there's the Hawkeyes' personal battle to repair their bruised pride.
"This is truly going to tell us a lot about our team," said Iowa running back Albert Young, who is expected to make his return to the lineup after missing the past two games with a sprained knee. "We've got to get back on our job and focus on Michigan because if we're worrying about getting emotionally back and things of that nature, we'll get embarrassed."
Some might argue that what happened last week at Indiana when the Hawkeyes suffered a stunning 31-28 defeat that left Iowa with a long list of questions, including inquiries about how they would bounce back. Those answers won't be revealed until 2:35 today on ABC.
Michigan (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) is a 13-point favorite. A crowd in excess of 111,000 -- or roughly the amount of fans that have come through the gates for Iowa's previous road trips at Syracuse, Illinois and Indiana combined -- is expected at Michigan Stadium.
"There's definitely an anxious feeling to get (last week's performance) off our stomach," Iowa cornerback Adam Shada said Tuesday. "That's not sitting well with me. I know 24 hours have passed, but it's hard to completely look past it. I'm looking forward to going out, having a good week of practice, getting ready to play, and hopefully, it'll be a different story."
Actually, the Hawkeyes (5-2, 2-2) would like today to follow a similar storyline. The No. 2 ranking has been more curse than blessing this season. In the first seven weeks of the season, the second-ranked team has gone down four times, including Auburn and Florida on the past two Saturdays. No. 1 Ohio State also beat No. 2 Texas and Michigan thumped No. 2 Notre Dame in September.
"It's definitely an experience but it's also something that makes you afraid at the same time," Michigan receiver Carl Tabb said. "I say that because there is a lot riding on our current position."
There's the potential for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 meeting between the Buckeyes and Wolverines on Nov. 18. There's an opportunity for Michigan to win its first national title since 1997.
"As a football team we're happy, obviously, with the fact that we are where we are, as far as a record," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "But (the No. 2 ranking) really does not have any significance now. There should be something in there that's a motivating factor, because we don't live in a vacuum. We know where we are.
"If we're a smart football team, which we have been this year, then we understand that you better be focused on who's coming to town this week and what we need to do to get better. I think that's clear for all of us."
Iowa faces its own set of challenges. The Hawkeyes have been an inconsistent bunch throughout the first seven weeks, and coach Kirk Ferentz found problems in every segment last week. Michigan could magnify those issues.
"It's a little bit like looking at Ohio State on tape a couple weeks ago," Ferentz said. "Hard to find anything that isn't impressive with the football team."
The Wolverines have a star-studded offense led by strong-armed quarterback Chad Henne and running back Mike Hart, who's ranked seventh in the country in rushing. But perhaps the most impressive thing about Michigan's sparkling start is the play of its defense.
The Wolverines allow 13.6 points per game, rank seventh in the country in total defense (241.3 yards per game) and their rushing defense is far and away the nation's best.
"There's not many places where they're lacking experience or not very good here or there," Iowa quarterback Drew Tate said. "They're pretty good all around."
Michigan has allowed just 32.6 yards per game on the ground and a paltry 1.4 yards per carry. The Wolverines have given up 100 yards rushing just once -- Minnesota rushed for 108 -- and have held four opponents to fewer than 20 yards.
"That's a stingy D right there," Young said. "But you've got to have a run game, regardless of what a team's reputation is."
Michigan's run defense numbers have been boosted by a Big Ten-best 25 sacks, which have erased 209 yards. The Wolverines added seven more sacks to their collection last week against Penn State and knocked out two Nittany Lion quarterbacks.
"It looked like they just manhandled Penn State up front," Tate said.
"They're doing a great job getting pressure on the quarterback," Ferentz said. "They're just playing so well right now that they're playing a lot of situations where the defensive coordinator has the upper-hand -- the second-and-long, third-and-long. It's fun to play that way, and they're getting a high percentage of those."
