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Black Heart Gold Pants

Swelling with Iowa Hawkeye pride since 2007

Latest Entries

Iowa Hoops: Ole Miss Preview, How to Watch, and Fan Discussion

Here we are. After 5 games against inferior opponents (come on Xavier!), the Ben McCollum proof of concept finally faces its first real test: a neutral site tilt against the Ole Miss Rebels (5-0), led by Chris Beard. Drake’s run through Charleston roughly this time last year was when folks started taking notice of McCollum […]

Iowa Football: Hawkeyes Big Road Favorites at Nebraska

Things were pretty ugly in Iowa City on Saturday. In three quarters, the offense accumulated 118 total yards with zero points on the board and two turnovers. Thankfully, Kaden Wetjen went all Cooper DeJean and put the team on his back to keep things afloat long enough for Mark Gronowski and company to remember what […]

The Morning After: The Iowa City Heist

What a weird football experience. After two gut punch losses, the hardest part of this game was going to be getting up against a 3-7 opponent that looks destined to finish 0-9 in the league, Michigan State’s first winless campaign in Big Ten play since going 0-5-1 in 1958. For 55 minutes Iowa looked like […]

Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan State Spartans Fan Discussion

For the final time this season, it’s game day in Iowa City! The Hawkeyes are poised to take to the Kinnick Stadium turf for the final time in 2025 as they play host to the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans come into the day at 3-7 overall and riding a seven-game losing streak as they’re […]

Iowa Football: How to Watch the Hawkeyes vs MSU

For the final time in 2025, the Iowa Hawkeyes are poised to take to the turf inside Kinnick Stadium. After back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC in heartbreaking fashion, the Hawkeyes look to finish strong with a big home win over the Michigan State Spartans before they hit the road for a Black Friday showdown […]

Iowa vs. MSU Game Preview

For the second week in a row the Hawkeyes face off against a team whose mascot is an ancient Greek warrior, or at least some derivation thereof. Thankfully this version of the Spartans bears strikingly little resemblance to King Leonidas or any of his 299 warriors on their way to Thermopylae. I could probably spend […]

The Pants Predicts: Iowa vs Michigan State

The Hawkeyes fell flat in the second half a week ago to make it back-to-back losses and absolutely rip the hearts out of Iowa fans everywhere. But there’s still more football to be played and this week the Hawks look to get right in their home finale against the Michigan State Spartans. The folks in […]

Iowa Women’s Basketball vs. Baylor Game Thread

It may be early in the NCAA Women’s Basketball season, but things are about to get a lot tougher for Jan Jensen and the Iowa Women’s Basketball team. The No. 19 Hawkeyes are in Orlando, FL for the WBCA Showcase, where they will play two games. The first is tonight against the No. 7 ranked […]

2025 College Football Watch Guide – Week 13

Sorry folks, the intro is closed this week. Between internet outages, sickness running through the family, and hardly any time to think about anything but the games I don’t have any deep musings to kick off the Guide. We’ve got two weeks left of the regular season, let’s enjoy as much of them as we […]

The Butcher’s Word: Michigan State Spartans

After back-to-back losses to former PAC-12 teams, the Hawkeyes return home to take on a familiar Big Ten foe as they play host to the Michigan State Spartans. While Iowa and MSU have squared off each of the last two years, this year’s Spartan bunch is a bit different than the one we saw a […]

By the Numbers: Iowa vs MSU

Historically, the Iowa-Michigan State series sits at 25-23-2, with Iowa holding a narrow edge in one of the more evenly matched conference rivalries. The Spartans snapped a two-game Iowa winning streak last season with a win in East Lansing, but history hasn’t been kind to Michigan State visitors at Kinnick Stadium – they’ve only won […]

From the Cheap Seats: Fin’

I did just about everything I could to delay writing this, I just didn’t have the energy to revisit a second straight loss that could have, likely should have, been a win. It’s just tiring at this point. I was going to write it Sunday evening, but decided that I’d rather spend a few hours […]

Week 13 Big Ten Power Ratings

Welp. I didn’t expect us to be in the same spot we were last week. The Hawks have repeatedly bashed me in my nards with a baseball bat this season. They are too good an Iowa team to be losing games in the fashion they are. The 2025 Hawkeyes are the best all-around team they’ve […]

KIRK SPEAKS: Michigan State

Well folks, the Iowa Football season has, for all intents and purposes, ended. Losing to this Michigan State team would be really embarrassing, an obviously I want to see a win against Nebraska, but even if they win those games, that will just bring another trip to Tampa (yawn) and a bowl loss to a […]

Hawks in the NFL: Week 11

Good news, bad news this week. One tight end joined exclusive company. Another potentially had his season end before a snap in Week 11. Another is…well I don’t know what’s going on in Minneapolis. And then we have to talk about a defensive back here in Denver. Let’s get to it. George Kittle Normally I […]

Iowa Hoops: Hawks look to continue taking care of business

The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) have done what they’ve needed to do in three times out this season. They’ve hosted three inferior* teams so far this season and will face two more before the schedule ramps up against Ole Miss in Palm Springs, CA. It’s largely par for the course as 14 Big Ten teams have […]

Iowa Football: Hawkeyes Big Home Favorites vs Michigan State

Saturday’s loss on the road to USC was yet another massive gut-punch for Hawkeye fans. Iowa looked dominant early and the season looked poised to be salvaged. Then they played the second half and the Hawkeyes looked absolutely lost on both sides of the ball. College Football Playoff ambitions were already gone, but a second […]

Monday Musings: What’s the difference between me and you?

What’s the difference between Kirk Ferentz and Fran McCaffery? That’s the question I was asked this weekend by the former hostest with the mostest at SpoCo Radio, DCIII. A question that really chapped my backside. A question that I’ve been stewing over for the better part of 36 hours after Iowa’s latest disappointment against USC. […]

The Morning After: Not Like This…

Roughly halfway through The Matrix, Morpheus and his group of rebels attempt to leave the Matrix and return to their ship in the real world after a visit to the Oracle. As they attempt to find their exit point, Neo notices a cat on a staircase, then the same cat walks by a second time. […]

Iowa Hawkeyes at USC Trojans: Game Thread

It’s game time in Hollywood! The Hawkeyes are in LA to take on the USC Trojans as they look to pull even against the former PAC-12. While southern California is known for its sunshine, things are much gloomier in glam town today as LA has been drenched over the last 24 hours. That’s nothing new […]

Iowa Football: How to Watch the Hawkeyes at USC

While Iowa’s College Football Playoff dreams were dashed a week ago with their 18-16 loss to the Oregon Ducks, the season is certainly not over and the Hawkeyes will surely be motivated the rest of the way. That rest of season journey begins today on the road in Los Angeles as Iowa travels tot he […]

Hawkeye Football: Updated Game Line, Weather Forecast for USC-Iowa

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more! First, the weather. We dealt with absolutely dreadful conditions last week. Cold, rain…horrendous. So look ahead a week to beautiful, sunny southern California. The weather will be excelle- /record scratch What?? I hope you didn’t pack that rain gear up for the year, because Saturday’s weather […]

The Pants Predicts: Iowa at USC

Iowa came up on the losing end against Oregon a week ago in the rain and watched their College Football Playoff hopes wash away. Now they hit the road to face off with another former PAC-12 member. Much like a week ago, the Hawkeyes are 6.5-point underdogs in this one according to FanDuel Sportsbook. And […]