So, Matt at Crimson and Cream Machine decided one roundtable wasn't enough. Apparently, he wants us to think about football every single day. So, as a matter of being a compliant Big 12 cohort, here's his questions and my answers...
Big 12 Roundtable – The Face of the Team
Pick one current player to be the "Face of the Franchise" for your team. You can only select one player so tell us why you selected the person that you did.
For right now, I'm going to go with Alvin "Ace" Bowen. He displays the tenacity on the football field that the new Chizik regime is supposed to represent. Get to the ball quick and then hit someone. That's Bowen. The nation's leader in tackles per game got to the ball a lot last year. And, for all that he did well last year, anyone who watched saw that Ace can still get better. He got juked out of his cleats on occasion last year, as did our football team, so I guess he represents some sort of growth potential, as well.
He also represents the class that we want The Iowa State University to be seen with. He brought his brother Jamar into his home and is trying to act as a strong father figure. So, while Ace might just want to knock someone's helmet off on the field, off of the field he stands for anything and everything we'd like to see.
Tell us what makes your team’s stadium great, traditions, facilities, etc…
Um, good sight lines? Jack Trice is about as cookie-cutter as stadiums come - so much so that West Virginia copied it. I suppose that we can look at the history of Jack Trice, first athlete to die for Iowa State, or we can look to the future with the possiblity of the bowling in of the end zone. Sure, the Jack has good memories, including wins over Iowa and Nebraska, but it's still a place where a history needs to be built.
To that end though, two things stick out to me. First is the brick pillar on the NE part of the field that reads "Honor Before Victory". The pillar comes over from old Clyde Williams, and it's a motto that runs true through our team. Be proud to be a Cyclone.
The other thing is not part of the stadium, but the Bergstrom Indoor Practice Facility is one of the nicer in the Big 12 (as anyone who goes inside could easily imagine). It's not always the best conditions for football in Iowa, so having an option such as the IPF is really big.
Hypothetical – Your team has to vacate their current stadium and play a game in another Big 12 stadium which one would you pick for them to play in and why?
DKR in Austin, Texas. Rode by it once at night. Looked like a palace. Felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
Unthinkable – Take your team’s biggest rival’s head coach and make a case as to why he would be a good fit on your sideline.
Kirk Ferentz, eh? Well, I'll totally ignore his troubles (such as his son living in housing intended for low-income students, or Dominique Douglas "makin it rain") and focus on one thing he's done fairly well at Iowa - building solid offensive and defensive lines. The Hawks have always had dependable lines - something we saw the value in (not having) last year.
If Matt meant the Big 12, I suppose that'd mean Mizzou or Nebraska. I say no to Gary PInkel. As far as Callahan, his offense is pretty when it works, I suppose.
Prediction Time
Tell us who is going to win:
Baylor @ TCU
Colorado State @ Colorado
Kent State @ Iowa State
Central Michigan @ Kansas
Kansas State @ Auburn
Missouri/Illinois
Nevada @ Nebraska
North Texas @ Oklahoma
Oklahoma State @ Georgia
Arkansas State @ Texas
Montana State @ Texas A&M
Texas Tech @ SMU