Now It Begins: Big Ten Blogger Roundtable #2

This week's Big Ten Blogger roundtable is brought to you by Around the Oval. Without further ado:

1. Which player from your own team are you most looking forward to watching?

I think I speak for all of us at THC when I say, unequivocally, it's Cedric Everson. A quick recap of The Entertainer's first month on campus:

• Told us all about humility
  
• Declined a redshirt and named himself a possible starter and kick/punt returner
  
• Did some breakdancing (OK, that happened before he arrived in Iowa City)
• Put on a show at Kid's Day, intercepting three (THREE!) passes and getting burned for a 60-yard touchdown on a short pass

We already have two corners who can get burned for 60 on a short pass (go back and watch Iowa-Indiana 2006 if you don't believe it). What we don't have - and what we haven't had since Tom Knight - is a corner capable of intercepting everything within a 15-foot parameter. Get the man an entourage, and we may get brilliance like this:



2. Which player from another Big Ten team are you most looking forward to watching?

Again, I think it's unanimous: J Leman, Champaign's resident stud linebacker and mullet-sporting patriot. Sumbitch had 152 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 14 Billy Ray Cyrus comparisons, and zero haircuts.

Leman might not be the best linebacker in the conference (I'm genuinely scared of James Laurinaitis, and not only for his dad's role in the WWF's Legion of Doom), but he's certainly the most photogenic.

3. If your team was an action movie star, who would it be?

Harrison Ford. No matter what role you give us, or who you put in the cast, you know what you're getting. Regardless of whether the script calls for it, Harrison Ford will get himself into a situation which will put his family in danger. He inevitably snaps and kicks someone's ass and punches/headbutts a couple of bigger guys in the teeth, all in his ongoing quest to find his wife/son/freedom. It always ends up looking a little like this:



Like Ford, Iowa will inevitably run a never-ending string of draw plays, off-tackles, and wide receiver screens on offense and a base 4-3 cover 2, regardless of whether the game plan calls for it. And, inevitably, it works well enough to knock out a couple of teams they shouldn't beat. If you like it, great. If not, we don't give a damn, just as long as you GIVE ME BACK MY SON!

Summary Depth Chart Changes, Version 2.0.1

In light of Captain Kirk's comments from the "Citi Boyz, Inc." press conference, I give you the new two-deeps. Big changes in the offensive line (again), and an exciting new appearance at right corner:

SE 80 ** Andy Brodell 6-3 200 Jr
89 James Cleveland 6-1 195 #Fr.

LT 78 ** Dace Richardson 6-6 305 Jr. (injured, will not play against NIU)
60 Kyle Calloway 6-7 305 So. (will move back to RT as soon as Dace returns)
79 Bryan Bulaga 6-6 290 Fr.

LG 68 Andy Kuempel 6-7 295 So.
74 Dan Doering 6-7 300 So.

C 52 * Rafael Eubanks 6-3 285 So.
61 Travis Meade 6-2 285 So.

RG 63 Julian Vandervelde 6-3 295 #Fr.
72 * Tyler Blum 6-6 285 So.

RT 71 * Seth Olsen 6-5 305 Jr.
75 * Wes Aeschliman 6-8 318 Jr.

TE 81 * Tony Moeaki 6-4 255 Jr.
83 ** Brandon Myers 6-4 250 Jr.

QB 6 * Jake Christensen 6-1 215 So.
8 Arvell Nelson 6-4 210 #Fr.
or 12 Ricky Stanzi 6-4 215 #Fr.

WR 86 * Trey Stross 6-3 195 So.
15 Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 6-1 205 #Fr.
or 22 Colin Sandeman 6-1 195 Fr.

RB 21 ** Albert Young 5-10 209 Sr.
or 28 *** Damian Sims 5-9 197 Sr.

FB 35 *** Tom Busch 5-11 235 Sr.
38 Jordan McLaughlin 6-0 230 Jr.

PK 39 * Austin Signor 6-4 230 So.
1 Daniel Murray 5-10 175 #Fr.

DEFENSE

DE 92 *** Kenny Iwebema 6-4 267 Sr.
94 Adrian Clayborn 6-3 275 #Fr.

DT 53 ** Matt Kroul 6-3 277 Jr.
95 Karl Klug 6-4 235 #Fr.

DT 47 ** Mitch King 6-3 264 Jr.
59 Anton Narinskiy 6-4 265 Jr.

DE 99 *** Bryan Mattison 6-3 272 Sr.
98 * Chad Geary 6-3 261 So.

OLB 49 * A.J. Edds 6-4 244 So.
42 Jeremiha Hunter 6-2 222 #Fr.

MLB 40 *** Mike Klinkenborg 6-2 240 Sr.
41 * Bryan Gattas 6-1 233 Sr.

WLB 44 ** Mike Humpal 6-3 242 Sr.
43 * Pat Angerer 6-1 230 So.

LC 19 *** Adam Shada 6-1 195 Sr.
16 * Drew Gardner 5-10 178 Sr.
or Jordan Bernstine 5-11 200 Fr.

SS 2 Harold Dalton 6-1 201 Jr.
18 Lance Tillson 6-2 205 #Fr.
or 3 Diauntae Morrow 6-0 190 Fr.

FS 14 *** Devan Moylan 5-10 201 Sr.
or 30 Brett Greenwood 6-0 200 #Fr.

RC 13 *** Charles Godfrey 6-1 200 Jr.
20 The Entertainer 6-1 175 Fr. (It just might happen...)
or 29 ** Bradley Fletcher 6-2 200 Jr.

PT 5 Ryan Donahue 6-3 175 #Fr.
2 Eric Guthrie 6-6 205 Fr.

KR Damian Sims and Paul Chaney, Jr.
PR Andy Brodell

Around the League

Chad Henne carries a purse. I wasn't surprised either. We all know where he got it.

Cedric "The Entertainer" Everson intercepted 3 passes on Saturday at Kid's Day at Kinnick. He was also burned for a 60 yard TD. This is why we refer to him only as "The Entertainer" at THC headquarters.

Bad things happen to Buckeyes. Chin up, boys, at least they didn't steal your sweater vests!

And finally, I think as a League, we can all unite on one issue - we fucking hate Notre Dame. Well, good news! Wunderkind QB Jimmy Clausen has been cited for transporting booze. Sounds like someone's desperately trying to live up to the Joe Namath comparisons. Drink up, Jimmy! When reached for comment, portly progesterate Charlie Weis said, "I need more butter for my ham".

High School Highlights: Cedric The Entertainer is fresh to death

Let there be no mistake about it: Cedric Everson runs the show. He hustled the recruiting sites to get his name out, he stone cold tells the coaching staff what will be up with this "redshirt" bullshit, and now, ladies and gentlemen, he makes Usher look like a stiff bitch.

Honestly, Cedric might be my favorite Hawkeye right now. He's a perfect blend of athleticism and audacity, the likes of which we haven't seen since Kahlil "The Thrill" Hill drove both Iowa and their opponents crazy (think Bracey Wright in cleats) from '98-'01. It doesn't matter if he ever plays a single down; Cedric, you are The Entertainer.

Cedric motherfucking Everson, folks. Have a good weekend.

Cedric Everson should play right away, according to Cedric Everson

Here's where Media Day gets fun. The first day's articles are always chock full of blindingly obvious shit like, "the offense will depend on its quarterback and running back!" Really? We're not even going to try the 11-lineman formation? Bullshit!

The real fun happens on Wednesdays and Thursdays. That's when we hear from nutballs like Jon Misch and incoming cornerback Cedric Everson.

"I do want to play this year," Everson said Monday during Iowa's annual football media day. "I don't want to redshirt. Why? Because I think that's just wasting time. You're not going to learn anything redshirting.

[snip]

Everson was recruited to play cornerback, but he also wants the football in his hands. He amassed more than 4,900 all-purpose yards during high school.

"I enjoy playing cornerback, but I really enjoy kick returning and punt returning," he said.

Oh, to be a kid again. While Kirk Ferentz would probably strenuously disagree with the notion that there's no learning to be done during the redshirt year, there may be some measure of truth to Everson's statement. He may very well not learn anything.

Those of you who follow this stuff way too closely (cough) may remember Everson's odd recruitment. He originally committed to Georgia Tech, then didn't, then committed to Michigan State, then didn't, then signed with Iowa on February 2. Bellwether Dog, your thoughts?
We're with you, pal. Confusion reigns today.

But, whatever, right? A 4-star cornerback is a 4-fucking-star cornerback, right? Well, not quite.

At signing day, Brian from the iconic mgoblog let on that Everson may be more trouble than he's worth:

Cedric Everson. Circus freak who claimed offers from every program in the country, then committed to Georgia Tech. GT later pulled his offer. He committed to State, then decommitted on Signing Day to Iowa. Michigan never pursued him, and even though he may be able to run fast Michigan doesn't have to put up with radioactive nuts like him.

Radioactive nuts? I wish I had radioactive nuts. Who doesn't want babymakers that glow in the dark? I digress. Whether the Jackets pulled the offer or he just decommitted or what exactly happened seems unclear at this point; there was a staff shakeup and it looks as if both parties went their separate ways.

Brian later had this to say about Everson:

he may or may not be a talented kid. I do know that his rumored offer list was almost totally fictional and that the stats he offered up to recruiting sites (10 pr touchdowns as a junior) were ludicrous. Michigan never even looked at him. We may regret that down the line, but he's given a lot of indications that he may be more trouble than he's worth, no offense to the Hawks.

So uh... so that's nice.

Now, of course I'm not going to insinuate that Ferentz and company recruited The Entertainer just on his word; that'd be insane and wildly illogical and, well, that clearly didn't happen. It does seem like he misused the recruiting sites to increase his own notoriety, and that while he could still very well be a great cornerback, we can't know that based on what scout.com tells us.

Any lessons you've learned from screwing with everybody, Cedric?

"My dad taught me to always be humble. I wasn't really into the media. I don't mind being in the limelight but not like that."

Cedric then dunked on Shaq, created a perpetual motion machine, and ascended into heaven. Reportedly.