PENN STATE Red-hot Hawkeyes trying to keep focus
Iowa has routed Michigan State and Ohio State in recent weeks.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Iowa has climbed back up to No. 25 after administering a drubbing to Ohio State. But coach Kirk Ferentz says don't let the rankings fool you -- the Hawkeyes' (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) season could be at stake when they visit Penn State (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday.
"Our margin for error is really thin right now, and we've hardly established ourselves," Ferentz said. "We're one game from being 4-3 right now, which is almost .500. I think what we need to do is focus on each step in front of us. If we do a good enough job of that then maybe we'll be included in the party in November."
Ferentz can say what he wants, Iowa is on a roll. After back-to-back losses to Arizona State and Michigan in late September -- and the loss of the team's top three tailbacks to knee injuries -- the Hawkeyes have won their last two convincingly, giving Michigan State its only Big Ten loss, 38-16, and routing Ohio State 33-7.
But things won't get any easier for the Hawkeyes, who close the season at home against No. 12 Purdue, then at Minnesota, then at home against No. 6 Wisconsin.
"We have five more games," offensive guard Brian Ferentz, the coach's son, said. "If we're not ready to go, we won't be patting each other on the back."
Good challenge
Penn State is a team that can challenge the Hawkeyes. Despite their 0-3 start in Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions are allowing just over 17 points per game with one of the stingiest defenses in the league.
"They have what you need," Kirk Ferentz said. "They have a very good front, very experienced and very talented. And they have talent and experience in the back end.
"Probably the only weakness, if you want to call it a weakness, is they're playing a couple of linebackers, but those are guys we would love to have on our team. What they lack in experience they make up for with attitude and aggressiveness."
Those linebackers have struggled with injuries. Tim Shaw, Penn State's fourth-leading tackler, didn't start against Purdue, and top tackler Paul Posluszny had to leave that game with a shoulder injury. But both were expected to return for the Iowa game.
"We had that week to recover. A lot of our guys who weren't healthy now are going to be able to play," Posluszny said. "It just gave us some time to regroup, to get into this next stretch of our season and really look forward to these next couple games, knowing that we have to win these games to start looking toward a bowl."
Looking to a bowl game isn't as unreasonable as it sounds. With a victory over Iowa, the Nittany Lions would still be below .500, but with the worst of their schedule behind them. Each of their first four Big Ten opponents (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue and Iowa) was ranked in the Top 25; the remaining four are a combined 5-8 in league play.