I dffik - mm 0 C 6 - The Michigan Daily - Football Saturday - September 25, 2004 The Michigan Daily - Foot ba MEET THE FEREN7Z Now in his sixth season, Kirk Ferentz has resuri By Gennaro Filice . Daily Sports Editor STAFF PICKS Predictions against the spread for 9/25/04 Iowa (+13.5) at No. 18 Michigan No. 15 Purdue (-20.5) at Illinois Penn State (+3) at No.20 Wisconsin Michigan State (-3) at Indiana Northwestern (+15) at No. 19 Minnesota Washington (+10.5) at Notre Dame No. 1 Southern Cal. (-21.5) at Stanford N.C. State (+9.5) at Virginia Tech Clemson (+17) at No. 8 Florida State Boston College (+1.5) at Wake Forest Oregon State (+7.5) at No. 22 Arizona State Kentucky (+19) at No. 16 Florida No. 24 Louisville (-7) at North Carolina Texas Tech (-6) at Kansas Alabama (+5.5) at Arkansas Best Bet Season record (Best bet) Chris Burke Gennaro Filice Bob Hunt Sharad Mattu Iowa Illinois Wisconsin Michigan State Minnesota Washington Southern Cal. N.C. State Florida State Boston College Oregon State Florida Louisville Kansas Arkansas Wisconsin 14-14-2(1-1) Iowa Purdue Penn State Indiana Minnesota Notre Dame Southern Cal. N.C. State Clemson Wake Forest Arizona State Florida Louisville Texas Tech Alabama Louisville 15-13-2(1-1) Iowa Purdue Wisconsin Indiana Minnesota Notre Dame Southern Cal, Virginia Tech Florida State Wake Forest Oregon State Florida Louisville Kansas Alabama Southern Cal.. 15-13-2(2-0) Michigan Purdue Wisconsin' Indiana Minnesota Notre Dame Stanford Virginia Tech Florida State Boston College Arizona State Florida Louisville Kansas Arkansas Minnesota 15-13-2(1-1) ESPN the Magazine's Eric Adelson Iowa Illinois Penn State Michigan State Minnesota Washington Southern Cal. N.C. State Clemson Boston College Arizona State Florida Louisville Kansas Arkansas Kansas 18,10-2 (141) Replacing a legend is never easy. On December 2, 1998, Kirk Ferentz was presented with that challenge. With Hayden Fry's retirement after 20 years as Hawkeye's head man, Iowa hired Ferentz, who had coached offensive line for nine years under Fry from 1981 to '89. He had three years of head coaching under his belt - Maine from 1990 to '92 - and was fresh off six years coaching offensive line for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. The challenge proved daunting in Ferentz's first year, as the Hawkeyes suffered their worst football season in 26 years. Iowa went 1-10 (0-8 in the Big Ten) with a win over Northern Illinois. Ferentz made slight improvements in year two - the Hawkeyes won three Big Ten games - but still finished 3-9. Iowa senior running back Jermelle Lewis - who redshirt- ed during the 2000 season - recalled how Ferentz dealt with the pressure of replacing Fry. "It may have been tough on him, but he never showed it because from the first time I got here, he's always had the same attitude and the same mentality - he's always positive," Lewis said. "I remember, I think we were playing Ohio State at home (the Hawkeyes lost 38-10). We were really getting beat up on pretty bad. And he was saying the same things on thesideline - trying to pick guys up - as he says today and this year." Possessing a two-year record of 4-19, Ferentz faced some grumblings around Iowa City. But he had at least one strong believer: Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. Carr, who says he had some friends on the Iowa staff, told people to give Ferentz a chance: "You could see at some point there, they were in every ballgame. Any time you're in every ballgame and you have a chance to win it before the fourth quarter and you've just taken over a program the previous year or two ... you can just feel they are starting to turn the corner." In 2001, Ferentz began to fulfill Carr's prophecy, as the Hawkeyes finished 7-5, including a 19-16 win in the Alamo Bowl over Texas Tech. But 2002 was the year that brought Ferentz and Iowa national acclaim. a share of the Big T ing dead last) for the named Associated Pr Ten Coach of the Year Ferentz enjoyed an a 10-3 record that inc the Outback Bowl. Finishing eighth in Ferentz has compiled history. And in doing on each of his players. "I really love Coach good coach and he ma in line, but he's also a many coaches can do "He's helping me b being on the field. He the-field things taken It's evident that Fer his ability to form clo "He's very footballs Iowa senior defensive of humor. He's that k and down on the prac he's a hands-on coach Although he's tight problem cracking the "I'd say he's a playe on somebody if they'r Lewis agrees: "Whi presence is felt. It's ar Ferentz also boasts his players. Although ing classes that have Michigan, Ferentz dev America. Ann Arbor native puts celebrity lead on line Born at University Hospital and a native of Ann Arbor, ESPN the Magazine senior writer Eric Adelson has always been a big follower of the Maize and Blue. Although he didn't attend Michi- gan (he went to Harvard), he's written numerous storiesnon the Wolverines. Now Adelson faces his biggest challenge, try- ing to follow in the footsteps of Keith Hafner's 10-3-2 run last week and extend the celebrities' three-game lead. He starts out 0-1 for that picture. Nice shirt. "We had an excellent football team (in 2002)," Ferentz said. "We had a very large and very strong senior class. In my time here, that was by far the most talented group of guys that we've put together." Led by quarterback Brad Banks - a Heisman Trophy finalist - the Hawkeyes won the most games in school his- tory, going 11-2 and earning an Orange Bowl bid. Iowa took WANNA MEET THE FERENTZ? JoiN DAILY SPORTS. MEETING EVERY SUNDAY AT NOON. 420 MAYNARDS T. m - i /t s s Michigan Union Bookstore Student Union- " Lower Level t (734)995-8877 Ap Gif Nike Over 10% of Union & Pieri go back to su services. The Michigan Commons Book stores contracts Michigan. A wide variety like gifts and al alumni, family, for purchase or Pierpont Commons Bookstore Pierpont Commons (North Campus) (734)668-6022 N . lil a' fc Michigan Union Bo www.umichigan.bksto