If You Build It, They Will Come

   Full disclosure, I am a Minnesota Vikings fan.  Yes, a year of rooting for them and the Iowa Hawkeye football team has made my heart unable to be donated because of too much stress.  However, I will maintain some integrity with the blog and continue to show who Iowan's should root for in the playoffs, I just might give T.J. Hockenson double points :) Here are the Iowa Connections of the 14 remaining teams.  Three teams tied for the top this year with six connections (Baltimore, Miami, Buffalo).  Cincinnati is threatening to ruin their offseason by only having one connection.  6 - Baltimore :  Mike Devlin  /  Tyler Linderbaum  / Geno Stone / Kristian Welch (Iowa) , Charlie Kolar (ISU), John Harbaugh (Iowa City) 6 - Miami: Steve Ferentz (Iowa),  Darrell Bevell / Tyron McKenzie (ISU),  Elijah Campbell (UNI), Andrew Van Ginkel /  ZaQuandrew White  (Iowa Western) 6 - Buffalo : Ike Boettger /  AJ Epenesa ...

Here's the initial list of players with Iowa Connections in the NFL in 2022. Only one team is starting the year at zero, which I assume they are having discussions about in the background.   UPDATE #1: Shaun Huls is the Director of Performance with the Cleveland Browns and is from LeMars This blog is official rooting for a Green Bay / Baltimore Super Bowl.  At the other end of the spectrum, we do not root for bad things to happen to teams, but we do implore the Washington Commanders to consider resigning Ross Piersbacher to address their lack of Iowa Connections. Overall, 101 connections this year (105 last year).  We will add a few as the season progresses.  Kelechi Osemele is meeting with the Bears, Amara Darboh often becomes a filler WR as the injuries pile up, etc.   Of course, blog favorite David Johnson is out there as well.  We'll assuming waiting for the right opportunity.  Note: Coaches in  italics, New in bold Iowa Hawkeyes : 5...

 In one of the biggest games in the Iowa / Iowa State rivalry over the weekend, the Hawkeyes beat the Cyclones on Saturday to take the unofficial crown of Best in Iowa.  The game was a battle of two teams ranked in the top 10 and was featured on College Football Countdown as Reece and the gang came to Ames and welcomed Ashton Kutcher who rode in on a John Deere to declare his support of the Hawkeyes. The week prior Iowa State beat UNI in a close game.  UNI doesn't often get to claim Best in Iowa, but it has happened in the past.  Three times I have counted, which is pretty good considering every game is on the road for them and they are FCS.  The three times were: 1992: UNI beats ISU 27-10 (+17) at Ames, and Iowa only beats ISU 14-7 (+7) in Iowa City. 2007: UNI beats ISU 24-13 at Ames, and Iowa State beats Iowa 15-13, so the Transitive property is in effect. 2013: UNI beats ISU 28-20 (+8) at Ames, and Iowa only ISU 27-21 (+6) in Ames. In 2009 UNI lost to Iowa 17...