It was more than a bad game for FSU

TOM DIENHART ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Do you think Iowa has the talent to make Kirk Ferentz's third year a charm?

Nick Rudzianski, Dubuque, Iowa

Nick: I think the Hawkeyes have a good chance to make a move this fall after going 4-19 in Ferentz's first two seasons. The Hawkeyes started to show signs of life late last season, when they won at Penn State and beat Big Ten tri-champ Northwestern at home. Iowa is off to a good start with impressive wins over Miami (Ohio), 44-19, and Kent State, 51-0. Granted, those are MAC teams, but the margins of victory and level of dominance were impressive.

Iowa was hampered the past few seasons by struggles on the offensive line and in the secondary, but those areas appear fortified. Further bolstering the Hawkeyes' hopes for their first bowl since 1997 is the fact the Big Ten doesn't appear to have a dominant team. I don't think Iowa can win the conference, but it should achieve a middle-of-the-pack finish to wrap up a spot in the Sun or Alamo bowls. Big keys will be winning three of four home Big Ten games and stealing a victory on the road.

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By TOM DIENHART

Before the season, new Arizona coach John Mackovic had no idea who would be his quarterback. There were as many as five candidates in training camp. It now appears Jason Johnson is the man. He doesn't have a cannon arm, but he knows how to read defenses and find open men. Johnson, a junior, also is difficult to rattle. He's a big reason the Wildcats are 3-0 and one of the nation's most surprising teams. Johnson hit 18-of-30 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-21 win over UNLV last Saturday.... After throwing for only 26 yards in his debut in the season-opening win against Southern California, Kansas State QB Ell Roberson showed improvement last Saturday in a 64-0 win over New Mexico State. Against the Trojans, Roberson held the ball too long and didn't focus on mechanics. But he found a groove against the Aggies, hitting 7-of-10 passes for 181 yards. Conversely, Marc Dunn struggled, forcing passes and missing some protection checks.... Early last week, Alabama LB Victor Ellis made a declaration: The defense needed to score to help an anemic Tide offense. Sure enough, the Bama defense matched the offense against Arkansas by scoring two touchdowns in the Tide's 31-10 win. Credit an aggressive scheme that attacked the Razorbacks' quarterbacks and forced the action.... Before the game at Syracuse, Auburn QB Jason Campbell said he would buy Tigers T Kendall Simmons a steak dinner if he prevented Syracuse DE Dwight Freeney from netting a sack. Alas, Simmons must look elsewhere for his beef fix. Freeney had two sacks, meaning he has bagged a quarterback in 12 consecutive games. The Orangemen's defense played a big part in Syracuse's 31-14 win.... Miami entered the season with an embarrassment of riches at running back with Najeh Davenport, Clinton Portis, Jarrett Payton and Willis McGahee. Now, true freshman Frank Gore is emerging. Some on the Miami staff wanted to redshirt Gore, but coach Larry Coker thought Gore was too talented to sit out. Gore spent the summer working out with Portis and Davenport and learning plays, which hastened his development. Gore still needs work as a blocker and must improve his strength.... The Downtown Athletic Club is located near ground zero of the September 11 terrorist attacks in lower Manhattan. The building is fine for now, but it will undergo testing down the road to evaluate its integrity. It currently is not known if the Heisman Trophy ceremony will take place at the DAC in December.