At this point, it seems like all the drama leading up to the Insight Bowl is going to be more exciting than the game itself, as the recent exodus of players from the University of Iowa football team have many people expecting a blowout.
Iowa's sophomore running back Jewel Hampton
is off the team after reaching a "mutual" decision with coach Kirk Ferentz. Running back Adam Robinson was suspended for the perfectly vague reason of "failing to comply with team expectations and policies." And rumors of mass failed drug tests by everyone wearing the black and gold led team officials to hold a press conference this morning to convince people that the Hawkeyes would be more than just second- and third-string players come game day.
The departures come on the heels of the university's all-time leader in receiving, Derrell Johnson-Kouliano, getting suspended after being busted with a whole lot of prescription pills and weed and cocaine in his house. With two more players out of the game and rumors swirling last night, the sports books took the game off the board.
Ferentz assured reporters this morning that the remaining roster would be active come the Insight Bowl. Though there was speculation this morning's press conference would announce more player suspensions, Ferentz -- who I suspect is pretty goddamn pissed at this team for making him do this right now -- instead said it was a way to quash any more chatter about coked up Hawkeyes, and all but yelled at reporters for going down the roster, calling players' families, and asking if their boy had been suspended or not.
Ferentz added that at least 10 other players were undergoing drug tests at the time of Johnson-Kouliano's arrest, but that no one else has failed.
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