Iowa Football Schedule UPDATE | Special guest: QB Marco Lainez | Week 219 - Brada's Branded Thoughts

during week 219 of brightest branded thoughts official kickoff times released for several more Iowa football games for the 2023 season we'll run through them and I'll provide my thoughts about a potential night game that has not yet been announced plus another exclusive interview with future Hawkeye quarterback Marco lines III yes Marco will be getting to Iowa City very soon he sat down with from the Hawkeye of the storm here recently to talk about his decision and of course now that he's officially a Hawkeye he has signed he's set to report to Iowa City we'll talk with Marco right here on the show but first I want to thank Iowa Floor Covering look at their beautiful store down in Bondurant and the guys down at IFC and Bondurant will take care of you and your flooring needs they've got a great deal on this tough Court click together flooring we've been talking about for months at 269 per foot with self-installation but just talk to Tyler and Ryan and the guys down there they will get you set up with what you need support our sponsors because they support us I cannot stress that enough our sponsors are the reason this show exists in addition to you listeners our sponsors are what keep this thing moving keep the wheels moving so again appreciate Iowa Floor Covering down in Bondurant contact them at iowafloorcovering.com DIY or you can call them at the number on the screen again Iowa Floor Covering down in Bondurant we appreciate them sponsoring the show right here from the Hawkeye of the storm so official start times for some of Iowa football's games this fall we heard about the Penn State Iowa game which of course be a whiteout in Happy Valley that will be a fun one in Happy Valley in fact I don't think for our podcast listeners those of you listening via Spotify Apple Etc you probably haven't even heard me talk about that game and certainly I don't think the white out scenario helps Iowa at all obviously that's going to be a game I think it's obvious to say that will be a game in which Iowa will be the underdog it may be the only game in the schedule in which Iowa's the underdog they'll probably be dogs against Wisconsin because it's on the road I don't think there'll be dogs against Iowa State that'll probably be a pretty close line because it is in names and who knows what Nebraska is going to look like by season's end the bottom line is Iowa will be favored in most of their games we did get start times for several other games this season and that Penn State game was altered just a bit so let's take a look at some of the announcements from today first of all the season opener we know in this season will officially take place we knew it was kicking off on Saturday September 2nd against Utah State the Aggies they'll be coming up for fry fest weekend and the Hawkeyes will kick off against Utah State at 11 A.M central time and it will be televised on the Big Ten Network's primary partner that's Fox specifically FS1 11 A.M Central Time on FS1 for the Hawkeyes and the Aggies Iowa should be large large favorites in that one but of course that will be our first real look at Cade McNamara in a Hawkeye uniform we saw him a little bit in Spring practice we anticipate to see him going pretty much full speed at Kids Day in August assuming he doesn't suffer from any setbacks this summer but of course we'll see him in his first game action as a Hawkeye on September 2nd how about the big cyhawk series that goes back to Ames this year recall the loss last year and I don't want to dwell on that game but if only Iowa had trotted out Drew Stevens for that final kick that would have made it 10-10 and sent that game to overtime perhaps the season would have went differently or at least the record would have been slightly better regardless uh they lose that game and if it wasn't for a miserable offensive performance they probably would have escaped because wait special teams defense incredible as always but when they were good two years ago in Ames remember all the turnovers that defense created against Brock Purdy and Company I think back to the interceptions from Seth Benson Matt Hankins the scooping score from Jack Campbell and of course that was off of a Justin Jacobs strip so Iowa has had some success of late in Ames I think back to 2019 they won that game in Ames as well on the muffed punt another special teams gap for the Cyclones this one will be fun because the game will likely finish it will finish at night but the sun will be setting on Jack Trice stadium and a Rowdy cyhawk Series game that will be a fun one and it will be televised nationally on Fox on September the 9th and by the way you'll probably get some of our coverage probably get some from the Hawkeye of the storm coverage from outside the stadium no guarantees right now we go back two years ago when they were here at Ames we got to do some fun stuff for the pre-game festivities college game day was there I don't expect game day to be returning I think we're going to see less and less game day experiences at Big Ten events however this is involving a big 12 team at Iowa State coming off a poor season that game will kick off at 2 30 p.m central time how about the gold out game in kinnick September 16th against Western Michigan the Hawkeyes will once again be heavy favorites Western Michigan dealing with a lot of attrition via the transfer portal their best receiver is now a Minnesota Golden Gopher and Corey crooms they will travel to Iowa City and and take on what should be a raucous crowd especially at the Hawks take care of business at Iowa State the week prior this of course will be one week in advance of that Penn State Showdown out in state college but Iowa Western Michigan will kick off at 2 30 p.m Central Time on the Big Ten Network so actually each of Iowa's first four games will be on different networks how about that for a fun fact to the season and of course that fourth game is September 23rd at Penn State and no longer a 7 P.M Central kick bumped up to 6 30 p.m Central Time on CBS still yes it's a whiteout game in State College yes Iowa will be heavy underdogs but wouldn't that be a story line if Iowa can bring an undefeated Hawkeye Bunch into State College a place where Kate Mcnamara and Eric all won together just a couple of years back that will be a fun one of course the last time Iowa went to State College it was an empty Beaver Stadium in 2020 and Iowa took care of business and got the win no announcement yet about Iowa Michigan state that game will be the blackout game in kinnick could it be a night game boy it'd be great wouldn't that be a great scenario we don't often see Iowa Michigan State as a night game my guess is it won't be a night game but man I'd like to see a blackout at night we always get the stripe game tonight which is cool as well we'll have to wait and see on that one September the 30th but of course Iowa will have played at Night Out East the week prior homecoming it's Iowa Purdue on October 7th we know this that game will kick off in the afternoon slash evening no morning kickoff for the Hawkeyes and the boilers that will be either a 2 30 Central kick a 3 P.M Central kick or a 6 30 p.m Central kick no TV information yet on that one would not be surprised to see that end up being an FS1 game but maybe it works its way into fox or an NBC Network and how about that 6 30 possibility for Iowa Purdue that should be fun Under The Lights I'm trying to think the last time Iowa Purdue was a night game I'm thinking back to 2017. I know they finished that game under the lights but uh that will be a new look boiler Squad no Jeff Brahm no Aid O'Connell and unfortunately no Charlie Jones so that's the possibility of a night game how about Iowa at Wisconsin could that be a night game up in Madison probably not tends to not be a night game when Iowa travels to Wisconsin but we don't have a time on that one yet October 14th to be announced as well Iowa Minnesota this is the obvious guess if you're not gonna it's not gonna be Purdue this is the game where I would anticipate Iowa gets a night game it's a rivalry game it's obviously a storied rivalry with the Hawkeyes and the Gophers in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale it will be that America needs Farmers black and gold spirit game no info on TV yet and who knows what the Gopher is going to look like I mean they look a lot different as well Tanner Morgan's gone Mo ibrahim's gone I will be fascinated to see what Kelly McManus if I'm saying his name correctly he showed flashes last year but he's a Young quarterback who hasn't proven himself at this level yet and of course that could be a raucous crowd in kinnick and then Iowa travels to Chicago to Wrigleyville for Iowa Northwestern yes Wrigley Field playing in a baseball stadium the last time Iowa played in a baseball stadium I want to say it was 2017 the Pinstripe Bowl the Hawkeyes will get this game on the road when will this game kick that's another interesting storyline would I'd be shocked if that's a night game no and let's remember that night games don't necessarily hold the same appeal they used to because as Fox heavily favors that big noon game on their main Network I still like the night games frankly I know some people especially people in the media that don't like having to stay up real late and write articles after the game I get not wanting to have night games especially on the road look when we have night games here on this show I gotta do post game shows until like midnight or 1am so I get the frustrations but I still like night games would not be shocked to see that as a night game boy northwestern's looking to win just on this continent they didn't win a game over here last year they won one game and it was in Ireland against Nebraska week zero Iowan Rutgers let's think back to last season a Rutgers team that was okay defensively they were pretty good offensively they were a mess Iowa took it to the Scarlet Knights out in Piscataway that game was a night game so again it's hard to predict these things with how the TV deals the rights Etc have changed this game still yet to be announced as far as TV and kickoff time at that game will take place on Saturday November 11th how about Saturday November 18th it's the Hawkeyes and the Illini still no time or TV set for this one it will be Senior Day in kinnick stadium and could it be the last time we see a guy like Cooper to Jean unbelievable that kid got here a couple of years ago and he's eligible to leave after this season and I would not be shocked if he does if he has a coming out party that I think a lot of us expect him to and maybe Kade McNamara leaves he's got an extra year if he wants it that might be his last game in kinnick stadium uh as a Hawkeye so we'll just have to wait and see and then of course the big Showdown the Black Friday Showdown on November 24th at Nebraska we know now this will be a CBS game so this is kind of a fascinating scenario they'll get an 11 A.M kick I don't love the 11 mem kicks but on Black Friday I get it it will be on CBS yes another CBS game for the Hawkeyes we may get several and I just I talked to Mark Rogers about this the other day I love the idea of Iowa and the Big Ten getting all these games sprinkled on big to network and Fox Sports One I don't love the idea of peacock I get people's frustrations about that although I don't think we're going to be seeing any Iowa football games on peacock we're going to be seeing some basketball games likely down the road on peacock but you know CBS is a great Network and we haven't seen Football on NBC minus some NFL and of course Notre Dame for quite some time so this should all be fun to watch this will be really fun to watch and now that we've got some kickoff times and some television information just feels like we're getting that much closer it's been it's basically summertime out here in central Iowa it's May 31st as I record this show one day away from June several weeks away from the official start of summer but we begin to count down the days as the humidity Rises the heat rises and we get closer and closer to a busy month of July and August where we have big 10 media days Iowa media days at the Iowa State Fair and all that so it's going to be fun it's going to fly by before you know it so we'll just have to wait and see but the juices are flowing folks we start to look forward to another year of Hawkeye football all right so what about the Iowa football future specifically at quarterback yes Kade McNamara has come in he's the Saving Grace for a lot of people but what about the future we've got Iowa quarterback future Iowa quarterback Marco lines who will be an Iowa quarterback in just days because we'll be getting to campus here soon we've got Marco lines joining the show right here from the Hawkeye of the storm but first a word from our sponsor straight from the man cave kinnick under the kitchen authentic original player art prints are being drawn up for Hawkeye fans everywhere from under the kitchen's Murray Legacy print which features former Hawkeye Kenyan Murray current Hawkeye Chris Murray and current Sacramento King Keegan Murray to football players Lucas Van Ness Tori Taylor and Cooper de Jean to wrestlers Tony cassiope Alex Marinelli and real woods oh and only one of the greatest athletes to ever compete at Iowa Spencer Lee there are so many options available and they make great gifts visit under the kitchen on Facebook or at under the kitchen's new website it's under the kitchen.square.site that's under the kitchen.square.site check out under the kitchen today and get your authentic original Hawkeye print Mr Marco lines III how are you guys didn't look good in black and gold Marco thank you I appreciate it how you doing I'm great man it's great to see you and how does it feel first of all knowing that you're officially awkward it feels great um I'm very excited she's very excited for anybody that missed our interview uh with you months ago I encourage you to go back and and uh and watch that because if you're a guy who understands there's a lot on your shoulders um in the future you're going to be competing for this job uh from day one but you also understand that you've got a development process so let's start with that what has the Hun School obviously Tony rassiopei if anybody's not aware he's uh your coach and and your private coach um what has he met and what has the Hun School meant to you as a quarterback as you transition to college life uh both those schools both those obviously him and then the Han school have been a really important part of my development um being at home with Coach Smith and then Coach Raz you know I've just I I think I told you I've never been around such a such just an amazing football minds they have both great football minds and I just I just shut up and listen and you know I can always pick up something new every time where I practice and I can always just learn something from them uh Razz has always been my guy uh he's he's like he's like my uncle um you know he's just he's just always coaching to me always pushing me to be the best version of myself I could be and you know I love him for it uh it's it's been great it's been a blessing to be you know they're they're those two guys as quarterbacks uh it's awesome and you know just practice is fun with those guys because you because you you think of something you're like oh I would have never thought of that like you know you just learn something you pick up stuff on the site and it's it's awesome and it's been great appreciate the Super Chat here for America says congrats congrats Marco can't wait to see you in kennick and by the way uh the chat here uh spilling over with congratulations to you people are excited about uh your future here and we can address I've said this like three times today with previous recruits we can address the elephant in the room uh Kaden Proctor be committing going to Alabama we're not going to rehash his decision or go inside and try to you know needle you as to why you think that happened but um as the quarterback in this class do you feel somewhat of a responsibility to kind of rally the troops so to speak I mean everybody's locked into their commitment but kind of step up and say look this is still a great class this is my class we're I'm going to lead this group of of young guys into Iowa City I think we're all motivated individuals and uh I think we're very motivated as a group to uh you know we just rallied together we rallied together as a group of individuals and uh it was it was nice to see you know we're all we're all from different parts of the country and you know seeing that was like all right you know this is a group now now we ride together and you know I can sense that kind of attitude coming and it's awesome I mean having that attitude of like you know we stick together we ride together so that's that's the that's the type of attitude that's formulated in in this recruiting class um again some some of my questions here Marco uh are assuming people missed our chat before and I encourage everybody to go back and watch that but when I watched you on tape initially you've heard me say this before the guy that popped out at me at least in my memory of someone I would compare you to is maybe Brad Banks just in the way you play yeah you obviously you recognize you got a lot to do to live up to a guy who was a Heisman finalist but it's funny when you and I first met you you said the same thing to me you said I actually looked up to Brad Banks and how he played which was just ironic to me kind of eerie because we're on the same page in that so talk a little bit about your your fandom of Brad Banks and how did you uh how did you end up growing up in Iowa Guy having lived in New Jersey well so I uh right after we hopped off that call I uh I reached out to him I was like you know maybe maybe he you know maybe he'll respond and we actually had a few conversations and then throughout this year I uh I talked about you know a lot I showed him a lot of the runs I had and I was like hey I mean I know I'm no good but this makes me think of you and he's like hell yeah like that looks good and so it was cool to see that like that uh that response from him because you know growing up obviously he was in college when I was a really young kid but as like as I learned the game and I as I became an Iowa fan I I got to see you know all the great quarterbacks of the past Nate Brad uh Tate all those guys I saw I I just looked up highlights with him and I was like wow this guy I like the way this guy plays and um I've always been that type of quarterback I've always been an improv improviser playmaker uh I think the the best part of the game is like when the defense had no idea what the hell you're doing back there and uh whether you're in the pocket outside the pocket or making plays with your legs and um you know he he he showed that and I see that and I was like okay how could I Implement that into my game and I mean oh I'd say more or less in these past few years I've been re ever since I started getting recruited from Iowa and then I just started to become more invested in it and more invested in the process and then I understood who Brad was as a player and I was like wow that I mean I'd like to be like that you are going to be a part of a very unique quarterback room right so you know about Kate Mcnamara transferring in you know he is a guy who was seasoned who has played college football at the highest level there is winning a Big Ten Championship going to the college football playoff what do you hope to attain um maybe learning behind him um I know you're going to be competing for the for the job but but learning from a guy who's his experienced as cave McNamara I mean he has he has the entire resume I I if I could just sit around him and learn you know sponge up everything he can do you know physically and mentally I think that would help me become the better player that I want to be in the future you know practice is going to be fun just being around him and just competing you every day pushing each other to be the best version of ourselves because when you have someone pushing behind you or to the side of you it it's it's really helpful you know I'm a competitive that's when I'm from in New Jersey so uh you know it's going to be fun to learn from him and then also Implement you know some stuff he sees like oh yeah that's gonna make me a better football player you know just just being a learner just being a learner of everything I see you were recruited in part by piano Keith and when Ken O'Keefe stepped down was there any doubt from you that you were gonna stay loyal to your commitment uh there was no doubt I was moving anywhere else so I was like this is where I want to be I I'm a very loyal person at heart and uh you know I was if I said I was coming I was like I'm sticking to it I'm sticking to my guns and for the record not because I'm just remembering this as we're talking uh there were teams that called you and and tried to pursue you after the fact I mean in Minnesota is an example I don't think that's a secret Minnesota called you and and tried to sway you so you had opportunity to uh maybe waver and you chose not to and I know Iowa fans appreciate someone who's loyal your thoughts on on Iowa's uh offense obviously it's been criticized and I think well-deserved criticism but what what is your your thoughts on being able to come in here and help make changes what do you what positives do you see future of this offense with Marco line as potentially quarterback in the offense well you first got to look at their scheme you know their scheme is a pro style and it's the best of both worlds you get the play action game to complement the Run game you get the Run game to complement the pass game you know you can't have one or the other some schools just throw all the time but when their throwing game is off the rails they're one-dimensional right running game as well if you run all the time and you don't have a pass game you're not dimensional and you can't you can't affect an attack and score points but when you have both like Iowa does you know write scheme in a way they do it effectively you have the ability to you know all right if we're not doing the Run game well we can do la rely on the pass game the pass games out there we could rely on the Run game you know and you can still find a way to do that and despite all the struggles they had this year I mean they were still you know beating teams and you can see that they had to complement in both of those aspects so that was helping them you know if one wasn't working well the other day they relied on the other and they won the game and that's the only thing that matters at the end of the day if you win nothing else matters so that's that's what I saw and that's that was comforting me in the fact because when you win everything else takes care of itself absolutely and um I'm curious when Iowa was recruiting you again kenokief was part of that but but Brian ference is a part of that Kirk was a part of that what did they tell you they liked about your skill set what separated you from other prospects they were looking at they like the ability to use my legs um they like the ability to drive the ball down the field and you know the accuracy I had but they also like the ability to you know being in a pro style offense how I was able to manage the game I think that's a big thing being the quarterback of Iowa having to be able to manage the game and uh they like they like they liked my ability to do that and uh you know being in the Pro style ovens I was in high school I love it it's it's fun because when you when you have a good play fake and your your linebackers are like this they're all leaning forward and now they don't know that someone's running right behind them I mean it's it's a very manipulative offense for quarterbacks I mean you can do a lot of stuff to Defenders it's fun I mean it's it's a blast playing in that stuff in that style of offense and uh they like that ability about me so that that will help distill the notion from some I know that there's that narrative out there that Kirk and Brian don't want a guy who's mobile you are telling us that that is something that appealed to them and that will help quilts the fears of some did you make it to uh the Rutgers game that's here out in New Jersey yeah so we finished our game we had a game at 3 30 at Salisbury and Rutgers was kicking off at seven thankfully and we finally finished and I I had it I had a good game I was tired physically you know as we all are after a game and my dad was like all right get your clothes on hop in the car literally as we're shaking hands on the field I could see him like motioning to me so I got I literally changed on the side of the field we hopped in the car booked it from Pennsylvania all the way to freaking uh shy Stadium got to see the end of it what a blessing to have that game as a night game because you didn't know it was gonna be a night game we thought it was going to be we thought it was going to be a four o'clock or one o'clock and then three o'clock and then four o'clock and then for some you know I'll thank the Lord that they put seven o'clock there and then we were like we can make it so we did it historically that again Iowa Rutgers game no offense to Rutgers I know that's your home state school Rutgers you know not gonna pull a nighttime audience but because of the changes and and how a TV and fox and I mean that all has to do with with why that game was was nighttime so um that's that's awesome you were able to go out there and and be a part of that game Marco um as you know I'm a big fan of Marco lines and can't wait to see you uh hopefully get a chat with you at Iowa media day uh in the fall and um this quarterback's room is going to look a lot different not just with Kate Mcnamara but with with Marco Lanes appreciate you taking the time again congratulations on signing please congratulate your family for me as well uh we look forward to seeing you in the black and gold here uh next few months okay now we thank you for having me on always enjoy talking to Marco he is going to be the real deal I really believe that and I know it's here of the portal in nil where guys can up and leave seems like a loyal dude didn't bat an eye when kennel Keith walked away and he had opportunities to go to other respectable institutions like Minnesota Rutgers Etc he stuck with Iowa and I think he's going to be rewarded because I think he's going to have an opportunity to play Early likely will Redshirt this year as he should but who knows what's going to happen after this year will Deacon Hill be the answer once Kate Mcnamara leaves is it Joe labus I think Marco lines has an opportunity to be a three or four year starter if things work out I know that's putting a lot of pressure on I'm not trying to do that but uh like Marco's attitude and certainly has the skill set to be an entertaining and successful Iowa quarterback in his near future appreciate you tuning in for another episode of braddah's branded thoughts here from the Hawkeye of the storm be sure to like subscribe tell me what you thought about the schedule release today and our interview with Marco and we will talk to you soon