Close-call Hawkeyes wary of pesky Hoosiers

By Luke Meredith AP Sports Writer

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz doesn’t have a Facebook page or any interest in tweeting.

How ironic, then, that the best friend his 7th-ranked Hawkeyes have these days is a computer.

Iowa’s perfect start has been a rather ugly one full of close calls that have drawn skepticism. The doubts are evident in the Top 25, where the Hawkeyes (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) rank lowest among unbeaten teams from BCS-affiliated conferences heading into Saturday’s game with Indiana (4-4, 1-3).

The computer rankings used by the BCS, however, absolutely adore Iowa. Five of the six mathematical formulas used by the BCS say the Hawkeyes are the top team in America.

Forgive Ferentz if he’s not ready to believe what the machines are saying. He knows how thin the Hawkeyes’ margin of error will be the rest of the way.

“Computers have not seen us play. If they had eyes and could see us play, they would say ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” Ferentz said.

Though the Hoosiers are a 17½-point underdog to Iowa, recent history says it may be closer.

Iowa has only one easy win, 35-3 over Iowa State, and has already set a school record with four wins by three points or less. The Hoosiers have also beaten Iowa in two of the last three meetings – both stunners Iowa won’t soon forget.

The Hawkeyes were ranked 15th in 2006 when they traveled by Bloomington, but they squandered a 21-7 lead and lost 31-28. That defeat kicked off a skid that ended with a 2-6 mark for Iowa in the Big Ten.

The following year, Indiana destroyed the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, 38-20.

“The fact is they have beaten us two out of the last three ball games so we have to be at our best,” Ferentz said. “And we certainly have our cause for concerns on the home base here.”