Iowa Players Address QB Uncertainty

"He’s looked really good. But I don't even watch the quarterbacks, to be honest. He’s been working a lot, in the training room a lot. Just trying to get back," offensive lineman Kade Pieper said in regard to Gronowski.

"That's a question for Coach Ferentz," running back Nathan McNeil said, when Chad Leistikow asked him about Gronowski starting. McNeil added, "They look good," when asked how the other QBs look.

"We always have the mentality here of next man in. Somebody goes down, next man’s up," defensive tackle Aaron Graves said. "And he’s [Gronowski] expected to play at a really high level, too. That’s the mentality we have going into this week, for whoever might or might not play.”

Strong safety Koen Entringer added, "I have no idea what goes on during the offensive practice. I’m on the defensive field, trying to figure out a way to stop Wisconsin.”

Clearly, Iowa is keeping things close to heart. There's a real chance they'll need the next few days to determine the status of Gronowski, but there's also a chance they've known all along. Either way, it's a fun mind game to play against the Badgers. If there's one thing for certain it's the fact that Ferentz could decide to run the ball until Iowa is blue in the face.

With plenty of questions remaining ahead of their next game on October 11, Iowa knows they're entering a crucial part of their schedule. Should Gronowski need the extra time to recover, now is the time to give it to him. In the coming weeks, the schedule continues to get more and more difficult as his presence will be more vital than ever.