Troll City, Iowa

There's an elaborate Brian Ferentz Cameo ruse sweeping through Hawkeye nation like a wildfire

September 13, 2022

The Iowa Hawkeyes offense has been garbage. Actually, they’ve been less than garbage. To be garbage, you must first exist. So far in 2022, the Hawkeyes offense has been nothing more than a theoretical concept, static on the TV screen until the defense takes over again. Through two games this season, the Hawkeyes offense has scored 10 points.They beat FCS South Dakota State on the back of two second-half safeties from the defense and fell to arch-rival Iowa State on Saturday, mustering a single first-quarter touchdown. In the process they racked up a litany of hilarious stats that would have any Power Five program in the nation firing their offensive coordinator into the sun.

The only problem? That offensive coordinator just so happens to be Brian Ferentz, the son of longtime Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz. Papa Ferentz has so far refused to criticize his anemic attack, even going so far as to suggest his defense could have made “a few more stops” after a Cy-Hawk Rivalry loss in which the Iowa offense amassed a total of 150 yards while going 3/11 on third down.

This blatant nepotism has driven Iowa fans to the brink of their sanity, but this week a few intrepid heros took matters into their owns hands, launching an elaborate Cameo scheme that has current and former Hawkeyes to publicly urging Brian Ferentz to walk away from “the family business” without actually knowing it. The conspiracy began with Bob Stoops …

… before eventually making it’s way to Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery. It’s glorious content across the board as long as you don’t mind a little (OK, a lot) of cringe.

Who knows where this will end. Who knows if Brian and Kirk are even aware of it. They don’t even seem to know about the forward pass, let alone social media. But the stats, results, and blase attitude make one thing painfully obvious: The Ferentz family’s 24-year reign in Iowa City is coming to end. If a few rando Cameo trolls are who ultimately get the job done, then we—the college football fans of this great the nation—will owe them a debt we can never repay.