Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz speaks with the media each Tuesday during the football season. Every week, The Daily Iowan‘s Pregame Staff will post highlights and interesting quotes and lines from Ferentz’s press conference.

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First words: Thanks, Steve.

• Ferentz takes time to recognize all of the All-Conference honorees. Especially mentions Desmond King for winning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.
• “We’re very, very excited to have an opportunity to play in the Big Ten Championship this week.”
• Blythe, Beathard, Lomax, Ott are your captains. Ferentz said he doesn’t expect anyone to miss this game because of injury.
• Ferentz praises Mark Dantonio and Michigan State — says going into Ohio State without starting cornerback Connor Cook and winning was a big deal.
• Ferentz said he thinks Henry Krieger Coble should be an All-Big Ten tight end, and mentions the same for George Kittle. HKC in particular, it sounds like.
• “New Kirk, Maverick Kirk,” Ferentz says in regards to keeping all of his assistants in place after last season. Maverick Kirk is a magical, magical term.
• On Michigan State modeling their squad off of Iowa’s — Says it’s a compliment, but lots of teams do that. Ferentz said he modeled Iowa off of Wisconsin when he got the Iowa head coaching job 17 years ago.
• Ferentz said Michigan State is the best team Iowa has faced this season. Surprise, surprise.
• Ferentz is working the room today throwing jokes left and right, getting close to Bo Ryan and Tom Izzo territory. Like, really working the room.
• There is a lot of fullback talk this afternoon.
• Ferentz said center Austin Blythe’s leadership has been invaluable this season, he mentioned the married man thing, too.
• Ferentz gives Athletic Director Gary Barta props, saying “heck yeah” he’s appreciative of the support Barta has given him over the years.
• “It’s important, but it’s another game.”
• “We’re doing little things a little bit better right now … When you are doing things right and are really honed in, you have a better chance at takeaways.”
• Ferentz said he told his seniors that they have three games left and then they’re NFL players.
• “We’re not the team that’s supposed to be there, so , what the heck, let’s get there, cut it loose, and let’s go.”