Urban Meyer usually makes the list when someone asks about the greatest college football coaches. Those 3 national titles speak for themselves, not to mention the recruiting dominance he brought to OSU and Florida. However, recently, an Iowa legend was asked about the 27th season head coach, Kirk Ferentz, and those 3 nattys of Urban Meyer almost blurred in the background. Interestingly, Urban Meyer was right there hearing all of it!

Iowa is set to face Oregon in the Week 11 matchup, carrying Big 10 title stakes. Urban Meyer is hosting FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff along with Rob Stone at Iowa City, and 2015 Iowa Unanimous All-American Desmond King II appeared on the show. The Iowa alum was asked about the job the head coach Kirk Ferentz is doing, and he termed him the winningest head coach, even apologizing to Meyer for doing so.

“Can we get a statue for Kirk Ferentz already, like? What’s the whole? What are we doing?” asked Rob Stone. The crowd immediately erupted, approving Stone’s demand. Desmond King then seemed to approve the demand and praised Ferentz for his work at Iowa and the legacy he has built. “We got the most winningest Big Ten,” said King, and then immediately turned to Urban Meyer.

“I’m sorry, coach, numbers don’t lie,” Kind told Meyer. He then continued with his take, saying, “That’s what’s so special about Coach Ferentz is because not only that he coach you on football, but he coaches you on life as well.” The legacy that Ferentz has at Iowa is truly astounding, and it even surpasses Urban Meyer’s, at least in terms of wins.

Urban Meyer, as a head coach, has a 187-32 record with teams like Florida, Ohio State, Bowling Green, and Utah. In contrast, Ferentz, as the head coach of Iowa, has amassed a record of 222-147, which gives him 32 more wins than Meyer. Unlike Meyer, Ferentz has largely been a one-team man, joining Iowa as their head coach in 1999 and has remained there ever since. That’s loyalty at its zenith. In that period, Ferentz won two Big 10 titles and three Big 10 West Division titles.

On the contrary, Urban Meyer’s resume is dotted with silverware, as he charted his destiny to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thus, Desmond King’s choice of Ferentz reflects the strong relationship that the legend had built. It helped him achieve greater highs in college football. For context, Iowa finished the 2015 season with 11 wins and also made the Big Ten title game but lost to Michigan State. Despite that, the season was a massive success for Desmond, who notched 72 tackles as a CB and won the Jim Thorpe award. That said, the legacy for Kirk Ferentz is still continuing.

Can Kirk Ferentz win it against a formidable Oregon?

Iowa, under Ferentz’s 27th season, is on a winning streak. The team is 6-2 in the season and hosts Oregon after defeating teams like Wisconsin and Penn State. Not to mention, the Hawkeyes have the 10th-ranked rushing defense in the country, conceding just 83.56 yards per game. So, Big 10 title game hopes are alive for the team. But there are some issues to address.

The passing game for Iowa is almost nonexistent. The team is ranked 130th nationally and has notched just 118.6 passing yards per game. Even the rushing game for Ferentz isn’t world-class, ranked 109th nationally. Instead, the team is shutting out opponents defensively, handcuffing them through the D-line and secondary. For context, Iowa ranks 7th nationally in total defense, allowing just 277.7 yards per game. But can just the defensive unit win it against Oregon?

Iowa State will need to play on its toes since Oregon’s Dante Moore is highly prolific. In addition to their passing game, the Ducks also have a strong running attack, currently ranked 30th nationally. Iowa can then win by forcing turnovers and implementing specialized pressure schemes. Dante Moore hasn’t faced much pressure yet from teams, and Iowa can make life challenging for him. Lastly, the Hawkeyes would need to run the ball because that’s the only thing Ferentz can do with a limited passing offense.