Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski? Iowa won't say yet

Iowa fans know exactly what that little 2-letter word means, and Monday's depth chart brought it right back.

Here's why it's back. Brown won the job, and the OR had already come off the depth chart once this season. Then he sprained the AC joint in his right throwing shoulder against Ohio State. Hecklinski came in for him and went 5-for-5 on a touchdown drive in that game.

Brown was medically cleared for the trip to Washington but didn't play. Kirk Ferentz said playing him "just wouldn't have been smart." Hecklinski made the first start of his career in Seattle, threw 3 touchdowns and Iowa won 41-24. A backup who loses the camp battle usually doesn't get a debut that good.

So Iowa has a real decision to make instead of an easy one. Brown was back throwing at practice last week. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester liked what he saw, but he also said flat out that he didn't know who would start against the Gophers. Putting the OR on the depth chart is just that same answer in print. Given how Ferentz handled Washington, nobody should expect him to give anything away before kickoff.

The game is a big one. Floyd of Rosedale is on the line at Huntington Bank Stadium, and Iowa goes to Minneapolis as a 7.5-point favorite. If the Gophers don't know which quarterback is coming, they have to prepare for both: a healthy Brown with a full season of starts, or the guy who just put up 41 on the road.

What to watch this week: whether Brown throws without limits all week, whether Ferentz gives any hint at his weekly press availability, and who runs out with the 1s in pregame warmups Saturday. Our guess is the OR doesn't really get settled until the first snap. The pig is in Minneapolis, and Iowa is keeping the plan to bring it home to itself.