Ready for some football

Don’t tell my wife, but I am ready for some football.

I love baseball. And love having summers to enjoy family time. I even still have a bunch of stuff to do with my family.

But football season is my favorite time of the year. I can’t deny it.

There is something special about an entire community filling up a football stadium on a Friday night in the fall. Then, college football Saturdays and NFL Sundays are great, too.

I listen to a national football podcast all year. They break down college players and talk about the NFL draft and conduct mock drafts all season.

Recently on the Stick to Football podcast, co-host Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranked the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offensive and defensive lines as the best in the country.

Miller’s brother, Mello, thinks Iowa State has the fifth best defensive line in the nation.

There is a lot of hype around this year’s football teams in Ames and Iowa City. Both programs have plenty of returning talent and expectations are high on both campuses.

Iowa has a third-year starting senior quarterback in Nate Stanley, the two best offensive tackles in the country in Tristan Wirfs and Alaric Jackson and a premier pass rusher who is expected to be a top 10 draft pick next season in A.J. Epenesa.

A big season could be coming. But a tough schedule (Iowa plays Michigan, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Nebraska all on the road) could poke a hole in the expectations.

Iowa State lost its two best offensive playmakers, but Brock Purdy is back at quarterback and the Cyclones’ defense should one of the best in the Big 12. That defensive line is nasty and experienced.

Is this the year Matt Campbell finally beats Iowa? The Cyclones host the Hawkeyes in Ames in September.

Oklahoma and Texas should be the top two teams in the Big 12, but Iowa State will be one of the favorites to challenge the Sooners and Longhorns at the top.

It’s tough to beat college football Saturdays. But I am hoping my San Francisco 49ers give me a reason to love NFL Sundays, too.

The Niners made a bunch of additions to their roster in the offseason and they return a few key players who were injured last season. I saw one so called expert predicted San Francisco would only win three games.

Three wins? The Niners won four last year and didn’t have Jimmy G. at quarterback or Jerick McKinnon at running back. Those two are back this year plus they added depth at running back with Tevin Coleman, added talented pass rusher Dee Ford and Pro Bowl linebacker Kwon Alexander in free agency.

Then they drafted edge rusher Nick Bosa and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Throw in a stud punter in the fourth round who has been booming the ball in offseason mini-camp and the depth is the best its been since Jim Harbaugh left town.

There is no way this roster, if healthy, doesn’t win at least seven games. I think they’ll get to 10 and battle for a playoff spot.

The start of football season also means that summer ends, which is why I can’t really ever tell me teacher wife I am excited for my football season. She enjoys her summers home with Aubrey.

Baseball season is fun but it is long and drawn out. The Reds went on a six-game winning streak right about the time I thought things were going to be over for them.

Right now, they sit only 3.5 games out of a playoff spot so selling at the deadline appears to be something they won’t consider this year. It’s been five years since I have been able to type that.

I don’t think the Reds will go on some playoff run, but they are better than last year and that’s refreshing. They also get Scooter Gennett back this week and Alex Wood will make his Reds debut shortly after that.

So you never know what could happen. Baseball is a funny game. That’s what makes it interesting.

Now, to the NBA. The draft was last week and it needs a few tweaks.

I can’t believe someone hasn’t fixed the hat thing. Why make draftees where hats of teams they’ll never play for? I don’t care that trades aren’t official yet. It’s dumb, and it can be avoided.

Fix it, NBA. The draft would be so much better and easier to follow if you did.

Contact Troy Hyde at thyde@newtondailynews.com