By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Part of me wants Kirk Ferentz just to say that Alex Padilla will be Iowa’s starting quarterback against Illinois on Saturday, and that Spencer Petras will be the backup if he is healthy enough to play.

That would erase any doubt and we could allow us all to go on with living our lives.

Kirk Ferentz seemed to indicate at his weekly press conference on Tuesday that Padilla was being prepared to start against Illinois, but Ferentz stopped short of saying it for sure.

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, who is Kirk Ferentz’s son, then added to the uncertainty on Wednesday when updating the quarterback situation during a zoom conference with the media.

“No final decisions have been made,” Brian Ferentz said when asked who would start against Illinois.

This appears to be a situation in which Kirk Ferentz is purposely being evasive because he wants to create uncertainty and keep Illinois guessing and preparing for two quarterbacks whose playing styles are different.

And fair enough because that is certainly within Kirk Ferentz’s right, and within his power, and it makes sense from football standpoint.

If Kirk Ferentz thinks that playing cloak and dagger will give Iowa an edge on Saturday, then so be it and more power to him.

Part of Kirk Ferentz’s job as head coach is to create edges for Iowa that are within the rules, and there is no rule that says a Big Ten head coach has to announce his starting quarterback during the week leading up to a game.

It’s reasonable to assume that Padilla will start on Saturday, and that he already knows that he will start, and is preparing to be the starter.

The first question asked to Kirk Ferentz on Tuesday was about whether Petras would start on Saturday if he is healthy enough to play.

“We haven’t had that conversation,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Alex has been running with the 1s. We’re just trying to get Spencer back in the groove a little bit. He’s there mentally, obviously, and just working through some missed time.

“And he’s missed some throws he probably would make. We’ll see where it goes. We’re real comfortable with both guys.”

His comfort with both Padilla and Petras seems to be the message that Kirk Ferentz wants to convey more than any other heading into Saturday’s game.

And whatever message Kirk Ferentz wants out there, it is Brian Ferentz’s job to help spread that message.

It seems odd that there haven’t been any discussions about who would start at quarterback on Saturday, but maybe there has been some discussion, but Kirk Ferentz just doesn’t want the media to know.

And again, fair enough.

My belief is that Padilla already knows that he will start on the Saturday, and that Petras will be the backup.

Kirk Ferentz said Petras still was struggling with timing and accuracy on Tuesday, but a lot can change between Tuesday and Saturday.

“That’s probably the biggest thing he’s got to get back,” Kirk Ferentz said of Petras, who had started 17 straight games before missing the Minnesota game last Saturday. “A week ago, he couldn’t throw the ball down the field. It’s like a lot of medical things. It’s day-by-day. You never know what the timing is going to be for the response, how guys heal, that type of deal. Looks like his strength is good. It’s a matter of getting back in the groove a little bit.”

With Kirk Ferentz saying on Tuesday that Petras still was struggling with timing and accuracy, that seems even more reason to believe that Padilla will start against Illinois.

Brian Ferentz also didn’t say anything on Wednesday that would suggest otherwise.

You could argue that Padilla deserves to start against Illinois after leading Iowa to back-to-back victories.

If Padilla had struggled in those games, and if Iowa had lost either game, then it would make sense to start Petras on Saturday if he is healthy enough to play.

But Padilla performed well enough to have earned a chance to start against Illinois on Saturday, and even more so with Petras supposedly still trying to get back in the groove.

I wouldn’t be stunned if Petras starts on Saturday because Iowa is 13-4 in games that he has started, and because Kirk Ferentz is a big fan of Petras. Kirk Ferentz trusts and respects Petras, and Ferentz also admires how invested Petras is to Hawkeye football.

But common sense seems to suggest that Padilla will start because he deserves it under the circumstances.

Padilla is coming off two victories in which played well, while Petras still is recovering from an injury and didn’t play well in his last three starts.

It seems apparent that many Iowa fans would prefer that Padilla start on Saturday, and while that has no influence on Kirk Ferentz’s decision, nor should it, the fans will be out in force on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

.