Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face off against the Maryland Terrapins this weekend in their second to last regular season game of the year.

Ahead of this week’s game, Iowa holds a 6-4 record. They have had a couple of very disappointing losses over their last four outings. Losing to Maryland would simply compound upon what has already been a rough all-around stretch of games.

Unfortunately, heading into this week’s matchup, the Hawkeyes have made a horrible decision.

As most fans know, quarterback Brendan Sullivan has been lost for the season due to injury. That led to a new starting quarterback being need this week.

Ferentz and Iowa opted to turn back to Cade McNamara as their starting quarterback.

That decision is a bad one. McNamara has played poorly all season long and fans were desperately hoping for a change away from him long before the decision was actually made.

Why is the decision to revert back to starting McNamara a big mistake?

Jackson Stratton, the team’s sophomore quarterback, has shown the ability to throw the football well in very limited time. He also has a legitimate chance to be the team’s starter for the next two years.

Going back to McNamara does absolutely nothing for the program. He will be leaving following the 2024 season and has shown nothing on the field to warrant playing time. Seeing what the Hawkeyes have in Stratton is a major need and getting him valuable playing time could help him succeed in 2025.

Stratton has received very little playing time. Last week, he completed three of his six pass attempts against UCLA for 28 yards. On the ground, he chipped in a 14-yard run.

Those numbers should have made Iowa give him a chance. At the very least, they could confirm or deny that he’s capable of being the starter next season.

Giving the starting job back to McNamara only guarantees one thing. Fans are about to see more missed passes, frustrating decisions, and a lack of an ability to move the football through the air.

Dozens of firefighters utilized boats and a helicopter while battling a Monday morning blaze along the Potomac River.

Officials said someone in Virginia initially spotted the smoke, which was coming from a large, rotted tree on Rocky Island in Montgomery County near Great Falls. 

They aren’t sure how the fire started but said the large response was in part due to dry conditions, with low humidity and wind.

“It took hours and hours for them to cut it up and put the fire completely out,” said Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service Public Information Officer Pete Piringer, who added that those same conditions are why a statewide burn ban remains in effect in Maryland.

Piringer also said that just in Montgomery County, firefighters have responded to about 150 outside fires since October 1.

“Fires spread very quickly when the conditions are like this,” he explained.

As a result, officials are urging the public to remain vigilant, saying that when it comes to fire danger, the region’s recent rain has helped – but it’s still not enough.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley told President Joe Biden on Monday that he was resigning as head of the U.S. Social Security Administration to run for office with the hopes of leading the Democratic National Committee.

O’Malley, 61, announced his candidacy in an interview with the New York Times and emphasized the need to connect with voters through a broad and unifying vision.

“We must connect our Party with the most important place in America — the kitchen table of every family’s home,” O’Malley said in a post on social media. “Jobs, Opportunity, and Economic Security for all. Getting things done. Hope. A 50-state strategy. Now.”

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O’Malley is the first candidate to openly seek the DNC leadership spot as the party tries to reshape itself after the 2024 presidential loss and Republicans’ takeover of both chambers of Congress.

With outgoing chair Jaime Harrison not seeking another term, the new DNC leader will face significant challenges, including mending internal divisions, revamping electoral strategies and preparing for the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential race.

O’Malley’s campaign is focused on showcasing his executive experience and his record on progressive policies and grassroots organizing. He previously chaired the Democratic Governors Association and, more recently, served as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The former governor plans to step down from his current role on Nov. 29.

“We face enormous challenges and a lot of soul-searching,” O Malley said in his interview with The Times. “We need to focus on fixing the problem and not the blame.”

The race for DNC chair is expected to draw a competitive field of candidates. Other contenders include Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler; Minnesota Democratic party chief Ken Martin; close Biden aide Mitch Landrieu, also a former New Orleans mayor; and Sen. Laphonza Butler of California, who was appointed to fill the seat of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2023 and chose not to run for a full term this year, according to Reuters.

Harrison, whose tenure has faced criticism after Vice President Kamala Harris’ decisive defeat by President-elect Donald Trump, is expected to address the party’s future direction in the coming weeks.

USA TODAY’s Cooper Allen, Riley Beggin, Michael Collins, Joey Garrison, David Jackson, and Ariana Triggs; USA TODAY network’s Susan Tompor and Reuters contributed to the reporting of this storyJeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow