ROSEMONT, Ill. - As Iowa's undefeated football team continues to win week after week in sometimes heart-stopping ways, its basketball coach has taken notice.

Excitement about a potentially undefeated season looms in Iowa City as the college football season is half over and the Hawkeyes, at 8-0, are one of the last teams without a loss.

"I love it," Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said. "Because Kirk Ferentz does things. He's a great coach, great program and he makes you proud to be a Hawkeye. I think our players appreciate the way they play, so there's definitely excitement and we just keep pulling for them. Keep playing. I just love their approach."

Ferentz has always been a coach who focused on the little, nitty-gritty things to be successful. His team doesn't always win pretty by scoring points in bunches, but through specific recruiting and good defense, Iowa is always competitive.

That's something Iowa's basketball program would love to be right now.

"I don't know that it helps as far as the way we're going to play or anything," Lickliter said. "Although it gives you a vision of what needs to be done, there's no question about that.

"If we could emulate their approach, I'd gladly do that."

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.