JON, what are we to expect from IOWA this year?

[PSUFAN]

PSU dispatched the Corn Eagles pretty easily last year...27-7. Given our struggles with Iowa over the years, I think this might be a much tighter matchup.

Thoughts?

[TheJON]

Well, the schedule sets up nicely for a Florida bowl run again but I thought the same thing last year. Right now it doesn't really matter who we play. To be honest, I'm less worried about a team like Penn State than I am Northwestern! Granted, we got pounded last year in Happy Valley but overall the last few years we've put up good efforts against quality teams and a lot of lackluster performances against the bad teams (ie Iowa State, Northwestern, Indiana).

It all comes down to leadership. It's something that's been lacking these last 2 years. And that's not a surprise considering all of the off the field incidents we've had. I've been saying it for 2 years......our true character has showed up on the field. There's no coincidence that when we were winning 10 games a year we weren't having run-ins with the law and when we're winning 6 games a year we have had numerous arrests and flunkouts.

Offensively, everything is in place to put up points if Jake can be more consistent. The OL has a lot of depth, experience and talent. We're deep at WR and we've got some proven playmakers there too. I look for a breakout year from Tony Moeaki at tight end as well. Shonn Greene returns at RB after flunking out a year ago and he's got unlimited potential. Depth at RB is a concern, however.

Defensively, it will be the most athletic front 7 Iowa has ever had. Our rush ends (Ballard and Claybourne) should have been starting last year as freshman but Ferentz has a major hardon for upperclassmen so they weren't. They had excellent FR years when they played. D-line could be the best in the Big-10. LB corps will be athletic, but inexperienced. Secondary is a big concern. There's a lot of unproven commodities in the secondary. The good news is we've never had good corners and we don't ask much of our corners so long as we get a good pass rush- and I expect Ballard and Claybourne to put a lot of pressure on the QB's.

Another concern is special teams. Brodell is back from injury and he's a solid punt returner but the last few years we just can't find a kick returner and all of a sudden we can't kick. This used to be an annual strength of Ferentz' teams and now it's a major weakness. We need to get that corrected this year.

To summarize, if we go 10-2 I won't be surprised. If we go 5-7 I won't be surprised. I've seen Ferentz take less talented teams to 10 win seasons so doing so isn't out of the question by any means, although outsiders might laugh at that. Of course, those same outsiders laughed at the thought of Iowa winning 10 games each of the 3 years we did it.

I will give you my Penn State prediction after week 3. Trust me, we're going to know if Iowa is a 9-10 win team after the Iowa State game or a 5 win team. If we don't show up for that game, it will show me nothing has changed. If we show up and lay the wood to them like we should, then I will guarantee you this football team wins a minimum of 8 games. I know you're thinking "dude, it's Iowa State, they suck....". But believe me, a convincing win over Iowa State will prove to me that they've got their swagger back and we've found some team leaders.

Anyone that tries to predict Iowa one way or another doesn't know what they're talking about. They have no basis for it. They're either biased or wrong. Not one person, myself included, could accurately predict a team like this because I don't know if anything has changed in the leadership department. If it has, I will GUARANTEE you without a doubt that only Ohio State (and maybe Penn State) will be a better team. If Ferentz doesn't get it turned around this year he will officially be on the hot seat and probably be forced to fire some coaches.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

To be honest, I'm less worried about a team like Penn State than I am Northwestern!

As an MSU fan, I'm in slight agreement. MSU has always had trouble stopping N'western's relentless spread attack, and for all their weaknesses, they always seem to have a more than capable qb at the helm. C.J. Bacher should do a lot of damage this year. If N'western had any D at all, they'd be a consistent bowl team, imo.

Anyone that tries to predict Iowa one way or another doesn't know what they're talking about. They have no basis for it. They're either biased or wrong.

Recent history tends to be a good indicator for what's to come. Of course Iowa could pull a 10-2 season out of their ass in '08, but it isn't bloody likely.

[TheJON]

Not true at all, Mgo....

1998- 3-8
1999- 1-10
2000- 3-9
2001- 7-5
2002- 11-2
2003- 10-3
2004- 10-2
2005- 7-5
2006- 6-7
2007- 6-6

Based on Iowa last 10 years, exactly what record would you predict if you're going by trends????

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

JON, I guess "recent history" has varying definitions. Personally, I'm not concerned with results from 02, 03, etc., because those players aren't around anymore. What happened in 07 is much more indicative of what's to come than what happened in 02.

[TheJON]

That's true, but trends don't always prove to be an indicator of how good a team will be.

Like I said, there's no way to project this team. Trends are meaningless when it comes to Iowa in '08. The only thing that matters is leadership. Can we find some team leaders? If so, we'll be good. If not, we won't. It's really that simple.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Even if we're going by the full 10-year benchmark you used, Iowa's odds of success don't look good. Only three seasons out of ten did Iowa put up impressive records - 02, 03, and 04. 70% of the time Iowa was very bad to slightly above average at best.

The only thing that matters is leadership. Can we find some team leaders? If so, we'll be good. If not, we won't. It's really that simple.

I can't doubt that, but predicting that Iowa will essentially finish 2nd in the Big Ten due to improved "team leadership" is no less ignorant than a "baseless Iowa prediction" from opposing fans. If Iowa garners more leadership, is that to say OTHER teams haven't improved? Is Iowa the only team capable of improving, and earning a better record as a result? Eh, short answer - not quite.

[TheJON]

My prediction for Iowa 2nd was more or less me being HOPEFUL that we will find that leadership.

I'm not saying there aren't other Big-10 teams that will improve, but I think the conference overall is very weak and if Iowa can find some leadership, I don't think 2nd or 3rd is unreasonable by any means.

I think Indiana and Minnesota will both be very bad teams. With Indiana losing Hardy and then having off the field issues with Kellen Lewis, I think they're in for a long season. And as long as Tim Brewster is at Minnesota, there's really no need to discuss them.

Then above them I think you have a Michigan squad that's just going to be brutal to watch this year and 4-6 wins is all they can hope for. Throw in Northwestern at this level too.

Above Michigan, you've got Iowa, Purdue, and Michigan State kinda lumped together. Out of those 3, the only team I can see having any shot of making a run at the Top 3-4 is Iowa. Purdue is coached by Joe Tiller, so forget that. And I think Michigan State is 1 year away from being very good. I can't see Sparty doing any better than 5-3 in conference this year.

Then you've got an Illinois team that has as much talent as anyone in the league except for tOSU. However, like I've always said.......you can keep giving Zook talent but he's always going to have a couple of games every year where his team lays an egg. And he can't beat Ferentz.

Then above that is an average Wisconsin team that plays yet another weak schedule and so they're pretty much guaranteed a minimum of 8-9 overall wins. Penn State, a better team than Wisconsin, has the ability to make a big run in the conference but probably not going to outdual Ohio State.

Then there is Ohio State, a team I believe will coast through the Big-10 season like Iowa did back in 2002.

I just don't see a lot of potential this year from many Big-10 teams. Michigan is 2 years away. Illinois is coached by Zook. Purdue is coached by Tiller. Michigan State is a year away. Penn State has potential but they too might be a year away from really being good. Wisconsin is just plain a fraud. And the rest of the conference doesn't really have much potential at all. That's just how I see it.

[M Club]

Then there is Ohio State, a team I believe will coast through the Big-10 season like Iowa did back in 2002.

interesting reference. i would have said osu will coast through the big ten like they did themselves in 2002 on their way to a national championship. but iowa works as well.

[King Crimson]

Then there is Ohio State, a team I believe will coast through the Big-10 season like Iowa did back in 2002.

interesting reference. i would have said osu will coast through the big ten like they did themselves in 2002 on their way to a national championship. but iowa works as well.

was 2002 the year Iowa got steak stealing, hukerbrad raped in the Orange Bowl by Carson Palmer and SC? i think it was. i saw that SC team against Colorado in Boulder and they dominated a pretty good CU team. i think by the end of the year (even though they lost to K-State, maybe?)...either tOSU or Miami would have had a hard time beating that team. they had Fargus, Polomalu, etc.

sure, it wasn't as brad as the OU-USC Orange Bowl....so, OK.

[TheJON]

Iowa coasted in 2002, tOSU escaped. Sure, both were 8-0 but Iowa did that with blowouts nearly every game and tOSU did that with grasping victory from the jaws of defeat. Winning in the final moments of basically every game is not "coasting". Having the game wrapped up by the 3rd quarter nearly every game (like Iowa did) is.

[TheJON]

King Crimson,

I've said it before and I'll say it again......2002 USC was the best team I've ever seen in person and that's saying a lot because I've seen a lot of national title winning or contending teams play throughout the years. I know they lost 2 games that year, but early in the year they were a struggling program just trying to get their swagger back and by the end of the year they were absolutely unstoppable. I remember going into the game I knew they were good, but I had no idea they were THAT good.

[King Crimson]

King Crimson,

I've said it before and I'll say it again......2002 USC was the best team I've ever seen in person and that's saying a lot because I've seen a lot of national title winning or contending teams play throughout the years. I know they lost 2 games that year, but early in the year they were a struggling program just trying to get their swagger back and by the end of the year they were absolutely unstoppable. I remember going into the game I knew they were good, but I had no idea they were THAT good.

I believe it. they were rolling at the end of year.

i can't compare to when i was younger and going to OU games in the late 70's and all through the 80's. i saw the Selmons and Billy Sims, Rozier, Elway, Lawrence Taylor....there some really fucking good OU and Nebraska teams in that time frame. but, i had CU season tix from 98 to 04 and that USC team was the best team i saw in person in that time frame by far. maybe close was one of Snyder's teams in terms of pure domination at the LOS, special teams plays, and overall making a pretty good CU look inept. CU couldn't even line up and run their plays by the late 2nd quarter. i think the score was 42-3. but was a world-class asskicking.

[M Club]

Iowa coasted in 2002, tOSU escaped. Sure, both were 8-0 but Iowa did that with blowouts nearly every game and tOSU did that with grasping victory from the jaws of defeat. Winning in the final moments of basically every game is not "coasting". Having the game wrapped up by the 3rd quarter nearly every game (like Iowa did) is.

like i said, iowa works, but i'm sure ohio state references its own history before iowa's flash in the pan.

osu 2006 was fairly impressive. maybe this year's version can cut through the big ten like that one did. granted, they had a close game against michigan, but that was a 1v2 matchup.

[TheJON]

I think 2006 Ohio State was probably the 2nd best team I've ever seen in person if not 1992 Miami or 1998 Ohio State. I remember 1998 was the year it looked like Cooper would actually get Ohio State over the hump and everything was in place until Sparty beat them the week before they played Iowa. I know Iowa was really bad that year, but I remember saying "how in the heck did Michigan State beat these guys?".

[M Club]

aside from 97 michigan, the best team i've seen in person was 2002 iowa. i would've seen the 2006 ohio state team during the michigan game but the michigan sid pulled my field pass for someone with actual influence. i was given the indiana game the week before as a consolation. they were not one of the better teams i've seen in person.

[TheJON]

Ouch. That is brutal. Reminds me of my 10th birthday (or was it my 11th) when I thought sure my dad was going to get me Mario 3 for my birthday but instead he got me that lame ass Mario 2 game that no one ever played because it was gay. I think I cried.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

And I think Michigan State is 1 year away from being very good.

I don't think there will be real high expectations from next year's MSU team. Great things are expected in 2-3 years once the 2009 recruits have had some solid experience. This 2009 class is shaping up to be top 10 caliber.

[PSUFAN]

I think the best team I've seen in person was the '83 Huskers in the inaugural Kickoff Classic. They ripped through a good PSU defense like they had tissue paper for tendons...we were one sad little PSU family.

I think Michigan is going to disappoint a lot of folks by not sucking. I just think that with all of the talent on that roster, DickRod is going to have a field day with gameplanning. It's tough to recruit and establish defensive depth at WVU, going back to the Nehlen years and beyond. DickRod's schemes will look a lot better with the talent they have in AA.

To me, no one is going to lay a glove on OSU. Tressel has his machine running...reloading at every position.

With the offensive lines that Ferentz builds, they always have a chance to step up. They've had some curiously bad play from their skill positions in the last couple of years. I guess we're going to have to see if they can get it together this year.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Best team I ever saw were the Cen Valley Cardinals:



They had robots for batters; hitting shots over the right and left field fence like a murderer's row of mini pre-programmed Josh Hamiltons. We lost that day 37-2 and that's when I dumped my entire roster and began building machines to replace my players.

~Schmick

[Goober McTuber]

Then above that is an average Wisconsin team that plays yet another weak schedule and so they're pretty much guaranteed a minimum of 8-9 overall wins.

One of which will certainly come at the expense of yet another mediocre Iowa team. Overall number is likely 10, if you include the bowl game.

[RumpleForeskin]

I'd say the '01 Miami team or the '95 Huskers team are the two best teams I've ever seen.

[TheJON]

Goober,

You should know better than to count your chickens before they hatch in this series. Say what you want about Iowa, but even the last couple of years we still were 1 play or 1 drive away from beating you. Had Jake put that throw on the money last year, we win. Had we not dropped 2 consecutive balls on that final drive 2 years ago, we very well may have pulled it out. So saying you'll "no doubt" beat Iowa this year is just plain silly. We've won what? 25 of the last 30? Something like that.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

JON, you've been summoned: http://www.theoneboard.com/board/viewto ... =2&t=28609" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's go time.

[Goober McTuber]

Goober,

You should know better than to count your chickens before they hatch in this series. Say what you want about Iowa, but even the last couple of years we still were 1 play or 1 drive away from beating you. Had Jake put that throw on the money last year, we win. Had we not dropped 2 consecutive balls on that final drive 2 years ago, we very well may have pulled it out.

And if your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle. Or in your inbred, corn-fed family she might be your dad.

[TheJON]

Hey, I'm just saying, a Wisconsin victory over Iowa isn't a lock like you're trying to lead on. That is all.

[Goober McTuber]

Hey, I'm just saying, a Wisconsin victory over Iowa isn't a lock like you're trying to lead on. That is all.

These aren’t Barry Alvarez’ Badgers. Bielema is undefeated against you guys.

[TheJON]

Right, because none of those players was recruited by Alvarez......

2 wins by the narrowest of outcomes in 2 years over 6 win Iowa teams. Congrats. Better mark this game off as a loss for the Hawks now that I think about it. We've only beaten Wisconsin about 90% of the time in the last 30 years or so.

[Goober McTuber]

We've only beaten Wisconsin about 90% of the time in the last 30 years or so.

Link?

[TheJON]

Shit, I'm not looking that crap up. I was exaggerating anyways. We're something like 19-7 vs Wisconsin since 1980. Hell if I know the exact numbers. Don't particularly care what the actual record is.

[Goober McTuber]

Not true at all, Mgo....

1998- 3-8
1999- 1-10
2000- 3-9
2001- 7-5
2002- 11-2
2003- 10-3
2004- 10-2
2005- 7-5
2006- 6-7
2007- 6-6

Based on Iowa last 10 years, exactly what record would you predict if you're going by trends????

Shit, I'm not looking that crap up. I was exaggerating anyways. We're something like 19-7 vs Wisconsin since 1980. Hell if I know the exact numbers. Don't particularly care what the actual record is.

Based on the last 10 years, Badgers are 6-4 against Iowa. The 1980s? Criminy, that includes the Don Morton era. Deal with the present, cornpone. Badgers will own you.

[TheJON]

Iowa is 4-2 vs Wisconsin in the last 6 years. See how easy it is to spin it in such a way that helps fit your argument???

Badgers will never own Iowa, cowfucker....

You know it, I know it, Brett Bielema's Hawkeye tattoo knows it.....

[Goober McTuber]

Iowa is 4-2 vs Wisconsin in the last 6 years. See how easy it is to spin it in such a way that helps fit your argument???

Yeah, that's what I was getting at, you fucking tool. We will pound your motley collection of rapists and ne'r-do-wells into the dirt.

[SunCoastSooner]

Does anyone else see the humor in watching two fans of teams that perennially are playing for third place in their conference acting like this about 8-4 and 9-3 seasons?

[Goober McTuber]

I'm sorry. Are you not allowed to troll in this forum?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Does anyone else see the humor in watching two fans of teams that perennially are playing for third place in their conference acting like this about 8-4 and 9-3 seasons?

Not really. I'd kill for a 9-3 season. Freaking spoiled sooners.

[TheJON]

I'd kill for a time machine so I could go back to 1999 and show our AD videotape evidence of why Bob Stoops is a better hire than Kirk Ferentz and then instead of dicking around he'd just offer Stoops the job and he'd be our coach.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

You guys should probably start focusing more on controlling your prison inmates you call football players before you worry too much more about football games. Jesus, your program is a disgrace right now.

[TheJON]

I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, things have taken a turn for the worse over the last couple of years on and off the field. This offseason has been very quiet in terms of arrests (save for a backup DB that got tanked and ran inside the Pita Pit to avoid the cops and somehow ended up removing all of his clothes). I think that's the only arrest we've had since last year. And no one to my knowledge flunked out. So things have improved. We've gotten rid of the bad apples and now hopefully we can focus on football specifically.

Florida State, Alabama, and others have had a lot more issues than Iowa in recent years. Now, that doesn't make what's gone on in Iowa City okay but we're not the only one. And like I said, it seems to me that we're getting the problems solved by removing the problem athletes.

[minorthreat]

Was 2002 the year Seneca made you guys his bitch in Kinnick?