Something Worth Noting About The Big Ten and Iowa's Schedule

by Adam Jacobi on Oct 21, 2009 11:37 AM CDT in Iowa Hawkeyes Football

Take a look at the most recent Power Poll from Rittenberg:

1. Iowa

2. Penn State

3. Ohio State

4. Michigan State

5. Wisconsin

6. Michigan

7. Minnesota

8. Northwestern

Tied-9. Purdue

Tied-9. Indiana

11. Illinois

By that measure (and, given the standings, it's hard to disagree with any of that), Iowa's BXI road teams are the top four possible opponents in the Big Ten this season. Then, if Purdue were in 10th place instead of tied for ninth--essentially a token promotion to mark their upset over jOSU--Iowa faces the next four toughest teams at home, and misses the worst two.

Say what you will about the strength of the Big Ten; it's not great this year. But Iowa's getting absolutely zero favors from their schedule: they're facing as many as ten teams in bowl contention (sorry, A-State and UNI), they get the toughest possible road matchups, and they're still undefeated thus far.

We're still wary, mind you; things fall apart, and tend to shatter when it comes to unheralded college football teams making a run at the big boys. But no matter what happens this season, nobody can say Iowa lucked out of any opponents; they're going to have to earn whatever they end up with. Sort of feels better that way, especially with how 2002 ended up.

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Look at the Bright Side

If you guys win out, you will have truly earned it. Unlike NU’s Rose Bowl runs when OSU was off the schedule.

by eleventy on Oct 21, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions

Would help with more than just a sense of having earned it

Also with something called the “Bowl Championship Series Formula.”

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Oct 22, 2009 9:17 PM CDT up reply actions

On the flip side...

…next year features a pretty easy home schedule, and a mediocre road schedule. Granted, we have to play at Michigan and Arizona, but I’ll take Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa State at home.

They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!

by recoveringfratguy on Oct 21, 2009 11:49 AM CDT reply actions

Not so much an easy home schedule

As an easier overall schedule because the Hawkeyes play all of the scariest teams in Iowa City. Of course, this season it seems like the Hawkeyes are playing better on the road, so maybe it’s a wash.

by The Mexican't on Oct 21, 2009 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions

I would rather play those teams at home than on the road (although that doesn’t seem to matter with Penn State). I think that would affect our S.O.S. if that had been the way our home scheduled shaped up this year.

They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!

by recoveringfratguy on Oct 21, 2009 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh, there's no doubt that the overall SoS will go down.

I was just saying that I don’t think the home schedule will be easy, per se. It’s definitely preferable to playing that same schedule on the road, though.

by The Mexican't on Oct 21, 2009 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions

In All Fairness

This season has demonstrated that no game is in fact “easy” (okay, Iowa State was, but it wasn’t supposed to be).

They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!

by recoveringfratguy on Oct 21, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Say what you will about the strength of the Big Ten; it’s not great this year. But Iowa’s getting absolutely zero favors from their schedule: they’re facing as many as ten teams in bowl contention (sorry, A-State and UNI), they get the toughest possible road matchups, and they’re still undefeated thus far.

Could it be that since the schedule is so difficult that it actually is doing Iowa a favor? We’ve all seen what happens when there’s an ‘easy game’. Iowa has been a team in recent years to fall victim to a ‘trap game’ – NU, Illinois (last year), Minnesota. Perhaps playing the hardest possible schedule keeps their attention and focus up. This is the hardest working Iowa team that I’ve ever seen (well, maybe 2000 at the end of the season) and the difficult schedule may have something to do with that.

I dunno, just a thought.

by Buddy Light on Oct 21, 2009 11:58 AM CDT reply actions

Good point Buddy.

You can tell from game to game this year that everyone is making adjustments to better their individual impact. Example, Stanzi throwing pick after pick, and the o-line and running game steps up and carries the load. The last couple games, the running game hasn’t been great, and Stanzi steps up. The same on defense.

KF and Co. are showing these kids, that if you put it all out on the field and play clean, hard nose football, you’ll get the greastest rewards in the end, no matter what the media or anyone else says about them.

"You don't become a Hawkeye fan, You're born with Black and Gold in your veins." - Me

by BStylin Hawkye on Oct 21, 2009 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions