Where I Come From: Expectations for 2010
by Patrick Vint on Jul 12, 2010 2:30 PM CDT
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Think back to this time last year: Iowa finished the 2008 campaign on a roll, winning its last four games to finish 9-4, with victories over then-#3 Penn State and SEC also-ran South Carolina. For the first time in a long while, there was optimism in Iowa City, and yet there were holes to fill at halfback and defensive tackle and a brutal schedule to negotiate. In fact, given the number of juniors-to-be in starting spots and the vicious road slate, 2010 began looking like the breakout season even back then: During a discussion of how we were going to approach 2009, Jacobi and I had the following discussion:
HS: Would it be out of line to write a 2010 preview right now?
OPS: Because all the returning players and the schedule mean we could make a run at the Rose Bowl?
HS: Yeah.
OPS: Absolutely not.
Like so many things we discuss, that preview was engulfed by other events, like Jewel Hampton's knee exploding, and never made it to the Internets. But now it's July 2010, and we're a mere 55 days from the opening kick, and expectations are exactly where we thought they would be: Astronomical. Last week, Bob Bruce (not that Bob Bruce), who has covered this team for eons, said that he can't remember a more anticipated season. Save for possibly 2005, where Iowa had three consecutive top 10 finishes and a returning quarterback, no Iowa season in the Ferentz era has had the hype of 2010. And that should scare you.
There are things we can learn from that 2005 season, because the parallels are eerie. That year, Iowa returned a significant chunk of their top talent -- including a starting quarterback, a couple of halfbacks who missed chunks of the previous year with injuries, and the vast majority of a decorated defensive front seven -- from a team that finished 10-2 the prior season. That 2004 team went 5-0 in games decided by 7 points or less, including Tate to Holloway in the season-concluding Citrus Bowl. Iowa's 2005 schedule looked easier, as well; while the Hawkeyes were adding games at Columbus and the onetime Little Shop of Horrors that is Ames, a Big Ten schedule reset replaced Penn State and Michigan State with Indiana and Northwestern and brought Michigan to Kinnick Stadium. The bloom came off the rose early, though, with a humiliating loss at Iowa State and a beatdown from the Buckeyes on the board before September ended. That year was followed by a wholesale defection of talent to the NFL, which led to the lean years. Let's not talk about the lean years.
This season, the case can be made for Iowa as a preseason top 5 team: Tons of returning talent, including America's quarterback, a halfback who missed 2009 with a torn ACL, and nearly all the defensive front seven, and the schedule flip brings OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa State to Iowa City. It sets up perfectly for a run by a team that won 11 games last season on the back of a stifling defense and an offense largely built with paper clips and duct tape. And yet, the prior year's string of cardiac arrest-inducing wins is ripe for correction, and the few holes that exist were previously filled by NFL-level talent. The red flags are there. Observe and adjust accordingly.
Iowa is best when coming from nowhere, and while they'll likely be ranked in the preseason top 15, they're not the Big Ten frontrunner. Ohio State may well start the year atop the polls. Wisconsin returns virtually everyone from a team that beat Miami to close out 2009. Penn State is one quarterback away from returning to the top of the conference. Rumors of Michigan's demise may be greatly exaggerated. These are giant anvils poised to drop on us this fall; to meet the otherworldly expectations, Iowa must avoid them all. We keep saying that is unlikely, if only to keep ourselves from flying too close to the sun, but the fact is it's never been more likely that Iowa could run the table. We're not expecting it, but we won't be shocked if it were to happen. That's as good as expectations in Iowa City can get, and that's where we sit with 55 days to go.
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Hopefully the coaching staff remembers the '05 season,
And has come up with a solution. With that being said, let the fingernail chewing and the pacing begin.( It’s like my own personal pre-season work out.)
Who's leg do I have to hump to get a drink around here?-Brian
I don't think the coaches will ever forget that.
It’s just a matter of how well they can communicate those lessons to the team. Or more accurately, how well/how willingly the team accepts the lesson. I actually feel pretty good about it.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not sure coaching matters as much
as luck. Some seasons you get the breaks (2009), some you don’t (2008). Either season is easily flipped by a very few fortunate or unfortunate plays. Sure, you make your own luck by being good, but 8-4 and 10-2 (or even 8-4 or 12-0 which we could have been in 2008) are pretty much the same caliber team with a couple different breaks, sometimes as few as 2-3 plays.
So wherever the luck wheel turns is where we get overreaction from either side. Hopefully if it turns poorly we don’t have people calling for Ferentz’s head again (yeah, that happened. The idiots)
I spent half my life's earnings on wine, women & song. The other half I wasted.
by therealCatnuts on Jul 12, 2010 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
But to a point,
doesn’t skill help create some luck?
Who's leg do I have to hump to get a drink around here?-Brian
I would go so far as to say there is no luck in football
Or at least that all luck is created by execution, capitalizing on match-up advantages, miscues from the opposition, and opportunities to score, and by talent and skill.
Case(s) in point:
2008
vs.Pitt- Pitt wins largely because of poor execution from the Iowa offense, particularly at QB.
vs. Northwestern- jnw wins on Iowa turnovers
vs. Michigan St- MSU LB makes a great stop on Iowa’s All-American running back on 4th and short.
vs. Illinois- Turnovers and missed opportunities by Iowa leads to Illinois building a big lead, and soft defense allows Illini to drive for the winning FG
2008 and 2009
vs. Penn St.- poor execution by PSU and good execution by Iowa down the stretch leads to Iowa coming from behind in the 4th quarters of both games for wins
2009
The whole season- Iowa did just enough of all of the above to notch a huge season.
by shada's revenge on Jul 12, 2010 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Determinism much?
You’re remembering the final outcomes and making the games themselves fit your predetermined storyline…
I spent half my life's earnings on wine, women & song. The other half I wasted.
by therealCatnuts on Jul 12, 2010 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions
I couldn't, respectfully, disagree more
I think sports outcomes largely come from luck. Football especially because it’s arguably one of the ultimate team sports.
Sports analysts will never say this, though.
Regarding luck.
It probably helps if you decide whether turnovers = luck. For instance, Iowa State fans might say “we were lucky that God gave us 9 turnovers against Nebraska” and NU fans might say “we really sucked that day.”
Obviously, I would say that weird bounces are luck. Maybe bad refereeing is luck (because you hope neither side can control it). I’m not sure what else could definitely be considered that. Maybe weather/turf conditions?
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions
This might be as close to it as you get
The 2004 and 2005 seasons, respectively, are illustrative of good luck Iowa and bad luck Iowa. For as food as the defense was, and explosive as the offense could be, there were a number of times during the 2004 season where Iowa needed, and got, a lucky break to survive be it a penalty or miscue by the other team. In 2005, the pendulum swung the other way and was often undone by bad luck (horrible officiating in the Michigan game, amazing execution and stupid mental breakdowns versus jNWU, and the clusterfuck of all of the above that was the Outback Bowl). I’m not sure last season was as much about luck as 2004, so I’m hoping that the karmic balance won’t have to be reset at Iowa’s expense this season.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
by HoyaGoon on Jul 12, 2010 8:01 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
No luck in football?
Sash’s pinball INT TD that bounced off 4 people would beg to differ. Yes, skill and coaching put him in the right spot, but to say that bouncing ball was anything but luck is ludacris.
Luck is a part of the game. Without some element of luck, there would be very few, if any, upsets in sports. To me, luck makes sports more fun.
by HeroPatriotStanzi on Jul 12, 2010 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions
The ball bouncing off 4 people is physics.
Sash being in the right place and having the reflexes and skill to catch the ball and run with it after it ricocheted was skill.
There are things that are largely unpredictable, but the fact that their outcome cannot be easily determined does not necessitate that the outcome is predetermined to be advantageous or disadvantageous (i.e. good/bad luck), as determined by the whims of some external supernatural force.
Crazy, unpredictable things happen in sports, where you have 22 guys on a field running around chasing an oblong ball. Whoever is prepared better and has better-honed skills will come out ahead. You may call that luck or providence. You may be wrong.
Brunettes not fighter jets
Call it extremely low probability then
I’ll call it luck
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Jul 14, 2010 8:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Some might call it luck
but I, I would call it luck I guess, so what?
/happy gilmore’d
"You don't become a Hawkeye fan, You're born with Black and Gold in your veins." - Me
by BStylin Hawkye on Jul 14, 2010 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions
2008
Michigan State game. I disagree somewhat, in that that fourth down play hinged on Brett Morse’s missed block going through the hole (if I remember…it was a while back). Upside? He hasn’t missed a crucial block (or any noticeable block) since.
Me gustan los estados unidos.
About those idiots
I struggle to imagine a scenario where people with any sort of brain call for Ferentz’s head in the next 5 years, short of the City Boyz/Pierre Pierce type of complete lack of discipline. Would 3 consecutive 2-10 years do it? I doubt it, actually.
I’m pretty comfortable saying that there isn’t a single college coach I would rather have than Ferentz.
Post this on your fridge for 5 years
by Duez I say on Jul 12, 2010 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
@ benvious
I wish this were true. However, if coaches like Phil Fulmer at UT, or Lloyd Carr at Michigan, or John Cooper at OSU can be “forced out,” then surely two or three years of really bad football (2-10) would do it at Iowa.
Part of it would involve whether or not things were looking at all like they could swing back upward (recruiting, fan support, etc). Unfortunately, Iowa doesn’t usually successfully recruit the elite recruits that would allow an Athletic Director to say “surely we will be at least .500 next year.”
And, also unfortunately, I think if Iowa underwent a couple real down years, the attendance would drop back to 45k to 65k per game, donations would be down, and some fans would be all sorts of riled up on the Internets and other forums.
On the other hand, I can only think up about 5 or 10 coaches who could have pulled off the turnaround that Ferentz orchestrated at Iowa (maybe Saban, Meyer, Tressel, B Stoops, Mack Brown, Pete Carroll?, and maybe a few others). Maybe those 5 or 10 coaches make two BCS bowl games in the last few years, or maybe not. But it would not have been as enjoyable with a jerk like Saban, or the arrogance of Urban. So yes, we Hawk fans should be grateful that we have had Ferentz for a dozen years and beyond.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions
A couple of things
I don’t think that Iowa fans and boosters have the same quick trigger finger as TN, MI, OSU, and Auburn. It’s not an apples to apples comparison.
Also, I doubt that B Stoops, Mack Brown, or Carroll could have done what Ferentz did. All three of them win mostly on talent and recruiting, and I’m not sold on them being able to do what Ferentz and co. have done in the development department. Also, those three have massive geographic recruiting advantages in SoCal and TX and I doubt they could have gotten that talent to IC. Saban maybe, Meyer maayyyybe, and Tressel probably. But Saban and Meyer would have bolted after 2002 or 2004 and wouldn’t have achieved the recent turnaround.
by PackerHawk on Jul 13, 2010 4:33 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
The program Iowa really most resembles is PSU — but I’m thinking about staff continuity in this case. The Brewsters and Zookers are on thin ice for the losing, sure, but their staffs are in constant turmoil in attempts to turn down the heat on the head coach. In Kirk’s early losing years, he never resorted to that. He’s a pretty unique fellow in this profession.
The distinction with the Punkies and the Zookers is
That those coaches are. Not. Good. Coaches. They pull a decent (or good-to-great, a la 2007 Rose Bowl) season out of some dark crevice of their ass once in a great, great while, and then relapse into 2-10 or 6-7. The Ferentzes of the world come into a godawful, generally middling program (sorry, but the late nineties sucked) and with underrated, good talent and a solid, dependable, consistent and constant staff, establish an average-to-good program, with holy-Christ-awesome seasons thrown in for good measure.
Me gustan los estados unidos.
@ PackerHawk
Regarding other coaches doing big things at Iowa. That is why I put “maybe” before the lists of coaches.
Who knows what those guys would have done at Iowa. Some might have fallen on their faces.
You are very correct that Carroll and Brown have big recruiting advantages. I think Tressel has a pretty nice recruiting base, also.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 13, 2010 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions
One thing we have in 2010...
that should be favorable to 2005 is our QB. While Tate may have been a bit tougher (to the point of getting his bell rung), I don’t think Stanzi will ever throw his helmet in anger, or bitch out an OL, or call out Ken O’Keefe for his glacial pace at getting the play in.
And so, if the other players take Stanzi’s example, and “love” being a Hawkeye rather than “leave” in anger, we should be much better as a team.
Here are some interesting side notes, now that I have bad-mouthed Drew Tate. Some key players’ stats from 2005 that make me find it amazing that it didn’t translate into more wins:
Tate: 219/352, 22 TDs, 7 Int, Rating of 146.
Albert Young: 1334 yds on 249 carries (5.4 avg), 8 TDs.
Damian Sims: 296 yds on 30 carries, (9.9 avg), 4 TDs.
Clinton Solomon: 46 catches for 800 yds, 7 TDs.
Ed Hinkle: 40 catches for 518 yds, 7 TDs.
Of course, the defense gave up 20 points per game (including 21 to UNI?) and we lost to the best teams on our schedule (except Wisconsin).
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions
That 2005 team won against some soft defenses/teams
Illinois 2-9
Ind. 4-7
Ball St 4-7
Purdue 5-6
Minn 7-5
Wisc. 10-3 (this is one of the worst 10 win teams in Big Ten history)
UNI is not inlcuded as they are a minor league team.
Losses*:
Iowa State 7-5
jNW 7-5
Michigan 7-5
*If these teams lose to Iowa they are all .500 teams.
Other losses:
Ohio State demolished Iowa.
Florida 9-3 (coached by R. Zook…just think that through)
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Had to bring that up...
I really don’t want there to be a repeat. God, that would be mind bottling.
A Voice From Kinnick - A Hawkeye Blog
Jars would also be bad.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 7:12 PM CDT up reply actions
2005 was a strange year.
As bad as the ISU and OSU losses were, it’s easy to forget that Iowa was one overtime loss (in a game many feel was as terribly officated as any they’ve seen), and one recovered onside kick away from sharing a THIRD Big Ten title in four years.
Iowa’s offensive statistics were gaudy that year, although that team did have a bad habit of not making the big play when they absolutely had to have it (kind of the anti-2009, maybe it’s a reflection on Tate’s demeanor, I don’t know). One or two more made offensive plays in the 2nd half of either the Michigan or jNW contests and it’s a 7-1 conference mark yet again.
When reflecting on Iowa’s seasons over the last decade, some are easy to catgorize (2002, 2004, 2009 = good, 2006 and 2007 = bad). I never know, however, quite how to feel about 2005.
Can't wait for this year...
Been chomping at the bit since the Orange Bowl for the season to start…top that with as bad as the Cubs have been this summer and I can’t wait!
I really hope that can handle the hype though. I’m coming back for the Wiscy game. Should be a fun ride all fall!
You will never move forward by looking back....
by By Santo's Grace on Jul 12, 2010 4:43 PM CDT reply actions
Doesn't matter
because in about 7 hours i’m gonna start simulating my own expectations. LIke Ricky throwing for 5k yds and 55 TD’s and Iowa beating Alabama 77-10 in the NC. Ah NCAA ‘11 how i’ve waited for you so.
by Pain in the Sash on Jul 12, 2010 4:50 PM CDT reply actions
Dude, that's just fucking retarded.
No way ’Bama puts up 10 points.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 5:26 PM CDT up reply actions
that's when i get bored
and super sim. good call though.
by Pain in the Sash on Jul 13, 2010 12:29 AM CDT up reply actions
Big difference between 2005 and 2010?
2005 had four new starters on the defensive line, including the never-healthy Kenny Iwebema and the woefully undersized Mitch King and Matt Kroul. 2009 has four returning starters on the defensive line (well, in theory… eventually… if they stop attacking cabbies and/or picking up DUIs), all of whom are battle-tested, Big Ten-sized, and ready to maul. The last time we had a defensive line with this much talent and experience was probably 2004… and that was one beast of a defense.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I would like to submit for consideration...
The WR difference. The receivers in ’05 were, to be as polite as possible, not quite as talented as the ones this year. Tate hit his receivers far mare often than they were caught.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 12, 2010 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Not that much of a difference if you ask me
Solomon and Hinkel weren’t spectacular, but they were reliable and as valuable as any we have ever had.
Now, Herb “Alligator Hands” Grigsby was a different story
Receivers
In 2005, Solomon and Hinkel were seniors. Brodell was a RS Frosh, Grigsby was a RS soph, Scott Chandler was a jr, Moeaki was a true frosh, Melloy was a senior, Calvin Davis was a junior.
I think in 2010, we are at least as talented at WR and TE, and probably more experienced overall.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
He sure threw at Chandler and Grigsby alot...
Melloy was mainly special teams IIRC, Brodell and Moeaki were both new. Solomon and Hinkel were both good stuff. Are those guys as good as DJK, Sandeman, Reisner, and McNutt? I don’t know about that. Especially with Grigsby and “Drop the easy ones” Chandler. We’ll have to see how Davis progresses this year too. But I’m thinking the clear edge for the ’10 bunch so far.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 12, 2010 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Moeaki didn't show up until 2006.
Chandler had his issues, but he was still very productive. I like Reisner, but his track record isn’t equivalent to Chandler’s – yet. And as for the receivers…
Hinkel (2004): 63-744-7
HInkel (2005): 40-518-7 (missed 3 games in the middle of the season, too)
Solomon (2004): 58-905-6
Solomon (2005): 46-800-7
Chandler (2004): 24-324-2
Chandler (2005): 47-552-2
DJK (2009): 45-750-2
McNutt (2009): 34-674-8
Reisner (2009): 14-143-1 (11-200-1 in 08)
Maybe Chandler can put up numbers equal to Chandler’s ‘05 numbers – he won’t be competing against Moeaki and Myers for catches this year and he’ll be the undisputed #1 option at TE. Stil, Chandler was pretty damn productive.
And Hinkel and Solomon were very productive in 04 and 05; the 04 numbers are inflated a bit because of the shift towards more passing that year, but they were excellent again in 05 when Iowa had a more balanced offense. I like DJK and McNutt a lot, but I don’t think they’re a clear upgrade from Hinkel/Solomon — they’re pretty close, if not an advantage for Hinkel/Solomon.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
DJK & McNut
Are bigger, faster, more athletic and more of a deep threat than both Solomon and Hinkel. Can’t argue with Solomon’s and Hinkel’s production. Both were a great 1-2 punch. I think both DJK and McNut are two of the finest receiver we have ever had. My vote goes to “get with the program” and McNut “in yo mouth, not in yo hand.”
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride." HST
by Dip-Shit on Jul 12, 2010 8:58 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
@ Ross
Your comments here were excellent.
However, according to the hawkeyefootball.com, Moeaki did play in 2005 (I think he got a medical redshirt for 2007?)
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/moeaki_tony01.html
And you are definitely correct that Reisner is no Chandler, yet. I am hoping he blossoms this year, but we will all find out.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm going to bet on Reisner bettering those numbers....
Because I haven’t seen him repeatedly whiff on passes that hit him right between the numbers. He may get a case of the yips and prove me wrong, but I think he’ll outperform Chandler.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 12, 2010 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed.
I’ve always thought Chandler was a bit overrated. Great blocker, meh pass catcher (don’t care what the stats say, that was simply my impression), meh toughness. Not saying he was bad by any stretch of the imagination, I was just never in awe of his abilities (or more accurately, his use thereof).
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 10:34 PM CDT up reply actions
DJK and McNutt are a great tandem
But there’s no denying that Solomon is a better deep threat and Hinkel was more sure handed than our current pair. Just look at the numbers.
by The Mexican't on Jul 13, 2010 7:37 AM CDT up reply actions
+1
I was just about to write this exact thing. 2005 only had 2-3 of its front 7 coming back, can’t remember if Miles started in 2004. This year we have 5 of our front 7 coming back. If the OL plays well and Stanzi develops, we are going to be a very good team.
by houksyndrome on Jul 13, 2010 2:31 AM CDT up reply actions
No, George Lewis was the other LB in 04, I think.
Alongside the beloved Hodge/Greenway tandem.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
Lewis had more tackles...
but both Miles and Lewis played in all 12 games. Let’s call Lewis the starter.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 13, 2010 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
This year frightens me
Being a Hawkeye fan has taught me to temper my optimism, to keep my expectations in check. This year has all the preseason indications of something special, but the status of the offensive line is questionable, we’ll have a couple of guys out for early game suspensions, and, of course, we simply don’t know how the players will react to this sort of pressure.
Typically, we’re a team that does better when we’re under-ranked and overlooked. We don’t blow out teams, we play solid and plan to win late, which is a great formula, but does lend itself to a couple of losses. This part makes me nervous, there were just too many close wins last year.
If we win at Arizona, especially if we win big, the expectations are going to skyrocket. But there are a lot of games that worry me right now.
It never gets to be easy
(just)Iowa's Expectations for this year should be...
Another loss to Northwestern. We own the Hawkeyes!
Why don’t you park our cars or something. And don’t forget: no livestock allowed in Evanston guys.
But we could always use a good meter maid. WE OWN YOU
Where you alive before 1995?
If not, there is a history, and you should look it up. Then, shut up.
Or, you can give us some crap when you actually win a bowl game. Because 1948 called, and they said they are tired of being the only bowl win in the history of your program.
http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Northwestern.htm
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jul 12, 2010 7:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Eh, let him have his fun.
We don’t have much of a leg to stand on anyway. Let his screech.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions
By which I mean "let HIM" screech.
Stupid typing fingers are stupid.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 7:37 PM CDT up reply actions
As a Northwestern fan more than 15 years old
I’ll say that Iowa is a game we look forward to every year. The hawks are always a very tough team. I really hope that this years game does not have an Iowa player injured in the process. I like hard hitting clean football. Good luck in non conference play guys!
by LincolnParkWildcat on Jul 12, 2010 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Let's Feed The Troll
You lost Kafka & Wooten and are unlikely to take out the QB two years in a row.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
In all fairness
they took out the RB one year, not the QB. Clearly, Clayborne will be their target this year. Good luck with that.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Jul 12, 2010 8:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I want to beat you without anyone getting injured
It’s never a good sign when a player goes down to injury on either side
by LincolnParkWildcat on Jul 12, 2010 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions
no livestock except your cheerleaders
I mean, seriously.
Cut them some slack
A real cheerleader getting a degree from Northwestern? Somebody’s been doing extra credit.
Me gustan los estados unidos.
My concerns are many, but manageable.
For example, while I like our RBs they are far from special and collectively come with all kinds of question marks. Remember, last year Iowa was almost dead last in rushing in the conferece. Ask yourself this question, if you knew Purdue (or any team in the B10 really) was returning three fresmen (one off a knee injury) and was ranked next to last in rushing the previous season and also just lost all but two starters on the O-line, would you think twice about Purdue’s rushing offense? No. Not even.
I have a concern about leadership. This concerns me right now more than the O-line, more than the CBs, more than the RBs, and even more than Norm Parker’s health. Last year this team had some very good leadership in all the right places. I think this year we have two really, really big time leaders in Stanzi and Clayborn, but after that it drops off a cliff. Is Vandervelde going to be the O-line leader (please see any video of Reiff on the off chance you were thinking he would take on a leadership role…not bloody likely)?
I am concerned about Murray, and thus I am concerned about our kicking game. I don’t trust Murray. I don’t trust the coaching staff to make the correct move (IMO) and start Mossbrucker. I think Murray has the kind of self-esteem where if he lost this job going into the fall and then was needed to come in mid-season, he would be fine. I don’t know if the reverse is true. Besides, I think Mossbrucker has more upside and is much more reliable.
I am concerned with depth across the defense and particularly at DB.
I am concerned with the rhetoric that Iowa can only win when they are below the corn rows. This notion that Iowa cannot handle great expectations drives me a bit batty and fit channels that classic Groucho Marx quote aout unworthiness made famous by Woody Allen in Annie Hall (“I would never join a club that would have a person like me as a member”).Please, Kirk Ferentz is not the same dude he was in 2005. Not even close. And Ricky Stanzi is not Drew Tate, who for my money is up there as one of Iowa’s most overrated QB’s of all-time while Stanzi is one of it’s most underrated. Clayborn is not Matt Roth… Clayborn is the defensive end version of Warren Sapp (when at Miami). Finally, two words: Koulianos and McNutt…pick your poison and then we’ll send out Reisner and Wegher and our third WR — who will be about as good as Iowa puts out there in any other year.
Concerned…but manageable.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Oh, and last year's team
beat two 11 game winners, a 10 game winner, and 9 bowl teams. So that usually leads to a few expectations when you return most of THAT team.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
And went overtime against a third 11 game winner...on the road...with a back-up RS frosh. Just sayin.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
This pretty much mirrors my own concerns too
…and my “but on the bright side” thoughts about them.
Leadership-wise, I think we’ll be ok. I think we’ll see somebody step up that we don’t know about yet, at least in terms of knowing about them in that capacity (James Ferentz? Tarp? Wegher? Hunter?).
I think the relative inexperience in the RB corps and the “Iowa can only win as the overlooked underdog” notion plays to our favor. The RBs will be better, stronger, more experienced, and one of the three will emerge as a big-time threat. And like you said, KF is not the same KF he was in 2005, and I think the high expectations will be well-managed by both staff and players. I think these kids feed off of Stanzi’s icewater blood and the leadership that attitude inherently provides. And, I think he (and by extension, they) have a much healthier relationship with the game itself than the 2005 team did. This team really seems to have fun out there, and seems to have a unique ability to maintain true perspective (lookin’ at you, Princess Jenna). I don’t know that I’d call Drew overrated, necessarily, but I think this team feels like they’re allowed to have fun a lot more than the 2005 team did, maybe, and to stay loose and just go play ball. You know?
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 10:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not sure if it's this team is being allowed to have fun....
Or having fun doing what they’re allowed to. A subtle difference, yes. But the vibe with last years team was different. The ‘05 team was…..brittle? Hard on the outside, but if hit hard enough it would crack. Last year’s team really reflected Stanzi. People talk about QBs needing a short memory, I think he really has it. Stanziball? So fuckin what. We’ll get more. Just doesn’t seem to matter what happens. I saw one writer use the word implacable to describe them. I thought it was extremely apt.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 12, 2010 10:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, exactly - well-said.
A good distinction, and I agree.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 12, 2010 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions
This
Stanziball? So fuckin what. We’ll get more. Just doesn’t seem to matter what happens.
is more important than how the O-Line molds, Hampton’s knee, and just about anything else IMO. The never-say-die attitude absolutely has to continue as it did last year. I think it will. And goddamn does that give me goosebumps.
A couple of thoughts here
1. This group seems more cohesive than the 2005 group. Fiery Tate only works if the team responds, and after a while, that team didn’t. While leadership changes every year, the present main players all saw what it took to win in close games and hostile environments week after week. They also lost those kind of games the year before. They saw how thin the margin between winning and losing can be.
2. This team has the benefit of the history of the 2005 team. That was the first post-2002 team that did not exceed, let alone meet, expectations. For a while, our crap didn’t stink. The 2005 team found out the hard way that in fact it did. And the smell only grew in 2006 and 07.
3. I know it was a long time ago, but an Iowa team with high expectations has won. The 1985 team was a surprise to no one. Chuck Long got a Lloyd’s policy for his arm. There were expectations and hype, circa 1985. It’s just that the saturation of sports and media is so much greater now.
4. Still, it comes down to the O-line. They don’t have to be great, just sound. With the exception of Reiff and a half-year of Eubanks, last year’s line underperformed for the level of talent. If this one can overperform just a little, the result could be very similar.
A fella steps out for a two pound burrito and all hell breaks loose.
Good points all...
The D in ‘05 seemed like it coasted on the “Bullies of the Big 10” rep. The never really did much to earn or maintain that. They weren’t the same after Bob Sanders left. Having brand new DTs didn’t help at all.
As an aside, is Sanders pissed at us? His wiki page doesn’t mention where he went to college now. Or is somebody else screwing with it?
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 13, 2010 12:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Colin Cole's is nearly as bad...
Just says “went to Iowa” pretty much. Also says he 330 lbs. now. Insert holy fucking shit smiley here.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jul 13, 2010 1:14 AM CDT up reply actions
A lot of wiki pages are like that
they just say where the guy wen to college, maybe when. I doubt most of the players are putting those pages up or maintaining them. It’s either a fan of their pro team or somebody in the front office, maybe their agent’s secretary..
If you think the Iowa info should be added, then add it.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
My thoughts on the OL exactly
People are rightfully concerned about the lack of returning starters on the OL, but let’s be honest about the 2009 line, it was not spectacular. So maybe the new faces will actually be better, or at least as good as a whole. I know that Bulaga’s thyroid impacted the OL, but I’m hoping that healthy Reiff is better than recovering Bulaga because the WI game was just not pretty for Wegher behind the line.
by PackerHawk on Jul 13, 2010 4:46 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Yep.
And I think (ok, “hope”) that James Ferentz will prove to be better than Eubanks.
"Kittens give Morbo gas."
by Bucketochicken on Jul 13, 2010 7:21 AM CDT up reply actions
The “rumors” about Michigan’s demise can only be exaggerated by saying “The entire state of Michigan will nuke itself. That’s how bad Michigan will be.” They have no Brandon Graham on defense but they still have Greg Robinson. They are going to try to Oklahoma State their way to the top of the Big Ten.
Iowa’s toughest challenges are all at home with the exception of Arizona. That being said, with the loss of starters on the line, I’m going to say what I should have said about Penn State last year: I refuse to have any expectations until I see Iowa play football.
"My, my, my, my, my, my, my Mitchell. What would your mama say?"
P.S. Minnesota and Illinois: Who is worse? Aren’t you excited their game will be televised?
"My, my, my, my, my, my, my Mitchell. What would your mama say?"
by ReadingRambler on Jul 13, 2010 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Absolutely
Battle for the bottom of the Big 10. Somebody has to win, only because they don’t allow ties anymore.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Jul 14, 2010 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions
You lost me here, HawkeyeState
You lost me when you said that in 2005 Iowa returned “the vast majority of a decorated defensive front seven”. Um, they lost the ENTIRE defensive line, including two guys who are among the very, very elite players in Iowa history. That 2004 team’s success was largely a product of that dominant DL and none of them returned in 2005.
by H I McDonnough on Jul 13, 2010 10:19 AM CDT reply actions
One major difference between 2005 and 2010 is
Soup Campbell.
I don’t mind losing games. I mind losing games because guys drop 5 passes (stopping 5 drives) per game. And I’m not smart enough to know how many additional drives were killed with receivers going to the wrong place. I think a lot of Tate’s histrionics were due to guys not making the right reads, I suspect. The guy is in year 4 in the CFL despite being 5’10" and not playing. I think he knows his reads and is a smart QB. Campbell is a huge addition to Iowa football.
Mr. Boh Knows ...
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