Hawkeye Football: Who is to Blame for Iowa’s Miserable Offense?

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When we exited last season, Hawkeye fans had had enough. We had had more than enough. Frankly, we had had enough of this miserable offense about two weeks into last season. But we continued to bite into that sh*t sandwich week in and week out because that’s what you do when your team is your team and they keep serving them up.

When the offseason hit, optimism about change started to spring up in some factions of the fanbase. This writer will certainly raise their hand as a guilty party. It was hard not to feel some sort of optimism, however muted by our experiences over a lifetime. After all, the Hawkeyes were bringing in a playoff-caliber QB. They added multiple receivers, including one from Ohio State who marked the highest rated skill player ever to come to Iowa. They picked up an All-Big Ten tight end. They even filled gaps on the offensive line with a pair of transfers up front. Throw in another year of experience for what returned on the OL and a legitimately good returning RB in Kaleb Johnson and it was almost believable when Brian Ferentz told us the personnel was going to make things look better this year.

Then the season started. The alarm bells started ringing almost immediately. But then we saw an outburst against Utah State and maybe - just maybe - there was some glimmer of hope that the OL had figured things out. They had looked serviceable in pass protection through two weeks and that week three win, if nothing else, showed an ability to run the ball.

There was no hope worth having. This is the same offensive scheme in the same offensive philosophy with the same bad offensive line we watched a season ago.

We thought things couldn’t get worse when Iowa ranked second to last among power five programs in total offense last year. They’re dead last this year (129th overall). They’re averaging 3.3 more points per game than a season ago, but still rank 89th nationally and well below the minimum threshold of 25 points per game.

You don’t get that bad for as long as Iowa has without multiple parties being to blame, but this week, we want to know who deserves the most of it. Is it Brian’s terrible offense? Is it Kirk’s philosophy holding Brian back? Is it George Barnett’s seeming inability to teach anyone how to stay in front of a stationary statue?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, as well as your early thoughts on Saturday’s matchup with the struggling Michigan State Spartans.