Your National Title dark horses...

[weR138]

I don't know about you, but I don't think the Big 12 is going to "allow" Nebraska to walk away from the conference as champions, which is all but a requirement nowadays to get to the BCS championship.

Great point.

The forgotten five are going to want a piece of NU badly. I don't know if NU plays Baylor but they'll have the full attention of KSU, ISU and Mizzou (and KU but they'll crush them). The UT game will be intense to say the least; probably the biggest B12 regular season game ever? If NU wins the B12 they should go to the NC.

 

[cyrider2014]

I can't give any sort of championship nod to Nebraska without anything resembling a QB on their roster.

I'll take Miami as the outside of the top 10 "dark horse"

 

[CyForPresident]

Great point.

The forgotten five are going to want a piece of NU badly. I don't know if NU plays Baylor but they'll have the full attention of KSU, ISU and Mizzou (and KU but they'll crush them). The UT game will be intense to say the least; probably the biggest B12 regular season game ever? If NU wins the B12 they should go to the NC.

Agree. The officials are not going to do them any favors either, even in Lincoln. These are guys that work for the B12 and their livelihood is rooted in the conference.

 

[Tre4ISU]

UNC, Pitt, Miami.

 

[Clark]

I won't pick Iowa because that's a homer pick.

I think I'd pick Wisconsin or Nebraska if I had to pick a team ranked outside of most people's top 10's that could win a NT this year. They both have fairly easy schedules where it's hard to predict more than two losses.

 

[cyclonenum1]

AU...most returning starters in SEC on defense, I believe and a new QB that is supposedly the perfect fit for the Malzahn offense.

 

[ketchupnmustard]

Ohio State should run through their schedule like Mexican water through a 1st time tourist. I think they're a lock to lose in another BCS title game.

 

[hawkfan]

By conference:

Big Ten

Iowa
Wisconsin

SEC

Arkansas
South Carolina

Big East

Pitt
WVU
Uconn

Big 12

Nebraska


ACC

UNC
FSU
Miami

PAC 10

No one - the winner if this conference will be 9-3...wayyyy too much parody

Edit: btw, I figure that a dark horse can be any teams except the following:

Ohio State
Texas
Oklahoma
USC
Alabama
Florida

There has been at least one of the above 6 teams in every national title game going back to 2001 - needless to say, it would be irregular if at least one of the above 6 teams weren't in the big game.

 

[Al_4_State]

The thing i like about Stanzi is he wins. I can't remember a college QB who has been (what seems like) adequate, but wins that much. I don't like giving the hoks too much love, but I think they will be special this year. Their defensive front four are the best in CFB. with the exception of OL, they have a lot of key players back on offense. If stanzi can keep the mistakes down, they will be tough to beat. If I were a hawk fan I wouldn't be too upset w/ the wegher loss. Robinson and Hampton can more than carry the load....although having him would have helped.

I think you've been hanging with Hawk fans too much, lol. :biglaugh:

Stanzi's adequate, but he's not the reason Iowa is 18-4. He does his part, but that's all the QB is in Ferentz's system. A small part. Stanzi does what he needs to do, but the way he's held up as the sole reason for Iowa's success is laughable.

Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. I guess he's a winner too.

(cue enraged defensive Hawk fans)

 

[swammi]

The (expected) Wegher loss is unfortunate, but not a big loss. He also was not their top RB. At best he was 1A, 1B, or 1C since none of the 3 had a leg up at this point. It is likely that once Hampton gets going he would end up as the #1 regardless of who is on the roster.

I am also not too worried in the secondary. Sash and Greenwood are very good safeties, and Prater is more than capable of replacing Spievey, but defenses will certainly test him.

Can you name the last time that Iowa had a bad linebacker corps?

My main worry is the offensive line at this point. Stanzi is reasonably elusive, but as we all know has had issues with making throws where you just kind of sit there with an open mouth thinking "WTF?" Future first rounder Reiff will be a great left tackle, but the rest of the line is certainly a question mark. The bright side for the offensive line is that the defense will have to respect the run so they won't be able to blitz frequently. DJK and McNutt will be a great 1/2, but Sandeman is not my ideal 3 WR.

At this point I can't see Iowa as a NC contender. After a few games once we see how the OL gels, and how the new LB's and the new CB do then perhaps that discussion might have some relevance. Right now it's a pipe dream.

Iowa has their best chance this year to run the table and play in the NCS. The O line will be the key. Stanzi has a lot more seasoning now, and will throw it away when needed. If they can avoid turnovers on their half of the field, they could do it. The thing about Iowa is that you have to score about 30 to beat them, and that defense just won't let you score that much. Nobody says much about the punter, but he is a big part of Iowa's success. The combination of an excellent punter and that defense makes them very tough, because executing a long drive vs that defense is not a high percentage deal. Iowa's offense is likely to be more balanced starting the season with better quality at RB (Assuming Jewell Hampton). That will make them tougher than last year. Their receiving corps is highly under-rated. The spread offense is what can occasionally give them fits (see Northwestern). That gives ISU a chance. But we have to execute and take what they give us. And our defense and punter have to perform. Iowa is built to take advantage of any weakness presented. Iowa State has a lot of youth on the defensive side of the ball. This makes it a very tough proposition. Not impossible, but very tough.

As a dark horse, I think Oklahoma is as good a pick as any.

 

[Clark]

Ohio State should run through their schedule like Mexican water through a 1st time tourist. I think they're a lock to lose in another BCS title game.

How is Ohio State a dark horse? They're ranked in the top 5 in every poll I've seen and in many of them they're in the top 3.

 

[Al_4_State]

How is Ohio State a dark horse? They're ranked in the top 5 in every poll I've seen and in many of them they're in the top 3.

No kidding.

Dark horse, at least for the purposes of this thread = outside the Top 10.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

No kidding.

Dark horse, at least for the purposes of this thread = outside the Top 10.

Wait.... I could see it being fairly reasonable to call Ohio State a darkhorse. Their MO is to get to a BCS game or the title game and then they get destroyed by the first quality opponent they have faced all year. Ohio State's recent tradition of BCS futility should grant them consideration as a darkhorse.

 

[hawkeyescott]

Wait.... I could see it being fairly reasonable to call Ohio State a darkhorse. Their MO is to get to a BCS game or the title game and then they get destroyed by the first quality opponent they have faced all year. Ohio State's recent tradition of BCS futility should grant them consideration as a darkhorse.

The same could be said about Oklahoma.

Ohio St is 5-3 and Oklahoma is 2-5 in BCS bowls.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

The same could be said about Oklahoma.

I agree completely.

 

[edr247]

I think you've been hanging with Hawk fans too much, lol. :biglaugh:

Stanzi's adequate, but he's not the reason Iowa is 18-4. He does his part, but that's all the QB is in Ferentz's system. A small part. Stanzi does what he needs to do, but the way he's held up as the sole reason for Iowa's success is laughable.

Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. I guess he's a winner too.

(cue enraged defensive Hawk fans)

Rivals did a story on Stanzi's 4th quarter magic vs the apparent mediocrity of his numbers.

Ricky Stanzi, Iowa's unlikely beacon of hope - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports

However, if you look at his stats here:
cfbstats.com - Ricky Stanzi 2009 Player Statistics - Iowa Hawkeyes

You see that he's extremely strong in the 4th quarter.
Situation G Att Comp Pct. Yards Int TD Rating Long 1st 15+ 25+
4th Quarter 9 57 36 63.2 610 1 6 184.29 92 19 14 6

If that's hard to decipher:
In the 4th quarter, he has a 63.2 completion percentage (36 of 57), 1 interception and 6 TDs for a rating of 184.29

That's the 7th best passer rating in the country.
cfbstats.com - 2009 National Player Leaders

Is he the best QB in the world? No. Is he some sort of pass completing, touchdown making machine? No. Does he make more mistakes than you would like? Most certainly. Is he saved by a strong defense? Undeniably.

However, since the Northwestern 2008 game, when the game's on the line and he is leading the offense, he's gotten us back into the game. During the Illinois 2008 game, he led the offense on two TD drives to give Iowa the lead, but you could say Iowa came back too soon, and the defense inexplicably allowed Illinois to win on a late field goal. After that, we didn't lose a single game that Stanzi started and finished, thanks in part to game winning drives. If we assume that the OSU game had gone exactly the same way, but Stanzi had been healthy, I imagine Ferentz would have tried to win the game on a late field goal, rather than kneeling it.

I think what makes him part of the reason Iowa wins is because he shrugs off his mistakes, and provides the leadership under center the offense needs when the game is on the line.

 

[Al_4_State]

Rivals did a story on Stanzi's 4th quarter magic vs the apparent mediocrity of his numbers.

Ricky Stanzi, Iowa's unlikely beacon of hope - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports

However, if you look at his stats here:
cfbstats.com - Ricky Stanzi 2009 Player Statistics - Iowa Hawkeyes

You see that he's extremely strong in the 4th quarter.
Situation G Att Comp Pct. Yards Int TD Rating Long 1st 15+ 25+
4th Quarter 9 57 36 63.2 610 1 6 184.29 92 19 14 6

If that's hard to decipher:
In the 4th quarter, he has a 63.2 completion percentage (36 of 57), 1 interception and 6 TDs for a rating of 184.29

That's the 7th best passer rating in the country.
cfbstats.com - 2009 National Player Leaders

Is he the best QB in the world? No. Is he some sort of pass completing, touchdown making machine? No. Does he make more mistakes than you would like? Most certainly. Is he saved by a strong defense? Undeniably.

However, since the Northwestern 2008 game, when the game's on the line and he is leading the offense, he's gotten us back into the game. During the Illinois 2008 game, he led the offense on two TD drives to give Iowa the lead, but you could say Iowa came back too soon, and the defense inexplicably allowed Illinois to win on a late field goal. After that, we didn't lose a single game that Stanzi started and finished, thanks in part to game winning drives. If we assume that the OSU game had gone exactly the same way, but Stanzi had been healthy, I imagine Ferentz would have tried to win the game on a late field goal, rather than kneeling it.

I think what makes him part of the reason Iowa wins is because he shrugs off his mistakes, and provides the leadership under center the offense needs when the game is on the line.

I don't think anyone would argue with that last paragraph. I won't.

Brad Johnson has more Super Bowl rings than Dan Marino. Trent Dilfer has more Super Bowl rings than Archie Manning. Yet, I think very few people would assert that Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer are better than Dan Marino and Archie Manning. I saw a Hawk fan on facebook saying that Stanzi was better than Joe Montana because "he" had a better winning %. Come on. That's just idiotic.

 

[Clark]

I don't think anyone would argue with that last paragraph. I won't.

Brad Johnson has more Super Bowl rings than Dan Marino. Trent Dilfer has more Super Bowl rings than Archie Manning. Yet, I think very few people would assert that Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer are better than Dan Marino and Archie Manning. I saw a Hawk fan on facebook saying that Stanzi was better than Joe Montana because "he" had a better winning %. Come on. That's just idiotic.

:biglaugh: Really? Was he 12 or something?

 

[Cyclonestate78]

:biglaugh: Really? Was he 12 or something?

It was Tommy.

 

[Al_4_State]

:biglaugh: Really? Was he 12 or something?

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