CFN: Iowa Look-ahead

[isuarch80]

Thought this was worth putting out there. And no, they haven't done the Big 12 yet.

Iowa
Why to get excited: The schedule is a joke. There's no Ohio State or Michigan, and Wisconsin and Penn State have to come to Iowa City. The road games are against Pitt, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota; that's not that bad. Outside of the running back situation, everyone returns on offense. Everyone. The defensive line should be among the best in the Big Ten if Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard step up at end.
Why to be grouchy: Can the offense really be night-and-day better? With the indignity of finishing 11th in the Big Ten, the Iowa attack needs a jump-start from somewhere while hoping for overall experience to turn into production. The loss of Albert Young and Damian Sims from the running game means that Jevon Pugh is the only scholarship back on the roster, and he was thinking of transferring.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting more offensive pop, and it starts with the line. All five starters are back including all the backups, but the pass protection has to be much, much better after almost getting Jake Christensen killed. Head coach Kirk Ferentz has always put together good front fives, and now he has to mold this group into a strength for the Hawkeyes to be in the Big Ten hunt.
Biggest offensive loss: RB Albert Young
Biggest defensive loss: LBs Mike Humpal and Mike Klinkenborg
Best returning offensive player: C Rafael Eubanks
Best returning defensive player: DT Mitch King

Scout.com: 2008 Early Big Ten Lookaheads

 

[jdoggivjc]

Do they need to be reminded how they handled their "joke" of a schedule last season, when they still had all those "key losses"?

One day the media's finally going to stop fawning over EIU. Apparently 2008's NOT going to be that year :no:

 

[Flag Guy]

Do they need to be reminded how they handled their "joke" of a schedule last season, when they still had all those "key losses"?

One day the media's finally going to stop fawning over EIU. Apparently 2008's NOT going to be that year :no:

I'm cool with it - the more the Media builds up the Hawks hopes before the season, the farther they have to fall at the end of the season, and the more they will over-look us for the ISU-Iowa game, which also results in us shattering their world - again and again and again :wink:

 

[jdoggivjc]

I'm cool with it - the more the Media builds up the Hawks hopes before the season, the farther they have to fall at the end of the season, and the more they will over-look us for the ISU-Iowa game, which also results in us shattering their world - again and again and again :wink:

Sure, the ego-shattering that tends to go with overexpecation is a wonderful thing - I'm just not sure I like dealing with the 9 months the Hawks are going to proclaim that they're a shoe-in for the Big 10 title with their easy sked, an outside chance of the national championship because of that, and how their QB is the #1 Heisman candidate. As much fun as it's going to be in October, November, and December, the next 9 months are going to be very annoying...

 

[SlyCy]

The loss of Albert Young and Damian Sims from the running game means that Jevon Pugh is the only scholarship back on the roster, and he was thinking of transferring.


Pugh is not enrolled in classes.

 

[Flag Guy]

Sure, the ego-shattering that tends to go with overexpecation is a wonderful thing - I'm just not sure I like dealing with the 9 months the Hawks are going to proclaim that they're a shoe-in for the Big 10 title with their easy sked, an outside chance of the national championship because of that, and how their QB is the #1 Heisman candidate. As much fun as it's going to be in October, November, and December, the next 9 months are going to be very annoying...

I suppose, though I don't hear much of it and teh stuff I do hear I laugh about because we all know how it'll end

 

[SplitIdentity]

So basically, you guys don't think that they should have anything under the "Why to be excited" section? I mean, what else is there to be excited about for next season?

It's kind of hard to say that the media is fawning all over the Hawks when all they are doing is just saying why there may be reason for optimism next year. They did have plenty of negatives in there, FWIW.

 

[SplitIdentity]

Sure, the ego-shattering that tends to go with overexpecation is a wonderful thing - I'm just not sure I like dealing with the 9 months the Hawks are going to proclaim that they're a shoe-in for the Big 10 title with their easy sked, an outside chance of the national championship because of that, and how their QB is the #1 Heisman candidate. As much fun as it's going to be in October, November, and December, the next 9 months are going to be very annoying...

What about Clone fans that think their program is on the rise and Iowa's is on the fall, even though Iowa finished .500 and ISU finished with 3 wins?

It's a two way street - both fan bases have their annoying little habits.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

What about Clone fans that think their program is on the rise and Iowa's is on the fall, even though Iowa finished .500 and ISU finished with 3 wins?

It's a two way street - both fan bases have their annoying little habits.

One of those wins was against Iowa. Keep that in mind.

 

[SplitIdentity]

One of those wins was against Iowa. Keep that in mind.

One win does not a program make.

 

[isucyfan]

I think the shine may be off Iowa already in the media's eyes. I have seen it in multiple places where the media has rated KF pretty low as a coach in the past couple of seasons, and cited how much he makes per win. He needs to take full advantage of his schedule this year or he will be firmly on the hot seat if he isn't already.

 

[C.John]

So basically, you guys don't think that they should have anything under the "Why to be excited" section?

Of course not. This is a Cyclone site, we are Cyclones and thus we are justified in our belief that Iowa should have no reason to be excited for next season. Just as if this was a Hawk site and discussing ISU, then it would be appropriate to say and (may I say falsely) believe that the Clones have no reason to be excited. The thing is though, this is a Cyclone site, not a Hawk site, thus Iowa should have no reason to be excited.

It's very simple.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

One win does not a program make.

No, but a head to head match-up is a pretty good indicator of which team is doing better than the other.

 

[isucyfan]

No, but a head to head match-up is a pretty good indicator of which team is doing better than the other.

But remember that the head-to-head wins don't really count if that is the only game your team can get "up" for, i.e. the Super Bowl phenomenon.

 

[SplitIdentity]

No, but a head to head match-up is a pretty good indicator of which team is doing better than the other.

It's hard to argue the state of an entire program based on one game.

My point is - this article is hardly the media fawning all over Iowa. I'm not saying ya'll should agree with it, I'm just wondering why people think Iowa is still a media darling based on the fact that they put something positive under the section "Why to be excited"

 

[Wesley]

I expect the hawks to crush Northwestern next year.

 

[jdoggivjc]

What about Clone fans that think their program is on the rise and Iowa's is on the fall, even though Iowa finished .500 and ISU finished with 3 wins?

It's a two way street - both fan bases have their annoying little habits.

Personally, even with the weakened schedule, I think we're lucky if we win 7 games. Realistically I think we win 5-6. Much different than Iowa fans thinking that a team that has 6-6 talent is going to once again compete for the Big 10 title on schedule strength alone. BIG DIFFERENCE between expecting a team that has 5-6 win talent to win 5-6 games and expecting a team that has 5-6 win talent to win 9-10 games.

One win does not a program make.

I guarantee that's not what those wearing the old gold 'n black are going to be saying when we roll out of Iowa City with a win on September 13 :wink:

 

[BryceC]

So is Iowa on better ground than Illinois since they beat them last year?

Iowa's program is fine, but the days of top 10 finishes are long gone.

 

[Cyclone711]

What about Clone fans that think their program is on the rise and Iowa's is on the fall, even though Iowa finished .500 and ISU finished with 3 wins?

It's a two way street - both fan bases have their annoying little habits.

Wellllllllllll ISU has a new coach, new system, new j's, new facility improvements, new state of mind (no more just being happy with a 6 win bowl game), and pretty much a whole new identity that Pollard is trying to shape and mold.

Whereas Iowa has an overpaid coach that has done nothing with great recruiting classes, fans that boo their seniors in their last game ever played at Kinnick, the most arrogant state of mind I have ever heard or seen, and have had year after year of letdowns when they were "supposed" to win the big 10.

I think that would qualify for ISU being on the rise and Iowa on the down.

 

[ISU_Alum_2000]

Good points being made by SouthernHawk here.

Of course each team's fans are going to be excited about the possibilities of the upcoming season. Hell... it's January and here we are discussing next season already, and we don't even know who our new recruits will be. That's what makes it so fun to be a fan!

Hawk fans reserve the right to be excited about their team, as do we.

(Do I need to find some links back to some of our predictions about OUR team going into last year?)

I enjoy the perspective that SH brings to this board. Most of the time his comments are level-headed, and offer a non-Cardinal/Gold kool-aid look at how things in our camp are developing.

SH - what is the general feeling about the RB situation in the Hawkeye camp? It seems pretty grim from the outside, but it's just that: from the outside.