ESPN predicts Iowa will not finish last in 2008 Big Ten Football....

[MontyBurns]

...instead, they predict Iowa to finish next-to-last. Only because Minnesota has to play Ohio State & Michigan, and Iowa doesn't. Let the good times roll:

ESPN - Buckeyes start spring season at top of Big Ten -- again - College Football

 

[mj4cy]

Dang it...I wanted them to be predicted higher so I could laugh as they plummit.

 

[Jer]

It's amazing what $3 million per year will get you these days

 

[ISUAlum2002]

Its about time that ESPN finally realizes that 2002 was 5 seasons ago now.

Maybe Mark May will still pick them in his Final Four this year?

 

[mustangcy]

I hate to say it but Iowa will not finish 2nd to last in that league. They should be improved from last year.

 

[brianhos]

I just hope ISU does not finish last in the big12 next fall. But it could happen.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

I hate to say it but Iowa will not finish 2nd to last in that league. They should be improved from last year.

I agree, but I don't believe they'll finish in the upper half of the Little 11, even though they don't have to play the 2 big dogs.

 

[SplitIdentity]

I agree, but I don't believe they'll finish in the upper half of the Little 11, even though they don't have to play the 2 big dogs.

They could finish anywhere from 2nd to last. Extreme optimism would have them only losing at MSU. Realism has the Hawks losing at MSU, IU, and a home game against UW or PSU.

Recent experience has them losing to NU, IU, UW, MSU, and then upsetting PSU and Purude, but then losing to Minnesota.

BTW - who is this Ritter guy? Never heard of him, but glad he put this list together. It really offers a lot of information. /sarcasm

 

[mj4cy]

Iowa will be around 6-6/7-5 IMO. Hopefully Iowa state can get 6-7 wins.

 

[atlantacyclone]

As long as ISU beats them I could care less if they win the rest of their games. Actually, the better they do the better the win feels!

 

[cycloneG]

They could finish anywhere from 2nd to last. Extreme optimism would have them only losing at MSU. Realism has the Hawks losing at MSU, IU, and a home game against UW or PSU.

Recent experience has them losing to NU, IU, UW, MSU, and then upsetting PSU and Purude, but then losing to Minnesota.

BTW - who is this Ritter guy? Never heard of him, but glad he put this list together. It really offers a lot of information. /sarcasm

I'm not sure how much research he did, because he seems to think that Iowa returning all of it's offensive line is a good thing. This is a team that was last in the conference in total offense, scoring offense, and sacks allowed. They were second to last in rushing and passing offense. It was one of the worst offenses in the nation. How can you think anyone returning on this unit is a strength?

 

[cloneu]

I'm not sure how much research he did, because he seems to think that Iowa returning all of it's offensive line is a good thing. This is a team that was last in the conference in total offense, scoring offense, and sacks allowed. They were second to last in rushing and passing offense. It was one of the worst offenses in the nation. How can you think anyone returning on this unit is a strength?

Just because they are returning doesn't mean the same guys will be starting. They should be better then last year. How much? who konws, but there will probably some starters from last year not starting this year.

 

[MontyBurns]

I hate to say it but Iowa will not finish 2nd to last in that league. They should be improved from last year.

How? Everyone said Iowa would be improved from 2006 to 2007 too, but they got worse.

On offense they lose Albert Young and Damian Sims, while the Big Ten's worst offensive line and quarterback return.

On defense they lose their only DB who could cover anyone (Godfrey), as well as their best two LB's (Klinkenborg & Humpal), and their two starting DE's.

Their kicking game is a joke.

They will have to deal with the constant and unending distraction of police investigations and player arrests.

For the record I don't think they'll finish 2nd to last either, because the Big Ten is not that good and Iowa doesn't play two teams that would be guaranteed losses. But I don't see them winning more than 3 or 4 conference games at the most.

Where is the improvement going to come from? I know Iowa fans drool out the names of last year's backups who are so good they'll be All-Americans...but if they were really that good they would have been playing ahead of they guys that graduated last year. Their defensive front will be ok, their pass defense will be suspect, and their offense will be impotent.

 

[cycloneG]

Just because they are returning doesn't mean the same guys will be starting. They should be better then last year. How much? who konws, but there will probably some starters from last year not starting this year.

I agree. I think the only way they improve is by having people start in place of people who started last year. I was just pointing out that the author didn't do very good research.

 

[ajk4st8]

How to win the Title.... Kidnap Tyrell Pryor.

Actually kidnapping and the Iowa football program might not be too far off.

 

[chuckd4735]

I hate to say it but Iowa will not finish 2nd to last in that league. They should be improved from last year.

I agree that the RETURNING players will be improved, but the fact that they are not returning key names like Sims, Young, Godfrey and Klinkenborg is probably going to cause them to be a little worse OVERALL next year...

 

[cloneu]

I would put them at 3-5 with a good chance of 4-4. Should beat NW at home, beat Minny, then a good chance at 1 win between Purdue, Penn St, and Wisconsin all of which are at home. Maybe they even win two of those. Michigan St. may pull a Michigan St. against Iowa and lose. Iowa doesn't have to worry about Hardy killing them this year which gives them a shot at Indiana. Illinois has Ron Zook.

 

[tejasclone]

As long as ISU beats them I could care less if they win the rest of their games. Actually, the better they do the better the win feels!

Exactly. The better they do, the better our win over them is for us. Iowa going 8-4 or 9-3, with one of those losses to us (on their own field, btw), would help us make our case for the postseason, assuming we can scratch our way to 6/7 wins.

 

[cycloneworld]

It appears the Big 10 will be a tough, tough league this year. Of course, the same has been predicted before and that hasn't been the case.

 

[Seth]

Part of me wants to relish this, but the other part of me realizes there is a very real possibility ISU will be picked to finish second to last as well. Other than Baylor, I'm not sure who I'd objectively pick to do worse than us.

I just hope that the media has quit falling over themselves about how great the Big 10 is. I really don't want to see another friggin Nat'l Championship game where we know a crappy Big 10 team is going to lose.