2024 Conference Game!

I think Hawk fans will travel well to California. Hopefully they alternate UCLA and USC every year.

I'm going to use this opportunity to advocate shit canning non conference games. I don't need to see the Hawkeyes play the Clowns, UNI, or any other mid major in the non conference.

FCS teams should have been off the schedule LONG ago. No reason or excuse for playing them.
 
Don't say never, a few months ago you and I probably would have both said USC and UCLA to the Big Ten will never happen and here we are.

But I do agree schools won't want to give up the extra home game, so bring it all down to 1 non conference game and a 12 game conference schedule. With divisions going a way I could careless if they do a conference championship game or not but they will do one anyway since it's a money game. With expanded playoffs the bowl games will be toast so going to a 13 game schedule gets everyone an extra game.

Honestly I don't need to go to Kinnick to watch Iowa play Nevada, UNI, or South Dakota State. Hell I might sell my Iowa State tickets.
There is a fair chance Iowa loses to the Rabbits to open the season. Thats not a play around game.
 
FCS teams should have been off the schedule LONG ago. No reason or excuse for playing them.

The South Cackalack government mandates that each of USC and Clemson play one of the non P5 in state schools. It's a good way to shuffle welfare down to them without the taxpayers having to stroke a check. Of course neither of them will schedule Coastal Carolina (which just moved up from FCS a few years ago), but the schools like Furman, Wofford, SC State, Citadel and Charleston Southern are really dependent on getting those rent-a-victim checks from the big dogs. I think the folks who run the scheduling are cognizant of these sorts of subsidy arrangements and don't want to eliminate them unless the media package forces it.
 
There is a fair chance Iowa loses to the Rabbits to open the season. Thats not a play around game.
I never said it was
Impossible. To my knowledge, Ferentz has never lost to a D-IAA program or a team from outside of a P5 conference.
I know a couple kids who start for the bunnies, coached one of 'em (in baseball) when he was youth age.

From what I understand they've got Iowa paraphernalia plastered everywhere in their facilities and guys have posters in their lockers. They want this game in a bad, bad way. As a team somewhat at the top of the FCS heap and a 20,000 seat stadium (totally rare for a non-ivy north of the Mason Dixon) they are gonna pull out whatever stops they have, twice. Beating the Hawks would be like winning 20 Super Bowls in a row to them and would be the biggest recruiting boost they could possibly ask for.

That said, they ain't winning. Iowa, 45-9
 
I know a couple kids who start for the bunnies, coached one of 'em (in baseball) when he was youth age.

From what I understand they've got Iowa paraphernalia plastered everywhere in their facilities and guys have posters in their lockers. They want this game in a bad, bad way. As a team somewhat at the top of the FCS heap and a 20,000 seat stadium (totally rare for a non-ivy north of the Mason Dixon) they are gonna pull out whatever stops they have, twice. Beating the Hawks would be like winning 20 Super Bowls in a row to them and would be the biggest recruiting boost they could possibly ask for.

That said, they ain't winning. Iowa, 45-9

I think we'll win, but I just don't see how the defense and special teams are gonna score 42 points.
 
Dana Dykhouse Stadium. He is a financial guy originally from Rock Rapids. classmate and friend of my younger brother.
 
I think we'll win, but I just don't see how the defense and special teams are gonna score 42 points.
Watched them play several times last year because of knowing those players.

1) They're not a defensive team. They give up a ton of points.

2) They score a lot of points. Against FCS teams that suck. They have no one on their squad who can match up with any of our LBs or DBs. Will they sneak a weird one out? I'm sure they will. But there's nothing frightening whatsoever about their offense compared to Iowa.

3) I'm high on the Williamses. We are back to a combination of power vs finesse at RB which we used to great effect during the Wadley/Daniels and Butt-Wad years. Gavin Williams will be just as good as Goodson. Book it.
 
Have you watched a Ferentz led team in the opening game in September? The offense usually gets a few drives, but these games are not typically offensive clinics.
Pts scored on opening day since the Northern Illinois debacle of 2013...

2021 - 34 against Indiana (FBS), 14 pts from defense
2020 - 20 Against Purdue (FBS), no defensive pts
2019 - 38 against Miami (FBS), no defensive pts
2018 - 33 against NIU (FBS), no defensive pts
2017 - 24 against Wyoming (FBS), no defensive pts
2016 - 45 against Miami (FBS), no defensive pts
2015 - 31 against Illinois State (FCS), no defensive pts
2014 - 31 against UNI (FCS), no defensive pts

256 points scored in 8 games against mostly FBS opponents, only 14 of them defensive.
 
I have images of Iowa having to block 2 field goals to beat UNI dancing in my head.

That said I wish they'd stop scheduling games against FCS opponents. It's a game for Iowa that does not matter unless they lose.
 
Pts scored on opening day since the Northern Illinois debacle of 2013...

2021 - 34 against Indiana (FBS), 14 pts from defense
2020 - 20 Against Purdue (FBS), no defensive pts
2019 - 38 against Miami (FBS), no defensive pts
2018 - 33 against NIU (FBS), no defensive pts
2017 - 24 against Wyoming (FBS), no defensive pts
2016 - 45 against Miami (FBS), no defensive pts
2015 - 31 against Illinois State (FCS), no defensive pts
2014 - 31 against UNI (FCS), no defensive pts

256 points scored in 8 games against mostly FBS opponents, only 14 of them defensive.
Iowa's D will be too good as well. If Iowa puts up 25 points they can't lose. That's the magic # almost against anyone but especially against the Jackrabbits.

I have a feeling this years defense is going to be even better than last yrs. Van Ness will be damn near all BIG 10 first team I bet I think he's going to breakout in a huge way. The whole Dline should be awesome. Shannon was playing great at the end of the year along with Black if he steps up not to mention the Graves kid. I think he'll be too good to sit on the bench and will get significant snaps.

We don't even need to mention the LBs. I think the DBs will be great. Can't wait to see DeJean & XN out there and see how they fit. like with Graves those two dudes are just too good & athletic to not have out there a lot. Find a package of some kind to put them out there with and turn em loose.
 
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