'12 game by game analysis

[99topdawg]

Edit: It's actually an analysis of the 2011 season. My bad.

I know that some aren't a big fan of Bleacher Report, because there is often a lot of opinion thrown in from very amateur writers, but I thought this was a good read. I really didn't know anything about a couple of the new opponents we play.

Iowa Football Schedule 2011: Do Hawkeyes Have a Shot at the Legends' Division? | Bleacher Report

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

Maybe some of the opponent analysis is OK but even in my wildest dreams I can't imagine Iowa going 10-2 next year.

 

[TritonHawkeye]

I am so pathetically optimistic that I can see 12-0 in this schedule.

 

[DexterMorgan]

The competition to replace the three-year starter at QB appears stiff with Shontrelle Johnson, Jeff Woody and James White battling it out.

Something seems to be missing.

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

I think anything is possible (after witnessing this season's undesirable finish). I think Iowa is just as capable of finishing 10-2 as it is of finishing 7-5 ... Anything is possible. Anything ....

 

[DJL]

Something seems to be missing.

Oh, I get it, they left out Steele Jantz. Clearly some fine editing being done over at BR

 

[Section136]

Maybe some of the opponent analysis is OK but even in my wildest dreams I can't imagine Iowa going 10-2 next year.

I can see Iowa going 10-2. 4-0 in non conference and we miss OSU and Wisky in conference play and get Michigan and MSU at Kinnick. The next 2 years schedule is set up very nice for us.

 

[RADMAN]

Maybe some of the opponent analysis is OK but even in my wildest dreams I can't imagine Iowa going 10-2 next year.

Instead of just throwing out a comment like that, why don't you explain your position as to why you can't imagine them going 10-2? I would argue that they have a great chance of going 11-1 or 12-0 based on the offensive line, QB, RB, DL, SS, DB's and coaching. What say you?

 

[rschneider]

I agree that Iowa can go 10-2, I also think that we will loose in Happy Valley, and finally win against Northwestern. The only extremely tough game on our schedule this year is Nebby, and with the ups and downs Nebby has, we certainly can beat them.

 

[Smarthawk]

I could see us going 12-0 and I could see us going 7-5. After last year I am not going down the primrose path again. I think 9-3 is best case losing to Nebraska, Penn State and one of the Michigan teams. Worst case I think is 6-6 beating Tenn St., Lousiana Tech, ISU or Pitt, Indiana, Minnesota and one of the Michigan teams.

 

[DesertHawk2010]

After looking at the schedule the games that scare me are purdue, michigan, and nebraska. Not saying the others are sure things, but something seems sneaky about purdue and michigan.

 

[MoseSchrute]

I agree that Iowa can go 10-2, I also think that we will loose in Happy Valley, and finally win against Northwestern.

That game counts as a loss until Hawks prove otherwise.

 

[Jonesy86]

After thinking about it, I've noticed a pattern. Under Ferentz, the first year starting for quarterbacks seems to be the best one. Starting with Banks, first year, and did awesome. Then Drew Tate, first year awesome, then started to fall off. Christensen an exception. Then Stanzi, his first FULL year they did awesome.

Hopefully Vandenberg's first year is a great one, but hopefully he also keeps it going for his senior season.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

There is NOT a game on the slate that the Hawks CANNOT win. Will they win them? That all depends on how they execute in ALL phases of the game. My guess is that a 9-win season sounds about right.

 

[NeilDiamond]

Could go 12-0 or have 5 losses. Never know with these guys. Hey, its better to have the chance at a good season than be like ISU and know you are going to suck. I just could not resist.

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

Instead of just throwing out a comment like that, why don't you explain your position as to why you can't imagine them going 10-2? I would argue that they have a great chance of going 11-1 or 12-0 based on the offensive line, QB, RB, DL, SS, DB's and coaching. What say you?

I've been busy the last 36 hours so sorry for the lateness of this reply. First of all, get off your high horse. I'm not hating or trolling here. I would love to see Iowa go 10-2 or 11-1 or 12-0. I would be massively overjoyed by those results. My position is that I think, like many on here probably do, that last year was a better team on paper and they only went 7-5 in the regular season. So it's hard to come out and predict the 2011 team to go 10-2. We have a new QB, a RB that has only played in a handful of games, a DL that has one starter who started the whole season and one starter that was replaced halfway through the season, and no returning safeties. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Iowa go 10-2, but I can't go out on a limb and predict that with all the losses we had this offseason, that we will be that good. I see 8-4 or 9-3. 10-2 would be a bonus.

 

[RADMAN]

I've been busy the last 36 hours so sorry for the lateness of this reply. First of all, get off your high horse. I'm not hating or trolling here. I would love to see Iowa go 10-2 or 11-1 or 12-0. I would be massively overjoyed by those results. My position is that I think, like many on here probably do, that last year was a better team on paper and they only went 7-5 in the regular season. So it's hard to come out and predict the 2011 team to go 10-2. We have a new QB, a RB that has only played in a handful of games, a DL that has one full season as starter and one starter that was replaced halfway through the season, and no returning safeties. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Iowa go 10-2, but I can't go out on a limb and predict that with all the loses we had this offseason, that we will be that good. I see 8-4 or 9-3. 10-2 would be a bonus.

Ok, I am off my high horse and I appreciate your analysis. Thats all I was asking for. I personally feel we could win every game but that is being a complete homer. I do think we will be no worse than 10-2 and I think the two losses will be similar to the last 4 years, 3-4 point losses. If they perform this year, look out the next the 4 years. We are evolving from a school that takes 2-3 years to rebuild to a school that reloads. Thanks for your comments and I respect your opinion. Go Hawks!!

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

Ok, I am off my high horse and I appreciate your analysis. Thats all I was asking for. I personally feel we could win every game but that is being a complete homer. I do think we will be no worse than 10-2 and I think the two losses will be similar to the last 4 years, 3-4 point losses. If they perform this year, look out the next the 4 years. We are evolving from a school that takes 2-3 years to rebuild to a school that reloads. Thanks for your comments and I respect your opinion. Go Hawks!!

When looking over every game on the schedule there is not one single game that I don't think Iowa can't win. The problem is the law of probability. 10-2 is definitely a possibility and I can't put it out of the question, but the odds of getting there are against us. Iowa has the tendency to lose to teams they shouldn't, like NW, and Indiana. Let's not forget the last two times we played Purdue they creamed us one year and about came back in the 4th quarter to win another. PSU will be tough on the road and Nebby on the road will be equally tough. I will also say that I always worry about ISU when playing at Jack Trice, since our record there since 2000 is 2-3.

 

[Saginawbay]

Way too early for predictions for sure. But with Iowa we are close to 10-2 every year and close to 7-5 every year so I see the same again this season.

 

[HawkForce]

After sitting through so many games, and sitting through about the crappiest football weather imaginable last year....I have decided the Northwestern game is a loss for sure until Iowa proves otherwise to us.