3-2-1 Predictions: Iowa MVP's, Toughest Venues & More

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
Here are more 'on the record' predictions for Iowa football for the 2011 season. We'll offer up three picks for each category.

OFFENSIVE MVP

3. Marvin McNutt: Senior is in shouting distance of breaking DJK's records
2. Riley Reiff: I expect a dominant season; best Iowa OL since Robert Gallery
1. Marcus Coker: With expected solid to great OL play, he might crack 1,500 yards

DEFENSIVE MVP

3. Micah Hyde: On the verge of stardom
2. Tyler Nielsen: A lot changed for Iowa after last year after MSU game injury
1. Mike Daniels: For Iowa to be salty on defense, they have to have a tough interior

BREAKOUT PERFORMER OFFENSE

3. James Vandenberg: Thinking 2500/20/10 for JVB
2. CJ Fiedoriwicz: Has the tools to be one of the best ever at Iowa
1. Keenan Davis: a) He has to and b) he will

BREAKOUT PERFORMER DEFENSE

3. Tanner Miller: Mid Prairie power in the defensive backfield
2. Carl Davis: Will benefit from attention paid to Mike Daniels, ala Klug from Clayborn
1. James Morris: Started a lot last year but wasn't ready. Will take things up several levels

MOST EXCITING GAMES: When the season ends, we'll look back on these three and still be out of breath

3. Michigan State: Evenly matched with some bad blood in the football complex
2. Penn State: I favor nits due to venue, but should be real, real tight
1. Michigan: average score between these two over last two years is 34-28

MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES

3. Michigan: I have Iowa 7-1 heading into that game. Win it, and who knows?
3a. The next one: Had to throw that one in for Kirk
2. Northwestern: I hate that I put this here, but it's time to end their streak
1. at Nebraska: The beginning of what may grow into an intense and bitter rivalry

TOUGHEST OPPOSING VENUE ON 2011 SLATE

3. Ross Ade: One win for Iowa at Purdue since 1991
2. Memorial Stadium: The Sea of Red...Iowa is 3-14 at Nebraska all time
1. Beaver Stadium: Over 100,000 haters with the annoyingly loud Cat Cry

Links to our 2011 Iowa & Big Ten football preview items:

Iowa 2011 Game By Game Prediction
Ranking Iowa's 2011 Foes
Road to Indy: Predicting Every Game for Every Big Ten Team
Big Ten Bowl Predictions
 
I hope JVB and Morris are on both breakout and MVP lists at the end of season.
We need Nielsen and McNutt to stay healthy. Big numbers and make NFL from MM would help WR recruiting.
We need a another RB to step up and be a breakout performer, such as 600 to 700 yards.
Binns needs to be on a list somewhere, doesn't he? I say this for us to be successful.
I hope CJF steps up in a HUGE way. How much should we expect considering he never caught a pass last year?
 
It will be run first, then run and run some more this year, so JVB MVP not likely.
Morris is possibly already the best blitzing LB of the Ferrentz era. This guy can be great.
If he plays like he practiced this spring I think you are right on Keenan.
I don't think Happy Valley makes for stained undies for Iowa anymore. My #1 fear is Ross Ade. Memorial is new and as underdogs there is a little less pressure. As the what, 4th biggest stadium in the BIG that isn't such a deal. But still... Purdue is just one bad memory after another. Poor play is the norm there. Sort of baffling.
 
Iowa's record at Purdue is a bit skewed. Due to scheduling imbalances we have not played at Purdue much in the last 20 years. We are 2-4-1 at Rose Ade since the start of the 1991 season. That is not great, but not horrible either. I think you are making too much of the "troubles" at Rose Ade. The fact is in those 7 games, twice we were truly the better team and won, 4 times we truly weren't and lost, and one time we tied. No real upsets. This year Iowa should clearly be the better team, and will likely win. We'll see though come November.
 
Iowa's record at Purdue is a bit skewed. Due to scheduling imbalances we have not played at Purdue much in the last 20 years. We are 2-4-1 at Rose Ade since the start of the 1991 season. That is not great, but not horrible either. I think you are making too much of the "troubles" at Rose Ade. The fact is in those 7 games, twice we were truly the better team and won, 4 times we truly weren't and lost, and one time we tied. No real upsets. This year Iowa should clearly be the better team, and will likely win. We'll see though come November.

Nice job with those facts. I was trying to think back to remember our struggles, but the only one that stood out that I thought we were going to win was in 2003.

I think Memorial Stadium will be the toughest because I think a lot will be riding on this rivalry game this year.
 
I love how Mr. Miller is constantly reinforcing the idea that there's "bad blood" between Sparty and us. It'd be great if someone actually looked into this further and wrote some press on it. After the '09 game I knew I wasn't a fan of coach Dantonio. Plus, it seems like we're going after many of the same recruits they are. With a close all-time series record and some absolute classics in recent years ('07, '08, '09), I'm glad MSU/Iowa is a nascent rivalry.
 
Here are more 'on the record' predictions for Iowa football for the 2011 season. We'll offer up three picks for each category.

OFFENSIVE MVP

3. Marvin McNutt: Senior is in shouting distance of breaking DJK's records
2. Riley Reiff: I expect a dominant season; best Iowa OL since Robert Gallery
1. Marcus Coker: With expected solid to great OL play, he might crack 1,500 yards

DEFENSIVE MVP

3. Micah Hyde: On the verge of stardom
2. Tyler Nielsen: A lot changed for Iowa after last year after MSU game injury
1. Mike Daniels: For Iowa to be salty on defense, they have to have a tough interior

BREAKOUT PERFORMER OFFENSE

3. James Vandenberg: Thinking 2500/20/10 for JVB
2. CJ Fiedoriwicz: Has the tools to be one of the best ever at Iowa
1. Keenan Davis: a) He has to and b) he will

BREAKOUT PERFORMER DEFENSE

3. Tanner Miller: Mid Prairie power in the defensive backfield
2. Carl Davis: Will benefit from attention paid to Mike Daniels, ala Klug from Clayborn
1. James Morris: Started a lot last year but wasn't ready. Will take things up several levels

MOST EXCITING GAMES: When the season ends, we'll look back on these three and still be out of breath

3. Michigan State: Evenly matched with some bad blood in the football complex
2. Penn State: I favor nits due to venue, but should be real, real tight
1. Michigan: average score between these two over last two years is 34-28

MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES

3. Michigan: I have Iowa 7-1 heading into that game. Win it, and who knows?
3a. The next one: Had to throw that one in for Kirk
2. Northwestern: I hate that I put this here, but it's time to end their streak
1. at Nebraska: The beginning of what may grow into an intense and bitter rivalry

TOUGHEST OPPOSING VENUE ON 2011 SLATE

3. Ross Ade: One win for Iowa at Purdue since 1991
2. Memorial Stadium: The Sea of Red...Iowa is 3-14 at Nebraska all time
1. Beaver Stadium: Over 100,000 haters with the annoyingly loud Cat Cry

Links to our 2011 Iowa & Big Ten football preview items:

Iowa 2011 Game By Game Prediction
Ranking Iowa's 2011 Foes
Road to Indy: Predicting Every Game for Every Big Ten Team
Big Ten Bowl Predictions

At minimum he needs a 30+ catch season.
 
So Coker rushes for 1500 and Vande throws for 2500/20/10 and we go 8-4?

That would be disappointing.
 
So Coker rushes for 1500 and Vande throws for 2500/20/10 and we go 8-4?

That would be disappointing.


You have to give Miller a pass. He's going conservative this year because of last...(Didn't he say 12-0???). My guess is the more he is doing these predictions, the more he is thinking 9-3. Just a guess...

I will pick 11-1, but I'm a homer. GO HAWKS!

Also, I expect big things out of Davis...for sure.
 
Howler, I have written about the MSU thing three or four times.

Indeed you have and I'm grateful for it. I should've been more specific in that it'd be nice if more writers addressed these shameless MSU prevarications. Hlas, Morehouse, Harty, etc....Nothing boils my blood more than knowing Dantonio/staff are lying to recruits, and at the same time nothing makes me happier when said recruits choose Iowa at the end of the day.
 
Alvis is going to be the breakout guy. I would say Morris qualified last year. This year he should just be on the top defender list.
 

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