A look at the schedules of the Legends Division contenders.....

SpiderRico

SpiderRico

Well-Known Member
Michigan:
vs. MSU
@Neb
@Minn
vs. NW
vs. Iowa
@OSU


NW:
vs. Neb
vs. Iowa
Bye
@Mich
@MSU
vs. Ill


Neb:
@NW
vs. Mich
@MSU
vs. PSU
vs. Minn
@ Iowa

Iowa:
vs. PSU
@NW
@Ind
vs. PU
@Mich
vs Neb

If you look at it, NW would appear to have the easiest remaining schedule. They get two of the 3 other leading teams at home and get a bye before playing at Michigan. However, they have the least intimidating home field compared to the other 3 teams, so I don't see them winning out at home. They'll lose to either Neb, Iowa or I could see them losing both.

I really think it's going to come down to Mich, Neb, and Iowa. I really like how it sets up that we get both Neb and Mich as the last 2 games of the year. If we can take care of business in these next 4 games by holding home serve against PSU and PU and split the NW/Ind road games, then the last two games will be for the division.

If there was ever a shot to make it to the Rose Bowl, this would be it with OSU ineligible and the rest of the Leaders no better than average.
 
Things could get interesting down the home stretch. We really need to take care of business at home and the passing game has got to be figured out. Glad we're in the position we are.
 
SpiderRico said:
Michigan:
vs. MSU
@Neb
@Minn
vs. NW
vs. Iowa
@OSU


NW:
vs. Neb
vs. Iowa
Bye
@Mich
@MSU
vs. Ill


Neb:
@NW
vs. Mich
@MSU
vs. PSU
vs. Minn
@ Iowa

Iowa:
vs. PSU
@NW
@Ind
vs. PU
@Mich
vs Neb

If you look at it, NW would appear to have the easiest remaining schedule. They get two of the 3 other leading teams at home and get a bye before playing at Michigan. However, they have the least intimidating home field compared to the other 3 teams, so I don't see them winning out at home. They'll lose to either Neb, Iowa or I could see them losing both.

I really think it's going to come down to Mich, Neb, and Iowa. I really like how it sets up that we get both Neb and Mich as the last 2 games of the year. If we can take care of business in these next 4 games by holding home serve against PSU and PU and split the NW/Ind road games, then the last two games will be for the division.

If there was ever a shot to make it to the Rose Bowl, this would be it with OSU ineligible and the rest of the Leaders no better than average.
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Good post to start off the week and give us food for thought.

With the continued development of the defense and incremental, albiet... small improvement in the passing game... there is a great chance Iowa beats PSU, Purdue and.. yes even Nebraska at home. If Iowa can win 2 of 3 away games... NW, IU and MI and it will be tough it's gonna be INDY baby vs Wisky.

If Iowa takes a dive and depends on other teams, hopefully MI State won't fold up and go away and get us some help by winning some combination of games vs NW, MI and Nebby.

Back to the great win against the Spartans... won... one game at a time. Time for some cat kill late Saturday evening in Iowa City.
 
Michigan State should still be listed:

@Michigan
@Wisconsin
Nebraska
Northwestern
@Minnesota

As down as the B1G is this year it would not surprise me if a 2 loss team won the Legends. MSU still has a pretty damn good defense and it is likely Iowa will lose at least 2 more games. I would not be shocked if MSU did not bounce back and beat Michigan this Saturday.
 
If Iowa loses only 2 more games then they have the tie breaker over MSU. So Iowa would need to lose 3, which I think is very possible.

The scariest thing for me is that Iowa's defense is built to stop the MSU/PSU of the world, not the NW, IU, PU or UM and even Nebby to an extent.

Iowa can win any game on the schedule but they could just as easily lose every game. Every game makes me very nervous and I would not bet 1 single dollar on any of those games.

Just remember Iowa has no passing game, and if Weisman gets stopped, well I think it is over for Iowa on that day.
 
This weekend, we need:

Hawks win (obviously)
Northwestern win over Nebraska
MSU win over Michigan

We've got to get Nebraska 3 losses by the time they get to Kinnick to have a reasonable shot. We could be 6-0 going into AA or we could be 2-4, every game looks like a potential tossup at this point, but even if we beat the teams we should reasonably beat, we are gonna need some help because those last two weeks are brutal.
 
hawkfarmer said:
If Iowa loses only 2 more games then they have the tie breaker over MSU. So Iowa would need to lose 3, which I think is very possible.

The scariest thing for me is that Iowa's defense is built to stop the MSU/PSU of the world, not the NW, IU, PU or UM and even Nebby to an extent.

Iowa can win any game on the schedule but they could just as easily lose every game. Every game makes me very nervous and I would not bet 1 single dollar on any of those games.

Just remember Iowa has no passing game, and if Weisman gets stopped, well I think it is over for Iowa on that day.
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Excellent post. I think we have a passing game, it is developing. The weather was a big factor on Saturday. The o-line looked great against a very physical and athletic MSU defense, and if we can own the trenches like that and JVB just settles down a bit, we could be downright salty. But, we could win only one or two more games if we don't continue to see incremental improvement.

I don't know fellas, I seriously got that feeling watching the game on Saturday that we turned the corner. That looked like the Ferentz squads of 2003 and 2004 where they were rocky in September and downright sick by mid October and beyond. We showed a lot of improvement.
 
hawkfarmer said:
Just remember Iowa has no passing game, and if Weisman gets stopped, well I think it is over for Iowa on that day.
Click to expand...

I agree with most of your post but if Michigan State could not stop Weisman then no team in the B1G can stop him. Not because I think Weisman is that talented but because I think Iowa has the best offensive line in the B1G.

Now if only Iowa could find that passing game..........
 
okeefe4prez said:
This weekend, we need:

Hawks win (obviously)
Northwestern win over Nebraska
MSU win over Michigan

We've got to get Nebraska 3 losses by the time they get to Kinnick to have a reasonable shot. We could be 6-0 going into AA or we could be 2-4, every game looks like a potential tossup at this point, but even if we beat the teams we should reasonably beat, we are gonna need some help because those last two weeks are brutal.
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The NW/Nebby game can go either way really. NW is on a roll and they are one of the teams that gives Iowa fits. Nebby really isn't that good and I could see Iowa matching up well with them come the game in November. I would actually like to see Nebby beat jNW.
 
Hawkfromnorwalk said:
The NW/Nebby game can go either way really. NW is on a roll and they are one of the teams that gives Iowa fits. Nebby really isn't that good and I could see Iowa matching up well with them come the game in November. I would actually like to see Nebby beat jNW.
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The 'cats are going to have a tough time against teams that are more physical in the trenches, even if they beat Nebraska, I see them still losing to MSU and hopefully Iowa, which would put them at 5-3 at best. We are going to need to be at least 6-2 and I want a 3 loss Husker team rolling into IC so hopefully no matter the outcome of the Black Friday game, when OSU mops Michigan on that Saturday, we are lined up to go to Indy with an extra day of rest.

Weisman will pound Northwestern into oblivion. This will not be like the 2009 or 2010 games where Wegher or Robinson was expected to carry the load, Weisman is a big dude running behind a road grater offensive line. And remember, Christensen was the last Iowa QB to win at NU (Stanzi and Tate both lost there).
 
Clearly, the Legends is wide open at this point,unless you listen to Gerry Dinardo of the BTN,who says that Michigan already has it wrapped up.

Now, I will agree that Michigan is the clear favorite at this point. We need them to lose vs MSU,at Nebraska,and at OSU....that is asking a lot....but I do not see Iowa beating them in AA,so a loss there puts Iowa in a bind,unless we run the table otherwise.

We need MSU to get very tough the rest of the way. I do think that their best receiver,TE Sims, was sorely missed by Maxwell on Saturday,and hopefully he returns for the Michigan game. It is the kind of situation where I could see Dantonio getting Sparty totally fired up and focused to upset the Blue applecart....go Sparty!

Nebraska- we need them to lose either at NW or at MSU.preferably both. Then beat Michigan at home...could happen...do not want to have them come to Iowa City as a do or die for the Legends for the winner of the game,but if it happened,at least we have a shot at home.

NW- cannot root for them vs Nebby even,but if they pulled off the upset,we need to beat them anyway,so I guess that would be the best outcome. We must beat them. They will lose either at MSU or Michigan or both,which will eliminate them after Iowa beats them.

Iowa needs to win vs PSU,at NW,at IU, vs Purdue....to put us in position...then win one of those last two games at Michigan or vs Neb...and we are on our way to Indy,unless Michigan runs the table...Dinardo thinks it will happen...I don't.
 
I've looked at it and this is how it needs to play out....

Michigan - Loses to MSU, Nebraska & OSU, wins rest. Final record of 5-3
Nebraska - Loses to MSU and Iowa, wins rest. Final record of 5-3
NW - Loses to Nebraska and Michigan, wins rest. Final record of 5-3
Iowa - Loses to NW & Mich, wins rest. Final record of 6-2

Of course, it won't happen this way, but it's also not completely out of the realm of possibility. Our schedule is ridiculously easy, Michigan and Nebraska's is pretty tough, and NW has no home field advantage.

I do know this, though. With MSU essentially 3 games out and virtually no shot, we need to root for them to play spoiler the rest of the way. From here on out, my 2nd favorite team is MSU!
 
JHHawk said:
Clearly, the Legends is wide open at this point,unless you listen to Gerry Dinardo of the BTN,who says that Michigan already has it wrapped up.

Now, I will agree that Michigan is the clear favorite at this point. We need them to lose vs MSU,at Nebraska,and at OSU....that is asking a lot....but I do not see Iowa beating them in AA,so a loss there puts Iowa in a bind,unless we run the table otherwise.

We need MSU to get very tough the rest of the way. I do think that their best receiver,TE Sims, was sorely missed by Maxwell on Saturday,and hopefully he returns for the Michigan game. It is the kind of situation where I could see Dantonio getting Sparty totally fired up and focused to upset the Blue applecart....go Sparty!

Nebraska- we need them to lose either at NW or at MSU.preferably both. Then beat Michigan at home...could happen...do not want to have them come to Iowa City as a do or die for the Legends for the winner of the game,but if it happened,at least we have a shot at home.

NW- cannot root for them vs Nebby even,but if they pulled off the upset,we need to beat them anyway,so I guess that would be the best outcome. We must beat them. They will lose either at MSU or Michigan or both,which will eliminate them after Iowa beats them.

Iowa needs to win vs PSU,at NW,at IU, vs Purdue....to put us in position...then win one of those last two games at Michigan or vs Neb...and we are on our way to Indy,unless Michigan runs the table...Dinardo thinks it will happen...I don't.
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That makes no sense to me. Unless we are 7-0 in the B1G and have it wrapped up...I would hope to get to go to a division championship game to end the year in Kinnick...every year!
 
ssckelley said:
I must be one of the few here that is just hoping Iowa can get to 6 wins to go to a bowl game.
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It could go either way. I'm honestly hoping for 8 wins and the Gator Bowl. I could certainly live with seven wins, and I'd love more than 8, but this team is very young. Every game will be an adventure. At any rate, it's great to be a hawkeye.
 
kuhntz said:
That makes no sense to me. Unless we are 7-0 in the B1G and have it wrapped up...I would hope to get to go to a division championship game to end the year in Kinnick...every year!
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Definitely see your point, however I'd love for the division to be wrapped up in black and gold colors prior to that last game of the season. No shame in clinching as soon as possible rather than letting it slowly unfold as the season progresses. I'm greedy, but wouldn't mind seeing Nebby and Michigan with 3 losses prior to us going to Ann Arbor.
 
Everyone is talking About who "needs" to lose but really we don't need anyone to lose if we take care f Buisness. ;) but those losses would help us a bit! :)
 
NW can beat Nebby. If Nebby's D Coordinator loads the box on every down like he did against tOSU, and NW's O Coordinator notices like tOSU's O Coordinator did, NW will just throw over or around it, or run around it, exactly like tOSU did.

tOSU is good, but the Nebby / tOSU game could, and should have been much closer.

Last point is that we aren't the only fans that sometimes have reason be be upset about coaches game calls.
 
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