All of a sudden it looks a lot tougher for Iowa

L

longtimer

Well-Known Member
Wisconsin has found the running game. Good offensive line with very good backs. If Hawks go 3 and out a lot by the end of the 3rd quarter Wisconsin could be running wild. Minnesota thumps Maryland and is playing well. Nebraska won't be a gimme on the road and even Illinois is showing it can win. Northwestern is bad but they just seem to have our number
Obviously our offense needs to show up? How did Purdue completely dominate us???
 
This season reminds me of 2006, riding on our reputation had we felt really good but it was clear the talent wasn’t there even in the wins.
 
I imagine Iowa will be something like -2 from Vegas. If that's the case a lot of money will go down on Wisconsin probably making it an even game.
 
You have to make Mertz beat you. That means Iowa might have to sell out against the run. Then you hope Mertz is his normal self and turning the ball over. Otherwise, it is going to be a big L.
 
hawkinn3 said:
This season reminds me of 2006, riding on our reputation had we felt really good but it was clear the talent wasn’t there even in the wins.
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If I remember right the back end of the defense was riddled with injuries in the second half of the season. The 2006 offense was pretty pedestrian, not as bad as this season's offense. The receiving core that year was about as thin as Iowa has ever had.

I don't remember that team being particularly young overall, but I do remember they had very little depth anywhere. Wasn't Kenny Iwebema playing defensive end with a bum shoulder after the Illinois game and for much of the Big Ten season. I remember he couldn't push off and maintain contain.
 
The way this season is playing out, Iowa's season is coming down to 2 games: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Combined with a Purdue loss to Ohio State, we'd be sitting at the equivalent of 5-1 and owning the tie-breaker over Minny. That would allow us to lose one game to to either NW, Illinois or Nebraska and still win the West. It's really that simple. The Wisky game looms large because I don't see us running the table vs the rest of the teams on our schedule -- plus the Badgers would own the tie-breaker over us.
 
Wow...Mertz only threw 8 passes today and only completed 5 and Wisconsin still won by 3 scores. Not sure if that says more about Wisconsin or about Purdue...
 
Lets not hit the panic button. Iowa had a 12 game winning streak going with double digit victories over Indy, ISU and MD.

The Purdue game may have just been an anomaly. Now if Iowa loses to Wiscy as bad as Iowa lost to Purdue, then its time to PANIC!
 
AreWeThereYet said:
If I remember right the back end of the defense was riddled with injuries in the second half of the season. The 2006 offense was pretty pedestrian, not as bad as this season's offense. The receiving core that year was about as thin as Iowa has ever had.

I don't remember that team being particularly young overall, but I do remember they had very little depth anywhere. Wasn't Kenny Iwebema playing defensive end with a bum shoulder after the Illinois game and for much of the Big Ten season. I remember he couldn't push off and maintain contain.
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Wasn't that the Sam Brownlee AIRBHG year?
 
I am not going to get too excited about this week’s performances. The West is a hot mess. Purdue looked like a ranked team vs Iowa. Iowa was #2 in the country until that game. Then a week later, WI, a 2-3 team that barely beat Army, for God’s sake, unloads on Purdue with an offensive line that has sucked all season, and running backs that are low average. So now Purdue is no good and WI is toward the top, according to a couple of posters. In the meantime, IL, who could not win an inner squad scrimmage, beats PSU, who was once great and now may not be ranked? NW is at least consistently inept. MN? Who the hell knows? Have they beaten anyone with a pulse? They beat up on Maryland. Who cares? Nebraska is still consistent…they would screw up a one car parade. BTW, Iowa State is apparently good, again, as of today.
So, I guess I will wait around until next week. No predictions here, except that Iowa can still win the West as of today, and we are the #11 team in the country.
 
Grady said:
The way this season is playing out, Iowa's season is coming down to 2 games: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Combined with a Purdue loss to Ohio State, we'd be sitting at the equivalent of 5-1 and owning the tie-breaker over Minny. That would allow us to lose one game to to either NW, Illinois or Nebraska and still win the West. It's really that simple. The Wisky game looms large because I don't see us running the table vs the rest of the teams on our schedule -- plus the Badgers would own the tie-breaker over us.
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Oh yes the hawks almost have to beat Wisconsin or they absolutely need to beat Wisky. We need a 2015 type of game.
 
cincyhawk said:
Wasn't that the Sam Brownlee ****** year?
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Sam's big year was 2004, when Tate was a first year starter. He started the year behind Jermelle Lewis, Marcus Schnoor, Albert Young, Marquees Simmons. There was also another running back who was dismissed from the team before fall camp. Sam was literally the last man in. He almost never got negative yardage or fumble.

Iowa did have other RBs go down in the years after that, but I'm confused about who went down when. People had long lists detailing the victims of the one who's name will not be repeated.
 
Wisconsin has a good pass rush, Iowa doesn't. Wisconsin turns the ball over, themselves and their opponents. T/O's will decide the game.
 
longtimer said:
Wisconsin has found the running game. Good offensive line with very good backs. If Hawks go 3 and out a lot by the end of the 3rd quarter Wisconsin could be running wild. Minnesota thumps Maryland and is playing well. Nebraska won't be a gimme on the road and even Illinois is showing it can win. Northwestern is bad but they just seem to have our number
Obviously our offense needs to show up? How did Purdue completely dominate us???
Click to expand...
longtimer said:
Wisconsin has found the running game. Good offensive line with very good backs. If Hawks go 3 and out a lot by the end of the 3rd quarter Wisconsin could be running wild. Minnesota thumps Maryland and is playing well. Nebraska won't be a gimme on the road and even Illinois is showing it can win. Northwestern is bad but they just seem to have our number
Obviously our offense needs to show up? How did Purdue completely dominate us???
Click to expand...
Gotta be honest. I see only one victory on the remaining schedule — either Illinois in Kinnick or at Nebraska. I don’t see two wins there. We’ll find ways to lose the rest.
 
Iowa is averaging 4.5 yards per play this year. The only years worse was 2004, 2007, and 2012 at 4.4 ypp. Just so hard to win in today’s game doing that
 
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