Any one else worried about the football team this year?

C

ChickenRancher

Well-Known Member
I was watching the Orange Bowl again today and came away very concerned for this coming year. Not about the defense, because I think they could be better than they were last year if that is possiable.

The O-Line looked very bad IMO. Stanzi was running for his life on several plays. With Brian B., Calloway, and Tony M. all gone I am scared as hell to see what this line will look like. I know Reif will be solid but the rest of the line is very suspect.

I hope Stanzi is working on his hot routes to McNut because this O-Line will be blitzed every play. I hope I am wrong but the success of this season rests on the sholders of the o-line.

I am afraid we are looking at a 9-3 season.
 


ChickenRancher said:
I was watching the Orange Bowl again today and came away very concerned for this coming year. Not about the defense, because I think they could be better than they were last year if that is possiable.

The O-Line looked very bad IMO. Stanzi was running for his life on several plays. With Brian B., Calloway, and Tony M. all gone I am scared as hell to see what this line will look like. I know Reif will be solid but the rest of the line is very suspect.

I hope Stanzi is working on his hot routes to McNut because this O-Line will be blitzed every play. I hope I am wrong but the success of this season rests on the sholders of the o-line.

I am afraid we are looking at a 9-3 season.
Click to expand...

It's very possible we could be looking at a 9-3 season. Personally, I would take that year in and year out. But I might be in the minority.

Your concerns about the O-line are justified. Just keep in mind that last year's line never really hit their groove because of injuries. Continuity and repetition could make up for the lack of experience this season. Or we could have just as many injuries and be screwed.

It should be an interesting season.
 




It took 2 blocked fg attempts in the closing seconds last year to beat UNI and barely beat AK St, so I don't think anything is a given.
 






I think you have two major areas of concern going into the season, LB and OL. I wouldn't worry too much about the LB position because the DL are going to be so dominant, but losing Angerer and Edds will definitely sting a little.

The OL is the huge variable. Not only do you lose almost every one of your starting OL, but you lose arguably the best blocking TE in the nation.
 




I think this team could finish anywhere from 6-6 to 11-1 (just like last year). The margin of error for Iowa is always razor thin (injuries, breaks, close games, etc.).

I do think Ferentz's son is ready to go and will play very well. the O-line will be good, but not great.

The D could be great (no news here).

I predict 9-3, 6-2 in the big Ten, an upset win over Ohio State (Pryor gets hurt and does not play against Iowa!), and a share of the Big Ten title.

Bowl game? Rose Bowl in a tiebreaker
 


I'm always worried about the football team, no matter the year. If games were played on message boards, we'd be damn near undefeated every season, and Rick Stanzi would be working on his 2nd Heisman this season. Unfortunately they are not, so I am a big worry-er when it comes to executing our game plan. And as ChosenChildren noted before me, our margin for error is razor thin, especially if we live on the edge like we did last year.

No surprise, but my biggest concerns are the OL and Stanzi...but I, too, could see anything from 7-5 to 12-0.
 


Without a solid O-line we are one play away from disaster. I think we can have a solid line, but it won't come together overnight. If you attended the Spring Practice, you realized we don't exactly pass the eye test on the o-line. We won't be the offensive juggernaut some are envisioning, at least not early.

To be successful, we have to play Ferentz football. Field position, great defense and don't make the big mistake.
 


....and last year it was the health and youth of the untested RBs, TM's health, RS's ability to lead the team...Parker's health...JB's injury...FG kicking...the brutal road schedule.....


To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna...."Well it just goes to show you, it's always something...."
So, no.
 


Drakebulldog93 said:
Without a solid O-line we are one play away from disaster. I think we can have a solid line, but it won't come together overnight. If you attended the Spring Practice, you realized we don't exactly pass the eye test on the o-line. We won't be the offensive juggernaut some are envisioning, at least not early.

To be successful, we have to play Ferentz football. Field position, great defense and don't make the big mistake.
Click to expand...

I don't think anything in the spring practice ever passes the eye test, and it goes without saying that Iowa is one play from disaster. Every team in the country is one play from disaster.
 


Drakebulldog93 said:
Without a solid O-line we are one play away from disaster. I think we can have a solid line, but it won't come together overnight. If you attended the Spring Practice, you realized we don't exactly pass the eye test on the o-line. We won't be the offensive juggernaut some are envisioning, at least not early.

To be successful, we have to play Ferentz football. Field position, great defense and don't make the big mistake.
Click to expand...

Is that remark directed more at how they played or at the seeming lack of size?

From what I've heard from folks who actually have a trained eye and who I trust ... it sounds like the Iowa OL is actually AHEAD of schedule. In particular, the it sounds like they are further along with blitz pick-up than they usually are. That's not to say that they're anywhere near being a finished product yet though. As I recall, the Iowa OL wasn't all that big in 2005 and the Iowa O ended up being pretty potent.

As for the O and the OL not being a juggernaut early in the season ... that's usually par for the course for Hawk squads. However, given the experience level of the squad at all spots other than at OL ... it seems like we'll mainly just have to be waiting on the OL to gel.
 


I'd never worry we were looking only at a 9-3 season.

I'd consider that a good season. I might be a bit dissapointed in that this particular year given the situation but that's a far cry from "worrying" about it.
 




tiberius said:
It took 2 blocked fg attempts in the closing seconds last year to beat UNI and barely beat AK St, so I don't think anything is a given.
Click to expand...

You are a clone fan right? So I assume you didn't see the Arkansas St game but Iowa didn't barely beat them. Iowa was ahead 21-7 ready to go in and make it 28-7 when Stanzi threw one of his pick 6's that got returned 90 yards, it wasn't like Iowa didn't dominate that game even though the score may not have shown it.

But I will agree that nothing is a given, this team just like all past Iowa teams has a small margin for error and that could be the difference between 6-6 and 11-1.

To answer the OP's question, no I'm not worried about 9-3, I would sign up for that and going to the Outback or Cap One Bowl every year. I hope we haven't gotten to the point where people think 9-3 is a bad year now.
 


UNI/Arky State.....UNI/Arky State....UNI/Arky State....yawn...

tOSU lost at home to USC because they gave up a late 4th quarter 90-yard drive and almost lost again at home to Navy after being outscored in the 4th quarter and had to have a 2-point attempt returned for 2 points to salt it away. They ended up doing OK.

Wisconsin squeaked out two home games to open the season. They ended up doing OK.

Find me a team which doesn't have at least one close game where they're favored.....
 




ChickenRancher said:
I was watching the Orange Bowl again today and came away very concerned for this coming year. Not about the defense, because I think they could be better than they were last year if that is possiable.

The O-Line looked very bad IMO. Stanzi was running for his life on several plays. With Brian B., Calloway, and Tony M. all gone I am scared as hell to see what this line will look like. I know Reif will be solid but the rest of the line is very suspect.

I hope Stanzi is working on his hot routes to McNut because this O-Line will be blitzed every play. I hope I am wrong but the success of this season rests on the sholders of the o-line.

I am afraid we are looking at a 9-3 season.
Click to expand...

You're referencing last year's Orange Bowl? The one Iowa played in?
 


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