Athlon predicts (+4 all americans)

If the Hawks can somehow circumvent this tough schedule and win, then you can expect a dark horse run to the CFP. It will be tough, but it is doable with the amount of talent we have available. Injuries throughout the season can change the direction of any program. What if Nebby lost Martinez? Purdue, Rondale Moore? Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor? Anything can change on a dime, even for Iowa. But we do have a chance.
 
ModebaSan said:
If the Hawks can somehow circumvent this tough schedule and win, then you can expect a dark horse run to the CFP. It will be tough, but it is doable with the amount of talent we have available. Injuries throughout the season can change the direction of any program. What if Nebby lost Martinez? Purdue, Rondale Moore? Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor? Anything can change on a dime, even for Iowa. But we do have a chance.
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Our barometers this season are the first two road trips to Iowa State and Michigan. Win those and this is going to be a special season. Lose one and it still might be. Open 3-2 and it’s going to be an uphill battle.
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
I agree with everything except the drop off part. I'm thinking without Martinez, nebby is maybe a 6-7 win team, at most. Frost hit a goldmine with him, and I don't think its overstating things to say their year makes/breaks on him.

I truly think we have some talent, albeit inexperienced, behind Stanley.
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There is a significant drop off for both teams at QB. Nebraska would be lucky to get 5 wins with a backup. Iowa is better poised to bring a backup in, with their offensive line and running backs.

I agree. Nebby hit the goldmine with Martinez. He has the makings of a great college QB. But saying there's a significant drop off isn't a slam on the backups, they are inexperienced. It will take a handful of games if not a season to get up to speed.
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
There is a significant drop off for both teams at QB. Nebraska would be lucky to get 5 wins with a backup. Iowa is better poised to bring a backup in, with their offensive line and running backs.

I agree. Nebby hit the goldmine with Martinez. He has the makings of a great college QB. But saying there's a significant drop off isn't a slam on the backups, they are inexperienced. It will take a handful of games if not a season to get up to speed.
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It's not just QB at Nebraska. They have been losing DB,s, lb's now a center (foot injury appearantly). I don't care what anyone says, when 4* db's start walking off of a team that's only won a few games the last few years, it's not good. Throw in all the legal trouble and I just don't think it's put together like their fans would like to think.
 
4thngoal said:
It's not just QB at Nebraska. They have been losing DB,s, lb's now a center (foot injury appearantly). I don't care what anyone says, when 4* db's start walking off of a team that's only won a few games the last few years, it's not good. Throw in all the legal trouble and I just don't think it's put together like their fans would like to think.
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I was just looking at it in general terms. But their misery is good for us!
 
ModebaSan said:
If the Hawks can somehow circumvent this tough schedule and win, then you can expect a dark horse run to the CFP. It will be tough, but it is doable with the amount of talent we have available. Injuries throughout the season can change the direction of any program. What if Nebby lost Martinez? Purdue, Rondale Moore? Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor? Anything can change on a dime, even for Iowa. But we do have a chance.
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Big Ten West is getting salty. NW, Wisc, Purdue, Nebraska and Minnesota are all going to be tough outs.

Throw in Penn State at home and Michigan and Iowa State on the road and you have a very tough 8 games.

I think we defeat Illinois, Rutgers, Miami of Ohio and Mid. Tenn. (don't sleep on Mid Tenn).

win 6 of the 8 toughies and we have a truly special season. A very tall order!
 
NW off. is inconsistent until otherwise proven. Wiscy lost most of that big O-Line and a new QB. Purdue lost a lot on def. Nebby should be improved but they haven’t shown to be physical enough on defense. Minnesota? I’m sorry, I’m not buying the hype. Penn St. has lost a lot due to graduation, transfers, and have already lost three four star commits. Something going on there. At Michigan and at ISU will be tough, but we have owned those two lately. Miami(Oh) and M. Tenn St. are going to be good tests. With that said, can we lose those games? Yes. But we also have the chance to do a repeat of 2015.
 
It's expected that 5 of the 6 Iowa games against potentially ranked opponents are away games. I am optimistic about the team, but the schedule is scary.
 
ModebaSan said:
If the Hawks can somehow circumvent this tough schedule and win, then you can expect a dark horse run to the CFP. It will be tough, but it is doable with the amount of talent we have available. Injuries throughout the season can change the direction of any program. What if Nebby lost Martinez? Purdue, Rondale Moore? Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor? Anything can change on a dime, even for Iowa. But we do have a chance.
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What would happen is that an unheralded second or third stringer comes in and has a career game.:)
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
There is a significant drop off for both teams at QB. Nebraska would be lucky to get 5 wins with a backup. Iowa is better poised to bring a backup in, with their offensive line and running backs.

I agree. Nebby hit the goldmine with Martinez. He has the makings of a great college QB. But saying there's a significant drop off isn't a slam on the backups, they are inexperienced. It will take a handful of games if not a season to get up to speed.
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With the offense Frosty wants to run, Martinez will get dinged up. It's a matter of when...not if.
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
Wirfs 4th team at center?
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Not sure what the rationale is for that one They got it right at the conference level. Maybe the fourth choice at center was so much weaker than the other OL choices, that they felt compelled to move someone over. There's little chance Wirfs will play center at Iowa.
 
karras said:
Strictly going by Athlon, here are the ranked teams we will be playing in 2019:

Iowa state - away
wisconsin - away
nebraska - away
penn state - home
michigan - away

i still think we win the WEST this year
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Half way thru the season. Time to revisit this prediction. Cyclones and Bugeaters no longer ranked, but the bugeaters are ahead of us in the conference race as of this post. PSU/Wiscky/Mich/Iowa still ranked. The chances of us winning the West are equal to the chances of cousinbreeder getting his parental rights restored, that is to say, not looking too good, unless Peyton Manziel becomes the situational QB we need to provide a spark during certain games.
 
karras said:
Half way thru the season. Time to revisit this prediction. Cyclones and Bugeaters no longer ranked, but the bugeaters are ahead of us in the conference race as of this post. PSU/Wiscky/Mich/Iowa still ranked. The chances of us winning the West are equal to the chances of cousinbreeder getting his parental rights restored, that is to say, not looking too good, unless Peyton Manziel becomes the situational QB we need to provide a spark during certain games.
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Fail.
 
Hmmmmmm, I think you are confusing that word with "truth" or "success"

1) Starting an apathy thread when there is already 2 of them on the front page.
2) Being unoriginal (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
3) Being predictable (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
4) Telegraphing that something has gotten under your skin because of the underlying truth
5) Being a wannabe mod
6) Having a real life that is so devoid of companionship that you have to live in cyberspace where you can lie to yourself about the number of "friends" you have.
7) Pity is what you elicit from the normals. That's the end product of actual fail.
 
karras said:
Hmmmmmm, I think you are confusing that word with "truth" or "success"

1) Starting an apathy thread when there is already 2 of them on the front page.
2) Being unoriginal (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
3) Being predictable (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
4) Telegraphing that something has gotten under your skin because of the underlying truth
5) Being a wannabe mod
6) Having a real life that is so devoid of companionship that you have to live in cyberspace where you can lie to yourself about the number of "friends" you have.
7) Pity is what you elicit from the normals. That's the end product of actual fail.
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There's 11.

Do I hear 12?
 
karras said:
Hmmmmmm, I think you are confusing that word with "truth" or "success"

1) Starting an apathy thread when there is already 2 of them on the front page.
2) Being unoriginal (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
3) Being predictable (see bullet point #1 and post directly above)
4) Telegraphing that something has gotten under your skin because of the underlying truth
5) Being a wannabe mod
6) Having a real life that is so devoid of companionship that you have to live in cyberspace where you can lie to yourself about the number of "friends" you have.
7) Pity is what you elicit from the normals. That's the end product of actual fail.
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Actually, that;'s 13 now that I recounted.

Let's shoot for 14 in a row?
 
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