Ballard v. Clayborn

B

BQuastU

Well-Known Member
Could Ballard be as good as Clayborn by the end of the year?

1. Please don't egg my house for suggesting this.
2. I am aware that Clayborn takes on multiple blockers, thus giving the others an easier time.

But Ballard is 6'5, almost 300 lbs, runs like a linbacker (almost) and is obviously strong.
 


Ballard has been our most consistent player on D this season, and is probably the most valuable player on it with his versatility to play both D end and D tackle. The NFL scouts have got to be going nuts right now over him.
 


I think Ballard is in the conversation now. I think he ends the year with AA honors of some sort and plays a long time at DE in the NFL.
 




Mac50702 said:
Ballard has been our most consistent player on D this season, and is probably the most valuable player on it with his versatility to play both D end and D tackle. The NFL scouts have got to be going nuts right now over him.
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What are you basing this premise on? As Kirk has said when game planning you pick out the best guy and plan your attack around him. As I watch and re-watch Iowa games teams are planning for Adrian. Double teams, chips by RB's constantly and it is apparent they are planning on taking Adrian out of the game. He should be having a stellar year, as should all the other 3 defensive linemen because they are able to go most of the game 1-on-1. Adrian could easily play on the inside but has not been asked to do so. Don't get me wrong but Adrian is the MVP of this defense hands down. PSU was the first game they tried occasionally blocking Adrian with just two guys or a chip and release...it didn't work.
 


Ballard V. Adrian = False Dichotomy. They both make each other tick. It was pretty hilarious watching PSU try to scheme for both these guys. Double Adrian and Ballard kills you. Don't double Ballard and well...

As far as versatility goes. Um, if you don't think Adrian could line up inside and be just as effective, you are insane. Both are just freaking dominant. I said before last year when people were fretting over the loss of King and Kroul, that Iowa's D-line was going to get us to quickly forget about these guys.

It took Christian a little time to learn how to keep his pads low on the inside, but once he got that he developed into what I believe to be one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the history of the program and as Davie kept saying a legitimate first round draft pick.
 


They are both very good. Right now, AC is getting all the attention from other teams, as noted above, but Ballard is going to play in NFL, no doubt, and probably do very well.
 






Bob Davie kept saying that he thought Ballard was also a 1st rounder in the upcoming draft. I think Ballard is very good, but not quite at Clayborn's level. I think the best thing to happen to the line this year is the emergence of Daniels as a beast. Daniels subbing at tackle + Ballard's ability to play both spots + scheming to stop Adrian = everybody looking better.
 


They are the best players at their respective positions in the history of the program.

Either/Or is not part of the discussion.
 


I would say the man that teams game plan for is the MVP. If we didn't have a Clayborn, Ballard wouldn't be able to do what he does to the degree he has been doing it. Let Ballard take on doubles and triples and Claybord would be killing it. Clayborn will not have the best stats this year but he is the defensive MVP.
 


Ballard is good. At the outset of the game, with Clayborn getting double and tripled teamed, Ballard was the one blowing up plays behind the LOS. Indeed, his numbers for the game are just slightly behind Clayborn.

Our DL's greatest strength is that there really doesn't seem to be a weak link. We have 5 guys who are all really good. You focus on one, and you can bet another one is going to find a way into your backfield. Double up on Ballard? Now you have Klug, Daniels, Binns or Ballard to contend with. Triple up on Clayborn? Well, you better hope you got Ballard cover- oops... there goes Daniels. Straight to the QB.

Hope all our DL guys get a shot at the next level. They've done a great job thus far at this one.
 


To put in perspective how good Iowa's FRONT FOUR are ....

... most teams go into max-protect when they're worried about matching the NUMBERS that opposing Ds put into the box. For example, to make sure that they can pick up blitzes and whatnot.

... many teams are having to use max-protect to just handle the Hawkeyes FRONT FOUR!!! In fact, Arizona is the only team to really have pulled it off ... and, even then, their O only really put up 13 points on our D!
 


BQuastU said:
Could Ballard be as good as Clayborn by the end of the year?

1. Please don't egg my house for suggesting this.
2. I am aware that Clayborn takes on multiple blockers, thus giving the others an easier time.

But Ballard is 6'5, almost 300 lbs, runs like a linbacker (almost) and is obviously strong.
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I'm not sure that Ballard will quite reach AC's level by the end of the year, but he is very, very good and has a bright future in front of him. I'm guessing that his numbers will be impressive (probbaly better than Clayborn's) by the time the season is over.

When all is said and done, though, opposing teams are game-planning around AC. He is drawing at least a double-team on practically every play (and triple-teamed on many).
 


IAHawkFan said:
I'm not sure that Ballard will quite reach AC's level by the end of the year, but he is very, very good and has a bright future in front of him. I'm guessing that his numbers will be impressive (probbaly better than Clayborn's) by the time the season is over.

When all is said and done, though, opposing teams are game-planning around AC. He is drawing at least a double-team on practically every play (and triple-teamed on many).
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I think they are pretty comparable at this point. AC gets more headlines (and does seem to get more blocking attention), but Ballard is just as good, imo.

Ballard reminds me of Babs, with an extra 15 lbs. I DO think he goes at least early in the second round this spring...
 


loesshillshawk said:
What are you basing this premise on? As Kirk has said when game planning you pick out the best guy and plan your attack around him. As I watch and re-watch Iowa games teams are planning for Adrian. Double teams, chips by RB's constantly and it is apparent they are planning on taking Adrian out of the game. He should be having a stellar year, as should all the other 3 defensive linemen because they are able to go most of the game 1-on-1. Adrian could easily play on the inside but has not been asked to do so. Don't get me wrong but Adrian is the MVP of this defense hands down. PSU was the first game they tried occasionally blocking Adrian with just two guys or a chip and release...it didn't work.
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Adrian is the better player, but Ballard has been more consistent. There were times in the previous games where Adrian was blocked 1 on 1 and he was kept out of the backfield, especially against Arizona.
 


ThunderHawk said:
They are the best players at their respective positions in the history of the program.

Either/Or is not part of the discussion.
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Clayborn & Ballard are great. No argument there. Best ever at the position????

Wow, Bro.........guess you are too young to remember Andre Tippet. You youngsters.................

All American Defensive End, class of 1982. Defensive Captain. 3 year Letterman.
1981 help lead team to first winning season, first Big Ten title and Rose Bowl in 2 decades.
Two time All Big Ten Selection.
1981 All American
Hold record for tackles for lost yardage.
You like defense. Go pull the stats on the 1981 season. Best ever allowing only 259 yds total per game, 129 points total.
Voted DE on All Iowa Team of the 80's and inducted into U of Iowa Varsity Hall of Fame.

Pro Career:
Pick 41 1982 in NFL Draft by Patriots.
11 years in NFL with Patriots.
5 time Pro Bowl Selection
All-decade team 1980's
Inducted into NFL Hall of Fame

All of this and he was/is a soft spoken, gentle giant as well as a true gentlemen in every sense of the word!

The bar is set very high and I for one, will be cheering on Sunday's for Clayborn and Ballard that they have as great if not greater pro career than Andre Tippet.
 


We need them both. Without one the other wouldn't get the same production. We're lucky they're both wearing black and gold!
 


JPOHawk said:
Clayborn & Ballard are great. No argument there. Best ever at the position????

Wow, Bro.........guess you are too young to remember Andre Tippet. You youngsters.................

All American Defensive End, class of 1982. Defensive Captain. 3 year Letterman.
1981 help lead team to first winning season, first Big Ten title and Rose Bowl in 2 decades.
Two time All Big Ten Selection.
1981 All American
Hold record for tackles for lost yardage.
You like defense. Go pull the stats on the 1981 season. Best ever allowing only 259 yds total per game, 129 points total.
Voted DE on All Iowa Team of the 80's and inducted into U of Iowa Varsity Hall of Fame.

Pro Career:
Pick 41 1982 in NFL Draft by Patriots.
11 years in NFL with Patriots.
5 time Pro Bowl Selection
All-decade team 1980's
Inducted into NFL Hall of Fame

All of this and he was/is a soft spoken, gentle giant as well as a true gentlemen in every sense of the word!

The bar is set very high and I for one, will be cheering on Sunday's for Clayborn and Ballard that they have as great if not greater pro career than Andre Tippet.
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Thanks for the blast from the past, JPOHawk. I remember those days well. Relegated to listening to many games on the radio back then in CR ... but grew to love Ron Gonder at WMT so much that for the televised games we would often turn down the TV volume and turn up the radio just to hear his enthusiasm for the Hawks.
 


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