1. Now that the QB situation is settled and big armed CJ is the starter with free reign over the offense, I think most of us expected to see an improved, higher octane offense. Yet, with CJ at the helm going up against a defense that got absolutely slaughtered in the bowl game, CJ's offense put up ZERO points? That does not bode well.
2. With Brian Ferentz at the helm at the OL and some pretty miserable recruiting in the past four years, our OL is a patchwork of walk ons and guys with no major offers. It showed on Saturday. RBs had no holes to run through. QBs had little time to throw. There is no magic pill that will fix the OL. They are under coached and under talented. While our RBs have potential, all the potential in the world won't get them anywhere if the OL can't open some holes. CJ can have a cannon, but it won't matter if he's getting sacked.
3. Punter. Are you serious? This is the THIRD year in a row where we have zero talent at the punter position, and it's unacceptable. We have TWO scholarship punters who can't kick the ball more than 38 yards, and they get no hang time relative to other college punters. The best punter on the team is our placekicker, who hasn't been practicing punting day in and day out for 4 years like our two scholarship guys. How could the staff have missed so hard on punters. This is one position that is easy to scout. How could there be so little player development at this position. Don't these guys practice?
4. WRs. Yet another year with no separation at all. No burners. Just a bunch of possession guys. I don't care how many times our #1 WR can catch the ball with one hand in a minute. How many times can he get open against Big 10 QBs in a game. That is all that matters. Where is the WR depth that Davis was supposed to be building over the past 4 years? Our #2, Vandenberg, had another ball thrown that hit him right in the hands, that he dropped on Sat. I give the guy credit for overachieving and being a starter on a Big 10 team...but he's maxed out his potential. We could clearly use an upgrade at the position and I am baffled why we didn't bring in a JUCO last year to compete. Willies would have made us all forget Vandenberg was on the roster this year.
5. #2 QB Development. Wiegers, a 4 star QB who was the #14 QB in his class at that position, was our highest rated commit two years ago. By all accounts, he struggled mightily with the very basic QB fundamentals like handling snaps, staying steady in the pocket, and having proper QB mechanics. I get that he's inexperienced, but in this day and age, a 4 star redshirt frosh QB is expected to perform, and not be coddled. Manzel won the Heisman in 2012 as a 3 star redshirt frosh. Jameis Winston won the Heisman in 2013 as a freshmen. OSU won the national championship in 2014 with a freshmen QB. It's time for Wiegers to put on his big boy pants and perform like a Big 10 QB. If not, we are going to see Boyle climb to the #2 position by the end of the season.
6. Steve Ferentz getting center reps? What is with the rumor I'm hearing that Steve Ferentz is getting a bunch of reps at Center? Haven't we been down this road one too many times? The highest rated recruit we have had in the past 4 years graduated from high school early and turned down Alabama, Auburn, Mich, etc. so that he could move to Iowa to be a Hawk. If he winds up 4th string behind a 1* walkon who happens to be the coach's son on the depth chart, that will be an absolute killer to team morale. I'm hoping this is just a rumor and that, if Daniels chooses not to redshirt, he is given a fair shot at playing time this year.
On the plus side, it sounds like our defense has, in fact, taken the step forward that was needed. DL looks to be improved and the LBs seem better. We have a corner who could be 1st team all Big 10, which will take some pressure off the secondary. It also looks like we have a solid kicker this year, after last year's place kicking started off pretty scary. Who is going to return kicks and punts? I hope the staff opens it up and lets people try out. We need our special teams to be a weapon again, not a fair catching clinic.
2. With Brian Ferentz at the helm at the OL and some pretty miserable recruiting in the past four years, our OL is a patchwork of walk ons and guys with no major offers. It showed on Saturday. RBs had no holes to run through. QBs had little time to throw. There is no magic pill that will fix the OL. They are under coached and under talented. While our RBs have potential, all the potential in the world won't get them anywhere if the OL can't open some holes. CJ can have a cannon, but it won't matter if he's getting sacked.
3. Punter. Are you serious? This is the THIRD year in a row where we have zero talent at the punter position, and it's unacceptable. We have TWO scholarship punters who can't kick the ball more than 38 yards, and they get no hang time relative to other college punters. The best punter on the team is our placekicker, who hasn't been practicing punting day in and day out for 4 years like our two scholarship guys. How could the staff have missed so hard on punters. This is one position that is easy to scout. How could there be so little player development at this position. Don't these guys practice?
4. WRs. Yet another year with no separation at all. No burners. Just a bunch of possession guys. I don't care how many times our #1 WR can catch the ball with one hand in a minute. How many times can he get open against Big 10 QBs in a game. That is all that matters. Where is the WR depth that Davis was supposed to be building over the past 4 years? Our #2, Vandenberg, had another ball thrown that hit him right in the hands, that he dropped on Sat. I give the guy credit for overachieving and being a starter on a Big 10 team...but he's maxed out his potential. We could clearly use an upgrade at the position and I am baffled why we didn't bring in a JUCO last year to compete. Willies would have made us all forget Vandenberg was on the roster this year.
5. #2 QB Development. Wiegers, a 4 star QB who was the #14 QB in his class at that position, was our highest rated commit two years ago. By all accounts, he struggled mightily with the very basic QB fundamentals like handling snaps, staying steady in the pocket, and having proper QB mechanics. I get that he's inexperienced, but in this day and age, a 4 star redshirt frosh QB is expected to perform, and not be coddled. Manzel won the Heisman in 2012 as a 3 star redshirt frosh. Jameis Winston won the Heisman in 2013 as a freshmen. OSU won the national championship in 2014 with a freshmen QB. It's time for Wiegers to put on his big boy pants and perform like a Big 10 QB. If not, we are going to see Boyle climb to the #2 position by the end of the season.
6. Steve Ferentz getting center reps? What is with the rumor I'm hearing that Steve Ferentz is getting a bunch of reps at Center? Haven't we been down this road one too many times? The highest rated recruit we have had in the past 4 years graduated from high school early and turned down Alabama, Auburn, Mich, etc. so that he could move to Iowa to be a Hawk. If he winds up 4th string behind a 1* walkon who happens to be the coach's son on the depth chart, that will be an absolute killer to team morale. I'm hoping this is just a rumor and that, if Daniels chooses not to redshirt, he is given a fair shot at playing time this year.
On the plus side, it sounds like our defense has, in fact, taken the step forward that was needed. DL looks to be improved and the LBs seem better. We have a corner who could be 1st team all Big 10, which will take some pressure off the secondary. It also looks like we have a solid kicker this year, after last year's place kicking started off pretty scary. Who is going to return kicks and punts? I hope the staff opens it up and lets people try out. We need our special teams to be a weapon again, not a fair catching clinic.
