Can Iowa Repeat as Big Ten West Champions?

ChosenChildren

ChosenChildren

Well-Known Member
I don't think Illinois and Purdue will contend. I think Wisconsin is a mess at quarterback but they are always tough.

Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern will be better. I'm predicting 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the league, and we win a couple of tiebreakers to advance to Indy again.
 
ChosenChildren said:
I don't think Illinois and Purdue will contend. I think Wisconsin is a mess at quarterback but they are always tough.

Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern will be better. I'm predicting 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the league, and we win a couple of tiebreakers to advance to Indy again.
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Deace broke down Illinois schedule in a recent podcast he made a compelling case that 8-4/7-5 is very doable. If Lovie can coach these guys up they won't win the West, but they could do some damage. Ferentz's track record dealing with expectations is spotty, but this feels different maybe because of the QB.
 
At least a 50% chance.

Nebby has a tough road schedule at NW, at Wiscy, at OSU and at Iowa.

NW's road schedule is not much easier ... at Iowa, at MSU and at OSU.

Wiscy has to play at MSU and at Michigan the first 2 B1G games and they also face OSU at Madison in week 4 after their bye ... then at Iowa in week 5. They could be pretty dinged up by the time they roll in to IC.
 
ChosenChildren said:
I don't think Illinois and Purdue will contend. I think Wisconsin is a mess at quarterback but they are always tough.

Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern will be better. I'm predicting 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the league, and we win a couple of tiebreakers to advance to Indy again.
Click to expand...

Wisconsin has Michigan, Michigan State & the Bucks in cross over games. It puts the Badgers at a huge disadvantage to the other teams in the West. In contrast, Iowa has Michigan, Penn State & Rutgers. Not as easy as last year, but not nearly as bad as Wisconsin's. The Badgers first four conference games are at Michigan State, at Michigan, Ohio State & at Iowa. That is a pretty brutal schedule. At least the Badgers bye week is after the first two conference games. I'd be disappointed if the Hawks finish behind the Badgers!
 
Sure Iowa has a chance. I'd say scheduling alone has Iowa being the favorite. That to me is the most important factor and like some have pointed out Nebby NW and Wisky all have a daunting schedule compared to Iowas. I'd say talent wise Nebby if they were to get hot and put it together they can get 9 wins. For Iowa to end up with 9 wins or less they'd have to lose a game or two they just plain shouldn't.. Be it ISU/NDSU or whomever. I don't see that happening I see Iowa winning at the least 9 games and I think that'd be enough to win the west. The west is going to be considered "weak" again so I hope Iowa doesn't stub their toe along the way so they are if not undefeated again at worst I hope they have 2 losses or less and that should do it easily.
 
We should....even when our teams are bad we still somehow have a chance at the division going into November (minus 2012)....we just can't beat the good to great teams which is KF 3.0 as of right now.

This year we get MI, PSU added on to our schedule which will prove to be tougher in going undefeated. I'm less concerned with zero losses, and more concerned with the let down after a 12-0 season.

KF has never met expectations. Which you could argue is a lot like life. Things are never as good as we expect, or as bad. KF track record when expectations are high.....is less than stellar.

In the end, I expect Iowa to be in the running come November for the division. And that's really my expectation as a fan....win the division.
 
Can Iowa repeat? Sure! Iowa could win the natty, but will they? If the defense can overcome the loss of Ott and the offense can torch some teams on the schedule Iowa could be back in Indy and take the next step. But they still need to take care of business against teams they should beat.
 
We could sit here all day analyzing the other West teams' schedules compared to Iowa's but its more simple than that: Last year Iowa just plain and simple beat teams they were supposed to beat and won a couple games maybe they weren't supposed to (@ Wis and @ NW)

If they do that again, I don't see why they can't get back to the BIG title game:

Roll into the Big Ten home opener undefeated and continue that against NW. 5-0

Wisconsin in Iowa City isn't a gimme but we will be the better team at home. 8-0

At PSU will be tough, but coming off a bye, that should absolutely be a win. 9-0

Michigan. At Kinnick. Toss up. I think Michigan is the better team but hawks at home with a lot on the line likely at that point. Edge still to Michigan. 9-1

At Illi. Kind of a scary game but still-- Iowa has no business losing. 10-1

Fuskers in Iowa City. 11-1

That's how I see it as it SHOULD be. The problem is, Iowa doesn't always win games they should. (last year was an exception to the norm)

I'm hoping only 1 extra "bad" loss for 10-2 and still West champs.
 
Don't underestimate any Wisky and NW teams, though I think NW may have used most of their magic. Wisky will always be strong fundamentally. Winning a low score game with them may be tough. Got some breaks last year.

NW, what can you say. Always 1 or 2 players from being good or bad.

IL may be better than one thinks. They were among the strongest teams at certain positions last year. Hi at offensive skill positions except WR. Weak O Line. Defensive interior was quite good. Weak on corners. Where they were weak they were really weak. IF QB remains healthy....

Smith can correct some of that.
 
ChosenChildren said:
I don't think Illinois and Purdue will contend. I think Wisconsin is a mess at quarterback but they are always tough.

Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern will be better. I'm predicting 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the league, and we win a couple of tiebreakers to advance to Indy again.
Click to expand...
Yes, they can repeat. Schedule is favorable in that the toughest games are at home. They still have to do it, but it can be done. Health is always an issue for Iowa.
 
HawkeyeStout said:
We could sit here all day analyzing the other West teams' schedules compared to Iowa's but its more simple than that: Last year Iowa just plain and simple beat teams they were supposed to beat and won a couple games maybe they weren't supposed to (@ Wis and @ NW)

If they do that again, I don't see why they can't get back to the BIG title game:

Roll into the Big Ten home opener undefeated and continue that against NW. 5-0

Wisconsin in Iowa City isn't a gimme but we will be the better team at home. 8-0

At PSU will be tough, but coming off a bye, that should absolutely be a win. 9-0

Michigan. At Kinnick. Toss up. I think Michigan is the better team but hawks at home with a lot on the line likely at that point. Edge still to Michigan. 9-1

At Illi. Kind of a scary game but still-- Iowa has no business losing. 10-1

Fuskers in Iowa City. 11-1

That's how I see it as it SHOULD be. The problem is, Iowa doesn't always win games they should. (last year was an exception to the norm)

I'm hoping only 1 extra "bad" loss for 10-2 and still West champs.
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Given how badly we beat them, I think it's fair to say we were suppose to be beat NW. We just matched up well with them very well.
 
ChosenChildren said:
I don't think Illinois and Purdue will contend. I think Wisconsin is a mess at quarterback but they are always tough.

Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern will be better. I'm predicting 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the league, and we win a couple of tiebreakers to advance to Indy again.
Click to expand...


On paper, we should repeat. I think this year we break the trend of doing well when there are few expectations/doing poorly when there are high expectations. Seems like that's how Kirk and co. have rolled the last 8-9 years.
 
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