ISU does it too. Big fast LBs make that a tough thing for Olines to know and execute their assignments. I think Wisky lost like 7 or 8 starters from last yrs D so I'm not too surprised they've struggled at times this yr. If we are going to get em now's the time.
How Iowa matches up against Wisconsin?
- Thread starter Iceman
- Start date
I'm also starting to wonder if there aren't just some fantastic defenses out there. Like the cycles we sometimes see in in baseball. A new stickum, that gives an advantage to pitchers for a season or two before batters learn to catchup. Or even better, this whole concentration by batters on launch angle and whatnot that results in more home runs. Or is it a COVID effect? Like maybe COVID slowed offensive development in relation to defenses? Or is it just a fluke that the Big 10 just has really good defenses? Or is it that there's a lot of bad Big 10 offenses? Big 10 certainly a different style than the SEC in that even a good team is less likely to rack up yards and points. Is the portal/NIL starting to magnify this?
Iowa has played 9 games. ~50% of them have been against 'top 10 defenses' (ESPN "total defense"). Scoring an average of 9.25 points against ISU (10th), Michigan (2nd), Illinois (1st), OSU (6th). Granted, they've all played Iowa and some other bad Big 10 teams and few teams outside the Big10.
I'm not sure what to do about the SDSU game. It was the first game. Not unusual for even very good Kirk teams to have an outlier early in the season. I mean....Northern Iowa (09), Syracuse (06), ISU (various).
Iowa football is 0-4 against teams with a top 10 ranked defense. 5-0 against teams outside the top 10. Well, Purdue comes in tied for 39th. No other Iowa opponent has been in the top 50.
Minnesota is 7th
Wisconsin is 23rd
Nebraska is >50
Seems to me, the next two games will tell us if the offense has improved more than the last two.
SwirlinLingerie
Well-Known Member
I'm increasingly thinking this year's Iowa team is pretty much like last year's Iowa team. Which shouldn't be surprising.
Chickenlounge
Well-Known Member
ISU also puts 13 on the field? Damn, we're surrounded by cheaters! 3+5+5=13
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Every game, every analyst always says this, thinking it makes them sound so damn smart. It is literally stated every pregame prediction. Every time. Not that it is wrong, but everybody says it thinking they are going to sell it as a unique thought. I find it comical.
I'll tell you what is really important and who will win the game. It's the team that is fairly successful on the early downs and getting to 3rd and short and converting to move the chains and keeping the offensive on the field. That team will win the TOP and control the line of scrimmage.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Man, you had me until Amber Bock! Yuck.
Lol I hadn't seen the total game stats from our Purdue game... we would have a +200 yard rusher and finish with 184 rush yards as a team
ISU also puts 13 on the field? Damn, we're surrounded by cheaters! 3+5+5=13
haha
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
This is the season, folks. All of the previous games were a prelude to this one.
I hope the crowd shows up and brings the noise.
I hope the crowd shows up and brings the noise.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
We won't win if the refs let them play the 3-5-5 alignment
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
I've thought about that. The main issue is how much football will be really different really fast. Our whole world is changing like that.
I work in ag and managing farms. The farming world is going to be so different in 5 to 10 years and I have to look at which farmers are likely to get my clients' farms where they are going to need to be in 5 to 10 years. I can pretty much already tell which ones will do it and which ones likely won't. One client and I are arguing about the farmer. This farmer plants 30 inch rows for beans. It's fine for corn still (though I really like 20s for high yields). Soybeans on really good ground tops out pretty much in the mid 70s on 30s where a field drilled can hit 90 across the road. Most years not a huge factor, but 30s just don't get you there.
I figure that is sort of what W was doing. We'll see where each program is in 5 years.
