Howe: Game-By-Game Predictions for Hawkeye Football 2018
- Thread starter RobHowe
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HawkGold
Well-Known Member
Agree that it is hard. Iowa is hard to predict.
Agree on most of what you have. I would reverse ISU and Wisconsin. I do think IL and Maryland will be better than you think.
Agree with TK that fans are underestimating the loss of Wadley.
I do get frustrated and the Developmental Program makes me want to get sick.
According to this analysis, Iowa is the 9th best developmental Power conference school. I would guess the numbers are skewed high by 2015
In 2011 Iowa was higher at number 3
in 2014 Iowa was 31.
Wisconsin is pretty consistently high. Not sure Iowa really deserves the status. Maybe a bit like "bullies of the Big", which is past.
Developmental? Yes, but the term is maybe applied a bit liberally.
Agree on most of what you have. I would reverse ISU and Wisconsin. I do think IL and Maryland will be better than you think.
Agree with TK that fans are underestimating the loss of Wadley.
I do get frustrated and the Developmental Program makes me want to get sick.
According to this analysis, Iowa is the 9th best developmental Power conference school. I would guess the numbers are skewed high by 2015
In 2011 Iowa was higher at number 3
in 2014 Iowa was 31.
Wisconsin is pretty consistently high. Not sure Iowa really deserves the status. Maybe a bit like "bullies of the Big", which is past.
Developmental? Yes, but the term is maybe applied a bit liberally.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
6-6 and it's "Ferentz needs to go"
9-3 and its "Ferentz should be considered for Coach of the Year.
A successful season really does hinge on about three games. I'm saying 7-5 due to Wadley and the LBs needing to be replaced.
9-3 and its "Ferentz should be considered for Coach of the Year.
A successful season really does hinge on about three games. I'm saying 7-5 due to Wadley and the LBs needing to be replaced.
eledmonster
Well-Known Dog
you may well be right. I'm really thinking we should be looking at 9-3 but.... I do appreciate that this is what you think and not what you would like. That said, I hope the hell we don't go 0 fer Indiana. that would leave a bad taste regardless of the final record. Truly barftastic.
NeilDiamond
Well-Known Member
Hawks are definitely known for losing a game they should not, but I don't see losing to both Indiana and Purdue. I am going 9-3/10-2.
RobHowe
Administrator
Iowa is a developmental program. To some, it carries a negative connotation. It shouldn't. All good programs develop. It's just at Alabama and Ohio State, the depth of ready-made talent is much greater than at Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, etc.
As far as the predictions, I did go game by game and wasn't trying to get to a specific record.
I see Iowa winning 3 of these 5 - Iowa State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue, three of those five being on the road.
Iowa shouldn't lose at home (doesn't mean it won't) to Maryland or Nebraska. It shouldn't lose on the road to Illinois.
I'd be surprised (not shocked) with wins against Wisconsin or Penn State.
As far as the predictions, I did go game by game and wasn't trying to get to a specific record.
I see Iowa winning 3 of these 5 - Iowa State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue, three of those five being on the road.
Iowa shouldn't lose at home (doesn't mean it won't) to Maryland or Nebraska. It shouldn't lose on the road to Illinois.
I'd be surprised (not shocked) with wins against Wisconsin or Penn State.
If both teams are 3-0 (and I think they will be) and that Wisconsin game becomes THE game of the week, I think Iowa wins. I think that Wisconsin will be really, really good. But who foresaw the Iowa thumping of OSU coming? There is some magic in Kinnick under the lights.
83Hawk
Banned
8-4 is ballpark, IMO. Could be 6-6 to 9-3. I figure losses to ISU, Wisconsin, PSU and Purdue are likely.
O-line and linebacker play are going to be key. If o-line is decent, there will be holes for our RB's and Stanley will have time to throw. If not...offense will struggle yet again.
If our linebackers struggle like they did in 2014....it is going to be a long season.
O-line and linebacker play are going to be key. If o-line is decent, there will be holes for our RB's and Stanley will have time to throw. If not...offense will struggle yet again.
If our linebackers struggle like they did in 2014....it is going to be a long season.
On paper Iowa should be about 9-3 (6-3) with losses to the two best teams they play (Wisconsin & Penn St) and one other loss.
However, as we've seen, Iowa has beaten teams that are superior to them and they often do it at least once a season and of course the reverse as well when they lose to a really bad team.
This year I think its Wisconsin on the good end, just because I really want them to and Penn St is so superior athletically to Iowa, I just don't see it happening. On the bad loss side, I think Iowa loses to Nebraska. Frost will target Iowa as a measuring stick. Throw in losses to Purdue and Northwestern and Iowa finishes 8-4 (5-4).
As others have mentioned above, the loss of Wadley will be devastating and not fully realized until we see Young or IKM running for a 15-20 yard carry in a big game that would have been a TD with Wadley. And that carry will be the difference in at least 2 games.
However, as we've seen, Iowa has beaten teams that are superior to them and they often do it at least once a season and of course the reverse as well when they lose to a really bad team.
This year I think its Wisconsin on the good end, just because I really want them to and Penn St is so superior athletically to Iowa, I just don't see it happening. On the bad loss side, I think Iowa loses to Nebraska. Frost will target Iowa as a measuring stick. Throw in losses to Purdue and Northwestern and Iowa finishes 8-4 (5-4).
As others have mentioned above, the loss of Wadley will be devastating and not fully realized until we see Young or IKM running for a 15-20 yard carry in a big game that would have been a TD with Wadley. And that carry will be the difference in at least 2 games.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
The game at Penn State is the tough one on the road in that Happy Place. Wisconsin, obviously, is the big dog on the home schedule. I just think no one else is going to be that great. 10-2 seems like the call...but it could be we beat of the afore mentioned teams...but lose to someone like Indiana or Purdue.
If you look at the defense we have coming back...strength up front and in the secondary...if the linebackers surprise (we have athletes you know)...this defense could be really good.
It's the other side of the ball that I think people are vastly underrating. Stanley, two capable backs, two capable TEs and an offensive line with a ton of talent and size. If a WR or two emerge...we are going to be a handful to stop.
I'm going with 10-2.
If you look at the defense we have coming back...strength up front and in the secondary...if the linebackers surprise (we have athletes you know)...this defense could be really good.
It's the other side of the ball that I think people are vastly underrating. Stanley, two capable backs, two capable TEs and an offensive line with a ton of talent and size. If a WR or two emerge...we are going to be a handful to stop.
I'm going with 10-2.
taffaej
Well-Known Member
Thanks Howe for confirming some of my picks that I got crap for earlier in the year. I picked Purdue and Indiana to win as well. You have two wrong though.... The clowns will win and make my drive home very long and painful. Nebraska has our game circled and will probably clean our clock so flip your score around. We go 6-6 much to my disappointment.
The coaches haven't shown me anything as far as improvements go, so they are clearly in a "show me" situation before I get all optimistic about the up coming seasons. I did post optimism about the 2020 class coming in, but that does help us in 45 days or what ever it is.
The coaches haven't shown me anything as far as improvements go, so they are clearly in a "show me" situation before I get all optimistic about the up coming seasons. I did post optimism about the 2020 class coming in, but that does help us in 45 days or what ever it is.
I'm feeling 10-2 also.
I certainly think they are all winnable PSU lost some big time talent. I'm not saying they can't reload, but that's why they are called generational players.
Frost will definitely have us circled, but they have so many gaps, new system and qb, and are thin at some positions.
Purdue I think we match up well with. Our improved O and their having so many new starters on D. Yeah they have their O back, but we have decent DL.
Wisconsin is the one. They are replacing a few on D, but we have to figure out how to stop their O. The higher the score in this game, the less I like our chances. I don't mean play conservatively. I'm saying that they are tough to beat if they score over 21-24.
The key to beating them is to keep their O off the field and when they are on the field, you have to play a little more aggressive. If you let them dominant top, they will grind you up. They have to be way up there in teams that have a high success rate of sustaining drives.
Northwestern always makes me nervous.
I certainly think they are all winnable PSU lost some big time talent. I'm not saying they can't reload, but that's why they are called generational players.
Frost will definitely have us circled, but they have so many gaps, new system and qb, and are thin at some positions.
Purdue I think we match up well with. Our improved O and their having so many new starters on D. Yeah they have their O back, but we have decent DL.
Wisconsin is the one. They are replacing a few on D, but we have to figure out how to stop their O. The higher the score in this game, the less I like our chances. I don't mean play conservatively. I'm saying that they are tough to beat if they score over 21-24.
The key to beating them is to keep their O off the field and when they are on the field, you have to play a little more aggressive. If you let them dominant top, they will grind you up. They have to be way up there in teams that have a high success rate of sustaining drives.
Northwestern always makes me nervous.
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MoseSchrute
Well-Known Member
Sounds about right, maybe 7-5. I really don't know why I even bother. I am less each year.
Do you mean in the bold text that you expect the hawks to lose to ISU and beat Wisky?
trj
Well-Known Member
There is a physicality that you have to play with in the B1G. Maybe a bit of a 80's stereotype, but for those 2nd tier B1G schools that still exist. Your offensive and defensive line have to put people on their ass, no matter what scheme you run. Nebraska isn't there yet..
I think so too. I don't like this game and haven't for over a month now. From the get go it felt like a game we needed to be ready for. Wisconsin and Minnesota as the first two games is tough. Yeah we have a bye in-between but those are both must win games. Which sets up nicely for Indiana..
