IF this season works out as we all hope ...

[homerHAWKeye777]

So for RIGHT NOW, I don't think we match up with 'Bama that well. That can very easily change over the course of the season. But until proven otherwise, I think it's wise to assume that Saban will have another outstanding defense.

LOL! My implication dealt more with the hypothetical of who Iowa might play in a BCS bowl-game and/or NC game at the end of the season. Heck, early in the season, even ISU should be able to give us one heck of a tussle. Until Iowa's OL gels, we're always more than a bit vulnerable.

 

[tm3308]

LOL! My implication dealt more with the hypothetical of who Iowa might play in a BCS bowl-game and/or NC game at the end of the season. Heck, early in the season, even ISU should be able to give us one heck of a tussle. Until Iowa's OL gels, we're always more than a bit vulnerable.

I took your comment as saying right now there's no one we couldn't match up against. Even if the O-Line doesn't gel as well as we hope it does, we could still be 10-2 (the two losses just may not be so pretty). If/when it does gel, there's no one we can't beat. But until then, 'Bama fits that description.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I took your comment as saying right now there's no one we couldn't match up against. Even if the O-Line doesn't gel as well as we hope it does, we could still be 10-2 (the two losses just may not be so pretty). If/when it does gel, there's no one we can't beat. But until then, 'Bama fits that description.

The issue there is that most teams have their exploitable weaknesses early in the season. I wouldn't exactly run out and declare 'bama as being all-world early in the season. Over the past few season, 'bama has proven to be more than a little bit mortal. They've had their fair share of close games that has led me to scratch my head a bit. That said ... Iowa has even had more of those sorts of games.

 

[tm3308]

The issue there is that most teams have their exploitable weaknesses early in the season. I wouldn't exactly run out and declare 'bama as being all-world early in the season. Over the past few season, 'bama has proven to be more than a little bit mortal. They've had their fair share of close games that has led me to scratch my head a bit. That said ... Iowa has even had more of those sorts of games.

Like I said earlier, I'm just in the camp that it isn't smart to bet against a Saban defense (and that is their "weakness" heading into the season). He's always got a stellar defense. We have not always had a stellar line, even under Ferentz.