Iowa ranked 10th in one preseason poll.

It's not where you start but where you finish.
Nice to get the recognition, be really nice to finish in the top 10!!! That would be really nice!!!
 
I saw that Street & Smith has Iowa finishing 6th in the West, while Athlon has us predicted 2nd.

Until proven otherwise, I still think the West is Wisconsin's division but really outside of Illinios the rest of the teams in the West have to be coming into 2019 feeling pretty good about their chances of reaching Indianapolis.
 
Xerxes said:
I saw that Street & Smith has Iowa finishing 6th in the West, while Athlon has us predicted 2nd.

Until proven otherwise, I still think the West is Wisconsin's division but really outside of Illinios the rest of the teams in the West have to be coming into 2019 feeling pretty good about their chances of reaching Indianapolis.
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Can Fran/Son and Stanley beat Wisconsin? Not much else matters. It is the watershed game of being someone or heading to The Pinstripe, et. al. for another big bowl "win."

Wisconsin has owned the entire program for years. Breaking the pattern will be difficult. Kirk will need his A game.
 
Iowa's schedule is just so rough this year. They have top 25 talent for sure I just think the schedule is going to prove to be too much.
 
mopkins said:
Iowa's schedule is just so rough this year. They have top 25 talent for sure I just think the schedule is going to prove to be too much.
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Yes that is a tough schedule. I really think overall the "ball and some breaks" hasn't really bounced the Hawks way consistently in 2017 and 2018. The hawks have shot themselves in the foot a good amount of time.

If they get plays to go their way a lot more often this season, develop a run game to lean on and set up the passing game, and find a couple of decent TEnds I think the offense will surprise. The defense should be pretty good and stand up to the pressure.
 
revkev73 said:
Can Fran/Son and Stanley beat Wisconsin? Not much else matters. It is the watershed game of being someone or heading to The Pinstripe, et. al. for another big bowl "win."

Wisconsin has owned the entire program for years. Breaking the pattern will be difficult. Kirk will need his A game.
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I'm confused. I thought the Pinstripe Bowl was two years ago. I also thought it was a win and not a "win". Perhaps you meant to say "big" bowl win or big "bowl" win.

If I were a Hawk fan trying to talk up my team, I would use the more recent "bigger" bowl win as an example. If i weren't a hawk fan and was here to troll. I would just go back further in the past and reference bowl "losses". Either way you're doing it wrong.
 
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PCHawk said:
I'm confused. I thought the Pinstripe Bowl was two years ago. I also thought it was a win and not a "win". Perhaps you meant to say "big" bowl win.

If I were a Hawk fan trying to talk up my team, I would use the more recent "bigger" bowl win as an example. If i weren't a hawk fan and was here to troll. I would just go back further in the past and reference bowl "losses". Either way you're doing it wrong.
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Sounds like both of us know the Pinstripe Bowl was two years ago! Or are you truly confused? Beating Mississippi State was a nice surprise win vs an SEC team of swamp rat fans.
 
revkev73 said:
Sounds like both of us know the Pinstripe Bowl was two years ago! Or are you truly confused? Beating Mississippi State was a nice surprise win vs an SEC team of swamp rat fans.
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So why reference a game from 2 years ago instead of the game from last year? The answer is because you want to dog the program so you need to go further back in history to do it.
 
It's all going to revolve around the run game, in my opinion.

If we can get the run game to 2015's level, we've got a chance to do something really special this year. The reason the run game is so important for this year especially is because of all of the tough road games. You can't go on the road at Michigan, at Wisky, at NW, at Nebby and expect to win with the passing game. The crowds just make it too tough. But if we can have a rock-solid run game....with an experienced QB and an always solid D to compliment that....we've got the talent to win the B1G.

But if the run game is slogging along at less than 4ypc....we're in real trouble.
 
I think the run game thing gets overplayed. Of course it's important, Kirk himself brings it up constantly as priority one. But then he also uses the phrase "balanced offense" quite often.
In 2015 we didn't have a 1,000 yard rusher - yet won 12 games.
In 2016 we had a pair of 1,000 yard rushers and won 8 games.
I just think it is too simplistic to say every off season, "our running game will determine our success". Of course we want a good running game, but I remember 2004 when we had a shit running game and beat LSU and finished ranked in the top 10. Hell, this past season we beat a different SEC school after rushing for negative 15 yards. Too many other factors to lay the season at the feet of one unit.
 
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karras said:
I think the run game thing gets overplayed. Of course it's important, Kirk himself brings it up constantly as priority one. But then he also uses the phrase "balanced offense" quite often.
In 2015 we didn't have a 1,000 yard rusher - yet won 12 games.
In 2016 we had a pair of 1,000 yard rushers and won 8 games.
I just think it is too simplistic to say every off season, "our running game will determine our success". Of course we want a good running game, but I remember 2004 when we had a shit running game and beat LSU and finished ranked in the top 10. Hell, this past season we beat a different SEC school after rushing for negative 15 yards. Too many other factors to lay the season at the feet of one unit.
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It doesn't matter in the Iowa offense if a single runner gets to 1,000. It is the totality since they like to rely on multiple backs and the yards per carry. Shonne Green was the exception in recent years as they had him carry the load that year and he took it.
 
revkev73 said:
Can Fran/Son and Stanley beat Wisconsin? Not much else matters. It is the watershed game of being someone or heading to The Pinstripe, et. al. for another big bowl "win."

Wisconsin has owned the entire program for years. Breaking the pattern will be difficult. Kirk will need his A game.
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It will take more than beating Wisconsin, though that would be nice. Beating us last year didn't prevent Wisconsin from ending up in that same Pinstripe Bowl.

Meanwhile we beat a good Mississippi State team. That was a nice bowl "win".
 
karras said:
I think the run game thing gets overplayed. Of course it's important, Kirk himself brings it up constantly as priority one. But then he also uses the phrase "balanced offense" quite often.
In 2015 we didn't have a 1,000 yard rusher - yet won 12 games.
In 2016 we had a pair of 1,000 yard rushers and won 8 games.
I just think it is too simplistic to say every off season, "our running game will determine our success". Of course we want a good running game, but I remember 2004 when we had a shit running game and beat LSU and finished ranked in the top 10. Hell, this past season we beat a different SEC school after rushing for negative 15 yards. Too many other factors to lay the season at the feet of one unit.
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All three of our 2015 runners were banged up at various times. How about recognizing that all three of them had individual 200 yard games.

Canzeri, in my opinion, would have topped 1,000 yards easily if not for the high ankle sprain he suffered in the Northwestern game. Not to worry, Wadley came in and picked up the baton with no problems.
 
I stand by my post

1) Every off season --- "our fate hinges on our running game"
2) Every time we lose a recruit ---- "we will be fine"
3) We are handicapped because we are a ---- "developmental program"

The fanbase needs to up its game and be more original and insightful.

1) The run game is tied to the O-line and playcalling, so singling them out is just echoing something someone has read a million times
2) No one has ever said losing a recruit means we won't be fine, again, just echoing.
3) Every program in football has a weight room and conditioning coach, the idea that we are handicapped because we have to "develop" players is the silliest thing I've ever read. Again, people aren't very good at thinking for themselves, so they have to echo others. Fans should up their game.
 
4thngoal said:
It's not where you start but where you finish.
Nice to get the recognition, be really nice to finish in the top 10!!! That would be really nice!!!
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True, but there's a trend in college football that if you start high you end up high. Every loss matters, but the voters tend to be pretty forgiving if there's a preseason ranking next to your name or you've spent quite a few weeks in the top 25.
 
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