Jon- Are your inside sources as positive about the OL as Dinardo & Griffith?

[Win5002]

They seemed to think Gettis & Zusevics will have no problem replacing the departed starters. Griffith has even said twice there is a good chance Hampton will win the rushing title.

Are your sources within the program that positive on the OL? Or did they just catch the OL on a good day, or are the other DL's not as strong as we might have thought in the conference?

Because if Iowa gets that kind of offensive production its real hard not seeing them win the conference with that defense and punting game.

 

[JonDMiller]

I asked Gerry about this last night after the show...as in 'Do you REALLY think Iowa's OL is going to be OK?" and he said "When you coach a team, and train them, they only really have to be as good as the defensive front across from them week to week. And based on what I have seen and heard this summer and from the trips we took, I don't see anyone that the Iowa offensive line won't be able to compete with when they play them"

The last part is key...when they play them..Iowa won't play OSU until November 20..Wisconsin until game seven I think...by then, you would expect the development process to be well along the way.

He makes a great point of this.

 

[whammer33024]

god is it saturday yet!?

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I think that Dinardo also hit the nail on the head with the remarks about Iowa's schedule. The ISU and Arizona games are going to be GREAT preparation for the Big 10 schedule.

 

[sergeanthulka]

I think that Dinardo also hit the nail on the head with the remarks about Iowa's schedule. The ISU and Arizona games are going to be GREAT preparation for the Big 10 schedule.

I still think just how 'off the hook' this season gets hinges on the Arizona game.

Despite being pretty good early last year, I would still say we are a developmental team.

People are STILL underestimating the Arizona game, imo. That is the pivotal game of the first 5. Because there is no way...no way in hell that penn State beats us at night, at kinnick, on homecoming, if we're 4-0.

I will eat my shorts if PSU beats us if we're undefeated at the time.

Arizona is THE crucial game.

 

[hwkwyld]

I still think just how 'off the hook' this season gets hinges on the Arizona game.

Despite being pretty good early last year, I would still say we are a developmental team.

People are STILL underestimating the Arizona game, imo. That is the pivotal game of the first 5. Because there is no way...no way in hell that penn State beats us at night, at kinnick, on homecoming, if we're 4-0.

I will eat my shorts if PSU beats us if we're undefeated at the time.

Arizona is THE crucial game.

As far as the Non-Con schedule goes... Absolutely!

 

[INTIMIDATORHawk]

Dinardo's commentary and analysis on the Big Ten Network has been really amazing, imo. I really appreciate his insight.

Enjoy Griffith as well, but he has to stop saying "When you talk about _______ ). He always seems to say "When you talk about" to open up his analysis. It's like when people say "um" and "you know" too much in their normal conversation.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

There was a comment that Joe Pa made about the PSU O'line. "We never have trouble when we have 29 days". The teams have had almost a full month of practice. The O'line should be good.

 

[Billso]

There was a comment that Joe Pa made about the PSU O'line. "We never have trouble when we have 29 days". The teams have had almost a full month of practice. The O'line should be good.

I've been out of the country most of August, so fill me in: our OL has been relatively intact throughout fall camp, yes? If so, that would be a significant difference from last year, and a meaningful one wrt timing and chemistry.

 

[Thawki]

Jon, is DiNardo aware that some of our previous O-Lines under KF haven't been as good as we might have thought or preferred, given KF's pedigree?

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

Jon, is DiNardo aware that some of our previous O-Lines under KF haven't been as good as we might have thought or preferred, given KF's pedigree?

Given the benefit of how hindsight can allow us to put seasons in context ... which season, in your mind, did the OL underperform given their circumstances?

To me only the 2006 season kinda sticks out ... however, even then, I think that the injuries to Tate and Young, along with the inexperience of the WR corps went a long way towards explaining any deficiencies in production. And, in defense of the '06 group, they had to contend with injuries to Richardson and Eubanks.

To me, the bigger issue had been Iowa's lack of depth on the OL from '04 to '07. However, even then, injuries played a big part in our "depth issues." Also, I think that the depth issues had less to do with the coaching and more to do with the attitude of the guys. For instance, some guys paid too much attention to their high school press clippings and then were set up for failure when the realized how much work is involved in becoming an elite O-Lineman on the college level. And yet another group of guys seemed to just "pack it in" when more highly touted recruits hit campus. They forgot that if they worked hard and if they were "tough enough" ... they'd still have a perfectly good chance of warding off all comers.

Fortunately for Hawk fans, I think that the coaches learned from the above "attitude issues" and have altered how they do things in order to increase competition ... and give more chances for guys to earn playing time based on performance in practice.

In addition to the above observations, I also think that the Iowa coaches simply didn't recruit enough OL recruits for a number of years there. Since then, the coaches have been more on the ball and have placed higher priority on making sure that they land MORE of "their type" of OL recruit.

 

[hawkeye1998]

No opponent DL will challenge our OL more this year than the nation's best DL that they face in practice each day.

The concern for the OL should not be new starters, but injuries during the preseason and in the first few games to the projected starters. That's where the weakness was last season. So far the OL has came through fall practice relatively unscathed; same starters from spring, right? Save for Koeppel's non-football related accident (hopefully he's only out for EIU). No major losses (back injuries or knee injuries) during the fall or spring on the OL. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like the least preseason OL attrition in several years. Something to be very thankful for.

 

[Howler]

No opponent DL will challenge our OL more this year than the nation's best DL that they face in practice each day.

The concern for the OL should not be new starters, but injuries during the preseason and in the first few games to the projected starters. That's where the weakness was last season. So far the OL has came through fall practice relatively unscathed; same starters from spring, right? Save for Koeppel's non-football related accident (hopefully he's only out for EIU). No major losses (back injuries or knee injuries) during the fall or spring on the OL. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like the least preseason OL attrition in several years. Something to be very thankful for.

Nobody seems to be acknowledging the fact that Koeppel and Gettis are out for an indefinite amount of time. I see those two as vital components to the OL if it's going to have success. KF was very high on Gettis in fall camp and Koeppel was neck and neck for a starting position at C. Huge lossses. Whatever Dinardo saw in our OL is not what we're going to see on Saturday morning.

 

[dsmhawkluva]

"Nobody seems to be acknowledging the fact that Koeppel and Gettis are out for an indefinite amount of time. I see those two as vital components to the OL if it's going to have success. KF was very high on Gettis in fall camp and Koeppel was neck and neck for a starting position at C. Huge lossses. Whatever Dinardo saw in our OL is not what we're going to see on Saturday morning"


Indefinite?? Unless there is something i dont' know, but Gettis from my understanding, albeit doubtful, could still play Saturday, but probably sit out and get ready for iowa state.....

I definitively concur though that people can be quick to forget that our Oline really does set the stage for so many things..... good or bad

 

[gapandgo]

Be sure you wear a clean pair of shorts before the game.

 

[CAARHawk]

Nobody seems to be acknowledging the fact that Koeppel and Gettis are out for an indefinite amount of time. I see those two as vital components to the OL if it's going to have success. KF was very high on Gettis in fall camp and Koeppel was neck and neck for a starting position at C. Huge lossses. Whatever Dinardo saw in our OL is not what we're going to see on Saturday morning.

Both guys at center have been playing well. It doesn't appear to be a situation where they hadn't named a starter because neither guy had stepped up. Really seems like the one line position where we were best off if we lost somebody.

As far as RG goes. I think the CH situation might shed some light there. There are some seriously good prospects waiting in the wings. One of these guys might have stepped up. We will see when the depth charts come out, but I have a feeling that we might be fine there and that Gettis might have a little work getting his starting job back if he can't play in the first game. Don't have any real information there, just a hunch.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

I've been out of the country most of August, so fill me in: our OL has been relatively intact throughout fall camp, yes? If so, that would be a significant difference from last year, and a meaningful one wrt timing and chemistry.

O'line is solid. They have been practicing against the best D line in the country, so they will up to to any challenge.

 

[Thawki]

Well, homerHAWKeye777, here is what I'll say.

I am a fan that is fairly realistic in my expectations compared to many. I don't have the time or inclination to look up the seasons that I believe the line underperformed from expectations. But they weren't under performing for the reasons you alluded to, homerHAWKeye777, I remember that. I will say, however, that for having a head coach where that was his area of expertise, there have been years where our line was average (at best) for a B10 line, when reasonable expectations going in were that it would be better.

I think some people believe that because KF was an NFL OL coach that we will always have a pretty good line. So, that being said, I think it is easy for some media types to say that we'll be pretty good on the OL in any given year.

I don't think DiNardo is one of those. But that is why I posed the question as to whether he was ever aware that our OL has underachieved before.