Not to be a downer, but...

[Gibsonian]

I think it all comes down to the O, as it has in most all games except a couple early ones. The O cannot be stagnant on 3rd down. Passes gotta be caught. If we play the bowl game with the most dropped passes of any big 10 team as we have the reg. season, we're toast. Cannot be baffled by the blitz. Gotta see it, react to it, and excecute - take advantage of the opponent instead of being taken advantagee of and looking like we have never practiced handling a blitz. Not really concerned with the run game. If we can pass, we will definitely run.

The D will play steady and if not on the field 65-85% of the game, will hold them down to a manageable score. They have steadily gotten better, not great, but serviceable now and with Norm's last game, they will have the best game of their season. The O with all the yards and not enough points to match, the O that can score but not when it comes to crunch time, has gotta deliver against OU.

 

[JHHawk]

I agree that the defense has played progressively better the last 4 games, and good enough to win all those games if the offense did not turn the ball over to MSU and played half decent vs Neb. Defense played good enough to win the PSU game also.

I think Norm and defense will hold OU to the mid-20s,or less,and the offense has to come thru. Could be a re-run of Missouri game last year...close,with Iowa having a good chance to spring the big upset. I do not feel that OU will far outclass Iowa in this game....they have key guys hurt. Landry has not throw a td pass since broyles went down,and they are down to their 3rd rb,and they have a bad running attack. So, Jones will hit us for a bunch of short passes but be one-dimensional...we are ok vs one dimensional teams that cannot run. ISU's Jantz and Minnys Gray could both burn us with their feet and arm...not Jones. I like Iowa's chances....Iowa 27 OU 24.

 

[HawkForce]

Iowa - 28
Okie - 17
SUCK IT SOONERS!!!!

 

[aeischeid]

I get that, but we don't have injuries to those guys....they do. Jones has not thrown a TD pass since Broyles got hurt. The other guys are pretty obviously not as good. Hard to debate that.

Whether we can beat them or not is a different story.

I actually didn't believe you so I looked.
Wow. I thought they had better depth at WR than that. Is that Stills in good shape still?
Hopefully we play solid as ever with the turnover margain in our favor. I see they had 10 turnovers in their 3 losses.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I am feeling preemptively optimistic about this game, as I am every Hawkeye game. Im gonna get excited about seeing them play a top notch opponent, cheer them on as best as i possibly can and hope for the best, just like i do every game.

GO HAWKS!!!

You won't believe this, but Wing Shack has a band that night, so no game watch there. On the other hand, I don't need to be in a motor vehicle at 2am on the last weekend of the year!

 

[hawkforlife9]

This is an upset. OU doesn't give a rip about this game. Unless they are playing for the National Championship... they don't care. They see this game as a huge waste of time. We will win easy.

 

[hawkforlife9]

Feels a lot like the '93 Alamo bowl season Iowa did not beat anybody with a pulse that year everyone pretty much knew Iowa would get throttled by a good California team.

Only difference is back then hawkfans had hope Tavian Banks and Tim Dwight were on their way to help.

We have McNutt in 2011. We roll!!!

 

[SheagleHawk]

they also lost whaley, their leading rusher, along with broyles and jaz

Stills has been banged up as well. His dad is my rep and he told me that they are beyond bummed about where they landed. Not so much disappointed in the opponent, but definitely the bowl.

 

[vegashawki]

Iowa 27
Oklahoma 17

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

31-21 Hawks. KOK MVP