The 2008 Iowa football team: Most talented ever?

[RocknRollface]

You mean Oklahoma and Florida. And Florida would have destroyed us with Tebow and Percy Harvin. But like you said, USC was pretty unbeatable--look at what they did that year to Ohio State and Penn State.

Iowa was the Big Ten's best team that year, but the Big Ten was also HORRIBLE. If I recall correctly, Iowa was the only big ten team to win a bowl game. Wisconsin was way down, michigan state was down, michigan was down ... Iowa was probably a top 12-15 team that year, but I really don't think we could have competed with the best of the best.

Your right, was getting the b12 team mixed up. Either way Iowa would have given either one a good game.

If you look at the talent Iowa had across the board on both sides of the ball its a pretty even matchup. At the time no one knew how good guys like Fletcher, Angerer, Ballard ect were going to be.

As has become the norm, Iowa underachieved badly that year. Nearly as bad as 2010 just without the hype going in.

08 was a better more talented team than 09 or 10 IMO, they out played every opponent, something you can't say about 09. Every loss could have been prevented by holding on to the ball during routine situations.

As many lucky bounces as Iowa got in 09 they had as many unlucky in 08

 

[tm3308]

Your right, was getting the b12 team mixed up. Either way Iowa would have given either one a good game.

If you look at the talent Iowa had across the board on both sides of the ball its a pretty even matchup. At the time no one knew how good guys like Fletcher, Angerer, Ballard ect were going to be.

As has become the norm, Iowa underachieved badly that year. Nearly as bad as 2010 just without the hype going in.

08 was a better more talented team than 09 or 10 IMO, they out played every opponent, something you can't say about 09. Every loss could have been prevented by holding on to the ball during routine situations.

As many lucky bounces as Iowa got in 09 they had as many unlucky in 08

I wouldn't say they underachieved that year. It took time for all the pieces to really come together, and Stanzi was little more than a game-manager at that point. There's a reason that 2008 played out the way it did, and the same goes for 2009. 2008 was similar to 2001, IMO.

 

[AFAcademyHawk]

I wouldn't say they underachieved that year. It took time for all the pieces to really come together, and Stanzi was little more than a game-manager at that point. There's a reason that 2008 played out the way it did, and the same goes for 2009. 2008 was similar to 2001, IMO.

Agreed, the one big difference is probably Greene at RB. The guy was just a game changer. Then again, how well would the team have done with Jewel at RB? I'd say 7-5, 6-6, which is right around where 2001 ended up. (6-5 plus a win in the bowl game, IIRC).