What expectations are fair for 2017 ???

Select a number

  • 2 wins are fair

    Votes: 2 3.2%

  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 4

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • 5

    Votes: 3 4.8%

  • 6

    Votes: 8 12.7%

  • 7

    Votes: 19 30.2%

  • 8

    Votes: 22 34.9%

  • 9

    Votes: 7 11.1%

  • 10

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • 11

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .
WinOneThisCentury said:
I would argue, there should not be any games where we are not going to hold our own in the trenches. Sure, you could point to DT as a weakness and you would have an argument. However, you have Bazata who is a proven player who can take up offensive linemen with the best of them...and you have some guys who have been in the program for awhile...which typically bodes well. I still think Matt Nelson move there too. DE is going to be a major, major strength...and it's your pass rush that sets the tone for how good your defense is...in most cases. That aspect of our defense could be really special.

To me, if the offensive line improves in pass protection and can give the QB time to throw the ball in face of the inevitable blitzes we will see...then we could really surprise some people. That's the key to the whole season IMO. Last year teams absolutely teed off on us in 2nd and long and 3rd and long...and we gave CJ no time. Teams have that tape. It's the formula until you can show you can make them pay for that strategy.
Click to expand...

+ 1 You expressed better than I did in another thread why I think the Hawks might surprise this season. You win games at the line of scrimmage and we should excel in that department this season on both sides. I really like the Polasek hire and given the offense he came from and what he did at North Dakota State I think the offensive line will get better at pass protection. I have confidence in the offensive braintrust which I haven't felt for a good while. Brian with O'keefe mentoring I think will figure out a way to feature our quality depth at tight end in the passing game and I look for a couple of these freshmen like Brandon Smith and Cooper to help right away at receiver along with Ensley.

I feel cautiously optimistic about the season although we have the meat of the East in our cross over games. The defense alone should keep us in most games outside Penn State and Ohio State and if we end up pleasantly surprised by the progress of the offense we will have a better season than the pundits predict.
 
Brian Ferentz was able to learn by working with one of the greatest offensive minds in college football for 5 years...an offensive coordinator who won an NC. Now that Greg has moved on, another offensive genius takes his place to help mentor Brian...Ken O'Keefe. Then you bring in a guy that is used to winning championships...and I don't care if it was FCS or not...but Polasek can flat out coach and he game plans as good as anyone we have...see what they did to us last year. He had Jewell chasing fullbacks and the ball going the other way. It was brilliant.

There is talent on this roster.

To me, if our QB can play...we are going to be a tough, tough out. I look at it this way...our two toughest games are at home. That's better than playing in State College or Columbus. Wisconsin is Wisconsin, but they lost alot on offense and defense. I've been saying, we beat Penn State, and this year looks really interesting. I think this team is going to be much better than people think. I know people are concerned about the defense at DT and in the secondary...but we have people in the two deep that have 2-3 years in the program. DE is going to be freaky. On third and long, you could easily see four DE's on the field that can seriously rush the passer. It's going to be fun to watch.
 
Unfortunately until Iowa proves any different I'll have to say 7-8 wins, in a couple of years we'll win 10+, then drop down to 6-7-8 wins for a couple of years. Repeat.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
There is talent on this roster.

To me, if our QB can play...we are going to be a tough, tough out. I look at it this way...our two toughest games are at home. That's better than playing in State College or Columbus. Wisconsin is Wisconsin, but they lost alot on offense and defense. I've been saying, we beat Penn State, and this year looks really interesting. I think this team is going to be much better than people think. I know people are concerned about the defense at DT and in the secondary...but we have people in the two deep that have 2-3 years in the program. DE is going to be freaky. On third and long, you could easily see four DE's on the field that can seriously rush the passer. It's going to be fun to watch.
Click to expand...

I agree the roster has talent. Enough so that 8 wins should be a floor. If we have a Hall-of-fame coach (and KF will likely be in the HOF) then we need to start winning like a program with a HOF coach.
 
Joshbrown said:
The majority picked 8 wins. Which is what GD averaged.
Click to expand...
A result of talking heads/local media types (no offense HN) framing the excuses of new coaches, new QB, and WR depletion over the 90+% of Joe Moore award winning OL returning and two 1,000yd backs along with a pretty nice cadre of tight ends & full backs.
Defense... Rugamba & Jackson were both significantly better than Mabin, IMO. Only real concern is the depth @ DT.
Unfortunately, due to the preset excuses in place, we could win just 3 games and most fans will be fine with Ferentz, LLC. Emphasis on LLC. ;)
End rant. Sorry.
 
BigD said:
7.5 Yawn
Click to expand...

I'm torn.

Part of me expects a special season (problem is I think that every season cuz my wife fills our fridge with kool-aid)

The other part says check your history.

09) set records and played in a BCS bowl. Next season returning QB stud with a defensive superstar who chose to return for his senior season. 8 wins.

15) set records and played in a BCS bowl. Next season returning QB stud with a defensive superstar who chose to return for his senior season. 8 wins.

So what happened in the 3rd season after 09? 7 wins.

So what will happen in the 3rd season after 15? Well the fans and talking heads seem to suggest 7 wins.

7 wins = yawn. But this team has the talent to not be a yawn imo.
 
Last edited:
Joshbrown said:
The majority picked 8 wins. Which is what GD averaged.
Click to expand...

It is what KF has averaged over the last 16 season. It is 1 more win a season than what Fry averaged over his Iowa career. Iowa has pretty much been a 8 win team for the past 38 years, so yeah that is what people expect.
 
Joshbrown said:
I'm torn.

Part of me expects a special season (problem is I think that every season cuz my wife fills our fridge with kool-aid)

The other part says check your history.

09) set records and played in a BCS bowl. Next season returning QB stud with a defensive superstar who chose to return for his senior season. 8 wins.

15) set records and played in a BCS bowl. Next season returning QB stud with a defensive superstar who chose to return for his senior season. 8 wins.

So what happened in the 3rd season after 09? 7 wins.

So what will happen in the 3rd season after 15? Well the fans and talking heads seem to suggest 7 wins.

7 wins = yawn. But this team has the talent to not be a yawn imo.
Click to expand...

You say this team has the 'talent'. Define talent? What does that really mean. That word is tremendously over-used. How many 4 & 5 stars we will be playing? What offers did our players get coming out of high school? Who made all-American or all-conference based on performance last season? Who is projected as an NFL draft pick? What's your definition of 'talent'.

Again I have asked you pick out our top 22 players of your choice. Then tell me how many start for OSU, Michigan or PSU to keep it in our league at least? Those that can start for those programs = 'talent'

Like many you use 'talent' probably to equate to 'experience' or 'played some'. That's not talent though in this sense we have the players with the physical raw ability to win 10+.
 
SpecialKHawk said:
You say this team has the 'talent'. Define talent? What does that really mean. That word is tremendously over-used. How many 4 & 5 stars we will be playing? What offers did our players get coming out of high school? Who made all-American or all-conference based on performance last season? Who is projected as an NFL draft pick? What's your definition of 'talent'.

Again I have asked you pick out our top 22 players of your choice. Then tell me how many start for OSU, Michigan or PSU to keep it in our league at least? Those that can start for those programs = 'talent'

Like many you use 'talent' probably to equate to 'experience' or 'played some'. That's not talent though in this sense we have the players with the physical raw ability to win 10+.
Click to expand...
Ryan Leaf had talent.
 
SpecialKHawk said:
You say this team has the 'talent'. Define talent? What does that really mean. That word is tremendously over-used. How many 4 & 5 stars we will be playing? What offers did our players get coming out of high school? Who made all-American or all-conference based on performance last season? Who is projected as an NFL draft pick? What's your definition of 'talent'.

Again I have asked you pick out our top 22 players of your choice. Then tell me how many start for OSU, Michigan or PSU to keep it in our league at least? Those that can start for those programs = 'talent'

Like many you use 'talent' probably to equate to 'experience' or 'played some'. That's not talent though in this sense we have the players with the physical raw ability to win 10+.
Click to expand...

10
11
11
9
8
11
10
11

Wisconsin since 2009.

Do they have a HOF coach? You think we have less talent than Wisconsin? Are you insane?
 
I don't care about talent as much as work ethic, drive, etc. Nick Baer, Brian Cardinal, Jeff Moe, to name a few. Can you imagine a whole team of nothing but these 2 star guys with that kind of drive? Diving all over the court, hustling all over the place. Love it. Yes I know I am on a football forum.
 
I don't see many wins guys. The schedule is tougher and the two most critical positions on our team are QB and WR are untested for the most part. Now if we spread the ball and offense out (Brad Banks style), and really truly put your best athletes on the field (like two running backs flanked out) and the defense (which I am never worried about) do their part then maybe we can get 7 wins. Right now I am holding at 5 wins.
 
taffaej said:
I don't see many wins guys. The schedule is tougher and the two most critical positions on our team are QB and WR are untested for the most part. Now if we spread the ball and offense out (Brad Banks style), and really truly put your best athletes on the field (like two running backs flanked out) and the defense (which I am never worried about) do their part then maybe we can get 7 wins. Right now I am holding at 5 wins.
Click to expand...

I disagree about WR being an important position for Iowa. Iowa has gotten by without a NFL caliber WR for 15 years now.
 
taffaej said:
I don't see many wins guys. The schedule is tougher and the two most critical positions on our team are QB and WR are untested for the most part. Now if we spread the ball and offense out (Brad Banks style), and really truly put your best athletes on the field (like two running backs flanked out) and the defense (which I am never worried about) do their part then maybe we can get 7 wins. Right now I am holding at 5 wins.
Click to expand...

Let's break this down.

The non-con has the usual cupcakes. Iowa is clearly better than those teams. So 3 wins right there. Which means you think 7 of the remaining 9 conference teams are better than Iowa. Come on, ya gotta admit that is just stupid.
You also said that WR is the second most critical position. Uhhh, Iowa is a run-first program, again, you didn't think that thru. And you mentioned our untested QB will cost us games, but you completely avoided mentioning our untested OC. So if "untested" = fail in your opinion, why would you ignore the most critical part of the offense: the coordinator??
It might be dumb of Kirk not to give his QB backups more of a test every season, but untested doesn't automatically mean "bad". So while Iowa might win 5 games, your logic for suggesting that is deeply flawed.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top