I don’t expect Iowa to win on Saturday, and I think a realistic prediction of the final score might be somewhere around 34-17 OSU.
In order for Iowa to stay competitive in this game I think the following things need to happen:
1. Win the turnover battle – if the Hawks manage to force a couple of turnovers and more importantly, take care of the ball themselves, they might have a shot at being in the game until the end.
2. Don’t get beat deep repeatedly – Lowery and King have both been picked on and burned numerous times already this year, and OSU has more speed and talent than any team we have faced so far, so I think the gameplan needs to revert back to Norm Parker ball where everything is kept in front of the DB’s. I realize that OSU will probably convert a few deep plays, but Iowa can’t afford to safety blitz at all in this game the Hawks may need to use the nickel packages more than they are used to in this game.
3. Convert 40% or better on 3rd down – Rudock has shown good poise thus far, and he has proven he can make a few plays with his feet, and I think he will need to convert at least 6 3rd downs to help sustain drives and keep OSU’s offense off the field.
4. Be willing to change the offensive gameplan from the start of the game – Don’t come out and run 2 off tackle runs to Weisman and then be faced with a 3rd and 9 on the first series of the game. The offense doesn’t have to have three straight 3 and outs before we decide to change the gameplan. OSU knows that Iowa prefers to be a power running, zone blocking offense. They also know that the receiver position is not a position of strength for the Hawks, so I think they stack the box with 8 and 9 guys on a frequent basis and invite Iowa to try to beat them through the air. To beat an aggressive run blitzing defense, Iowa must run some quick hit passes and some screens. I think this game is the perfect opportunity to use Canzeri on a few screen plays to try to negate the pressure that I think OSU will be bringing early and often on Rudock. In addition, use the middle of the field with Hamilton, CJ and KMM on some quick slants. If the running game with Weisman and Bullock is being stuffed, try using Daniels for a series or two.
5. Use Damond Powell on at least 10 offensive plays in the game – You can bet OSU knows that Powell is a speed burner, so by having him in the game for at least 10-15 offensive plays, at least he can occupy the safety’s attention and maybe at the very least open up some throwing lanes for some other receivers.
6. Special teams must play their cleanest game of the year – this means NO FAKE PUNT CONVERSIONS, no missed FG attempts, no shanked punts, no blown kickoff coverages (I believe that Meyer has a strong enough leg to kick it through the end zone on every kickoff) and no stupid penalties (Dead ball or Personal Fouls).
In order for Iowa to stay competitive in this game I think the following things need to happen:
1. Win the turnover battle – if the Hawks manage to force a couple of turnovers and more importantly, take care of the ball themselves, they might have a shot at being in the game until the end.
2. Don’t get beat deep repeatedly – Lowery and King have both been picked on and burned numerous times already this year, and OSU has more speed and talent than any team we have faced so far, so I think the gameplan needs to revert back to Norm Parker ball where everything is kept in front of the DB’s. I realize that OSU will probably convert a few deep plays, but Iowa can’t afford to safety blitz at all in this game the Hawks may need to use the nickel packages more than they are used to in this game.
3. Convert 40% or better on 3rd down – Rudock has shown good poise thus far, and he has proven he can make a few plays with his feet, and I think he will need to convert at least 6 3rd downs to help sustain drives and keep OSU’s offense off the field.
4. Be willing to change the offensive gameplan from the start of the game – Don’t come out and run 2 off tackle runs to Weisman and then be faced with a 3rd and 9 on the first series of the game. The offense doesn’t have to have three straight 3 and outs before we decide to change the gameplan. OSU knows that Iowa prefers to be a power running, zone blocking offense. They also know that the receiver position is not a position of strength for the Hawks, so I think they stack the box with 8 and 9 guys on a frequent basis and invite Iowa to try to beat them through the air. To beat an aggressive run blitzing defense, Iowa must run some quick hit passes and some screens. I think this game is the perfect opportunity to use Canzeri on a few screen plays to try to negate the pressure that I think OSU will be bringing early and often on Rudock. In addition, use the middle of the field with Hamilton, CJ and KMM on some quick slants. If the running game with Weisman and Bullock is being stuffed, try using Daniels for a series or two.
5. Use Damond Powell on at least 10 offensive plays in the game – You can bet OSU knows that Powell is a speed burner, so by having him in the game for at least 10-15 offensive plays, at least he can occupy the safety’s attention and maybe at the very least open up some throwing lanes for some other receivers.
6. Special teams must play their cleanest game of the year – this means NO FAKE PUNT CONVERSIONS, no missed FG attempts, no shanked punts, no blown kickoff coverages (I believe that Meyer has a strong enough leg to kick it through the end zone on every kickoff) and no stupid penalties (Dead ball or Personal Fouls).
