Worst Oline in school history…

When the opposition is stacking 7-8 and sometimes 9 in the box, no line can be expected to block that defense. That’s why we need a mobile quarterback and more roll out passes. That means Petras needs to stay on the bench and we need to quit thinking our quarterback should never leave the pocket.
 
I didn't realize that Polasek left so long ago. That below was February 2017 . the new coach has been in place 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.

The biggest issue on the Oline was injuries and attrition (injuries) of the best players. Not sure if the recruiting has drpped off. Just that the guys they have avaiable are not the best players on the team. At least that is what they're telling us.



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It's a bit of a perfect storm

Before the season started, we lost one starter and one likely starter in Justin Britt and David Davidkof. That forced players into roles that were either too young and/or playing out of position. Sadly, it looks like both players are done permanently. Davidkof was just short of a 5-star recruit with a ton of potential, so I feel especially bad for him.

The other factor is coaching. Frankly, Barnett has not shown any results to suggest that he is a good OL coach. He was the one guy who I thought potentially was on the chopping block. As has been well-discussed, Kirk is doubling-down on all of his coaches. The O-line is now experienced and older. Another poor performance will result in a glaring spotlight on the coaches.
 
It's a bit of a perfect storm

Before the season started, we lost one starter and one likely starter in Justin Britt and David Davidkof. That forced players into roles that were either too young and/or playing out of position. Sadly, it looks like both players are done permanently. Davidkof was just short of a 5-star recruit with a ton of potential, so I feel especially bad for him.

The other factor is coaching. Frankly, Barnett has not shown any results to suggest that he is a good OL coach. He was the one guy who I thought potentially was on the chopping block. As has been well-discussed, Kirk is doubling-down on all of his coaches. The O-line is now experienced and older. Another poor performance will result in a glaring spotlight on the coaches.

You didn't even mention Ince who retired due to injuries...he was All-B1G caliber.
 
I didn't realize that Polasek left so long ago. That below was February 2017 . the new coach has been in place 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.

The biggest issue on the Oline was injuries and attrition (injuries) of the best players. Not sure if the recruiting has drpped off. Just that the guys they have avaiable are not the best players on the team. At least that is what they're telling us.



View attachment 9852

Barnett has been on the job for 2 seasons ('21 and '22).
 
I didn't realize that Polasek left so long ago. That below was February 2017 . the new coach has been in place 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.

The biggest issue on the Oline was injuries and attrition (injuries) of the best players. Not sure if the recruiting has drpped off. Just that the guys they have avaiable are not the best players on the team. At least that is what they're telling us.



View attachment 9852
That tweet was when he left to come to Iowa, not when he left Iowa.
 
There definitely has been some variables that have lead to this drop in performance, but the jury is definitely still out on Barnett. So far, I have not been too impressed.

Iowa traditionally builds some solid lineman on both the defensive and offensive sides, but have a good reputation for putting linemen in the NFL. Hopefully that reputation will continue to help us. But that also requires results. The last two years specifically have not translated to that.
 
This was a weird bump of an old thread.

I agree that the jury is still out on Barnett, but I would be surprised if we do not see appreciable growth this season in the OL.

The last two seasons have been a situation where a young OL is paired with a QB who cannot move or make plays. And because of that, the offense was not on the field sustaining drives, gaining reps, and gaining confidence. It has been a downward spiral.

The spiral can go the other way too! QB play is so, so important in today's game.
 
Iowa traditionally builds some solid lineman on both the defensive and offensive sides, but have a good reputation for putting linemen in the NFL. Hopefully that reputation will continue to help us. But that also requires results. The last two years specifically have not translated to that.

Yugoslavia used to make some damned nice cars, but these punk kids who were born in 2005 have never heard of Robert Gallery or Yugos.
 

Man, that guy took them for a big ride. They thought they were going to stand up a competitor to the Japanese auto industry. What could go wrong when you start with quality like the bottom of the line Fiat a decade after it was designed and then add a benevolent politburo up top to oversee the operation?
 
The coaches were also stung by one huge success in developing Lindy into a stud and then he left early for the draft. Center was a problem last year.

There are a lot of excuses. There won't be this year. Put up or shut up.
 
I think he was more of a recruiting miss though. I don't believe he has scratched the two-deep at Nebraska.
Yeah he came from a small small town in NW Iowa and was a project I think. Big kid that did well in the camps he went to but was a pretty raw project I think. What's he got left 1 or 2 yrs to play? I root for the kid but it felt like a stretch that he was going to be leaned on for starting at the D1 level.
 
The Oline had a multitude of things happen to end up here. Be it recruiting misses injuries and lack of guys developing etc. It is what it is. As far as I'm concerned that all falls on BF and KF. Both are Oline guys for peats sake. That should be the strength of the team and yet it was arguably the weakest part the last 2 yrs running. Some might say WRs or Qb and I can't' say they'd be wrong either but the Oline being weak makes their jobs tougher to even evaluate. Just a huge disappointment. Until the Oline gets improved the ceiling this team has won't be very high
 
I think he was more of a recruiting miss though. I don't believe he has scratched the two-deep at Nebraska.
Yeah he came from a small small town in NW Iowa and was a project I think. Big kid that did well in the camps he went to but was a pretty raw project I think. What's he got left 1 or 2 yrs to play? I root for the kid but it felt like a stretch that he was going to be leaned on for starting at the D1 level.
He actually was a 4-star rated recruit, but, yes, on the raw side. A lot of potential, though.

IIRC, he had some social/maturity issues that led to his leaving school. The potential probably is still there, but he may not have the drive and dedication to reach it unfortunately.
 
The coaches were also stung by one huge success in developing Lindy into a stud and then he left early for the draft. Center was a problem last year.

There are a lot of excuses. There won't be this year. Put up or shut up.
100%!! I think losing him really hurt us the following year for not only his position being such a key component to the O-line, but not having a suitable back up. From there, it just fell to pieces. And yes, there were definitely a lot of contributing factors such as guys leaving early, guys not panning out and etc.

Maybe we just were accustomed to our O-lines being solid year in and year out. Let's hope this is the end to it and as you mentioned. Time to put up or shut up.

Two years ago, I made peace with it, having two freshman tackles. Yet we made it to Big Ten Championship game. Last year, I guess I just had expectations of maturity and growth. Instead it was more of a step back.
 
He actually was a 4-star rated recruit, but, yes, on the raw side. A lot of potential, though.

IIRC, he had some social/maturity issues that led to his leaving school. The potential probably is still there, but he may not have the drive and dedication to reach it unfortunately.
He had some issues with anxiety the year he was at Iowa; was very open about it and the coaches and staff supported him. Then he transferred to Nebraska.

I looked up his profile on the Nebraska website. He did not play a snap in 2022 after playing three games in 2021. I'm not sure if his lack of playing time is injury related or not (no mention of injury on his bio). It says that he still has two years of remaining eligibility (extra year due to Covid). At some point he is going to have to turn the potential into results; he will be 23 years old in July. I'm still more toward that he was a recruiting miss. Wouldn't be the first time that happened. Sometimes the small town guys are difficult to project.
 
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