seems about right, although Nebby is too high and MSU is too low IMHO
Big Ten preseason poll
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I hate to admit it, but I don’t think Nebby is too high. Who should bump them down? They will have a freshman QB - but the defense will be very strong again and the entire program will probably improve based on Rhules typical trajectory. Plus a SUPER favorable schedule. Cupcake soft to start the year for a freshman QB - they couldn’t have planned it any better.
I do wish the Hawks had the 5 to 4 home games BIG schedule this year.
I do wish the Hawks had the 5 to 4 home games BIG schedule this year.
If the Big 10 goes to 20 teams next year and Iowa is #5 overall in the preseason and if the Big 10 goes to 4 five team divisions like I have mentioned then the hawks have a good chance of being in the top four of the standings or a division winner to be part of the first Big Ten Champ semifinals.
And we can only hope that Lester gets this offense on track so that there is not always so much pressure on the defense and punt and kickoff teams.
Hawkeye Beacon - Preseason Poll Predicts Top 5 Big Ten Finish for Iowa
Cleveland.com released a poll this week, predicting how the Big Ten will finish in 2024. See where the Hawkeyes land.
iowa.rivals.com
OSU is the only game on Hawks schedule above them. About as friendly a schedule the Hawks will have in next 3-4 years...must make hay and get to Indy again this year...and playoffs.
Yep. Also, Iowa is too high. There is not a proven offense in place yet.
Arguably one of the best lists I've seen so far. I've seen some putting Rutgers, little debbie, USC, and Wisconsin ahead of Iowa, those are just objectively wrong. Others I've seen putting Michigan at number 2, etc. And anyone after 10 or 11 don't matter.
So we're playing the 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, and 16th ranked teams in the conference along with the #1. Sounds like a recipe for making the playoffs! 😀
Iowa has benefitted from the unbalanced schedule for years. Now, an 18 team league helps them even further. Iowa's great D appears vs bottom feeder teams, but gets exposed vs the top teams.
This year will be no different.
This year will be no different.
No doubt they've struggled against really good teams most of the time lately but an offense that is at least somewhat competent will go a long ways. Tough to keep stopping teams when your O goes 3 and out so much no matter how good your D is.
Pretty accurate, I'd say. Nebraska is due for a decent season and Rhule is a better coach than Frosty. They'll get over .500 especially with their schedule. MSU is in the shi**er.
I agree. It’s easy to knock the defense based on final scores, but how did the defense look against top teams in the first half, even through third quarter? They kept a historically horrible offense in several games for longer than they deserved to be.
Personally, I think Wisconsin, Illinois, UCLA and MSU are too high. UCLA will finish last imo.
Nebby will bump themselves down. What it it? Seven losing seasons? They have sucked for years. The Hawks own them.
Hawks have proven defense. Won 10 games with no offense and the worst quarterback in the big. The offense will be improved.
Wisconsin perhaps....but who do you move the others under? Indiana and Purdue are pretty weak.
With B1G expansion and no divisions, last place looks really, really bad; just a frickin' mile from the top. Some team could finish outright 18th place in the conference this season. No college football team has ever done that. How would you recover from a season like that?
Will we be favored in 11 of our 12 games? Would 11-1 get us in the B1G Championship game and/or the CFP?
Iowa's 2024 schedule:
- vs. Illinois State, August 31, 2024
- vs. Iowa State, September 7, 2024
- vs. Troy, September 14, 2024
- at Minnesota, September 21, 2024
- at Ohio State, October 5, 2024
- vs. Washington, October 12, 2024
- at Michigan State, October 19, 2024
- vs. Northwestern, October 26, 2024
- vs. Wisconsin, November 2, 2024
- at UCLA, November 8, 2024
- at Maryland, November 23, 2024
- vs. Nebraska, November 29, 2024
Nebraska is always overrated… when was the last time they even made a bowl game? JHC that suck … they beat us once in what 10 tries? Simply mind blowing they should have them last in every preseason poll until they can prove a winning record in the last damn decade
Wisconsin could be really good. Depends on their QB play. I’m not sold on him. I think Wisconsin will be a .500 team because of it. My bottom would probably look like this:
Minnesota
Iu
Purdue
Illinois
Northwestern
UCLA
Purdue might be the best of the bunch, but brutal schedule. Northwestern, I honestly have no idea. I can’t imagine they keep last years dream going, right? Minnesota could drop if the boat sinks, but I’ll wait to see it.
Iowa can win the BIG and no it was NOT a fair catch!
That's roughly where they finished last year. I'd say that's about right (with the assumption the offense has to be better than dead last).
Hasn’t been for some time. At least there’s hope this year.
11-1 would be more than likely a B1G Championship game. It would at the very least be a home playoff game. Let alone just qualifying.Will we be favored in 11 of our 12 games? Would 11-1 get us in the B1G Championship game and/or the CFP?
Iowa's 2024 schedule:
............................Sep 28 BYE.............................................
- vs. Illinois State, August 31, 2024
- vs. Iowa State, September 7, 2024
- vs. Troy, September 14, 2024
- at Minnesota, September 21, 2024
............................Nov 16 BYE.............................................
- at Ohio State, October 5, 2024
- vs. Washington, October 12, 2024
- at Michigan State, October 19, 2024
- vs. Northwestern, October 26, 2024
- vs. Wisconsin, November 2, 2024
- at UCLA, November 8, 2024
- at Maryland, November 23, 2024
- vs. Nebraska, November 29, 2024
The next time an 11-1 B1G doesn’t make the playoffs will be after the earth is swallowed by the sun.
The only debate going forward will probably be if a 5th place team from the B1G or SEC gets into the playoffs. Those two conferences are going to be qualifying 4 teams nearly every season.
Bold prediction: Maryland will score a lot of points against one or two bad teams early in the season, but will commit far too many turnovers to win against decent teams. #11 is too high.
Small bet, low bar. Really putting yourself out there. Illinois, NW, Michigan St and Indiana on your schedule. All you have to do is beat 1 of them.
I’m not a “drop a lot of money on a bet” type of guy. But yea. Purdue has those 4, Nebraska at home, an upset opportunity in ND, a potentially mediocre Wisconsin team, and Oregon on a Friday night after they play osu, though that game is like a 1% chance.
Why stop with Purdue.
I’d put $10 on every single team finishing at least one spot different than this poll is guessing. Your gonna hit on at least 12 of the 18.
Just you wait until we roll into Columbus in early October and knock down the Buckeyes. Of course then the following week we'd probably drop one we were supposed to win easily.
I do love the fact Oregon will be going into Madison in mid-November. Here is to an early frigid winter season. hope that north wind is cranking that day.
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