ESPN's Best Case/Worst Case: Iowa
- Thread starter Hawkeye_4_Life
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Obviously none of these two scenarios will play out so my question is this: which one is more likely? I'd say Best Case.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
Oh trust me, it wouldn't take much for this team to become a 3 or 4 win team in a hurry. In 2012 we lost 5 games by 6 points or less.
It frightens me to say it, but I think we're closer to the worst case by an easy stretch. Folks, our O-line can't generate scores IN PRACTICE! You can talk all you want about the secondary being good and the LB's growing (growing so much that they're already getting beat out of their spots?), and Ott, etc. If we can't move the ball, it will be a long, long season--grease fire may be an understatement.
I really, really, hope I'm wrong.
I really, really, hope I'm wrong.
Today's DM Register says the coaches are pleased with the progress the Offensive Line is making. That gives me reason to be optimistic. If it's just coach speak, we'll need the defense to do the scoring for us this year.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the starting offense hasn't scored a TD in 3 open practices last I heard/saw.
Also, not trying to sound turd-like, but I don't think a coach is going to say "well, we just aren't getting any better on the offensive line and the lack of progress is unsettling". Coach speak is what it is and I get that, but CJ, Jordan, etc won't be able to do anything if the have no time or holes to run through.
Don't get me wrong, I hope they have progressed light years and are ready, but when you look at the details, it's a bit of an eyebrow raiser.
When has our offense ever done well in practice? The same people worry about the same thing every year. Most of the time the defense knows the play. Its way harder for the offense to do well compared to the defense. Timing and what not.
This is what I've heard on a couple of podcasts. It's unsettling. It's not unusual for the D to be ahead of the O at this stage, but zero scores by our 1st team offense may be the canary in the coal mine.
Mullen, I'm unable to correct you because I' don't know whether your info is accurate or not. Are they keeping score at every practice? I thought I saw a Beathard throw a TD on one of the short practice clips Kakert posted here. In any event, a couple of the players and coaches have said that the offense has had the upper hand on a couple of practices so far, and that they are steadily improving.
The main point is this: no one should be surprised that the OTs replacing Scherff and Donnal are struggling the first two weeks of practice.
Both Meyers and Boettger are younger, have very little game experience, and are scrimmaging against multi-year starters at DE. Drew Ott is one of the 3-4 best DEs in the B10 -and he will be a load for every OT he faces this season. What's important is whether the new OTs are making significant improvement.
Of course this year's OL is a concern. There will be bumps for the OL this year, especially early,and some of them might look ugly. The interior OL of Walsh-Blyth-Welsh (or Simmons) should be pretty solid - they have something like 60 starts between them.
IMO its way too early to proclaim the OL as a disaster halfway through pre-season camp.
I actually think the running game will significantly improve this year if Daniels and Canzeri can stay healthy. Weisman was a nice story in 2012 but the last two years he was playing out of position (that one is on the coaches) Ferentz also sounded pretty high on Derrick Mitchell. I believe this year's RBs will be able to get to the holes quicker and break off longer runs this year.
Pass protection - that worries me the most. Thank God CJ seems to have pretty good scrambling ability because until the OTs get a few games behind them, I think its going to be rocky for a spell.
The main point is this: no one should be surprised that the OTs replacing Scherff and Donnal are struggling the first two weeks of practice.
Both Meyers and Boettger are younger, have very little game experience, and are scrimmaging against multi-year starters at DE. Drew Ott is one of the 3-4 best DEs in the B10 -and he will be a load for every OT he faces this season. What's important is whether the new OTs are making significant improvement.
Of course this year's OL is a concern. There will be bumps for the OL this year, especially early,and some of them might look ugly. The interior OL of Walsh-Blyth-Welsh (or Simmons) should be pretty solid - they have something like 60 starts between them.
IMO its way too early to proclaim the OL as a disaster halfway through pre-season camp.
I actually think the running game will significantly improve this year if Daniels and Canzeri can stay healthy. Weisman was a nice story in 2012 but the last two years he was playing out of position (that one is on the coaches) Ferentz also sounded pretty high on Derrick Mitchell. I believe this year's RBs will be able to get to the holes quicker and break off longer runs this year.
Pass protection - that worries me the most. Thank God CJ seems to have pretty good scrambling ability because until the OTs get a few games behind them, I think its going to be rocky for a spell.
I was at a couple of practices last week and I think there coming along I am optimistic. Thats all I have to say. Cant wait for first game. Go Hawks!!!
Those sarcastic remarks regarding the tix promotion tells me the fans on this site that were/are laughing earlier this summer may have resonated with some of the jerks at ESPN. If that worst case scenario is anywhere near accurate... the stadium will be half empty in November.
You know the saying... "Hope for the best but plan for the worst" may be what the majority of Hawk fans endure this season.
You know the saying... "Hope for the best but plan for the worst" may be what the majority of Hawk fans endure this season.
Is it sad that the worst case scenario seems pretty close to the last 4-5 years?
If Iowa goes 4-8 with the easiest schedule of any Power 5 conference team... I think you can say I'm done lending any support/confidence in our current staff.
If Iowa goes 4-8 with the easiest schedule of any Power 5 conference team... I think you can say I'm done lending any support/confidence in our current staff.
I'm afraid a number of our fans our going to be disappointed in CJ through the first half of the season. He's better than Rudock but he's no savior, especially with the lack of talent around him.
I think right in the middle is about right. I think we finish 6-6 or 7-5 on the year. Yes I have heard about the struggles the O-line has, but only in Jake C's year did we really have an inexperienced O-line. KF & BF will coach them up and I think they will be just fine. Remember in practice our tackles are going against 2 experienced DE's. I realize that can be tough and hopefully will prepare them for the upcoming season.
I am more worried about our lack of WR's outside of Smith. We need someone who can stretch the defense and get open. I think Iowa's rushing game will be okay, but if we do not have any big play threats on the outside we are screwed.
I am more worried about our lack of WR's outside of Smith. We need someone who can stretch the defense and get open. I think Iowa's rushing game will be okay, but if we do not have any big play threats on the outside we are screwed.
We are a lot closer to worst case than best case.
I think we squeak out six wins and limp into a December 27th bowl game. I’m afraid CJ will have a bad year because the O-line can’t protect him and the play calling will be even more predictable than usual.
We will lose at least one game due to poor clock management (nothing new here). Because the offense will be a vulnerability, KF and staff will want to shorten the game. They’ll run the play clock down to 1 or 2 before every snap. This will cause us to burn time outs early and not have them late. Thus, we will miss an opportunity for a late-game field goal because our tight end didn’t get out of bounds on a 3rd and 7 (after a 4 yard square out to the wide side of the field).
I think we squeak out six wins and limp into a December 27th bowl game. I’m afraid CJ will have a bad year because the O-line can’t protect him and the play calling will be even more predictable than usual.
We will lose at least one game due to poor clock management (nothing new here). Because the offense will be a vulnerability, KF and staff will want to shorten the game. They’ll run the play clock down to 1 or 2 before every snap. This will cause us to burn time outs early and not have them late. Thus, we will miss an opportunity for a late-game field goal because our tight end didn’t get out of bounds on a 3rd and 7 (after a 4 yard square out to the wide side of the field).
talk about half full, half empty, it's literally half and half lol. Anyway, I'm usually optimistic, but I have never been less excited for a football season. I had to look at 09 highlights, (which is now 6 years removed, and basically irrelevant) , to get excited again. We have a very weak schedule, but this is not a good team. Anything less than a 10 win season is a disappointment to me, so i'll stick to my optimism one more time, and hope we get it.
I'm a half full guy. In looking at our schedule, it's a very weak schedule.
I only see us as a dog in two games at Wisconsin and at Nebraska.
Our toughest home game will be Minnesota, which seems weird to even write.
We should go undefeated at home, which is 7 wins. We will destroy ISU this year and finally shut their asses up.
I think we will beat Wisky and lose to Nebraska. We will stumble at Indiana or Northwestern, which will put us at 10-2 overall.
6-2 will tie us with Wisconsin for the west and it will be our turn to be taken to the woodshed by OSU in Big Championship game. We end up 10-3 and play Oregon in Rose Bowl.
OSU, USC, Ole Miss and TCU will be in 4 team playoff.
I only see us as a dog in two games at Wisconsin and at Nebraska.
Our toughest home game will be Minnesota, which seems weird to even write.
We should go undefeated at home, which is 7 wins. We will destroy ISU this year and finally shut their asses up.
I think we will beat Wisky and lose to Nebraska. We will stumble at Indiana or Northwestern, which will put us at 10-2 overall.
6-2 will tie us with Wisconsin for the west and it will be our turn to be taken to the woodshed by OSU in Big Championship game. We end up 10-3 and play Oregon in Rose Bowl.
OSU, USC, Ole Miss and TCU will be in 4 team playoff.
Anybody that takes away good and bad from coach speak before the season starts is naïve. Anybody that predicts based on early practices is more naïve. A better indicator of the upcoming season is to take the performance of the last games in 2014-15 subtract the personnel losses, figure the fresh-sophs are going to improve considerably and the upperclassmen slightly(of course this is relative for all the teams on the schedule) and predict from there; everything else being the same.
Hope can be a good thing but it also a dangerous thing. Hope unachieved can drive a man insane.
Hope can be a good thing but it also a dangerous thing. Hope unachieved can drive a man insane.
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