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torbee

HR King
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Well, my column writing alter ego is, at any rate. Figured this is the only way for our downtrodden Florida State fans to get football news about a winning program ;)

Tuesdays with Torbee​

Torbee gives his predictions for the Ferentz led Hawkeyes.




Typically by mid-August I am fine-tuning new tailgate recipes, looking at hotel rates for potential road trips and devouring as much Iowa Hawkeye football-related media as I can find.
Heading into the 2022 season, that is not the case.

I’m not sure if that has more to do with Iowa’s disappointing Big 10 Championship game performance and subsequent bowl loss or that the sport I’ve loved for nearly half a century feels like it’s rapidly morphing into an NFL minor league product.

Probably a little bit of both.

Considering Iowa is coming off a 10-win season, division championship and its best recruiting class in recent memory, my apathy feels a bit churlish.

Weirdly, despite this ambivalence, I really like the makeup of this Iowa team and fully expect them to be in the hunt for back-to-back West championships. I expect the defense once again to be elite. I am also irrationally optimistic that the offense will take a major step forward. That latter prediction might be based more on blind faith and hope than evidence, but I think the combination of a bit more experience on the offensive line and running backs with a more decisive style will make the entire enterprise run better.

I also expect the Hawkeyes to play with a chip on their shoulder coming out of the gate. Yes, they ended on a demoralizing two-game losing streak to end last season, but it is pretty disrespectful of both the coaches and the media to leave them out of the pre-season Top 20. I expect this to be a motivating factor.

Expect Spencer Petras to be extremely motivated to prove his many naysayers wrong as well. I’ve been hard on his propensity to panic at the first sign of pressure, but that is a fixable negative trait. I expect the game to come slower to Petras in his senior year, and that combined with better protection theoretically should quiet those happy feet.

I am also fascinated to see the outcome of Kirk Ferentz’s decision to essentially double-down on his faith in Brian as an offensive coach by adding quarterback coaching to his duties. On paper, it seems insane to put the architect of an anemic passing offense in charge of the signal caller, but there is something exciting about the pure chutzpah of the move, at least to me. I’m on record criticizing Brian for being too clever and cute at times. From what we’ve heard out of camp, the offense has been somewhat simplified and I’m curious to see what that looks like.
The first Tuesdays With Torbee missive of the year traditionally includes my record prediction. As usual, I break up the schedule in terms of should-wins, tossups and likely losses. For the record, I predicted 9-3 last season, which was the second prediction in a row that undersold the Hawks by one game.

Here’s how I see the 2022 season shaking out:

Should-wins
· South Dakota State
· Iowa State
· Nevada
· Rutgers
· Illinois
· Nebraska

Toss-ups
· Northwestern
· Purdue
· Wisconsin
· Minnesota

Likely-losses
· Michigan
· Ohio State

Iowa typically drops one it shouldn’t (please, Lord, don’t let it be Nebraska) and wins at least one it really shouldn’t (I personally want revenge on the Wolverines), so that puts you at 6-2 before the tossups. I expect each of those games to be anxiety-inducing stomach churners, but I love getting Wisconsin at home and expect a focused and furious effort to end the Purdue winning streak. I think Iowa goes 3-1 in the tossups and finishes with a well-earned 9-3 record against a pretty salty schedule.

I know that prediction is hardly earth shattering, but until Iowa proves to me it can be better than “good-but-not-great,” I will continue using history as my guide.
Again, maybe unfairly churlish, but I would like to see that next step taken.
 
Well, my column writing alter ego is, at any rate. Figured this is the only way for our downtrodden Florida State fans to get football news about a winning program ;)

Tuesdays with Torbee​

Torbee gives his predictions for the Ferentz led Hawkeyes.




Typically by mid-August I am fine-tuning new tailgate recipes, looking at hotel rates for potential road trips and devouring as much Iowa Hawkeye football-related media as I can find.
Heading into the 2022 season, that is not the case.

I’m not sure if that has more to do with Iowa’s disappointing Big 10 Championship game performance and subsequent bowl loss or that the sport I’ve loved for nearly half a century feels like it’s rapidly morphing into an NFL minor league product.

Probably a little bit of both.

Considering Iowa is coming off a 10-win season, division championship and its best recruiting class in recent memory, my apathy feels a bit churlish.

Weirdly, despite this ambivalence, I really like the makeup of this Iowa team and fully expect them to be in the hunt for back-to-back West championships. I expect the defense once again to be elite. I am also irrationally optimistic that the offense will take a major step forward. That latter prediction might be based more on blind faith and hope than evidence, but I think the combination of a bit more experience on the offensive line and running backs with a more decisive style will make the entire enterprise run better.

I also expect the Hawkeyes to play with a chip on their shoulder coming out of the gate. Yes, they ended on a demoralizing two-game losing streak to end last season, but it is pretty disrespectful of both the coaches and the media to leave them out of the pre-season Top 20. I expect this to be a motivating factor.

Expect Spencer Petras to be extremely motivated to prove his many naysayers wrong as well. I’ve been hard on his propensity to panic at the first sign of pressure, but that is a fixable negative trait. I expect the game to come slower to Petras in his senior year, and that combined with better protection theoretically should quiet those happy feet.

I am also fascinated to see the outcome of Kirk Ferentz’s decision to essentially double-down on his faith in Brian as an offensive coach by adding quarterback coaching to his duties. On paper, it seems insane to put the architect of an anemic passing offense in charge of the signal caller, but there is something exciting about the pure chutzpah of the move, at least to me. I’m on record criticizing Brian for being too clever and cute at times. From what we’ve heard out of camp, the offense has been somewhat simplified and I’m curious to see what that looks like.
The first Tuesdays With Torbee missive of the year traditionally includes my record prediction. As usual, I break up the schedule in terms of should-wins, tossups and likely losses. For the record, I predicted 9-3 last season, which was the second prediction in a row that undersold the Hawks by one game.

Here’s how I see the 2022 season shaking out:

Should-wins
· South Dakota State
· Iowa State
· Nevada
· Rutgers
· Illinois
· Nebraska

Toss-ups
· Northwestern
· Purdue
· Wisconsin
· Minnesota

Likely-losses
· Michigan
· Ohio State

Iowa typically drops one it shouldn’t (please, Lord, don’t let it be Nebraska) and wins at least one it really shouldn’t (I personally want revenge on the Wolverines), so that puts you at 6-2 before the tossups. I expect each of those games to be anxiety-inducing stomach churners, but I love getting Wisconsin at home and expect a focused and furious effort to end the Purdue winning streak. I think Iowa goes 3-1 in the tossups and finishes with a well-earned 9-3 record against a pretty salty schedule.

I know that prediction is hardly earth shattering, but until Iowa proves to me it can be better than “good-but-not-great,” I will continue using history as my guide.
Again, maybe unfairly churlish, but I would like to see that next step taken.
Nole fan says, “Go Hawks!!”
 
Well, my column writing alter ego is, at any rate. Figured this is the only way for our downtrodden Florida State fans to get football news about a winning program ;)

Tuesdays with Torbee​

Torbee gives his predictions for the Ferentz led Hawkeyes.




Typically by mid-August I am fine-tuning new tailgate recipes, looking at hotel rates for potential road trips and devouring as much Iowa Hawkeye football-related media as I can find.
Heading into the 2022 season, that is not the case.

I’m not sure if that has more to do with Iowa’s disappointing Big 10 Championship game performance and subsequent bowl loss or that the sport I’ve loved for nearly half a century feels like it’s rapidly morphing into an NFL minor league product.

Probably a little bit of both.

Considering Iowa is coming off a 10-win season, division championship and its best recruiting class in recent memory, my apathy feels a bit churlish.

Weirdly, despite this ambivalence, I really like the makeup of this Iowa team and fully expect them to be in the hunt for back-to-back West championships. I expect the defense once again to be elite. I am also irrationally optimistic that the offense will take a major step forward. That latter prediction might be based more on blind faith and hope than evidence, but I think the combination of a bit more experience on the offensive line and running backs with a more decisive style will make the entire enterprise run better.

I also expect the Hawkeyes to play with a chip on their shoulder coming out of the gate. Yes, they ended on a demoralizing two-game losing streak to end last season, but it is pretty disrespectful of both the coaches and the media to leave them out of the pre-season Top 20. I expect this to be a motivating factor.

Expect Spencer Petras to be extremely motivated to prove his many naysayers wrong as well. I’ve been hard on his propensity to panic at the first sign of pressure, but that is a fixable negative trait. I expect the game to come slower to Petras in his senior year, and that combined with better protection theoretically should quiet those happy feet.

I am also fascinated to see the outcome of Kirk Ferentz’s decision to essentially double-down on his faith in Brian as an offensive coach by adding quarterback coaching to his duties. On paper, it seems insane to put the architect of an anemic passing offense in charge of the signal caller, but there is something exciting about the pure chutzpah of the move, at least to me. I’m on record criticizing Brian for being too clever and cute at times. From what we’ve heard out of camp, the offense has been somewhat simplified and I’m curious to see what that looks like.
The first Tuesdays With Torbee missive of the year traditionally includes my record prediction. As usual, I break up the schedule in terms of should-wins, tossups and likely losses. For the record, I predicted 9-3 last season, which was the second prediction in a row that undersold the Hawks by one game.

Here’s how I see the 2022 season shaking out:

Should-wins
· South Dakota State
· Iowa State
· Nevada
· Rutgers
· Illinois
· Nebraska

Toss-ups
· Northwestern
· Purdue
· Wisconsin
· Minnesota

Likely-losses
· Michigan
· Ohio State

Iowa typically drops one it shouldn’t (please, Lord, don’t let it be Nebraska) and wins at least one it really shouldn’t (I personally want revenge on the Wolverines), so that puts you at 6-2 before the tossups. I expect each of those games to be anxiety-inducing stomach churners, but I love getting Wisconsin at home and expect a focused and furious effort to end the Purdue winning streak. I think Iowa goes 3-1 in the tossups and finishes with a well-earned 9-3 record against a pretty salty schedule.

I know that prediction is hardly earth shattering, but until Iowa proves to me it can be better than “good-but-not-great,” I will continue using history as my guide.
Again, maybe unfairly churlish, but I would like to see that next step taken.
I like it. Nebraska and ISU make me nervous. ISU very much so considering our streak.

I get the feeling we'll have more than one stinker offensively with this squad... I see lots of nail-biting.
 
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torbee - First, I applaud your use of the word churlish. Why don't we see that word more often? Second, if we assume the Hawkeye defense will be in any way as stingy & productive as last year, do we really need great strides forward in the Iowa offense? If the Hawks were simply an average, or even a bit more, coupled with that defense and our usually much better than average special teams is it wrong for a regular guy to see 10 wins? Or maybe even more? I have to remind myself in years such as this that we are not in the 1970's when Ohio State & Michigan stood head and shoulders above the mere mortals that shared the conference with them. Maybe I am alone in this, but I don't see the 2022 Buckeyes and Wolverines as anything more than Goliaths. So I guess I'm saying that I understand why you are both tepid and somewhat fearful, but I say Fear Not! 2022 is going to be a year that will not be forgotten soon.
 
An AI bot could have written that article. I predict there will be no human sports columnists in 20 years.
 
torbee - First, I applaud your use of the word churlish. Why don't we see that word more often? Second, if we assume the Hawkeye defense will be in any way as stingy & productive as last year, do we really need great strides forward in the Iowa offense? If the Hawks were simply an average, or even a bit more, coupled with that defense and our usually much better than average special teams is it wrong for a regular guy to see 10 wins? Or maybe even more? I have to remind myself in years such as this that we are not in the 1970's when Ohio State & Michigan stood head and shoulders above the mere mortals that shared the conference with them. Maybe I am alone in this, but I don't see the 2022 Buckeyes and Wolverines as anything more than Goliaths. So I guess I'm saying that I understand why you are both tepid and somewhat fearful, but I say Fear Not! 2022 is going to be a year that will not be forgotten soon.
To me the most important thing is getting some sort of consistent running game going.

I loved Tyler Goodson --- amazing talent. But he was definitely a feast-or-famine ball carrier and when he took a no-gain or 2 yard loss, you basically knew a punt would be forthcoming. I don't think the new guys have the homerun hitting ability Goodson had, but I actually think their ability to grind it out and get 2, 3, 4 yards at least on every play will make things much, much easier for Petras and the o-line.

If Iowa can average around 3.5-4.0 yards per carry, I think the offense will control clock and score enough to allow the Hawks elite defense to win 8 to 10 games.
 
torbee - First, I applaud your use of the word churlish. Why don't we see that word more often? Second, if we assume the Hawkeye defense will be in any way as stingy & productive as last year, do we really need great strides forward in the Iowa offense? If the Hawks were simply an average, or even a bit more, coupled with that defense and our usually much better than average special teams is it wrong for a regular guy to see 10 wins? Or maybe even more? I have to remind myself in years such as this that we are not in the 1970's when Ohio State & Michigan stood head and shoulders above the mere mortals that shared the conference with them. Maybe I am alone in this, but I don't see the 2022 Buckeyes and Wolverines as anything more than Goliaths. So I guess I'm saying that I understand why you are both tepid and somewhat fearful, but I say Fear Not! 2022 is going to be a year that will not be forgotten soon.
Weirdly, I am ambivalent about this column.
 
Well, my column writing alter ego is, at any rate. Figured this is the only way for our downtrodden Florida State fans to get football news about a winning program ;)

Tuesdays with Torbee​

Torbee gives his predictions for the Ferentz led Hawkeyes.




Typically by mid-August I am fine-tuning new tailgate recipes, looking at hotel rates for potential road trips and devouring as much Iowa Hawkeye football-related media as I can find.
Heading into the 2022 season, that is not the case.

I’m not sure if that has more to do with Iowa’s disappointing Big 10 Championship game performance and subsequent bowl loss or that the sport I’ve loved for nearly half a century feels like it’s rapidly morphing into an NFL minor league product.

Probably a little bit of both.

Considering Iowa is coming off a 10-win season, division championship and its best recruiting class in recent memory, my apathy feels a bit churlish.

Weirdly, despite this ambivalence, I really like the makeup of this Iowa team and fully expect them to be in the hunt for back-to-back West championships. I expect the defense once again to be elite. I am also irrationally optimistic that the offense will take a major step forward. That latter prediction might be based more on blind faith and hope than evidence, but I think the combination of a bit more experience on the offensive line and running backs with a more decisive style will make the entire enterprise run better.

I also expect the Hawkeyes to play with a chip on their shoulder coming out of the gate. Yes, they ended on a demoralizing two-game losing streak to end last season, but it is pretty disrespectful of both the coaches and the media to leave them out of the pre-season Top 20. I expect this to be a motivating factor.

Expect Spencer Petras to be extremely motivated to prove his many naysayers wrong as well. I’ve been hard on his propensity to panic at the first sign of pressure, but that is a fixable negative trait. I expect the game to come slower to Petras in his senior year, and that combined with better protection theoretically should quiet those happy feet.

I am also fascinated to see the outcome of Kirk Ferentz’s decision to essentially double-down on his faith in Brian as an offensive coach by adding quarterback coaching to his duties. On paper, it seems insane to put the architect of an anemic passing offense in charge of the signal caller, but there is something exciting about the pure chutzpah of the move, at least to me. I’m on record criticizing Brian for being too clever and cute at times. From what we’ve heard out of camp, the offense has been somewhat simplified and I’m curious to see what that looks like.
The first Tuesdays With Torbee missive of the year traditionally includes my record prediction. As usual, I break up the schedule in terms of should-wins, tossups and likely losses. For the record, I predicted 9-3 last season, which was the second prediction in a row that undersold the Hawks by one game.

Here’s how I see the 2022 season shaking out:

Should-wins
· South Dakota State
· Iowa State
· Nevada
· Rutgers
· Illinois
· Nebraska

Toss-ups
· Northwestern
· Purdue
· Wisconsin
· Minnesota

Likely-losses
· Michigan
· Ohio State

Iowa typically drops one it shouldn’t (please, Lord, don’t let it be Nebraska) and wins at least one it really shouldn’t (I personally want revenge on the Wolverines), so that puts you at 6-2 before the tossups. I expect each of those games to be anxiety-inducing stomach churners, but I love getting Wisconsin at home and expect a focused and furious effort to end the Purdue winning streak. I think Iowa goes 3-1 in the tossups and finishes with a well-earned 9-3 record against a pretty salty schedule.

I know that prediction is hardly earth shattering, but until Iowa proves to me it can be better than “good-but-not-great,” I will continue using history as my guide.
Again, maybe unfairly churlish, but I would like to see that next step taken.
Good stuff here. Spot on. I'll be at the Michigan game. Brought home a W last year vs Penn St. Kinnick will be LOUD again.
 
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Your print prediction of 9-3 is locked-in with a little too much ambiguity. Since HROT is more or less the break room part of TWT media, lets hear which team you beleive is most likely to give Iowa the one L in your 3-1 toss-up prediction.
 
I'm not that optimist, I think the offensive struggles continue and the D takes a small step backwards
I have very little faith that BF can lead a solid offense, make that even an average offense

I Predicted 7-5 with loses to Rutgers, Purdue, Ohio St, Wisconsin, Nebraska
 
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Your print prediction of 9-3 is locked-in with a little too much ambiguity. Since HROT is more or less the break room part of TWT media, lets hear which team you beleive is most likely to give Iowa the one L in your 3-1 toss-up prediction.
Probably Purdue again. Brohm has KF's number. I think we take out Bucky in Kinnick.
 
I'm not that optimist, I think the offensive struggles continue and the D takes a small step backwards
I have very little faith that BF can lead a solid offense, make that even an average offense

I Predicted 7-5 with loses to Rutgers, Purdue, Ohio St, Wisconsin, Nebraska
Not out of the realm, but would kind of shock me. I feel like the overall roster talent and depth continues to get better. I also think Petras is average -- not below average -- and that will show up this season.
 
I like it. Nebraska and ISU make me nervous. ISU very much so considering our streak.

I get the feeling we'll have more than one stinker offensively with this squad... I see lots of nail-biting.
Both home games and teams without good Line play.

Both might be close because, well, KF.

Hard to envision the ISU offense scoring without trick plays.
 
Really like our stable of running backs, but man are we thin at WR. Only 3 proven guys, two of them are young, two of them are more slot types -- none of them with proven record as a number one guy. I think Keegan Johnson is a great athlete and has the chance to be that, but he's still young and has been injured.

Add in concerns about the OL, and our QB play being less than exception of late, and this offense could really be setup to struggle.

But on the bright side... there's a chance the OL comes together, that Spencer makes the leap he needs, and that our TEs are good enough to overcome the lack of depth & experience at WR.

Even if all that happens, it's hard to see this being anything past a middling big ten offense. However, with an elite defense and (quite likely) strong special teams play... average would be more than enough.
 
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Well, my column writing alter ego is, at any rate. Figured this is the only way for our downtrodden Florida State fans to get football news about a winning program ;)

Tuesdays with Torbee​

Torbee gives his predictions for the Ferentz led Hawkeyes.




Typically by mid-August I am fine-tuning new tailgate recipes, looking at hotel rates for potential road trips and devouring as much Iowa Hawkeye football-related media as I can find.
Heading into the 2022 season, that is not the case.

I’m not sure if that has more to do with Iowa’s disappointing Big 10 Championship game performance and subsequent bowl loss or that the sport I’ve loved for nearly half a century feels like it’s rapidly morphing into an NFL minor league product.

Probably a little bit of both.

Considering Iowa is coming off a 10-win season, division championship and its best recruiting class in recent memory, my apathy feels a bit churlish.

Weirdly, despite this ambivalence, I really like the makeup of this Iowa team and fully expect them to be in the hunt for back-to-back West championships. I expect the defense once again to be elite. I am also irrationally optimistic that the offense will take a major step forward. That latter prediction might be based more on blind faith and hope than evidence, but I think the combination of a bit more experience on the offensive line and running backs with a more decisive style will make the entire enterprise run better.

I also expect the Hawkeyes to play with a chip on their shoulder coming out of the gate. Yes, they ended on a demoralizing two-game losing streak to end last season, but it is pretty disrespectful of both the coaches and the media to leave them out of the pre-season Top 20. I expect this to be a motivating factor.

Expect Spencer Petras to be extremely motivated to prove his many naysayers wrong as well. I’ve been hard on his propensity to panic at the first sign of pressure, but that is a fixable negative trait. I expect the game to come slower to Petras in his senior year, and that combined with better protection theoretically should quiet those happy feet.

I am also fascinated to see the outcome of Kirk Ferentz’s decision to essentially double-down on his faith in Brian as an offensive coach by adding quarterback coaching to his duties. On paper, it seems insane to put the architect of an anemic passing offense in charge of the signal caller, but there is something exciting about the pure chutzpah of the move, at least to me. I’m on record criticizing Brian for being too clever and cute at times. From what we’ve heard out of camp, the offense has been somewhat simplified and I’m curious to see what that looks like.
The first Tuesdays With Torbee missive of the year traditionally includes my record prediction. As usual, I break up the schedule in terms of should-wins, tossups and likely losses. For the record, I predicted 9-3 last season, which was the second prediction in a row that undersold the Hawks by one game.

Here’s how I see the 2022 season shaking out:

Should-wins
· South Dakota State
· Iowa State
· Nevada
· Rutgers
· Illinois
· Nebraska

Toss-ups
· Northwestern
· Purdue
· Wisconsin
· Minnesota

Likely-losses
· Michigan
· Ohio State

Iowa typically drops one it shouldn’t (please, Lord, don’t let it be Nebraska) and wins at least one it really shouldn’t (I personally want revenge on the Wolverines), so that puts you at 6-2 before the tossups. I expect each of those games to be anxiety-inducing stomach churners, but I love getting Wisconsin at home and expect a focused and furious effort to end the Purdue winning streak. I think Iowa goes 3-1 in the tossups and finishes with a well-earned 9-3 record against a pretty salty schedule.

I know that prediction is hardly earth shattering, but until Iowa proves to me it can be better than “good-but-not-great,” I will continue using history as my guide.
Again, maybe unfairly churlish, but I would like to see that next step taken.
Athlon has no appreciation for Petras as QB. None. Seems strange based on his record.
 
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Intriguing strategy, leading a season-long series by talking about how you don't care.

I'm ambivalent to that approach...
 
Really like our stable of running backs, but man are we thin at WR. Only 3 proven guys, two of them are young, two of them are more slot types -- none of them with proven record as a number one guy. I think Keegan Johnson is a great athlete and has the chance to be that, but he's still young and has been injured.

Add in concerns about the OL, and our QB play being less than exception of late, and this offense could really be setup to struggle.

But on the bright side... there's a chance the OL comes together, that Spencer makes the leap he needs, and that our TEs are good enough to overcome the lack of depth & experience at WR.

Even if all that happens, it's hard to see this being anything past a middling big ten offense. However, with an elite defense and (quite likely) strong special teams play... average would be more than enough.
agreed, do any of them have any size? besides LaPorta, where are we going in the red-zone?

our red-zone offense was atrocious last year, ranked 121 out of 130
 
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agreed, do any of them have any size? besides LaPorta, where are we going in the red-zone?

our red-zone offense was atrocious last year, ranked 121 out of 130
Laporta is 6-4, Lachey is 6-6. So definitely. Probably see a lot more of them out wide situationally. Then there is the youngster that was impressing... Ostrenga. Another 6-4/5 sort, good athlete.

Seems like we're destined for a bunch of big sets, 2TE or 1FB/1TE.

 
Intriguing strategy, leading a season-long series by talking about how you don't care.

I'm ambivalent to that approach...
Ha. Well I believe this is my 15th year or so writing the column, and for the most part, Iowa is always "good not great," the coaching staff is still the same, the problems are the same, the good parts are the same, the bad parts are the same, the expectations are the same. It is pretty challenging coming up with unique/interesting storylines!
 
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Ha. Well I believe this is my 15th year or so writing the column, and for the most part, Iowa is always "good not great," the coaching staff is still the same, the problems are the same, the good parts are the same, the expectations are the same. It is pretty challenging coming up with unique/interesting storylines!
Yep...the goal of the offense is to minimize mistakes.

Avoiding a big, early deficit will be paramount to a good season.

Can't remember too many times in the last decade where Iowa recovered from a big hole.
 
Ha. Well I believe this is my 15th year or so writing the column, and for the most part, Iowa is always "good not great," the coaching staff is still the same, the problems are the same, the good parts are the same, the bad parts are the same, the expectations are the same. It is pretty challenging coming up with unique/interesting storylines!
Maybe your storyline should be about what might change.
 
Yep...the goal of the offense is to minimize mistakes.

Avoiding a big, early deficit will be paramount to a good season.

Can't remember too many times in the last decade where Iowa recovered from a big hole.
So infrequent I can remember most of them off the top of my head --- I think it was 2004 when Iowa fell down early 14-0 to MIchigan at home and came back and won. Then the big comeback against Pitt in Kinnick (down 21 points maybe?) Last year against Penn State was a comeback, although the defense did keep them mostly in it.

You are correct, typically if Iowa gets down by 10 or more, they are SOL.
 
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Ha. Well I believe this is my 15th year or so writing the column, and for the most part, Iowa is always "good not great," the coaching staff is still the same, the problems are the same, the good parts are the same, the bad parts are the same, the expectations are the same. It is pretty challenging coming up with unique/interesting storylines!
make every game about BF and his campaign to become HC in 2024. Hype up any success, and ram his failures. You'll get a ton of reaction fo sho.
 
Offense in the Top 50 (being optimistic here)
10-2
Losses to OSU/UM
Win the west
Avenge 2 straight losses to UM by winning BTT.
Just miss playoff
Beat Oregon in Rose Bowl
 
Ha. Well I believe this is my 15th year or so writing the column, and for the most part, Iowa is always "good not great," the coaching staff is still the same, the problems are the same, the good parts are the same, the bad parts are the same, the expectations are the same. It is pretty challenging coming up with unique/interesting storylines!
How do we know you just didn't recycle this one from say...2016 or 2010?

Lots of things changed in that time..the water tower got painted, the Tigerhawk is on the 50, we wave at kids, the North Endzone was redone, Kinnick serves beer!
 
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