BB: For all the doom and gloom about Iowa -- and certainly we have contributed to that forecast -- it's important to note that coach Kirk Ferentz's team wasn't that far away from having a good record last season. Four of the Hawkeyes' five regular-season losses came by seven points or fewer, with three of them being decided by a field goal or less, including the final two against Wisconsin and Nebraska with the West Division title still up for grabs.
Of course, Iowa managed to lose all those games despite a ludicrously beneficial schedule. But the schedule is not much different this season, so just some minor improvements could put the Hawkeyes right in the thick of the division chase. The passing game is certainly one area where this step forward could occur, and Ferentz and his staff put all their eggs into C.J. Beathard's basket this offseason. Beathard's arm strength should allow Iowa to spread the field more and be more dynamic on offense -- not that it's possible to be much less dynamic than the previous two years under Greg Davis.
But, as I've said repeatedly, the key for the Hawkeyes remains in the running game. Iowa simply is at its best when controlling the line of scrimmage, and its ground game just wasn't good enough the past two seasons (4.1 ypc in 2014, 4.2 in 2013). That more than anything else will determine this team's ceiling.
Of course, Iowa managed to lose all those games despite a ludicrously beneficial schedule. But the schedule is not much different this season, so just some minor improvements could put the Hawkeyes right in the thick of the division chase. The passing game is certainly one area where this step forward could occur, and Ferentz and his staff put all their eggs into C.J. Beathard's basket this offseason. Beathard's arm strength should allow Iowa to spread the field more and be more dynamic on offense -- not that it's possible to be much less dynamic than the previous two years under Greg Davis.
But, as I've said repeatedly, the key for the Hawkeyes remains in the running game. Iowa simply is at its best when controlling the line of scrimmage, and its ground game just wasn't good enough the past two seasons (4.1 ypc in 2014, 4.2 in 2013). That more than anything else will determine this team's ceiling.
