Iowa is entering Year 19 of the Kirk Ferentz, with a new OFF staff ...

cidsports · Jul 30, 2017

Iowa is seeking to be the fifth Big Ten program to win a Big Ten Championship Game.

Wisconsin (2 - back to back, first two years of Leaders & Legends)
Michigan State (2 - won as a Legend and then two years later for the East)
Ohio State
Penn State

Of course, Iowa only has played in one Big Ten Title Game, and that was after the lone 12-0 regular season in Iowa history.

Hayden Fry's 19th edition went 7-5, his final winning season at Iowa, only 4-4 in the Big Ten. OC Donnie Patterson was in his 6th season at the helm. The late Bob Elliott, was in his 2nd season as DC. Iowa was coming off a 9-3 season, 6-2 B1G record.

Michigan won the Big Ten and a share of the National Title, with Nebraska in 1997. Iowa gave Michigan the best game, in Ann Arbor, by most accounts.

Iowa rarely goes undefeated in the non-conference season. They did in 2003, for the first time under OC Ken O'Keefe, again in 2006 and 2009. OC Greg Davis accomplished it in 2015. 4 of 18 seasons, so will 2017 be a special season, with new OC Brian Ferentz, or should we expect at least one road block in the non-conference?

It is rare for a first year Iowa OC to win all three non-conference games, but if the 2006 team can win in the non-conference, shouldn't we expect Brian Ferentz to win in his first season at the helm?

Iowa's 2017 non-conference slate ...

vs. Wyoming
@ Iowa State
vs. North Texas

A 3-0 start gives Iowa a real chance for a good record in 2017 ...

FACT: retired OC Greg Davis was 5-0 at Iowa in Big Ten openers, 4 of 5 were on the road and Iowa won all five B1G road openers, as well.

The Penn State isn't a must win game. However, going 50/50 against Penn State and Ohio State helps Iowa's margin of error in the Big Ten West race.

Going 6-0, like 2015 or like the 2016 Wisconsin Badgers, in the Big Ten West games is likely a key to Iowa's successful run in 2017 ...

Iowa is 11-11, since 1974 against Penn State. The Hawkeyes are only 4-7 at Kinnick Stadium.

A 3-0 Iowa vs. a 3-0 Penn State ... I don't like our chances at this point. Last year, PSU began 2-2. Likely, we need a similar start, though we all remember the post-Penn State win over Michigan.

vs. Penn State (In 2011, Iowa lost the B1G opener in Happy Valley 13-3)
@ Michigan State (Iowa won 19-16 in 2 OT in Greg Davis' first season as OC)
vs. Illinois for Homecoming (Iowa is 3-0, since the B1G West begun, in this one!)

Iowa needs to open 2017 very strong. A 5-1 start would be outstanding, some what realistic, when you look at the 4-2 start in 2012. Of course, Wisconsin opened 1-2 last season, as they opened with all three B1G East cross-over games.

BYE WEEK comes ahead of final six Big Ten games. Iowa lost final six B1G games in 2012 ...

@ Northwestern (in 2015, Iowa opened 2-0 in the B1G and third game was in Evanston)
vs. Minnesota (The Hawks are 12-5 lately in this series, see UW-Minnesota though)
vs. Ohio State (it has been 13 years, since last win and last B1G co-title)
@ Wisconsin (this series has included 6 straight losses for the home team)
vs. Purdue (Greg Davis' was not good his first Senior Day game vs. Boilermakers)
@ Nebraska (Black Friday) (Iowa has won 3 of 4 in this trophy game)

Kirk Ferentz said he is looking forward to the 2017 season. The team has hit the practice field this weekend.

How competitive can Iowa be in 2017?

OC Brian Ferentz
2009 New England Patriots (OCA) - AFC Division champions
2010 New England Patriots (ATE) - AFC Division champions
2011 New England Patriots (TE) - AFC Conference champions
2012–2016 Iowa (OL) - 2015 B1G West division champs
2017–present Iowa (OC) - Let's hope Iowa can do something better on offense

Defense wins championships and special teams help lead teams, especially programs that don't have much margin for error ...

Ohio State - the Hawkeyes rarely are in good form against the Buckeyes
Penn State - lately, the Nittany Lions are head and shoulders against Iowa
Wisconsin - funny, Iowa is 13-5 in Madison and has fewer loss there than at home
Northwestern - this is a great rivalry: Pat Fitzgerald vs. Kirk Ferentz

7-5 are what many are suggesting for Iowa.

Can Iowa continue to play well on the road?

The Hawkeyes are 8-1, since the B1G West formed on the road, so will the tables turn or is there hope with @ Northwestern, @ Wisconsin and @ Nebraska ahead, like 2015?

Iowa has three close losses last season, though 17-9 is a tough road, against Wisconsin. Iowa can't afford games like @ Maryland and @ Minnesota in 2014.

Iowa went 5-3 in Jake Rudock's first season, as QB, coming off an awful 4-8 campaign in 2012. Iowa went 5-3 in Ricky Stanzi's first full season, as QB.

No one wants 5-4, but it is a winning season in the Big Ten. At minimum, it would be Iowa's third straight winning season, after 8-0 and 6-3. However, it is also a trend to less ...

DC Phil Parker
1987 Michigan State (GA) - Big Ten champions
1988–1998 Toledo (DB) - Nick Saban was HC in 1990, co-champions of MAC (moved to NFL '91)
1999–2011 Iowa (DB) - 2002, 2004 Big Ten co-champions
2012 Iowa (DC)
2013–present Iowa (DC/DB) - B1G West division champs

If Iowa is going to win in 2017, it will begin in the trenches in both the defensive and offensive lines.

Last time Iowa had three seniors in the LB corp returning as starters was 2013. Iowa struggled in the season opener. Lost 3 of 4 B1G games after winning road opener at Minnesota. Iowa returns one two game starter from the 2013 season, WR Matt VandeBerg.

Of course, Iowa won Big Ten co-championships with first year starting QBs in 2002 and 2004.

What if?

KuwaitHawk · Jul 30, 2017