IowaLaw's Unpopular (but True) Predictions for 2022

[Hawkeye Marching Band]

At minimum the slaw went like .800

Only if you mean 80% wrong.

 

[ssckelley]

Many are asking, "when will IowaLaw, also known as Lawstradomis, put together his predictions for 2023?" After all, it was uncanny how spot on he was in his 2022 prognostication and has been known to pick up on the subtle rifts in the Hawkeye universe.

-QB Regression. It happened. Petras was returning for his 3rd year as starter following a 10 win season and touting his attendence at the Payton Manning passing camp / his parents were paying for him to work with a professional passing coach. Most saw improvement in the works. IowaLaw wasn't buying it. He predicted more QB regression. Sure enough, Petras had his worst statistical season yet, improved in zero areas, and dragged down the team with him.

-Too Much PT for McCaffery Boys. It happened. Hawkeye basketball was a Top 10 team led by Keegan Murray, but IowaLaw noted that Fran seems to love playing his kids regardless of their performance and has a blind spot toward guys on the bench. Sure enough, The McCaffery boys saw their minutes increase, with Patrick leading the nation last year in out of control missed layups, causing tension in the locker room, and Toussaint bolted from the team despite being the starting point guard.

-Wrestling Decline. It happened. Hawkeye wrestling was ranked #1 at the time and were defending national champs. Sure enough, the squad struggled mightily, got blown out in the Big 10 and national championships, and this year just barely squeaked by Iowa State in a dual meet while Penn State continues to rise. The poor recruiting/focus on in-state recruits vs. recruiting Pennsylvania harder was obvious.

-Women's BBall Still Boring. It happened. The Iowa women were riding high, receiving praise from NBA stars and were ranked in the Top 10. IowaLaw said they would still be boring. Sure enough, their super star media darling shoots worse from 3 than the worst 3 point shooter on the men's team and the rest of the team proved to be pretty average. They were bounced from the NCAA tourney early and this year they started ranked in the Top 5, then proceeded to lose to every opponent with a pulse.

-Labbas Won't Play a Down. It happened. Many hoped Joey Labbas would be the savior of the Iowa QBs room. Kirk even said "there will be an open QB competition," and Joey was getting the majority of media buzz after starring on the scout team. IowaLaw saw through it and predicted he'd never take a snap. Sure enough, another season is in the books. While the 2nd and 3rd stringers played at every other position, ol' Brian couldn't even give the kid the courtesy of a single snap. Zero passes thrown in 2 years on campus. Shocker to some, not to those who know the program. The kid will get a chance in the bowl game, but only out of default and against the coach's wishes.

-Brian Will Keep Failing Upward. It happened. Most thought it was outlandish when IowaLaw predicted Brian would not only keep his job after leading the nation's 117th rated offense, but also receive a raise on top of it. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. Brian picked up a bigger raise following his documented failures than most Iowans make at their jobs in a year, got a promotion, and proceeded to lead the offence straight into the ground.

By popular demand, IowaLaw will indeed look into his crystal ball and make his 2023 prognostications in the coming weeks.

---@HawkeyeInCentralIowa "How much does everyone want to bet that he’s wrong on all these takes?" Jan 17, 2022.

You are so good and talented that you really should start your own blog! When is this going to happen?

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Only if you mean 80% wrong.

Which one do you dispute?

 

[HawkDoggy]

Only if you mean 80% wrong.

No....80% correct is pretty spot on. Where the hell do you get 80% wrong?

 

[Bishop1971]

2021 is in the books. By all accounts, it was a highly successful year for Hawkeye sports. As of this summer, Iowa climbed as high as 13th in the Director's Cup, which rates athletics programs across the board, thanks in part to conference championships in soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, field hockey and track, and above average football and basketball teams.

So as we turn the page to 2022, Iowa's most objective sports prognosticator, IowaLaw, has a few predictions for the year ahead:

QB Play Will Regress - Having a 3rd year starter returning at QB is a huge advantage, right? Usually. At Iowa, the well known "QB Regression" theory has already been argued ad nauseum. Whether you subscribe to it or not, statistically Petras regressed pretty badly. Kirk anointed him permanent starter in 2020. Spencer struggled and ranked 89th nationally in QB efficiency. He threw 9 tds and 5 ints and couldn't make plays with his feet. Pro football focus tabbed Petras the lowest rated returning starter in college football in 2021. Ferentz decided to stick with him rather than going to the portal. As a result, Spencer finished his second year as starter ranking 98th in QB efficiency. He threw 10 tds and 9 interceptions and again couldn't make plays with his feet. A non-Iowa fan would naturally assume 2022 will require an "open QB competition," right? That would require two things: (i) genuinely taking a look at one of the dozens of QBs in the portal; and (ii) giving real reps to underclassmen. Neither will happen. Barring injury, Petras is Iowa's starter in 2022.

The McCaffery Boys Will Continue Playing Over More Talented Teammates - There's nothing more frustrating to Hawk fans than watching Fran sit guys like Joe Toussaint (52% from the field and 40% from 3, and can defend) late in close games while playing Connor McCaffery (23% from the field and 21% from 3, and the slowest guy on the team) in clutch minutes. What's worse is that his brother Patrick leads the nation in 3 categories: (i) out of control, off-balanced layups attempted; (ii) out of control, off-balanced layups missed; and (iii) points given up on defense after attempting an out of control, off-balanced layup. He still plays ahead of Kris Murray each night, including following Murray's 29 point performance. Murray, Perkins, & Ulis will continue to have limited minutes regardless of their play.

Penn State Will Take Back Wrestling Crown - Hawkeye wrestling has seen a renaissance over the past two years, reclaiming wrestling's #1 ranking and winning national titles. They've done so by recruiting studs from Pennsylvania and transfers and by taking advantage of lax redshirt rules to have an entire roster filled with 5th and 6th year guys. Out-of-state recruiting has stalled and once the 6th year superstars exit, look for Penn State, with its wealth of in-state talent, to reclaim the top of the wrestling world for years to come.

Joey Labas Will Not Throw a Pass at Iowa - Despite the media's recent push to prop up Labas as cause for optimism & to deflect from criticism of Iowa's offense, the fact remains that the guy was 4th string behind one of the worst QBs in the Ferentz era, and Ferentz openly mocked the 3rd string guy at the end of the season. It would be impossible for Labas to somehow pass up two "experienced starters" in 2022, regardless of his skill level. That's a given at Iowa. But looking ahead to 2023, assuming Alex Padilla waits around for a 5th year (apparently his preferred transfer destinations recommended that he stay put), Joey will still be left holding a clip board until 2024. In this day and age, no one sticks around that long if they think they can play elsewhere. Bring on the next scout team legend.

Iowa Women's Basketball Will Remain Boring - It's politically correct to express fake interest in women's basketball now that Iowa has a nationally ranked program with a women's superstar. It's expected to nod your head when the adoring local media (and even some NBA player tweets) say "Caitlin Clark is a top NIL draw, and a transcendental player, regardless of gender." While I'm a firm believer that Clark can score a ton of points (she leads the nation at 26 points per game), I have to ask how many "fans" actually watch her play? I've seen parts of 2 or 3 recent games, and each time I was blown away by the number of bricks the best player in women's basketball puts up (Clark has taken 119 3s and made just 27 of them, which is a Connor McCaffery-esque 22%). Most of her points are scored from the free throw line, which doesn't make for exciting bball. In terms of attendance, 6,000 fans are attending Iowa women's games. I suppose that's good for women's basketball, but when you are talking NIL, isn't it all about advertising? Typically the more visibility leads to higher marketability and people aren't watching these games.

Brian Ferentz Will Receive a Substantial Raise - It's no secret that Iowa ranked 123rd this year in total offense and that teams with far better offenses fired their offensive coordinators after the season. I'm not going to pile on by saying the guy should be fired. But what most won't hear about is that Kirk will give him an automatic pay raise in the offseason exceeding the average household income in the state of Iowa...for his performance. Those who say life's not fair don't coach for their dad.

I think you missed on quite a few of your predictions.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

No....80% correct is pretty spot on. Where the hell do you get 80% wrong?

All I'll say to help you in your mental recovery is that agreeing with one's opinions and something being factually correct.................................................are very much two different things.

Good luck!

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I think you missed on quite a few of your predictions.

Now now you have to respect a man that tells you his opinions are factually correct (and is being entirely serious)...........OP will even tell you as much.

 

[sober_teacher]

-Too Much PT for McCaffery Boys. It happened. Hawkeye basketball was a Top 10 team led by Keegan Murray, but IowaLaw noted that Fran seems to love playing his kids regardless of their performance and has a blind spot toward guys on the bench. Sure enough, The McCaffery boys saw their minutes increase, with Patrick leading the nation last year in out of control missed layups, causing tension in the locker room, and Toussaint bolted from the team despite being the starting point guard.

Umm, exactly who is saying there is tension in the locker room?

 

[Bishop1971]

Now now you have to respect a man that tells you his opinions are factually correct (and is being entirely serious)...........OP will even tell you as much.

I'm impressed and to say that his dislike for women's basketball is a prediction is laughable.

 

[Bishop1971]

Now now you have to respect a man that tells you his opinions are factually correct (and is being entirely serious)...........OP will even tell you as much.

I'm impressed and to say that his dislike for women's basketball is a prediction is laughable

Umm, exactly who is saying there is tension in the locker room?

Facts are not what this is about. My grandma was kind of like this when she got dementia.

 

[515Clone]

Many are asking, "when will IowaLaw, also known as Lawstradomis, put together his predictions for 2023?" After all, it was uncanny how spot on he was in his 2022 prognostication and has been known to pick up on the subtle rifts in the Hawkeye universe.

-QB Regression. It happened. Petras was returning for his 3rd year as starter following a 10 win season and touting his attendence at the Payton Manning passing camp / his parents were paying for him to work with a professional passing coach. Most saw improvement in the works. IowaLaw wasn't buying it. He predicted that even though Pro Football Focus had Petras ranked the worst returning starter in college football, Kirk and crew would not dare seek out help in the transfer portal like any other coach would. Sure enough, they did not, and Hawk fans once again witnessed more QB regression. Petras started every game and finished with his worst statistical season yet. He improved in zero areas (despite the above privileges not afforded to most QBs) and dragged down the team with him.

-Too Much PT for McCaffery Boys. It happened. Hawkeye basketball was a Top 10 team led by Keegan Murray, but IowaLaw noted that Fran seems to love playing his kids regardless of their performance and has a blind spot toward guys on the bench. Sure enough, The McCaffery boys saw their minutes increase, with Patrick leading the nation last year in out of control missed layups, causing tension in the locker room, and Toussaint bolted from the team despite being the starting point guard.

-Wrestling Decline. It happened. Hawkeye wrestling was ranked #1 at the time of the OP. They were defending national champs and had a loaded roster of 6 year seniors. Sure enough, the squad struggled mightily, got blown out in both the Big 10 (finishing 3rd) and national championships. Worse yet, even with Spencer Lee using his extra year of eligibility this year, the Hawks just barely squeaked by lowly Iowa State in a dual meet while Penn State continues to rise. The poor recruiting/focus on in-state recruits vs. recruiting Pennsylvania and national wrestlers was obvious.

-Women's BBall Still Boring. It happened. The Iowa women were riding high, receiving praise from NBA stars, were ranked in the Top 10, and were playing on national tv. IowaLaw said they would still be boring despite the undue hype. Sure enough, their super star media darling continues to shoot worse from 3 than the worst 3 point shooter on the men's team. The rest of the team proved to be pretty average and incredibly unathletic compared to their peers. They were bounced from the NCAA tourney early and this year they started ranked in the Top 5, then proceeded to lose to every opponent with a pulse. Hype without substance is just hype.

-Labbas Won't Play a Down. It happened. Many hoped he would be the savior of the Iowa QBs room. Kirk even said "there will be an open QB competition," and Joey was getting the majority of media buzz after starring on the scout team. IowaLaw saw through it and predicted he'd never take a snap. Sure enough, another season is in the books. While the 2nd and 3rd stringers played at every other position, ol' Brian couldn't even give the kid the courtesy of a single snap. Zero passes thrown in 2 years on campus. Shocker to some, not to those who know the program. The kid will get a chance in the bowl game, but only out of default and against the coach's wishes.

-Brian Will Keep Failing Upward. It happened. Most thought it was outlandish when IowaLaw predicted Brian would not only keep his job after leading the nation's 117th rated offense, but also receive a raise on top of it. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. Brian picked up a bigger raise following his documented failures than most Iowans make at their jobs in a year, got a promotion, and proceeded to lead the offense straight into the ground.

As a result of this profound accuracy, and by popular demand, IowaLaw will indeed look into his crystal ball and make his 2023 prognostications in the coming weeks.

---@HawkeyeInCentralIowa "How much does everyone want to bet that he’s wrong on all these takes?" Jan 17, 2022.

You nailed it.

 

[HawkLogic]

Looks fairly accurate...Good job IowaLaw.

I thought even KF would not be dumb enough to make Petras his starting QB in 2022 and I was wrong on that.

I'll go out on a limb and say KF/BF are correct and Labas does stink and that is why he got zero reps this season up until bowl game....which only confirms KF/BF did a chit job recruiting.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

Unfortunately, I don’t see a lot wrong with most of those predictions.

 

[Hawkeye Marching Band]

Which one do you dispute?

Because you only ask for one, I'll go with the easiest, which no sane person would claim happened. Penn State did not win the B1G wrestling crown. It was Michigan.

 

[frydaze]

2021 is in the books. By all accounts, it was a highly successful year for Hawkeye sports. As of this summer, Iowa climbed as high as 13th in the Director's Cup, which rates athletics programs across the board, thanks in part to conference championships in soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, field hockey and track, and above average football and basketball teams.

So as we turn the page to 2022, Iowa's most objective sports prognosticator, IowaLaw, has a few predictions for the year ahead:

QB Play Will Regress - Having a 3rd year starter returning at QB is a huge advantage, right? Usually. At Iowa, the well known "QB Regression" theory has already been argued ad nauseum. Whether you subscribe to it or not, statistically Petras regressed pretty badly. Kirk anointed him permanent starter in 2020. Spencer struggled and ranked 89th nationally in QB efficiency. He threw 9 tds and 5 ints and couldn't make plays with his feet. Pro football focus tabbed Petras the lowest rated returning starter in college football in 2021. Ferentz decided to stick with him rather than going to the portal. As a result, Spencer finished his second year as starter ranking 98th in QB efficiency. He threw 10 tds and 9 interceptions and again couldn't make plays with his feet. A non-Iowa fan would naturally assume 2022 will require an "open QB competition," right? That would require two things: (i) genuinely taking a look at one of the dozens of QBs in the portal; and (ii) giving real reps to underclassmen. Neither will happen. Barring injury, Petras is Iowa's starter in 2022.

The McCaffery Boys Will Continue Playing Over More Talented Teammates - There's nothing more frustrating to Hawk fans than watching Fran sit guys like Joe Toussaint (52% from the field and 40% from 3, and can defend) late in close games while playing Connor McCaffery (23% from the field and 21% from 3, and the slowest guy on the team) in clutch minutes. What's worse is that his brother Patrick leads the nation in 3 categories: (i) out of control, off-balanced layups attempted; (ii) out of control, off-balanced layups missed; and (iii) points given up on defense after attempting an out of control, off-balanced layup. He still plays ahead of Kris Murray each night, including following Murray's 29 point performance. Murray, Perkins, & Ulis will continue to have limited minutes regardless of their play.

Penn State Will Take Back Wrestling Crown - Hawkeye wrestling has seen a renaissance over the past two years, reclaiming wrestling's #1 ranking and winning national titles. They've done so by recruiting studs from Pennsylvania and transfers and by taking advantage of lax redshirt rules to have an entire roster filled with 5th and 6th year guys. Out-of-state recruiting has stalled and once the 6th year superstars exit, look for Penn State, with its wealth of in-state talent, to reclaim the top of the wrestling world for years to come.

Joey Labas Will Not Throw a Pass at Iowa - Despite the media's recent push to prop up Labas as cause for optimism & to deflect from criticism of Iowa's offense, the fact remains that the guy was 4th string behind one of the worst QBs in the Ferentz era, and Ferentz openly mocked the 3rd string guy at the end of the season. It would be impossible for Labas to somehow pass up two "experienced starters" in 2022, regardless of his skill level. That's a given at Iowa. But looking ahead to 2023, assuming Alex Padilla waits around for a 5th year (apparently his preferred transfer destinations recommended that he stay put), Joey will still be left holding a clip board until 2024. In this day and age, no one sticks around that long if they think they can play elsewhere. Bring on the next scout team legend.

Iowa Women's Basketball Will Remain Boring - It's politically correct to express fake interest in women's basketball now that Iowa has a nationally ranked program with a women's superstar. It's expected to nod your head when the adoring local media (and even some NBA player tweets) say "Caitlin Clark is a top NIL draw, and a transcendental player, regardless of gender." While I'm a firm believer that Clark can score a ton of points (she leads the nation at 26 points per game), I have to ask how many "fans" actually watch her play? I've seen parts of 2 or 3 recent games, and each time I was blown away by the number of bricks the best player in women's basketball puts up (Clark has taken 119 3s and made just 27 of them, which is a Connor McCaffery-esque 22%). Most of her points are scored from the free throw line, which doesn't make for exciting bball. In terms of attendance, 6,000 fans are attending Iowa women's games. I suppose that's good for women's basketball, but when you are talking NIL, isn't it all about advertising? Typically the more visibility leads to higher marketability and people aren't watching these games.

Brian Ferentz Will Receive a Substantial Raise - It's no secret that Iowa ranked 123rd this year in total offense and that teams with far better offenses fired their offensive coordinators after the season. I'm not going to pile on by saying the guy should be fired. But what most won't hear about is that Kirk will give him an automatic pay raise in the offseason exceeding the average household income in the state of Iowa...for his performance. Those who say life's not fair don't coach for their dad.

Not one of those was an original by you. All you did was at some point chime in on all of them to agree with the debate conversation.

 

[Dr.PhilSuess]

2021 is in the books. By all accounts, it was a highly successful year for Hawkeye sports. As of this summer, Iowa climbed as high as 13th in the Director's Cup, which rates athletics programs across the board, thanks in part to conference championships in soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, field hockey and track, and above average football and basketball teams.

So as we turn the page to 2022, Iowa's most objective sports prognosticator, IowaLaw, has a few predictions for the year ahead:

QB Play Will Regress - Having a 3rd year starter returning at QB is a huge advantage, right? Usually. At Iowa, the well known "QB Regression" theory has already been argued ad nauseum. Whether you subscribe to it or not, statistically Petras regressed pretty badly. Kirk anointed him permanent starter in 2020. Spencer struggled and ranked 89th nationally in QB efficiency. He threw 9 tds and 5 ints and couldn't make plays with his feet. Pro football focus tabbed Petras the lowest rated returning starter in college football in 2021. Ferentz decided to stick with him rather than going to the portal. As a result, Spencer finished his second year as starter ranking 98th in QB efficiency. He threw 10 tds and 9 interceptions and again couldn't make plays with his feet. A non-Iowa fan would naturally assume 2022 will require an "open QB competition," right? That would require two things: (i) genuinely taking a look at one of the dozens of QBs in the portal; and (ii) giving real reps to underclassmen. Neither will happen. Barring injury, Petras is Iowa's starter in 2022.

The McCaffery Boys Will Continue Playing Over More Talented Teammates - There's nothing more frustrating to Hawk fans than watching Fran sit guys like Joe Toussaint (52% from the field and 40% from 3, and can defend) late in close games while playing Connor McCaffery (23% from the field and 21% from 3, and the slowest guy on the team) in clutch minutes. What's worse is that his brother Patrick leads the nation in 3 categories: (i) out of control, off-balanced layups attempted; (ii) out of control, off-balanced layups missed; and (iii) points given up on defense after attempting an out of control, off-balanced layup. He still plays ahead of Kris Murray each night, including following Murray's 29 point performance. Murray, Perkins, & Ulis will continue to have limited minutes regardless of their play.

Penn State Will Take Back Wrestling Crown - Hawkeye wrestling has seen a renaissance over the past two years, reclaiming wrestling's #1 ranking and winning national titles. They've done so by recruiting studs from Pennsylvania and transfers and by taking advantage of lax redshirt rules to have an entire roster filled with 5th and 6th year guys. Out-of-state recruiting has stalled and once the 6th year superstars exit, look for Penn State, with its wealth of in-state talent, to reclaim the top of the wrestling world for years to come.

Joey Labas Will Not Throw a Pass at Iowa - Despite the media's recent push to prop up Labas as cause for optimism & to deflect from criticism of Iowa's offense, the fact remains that the guy was 4th string behind one of the worst QBs in the Ferentz era, and Ferentz openly mocked the 3rd string guy at the end of the season. It would be impossible for Labas to somehow pass up two "experienced starters" in 2022, regardless of his skill level. That's a given at Iowa. But looking ahead to 2023, assuming Alex Padilla waits around for a 5th year (apparently his preferred transfer destinations recommended that he stay put), Joey will still be left holding a clip board until 2024. In this day and age, no one sticks around that long if they think they can play elsewhere. Bring on the next scout team legend.

Iowa Women's Basketball Will Remain Boring - It's politically correct to express fake interest in women's basketball now that Iowa has a nationally ranked program with a women's superstar. It's expected to nod your head when the adoring local media (and even some NBA player tweets) say "Caitlin Clark is a top NIL draw, and a transcendental player, regardless of gender." While I'm a firm believer that Clark can score a ton of points (she leads the nation at 26 points per game), I have to ask how many "fans" actually watch her play? I've seen parts of 2 or 3 recent games, and each time I was blown away by the number of bricks the best player in women's basketball puts up (Clark has taken 119 3s and made just 27 of them, which is a Connor McCaffery-esque 22%). Most of her points are scored from the free throw line, which doesn't make for exciting bball. In terms of attendance, 6,000 fans are attending Iowa women's games. I suppose that's good for women's basketball, but when you are talking NIL, isn't it all about advertising? Typically the more visibility leads to higher marketability and people aren't watching these games.

Brian Ferentz Will Receive a Substantial Raise - It's no secret that Iowa ranked 123rd this year in total offense and that teams with far better offenses fired their offensive coordinators after the season. I'm not going to pile on by saying the guy should be fired. But what most won't hear about is that Kirk will give him an automatic pay raise in the offseason exceeding the average household income in the state of Iowa...for his performance. Those who say life's not fair don't coach for their dad.

Law is the best poster on this board

 

[herkhatescy]

2021 is in the books. By all accounts, it was a highly successful year for Hawkeye sports. As of this summer, Iowa climbed as high as 13th in the Director's Cup, which rates athletics programs across the board, thanks in part to conference championships in soccer, gymnastics, wrestling, field hockey and track, and above average football and basketball teams.

So as we turn the page to 2022, Iowa's most objective sports prognosticator, IowaLaw, has a few predictions for the year ahead:

QB Play Will Regress - Having a 3rd year starter returning at QB is a huge advantage, right? Usually. At Iowa, the well known "QB Regression" theory has already been argued ad nauseum. Whether you subscribe to it or not, statistically Petras regressed pretty badly. Kirk anointed him permanent starter in 2020. Spencer struggled and ranked 89th nationally in QB efficiency. He threw 9 tds and 5 ints and couldn't make plays with his feet. Pro football focus tabbed Petras the lowest rated returning starter in college football in 2021. Ferentz decided to stick with him rather than going to the portal. As a result, Spencer finished his second year as starter ranking 98th in QB efficiency. He threw 10 tds and 9 interceptions and again couldn't make plays with his feet. A non-Iowa fan would naturally assume 2022 will require an "open QB competition," right? That would require two things: (i) genuinely taking a look at one of the dozens of QBs in the portal; and (ii) giving real reps to underclassmen. Neither will happen. Barring injury, Petras is Iowa's starter in 2022.

The McCaffery Boys Will Continue Playing Over More Talented Teammates - There's nothing more frustrating to Hawk fans than watching Fran sit guys like Joe Toussaint (52% from the field and 40% from 3, and can defend) late in close games while playing Connor McCaffery (23% from the field and 21% from 3, and the slowest guy on the team) in clutch minutes. What's worse is that his brother Patrick leads the nation in 3 categories: (i) out of control, off-balanced layups attempted; (ii) out of control, off-balanced layups missed; and (iii) points given up on defense after attempting an out of control, off-balanced layup. He still plays ahead of Kris Murray each night, including following Murray's 29 point performance. Murray, Perkins, & Ulis will continue to have limited minutes regardless of their play.

Penn State Will Take Back Wrestling Crown - Hawkeye wrestling has seen a renaissance over the past two years, reclaiming wrestling's #1 ranking and winning national titles. They've done so by recruiting studs from Pennsylvania and transfers and by taking advantage of lax redshirt rules to have an entire roster filled with 5th and 6th year guys. Out-of-state recruiting has stalled and once the 6th year superstars exit, look for Penn State, with its wealth of in-state talent, to reclaim the top of the wrestling world for years to come.

Joey Labas Will Not Throw a Pass at Iowa - Despite the media's recent push to prop up Labas as cause for optimism & to deflect from criticism of Iowa's offense, the fact remains that the guy was 4th string behind one of the worst QBs in the Ferentz era, and Ferentz openly mocked the 3rd string guy at the end of the season. It would be impossible for Labas to somehow pass up two "experienced starters" in 2022, regardless of his skill level. That's a given at Iowa. But looking ahead to 2023, assuming Alex Padilla waits around for a 5th year (apparently his preferred transfer destinations recommended that he stay put), Joey will still be left holding a clip board until 2024. In this day and age, no one sticks around that long if they think they can play elsewhere. Bring on the next scout team legend.

Iowa Women's Basketball Will Remain Boring - It's politically correct to express fake interest in women's basketball now that Iowa has a nationally ranked program with a women's superstar. It's expected to nod your head when the adoring local media (and even some NBA player tweets) say "Caitlin Clark is a top NIL draw, and a transcendental player, regardless of gender." While I'm a firm believer that Clark can score a ton of points (she leads the nation at 26 points per game), I have to ask how many "fans" actually watch her play? I've seen parts of 2 or 3 recent games, and each time I was blown away by the number of bricks the best player in women's basketball puts up (Clark has taken 119 3s and made just 27 of them, which is a Connor McCaffery-esque 22%). Most of her points are scored from the free throw line, which doesn't make for exciting bball. In terms of attendance, 6,000 fans are attending Iowa women's games. I suppose that's good for women's basketball, but when you are talking NIL, isn't it all about advertising? Typically the more visibility leads to higher marketability and people aren't watching these games.

Brian Ferentz Will Receive a Substantial Raise - It's no secret that Iowa ranked 123rd this year in total offense and that teams with far better offenses fired their offensive coordinators after the season. I'm not going to pile on by saying the guy should be fired. But what most won't hear about is that Kirk will give him an automatic pay raise in the offseason exceeding the average household income in the state of Iowa...for his performance. Those who say life's not fair don't coach for their dad.

Women's basketball is far from boring. Maybe you go to a game before you make stupid predictions. moron.

 

[Bishop1971]

Women's basketball is far from boring. Maybe you go to a game before you make stupid predictions. moron.

Just what i was going to say. Funny how a nebby troll says slaw is the best poster on the board! Lmao.

 

[Bishop1971]

Law is the best poster on this board

A nebby troll just proved everyone's point for them!

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

Wrong on QB regressing. The OL regressed, which caused some bad QB play but the QB play itself was the same as 2021.

Wrong on McCaf boys. We saw what happened when Connor doesn’t play. This was just a stupid statement from the get go.

Wrong on Labas never playing a snap in a Hawkeye uniform as he will start the Bowl game.

Wrong on WBB being boring. Just another completely moronic statement by someone who has cornered the market on moronic statements.

I guess you got a couple right though, good for you troll.

 

[WxNWHawk]

Many are asking, "when will IowaLaw, also known as Lawstradomis, put together his predictions for 2023?" After all, it was uncanny how spot on he was in his 2022 prognostication and has been known to pick up on the subtle rifts in the Hawkeye universe.

-QB Regression. It happened. Petras was returning for his 3rd year as starter following a 10 win season and touting his attendence at the Payton Manning passing camp / his parents were paying for him to work with a professional passing coach. Most saw improvement in the works. IowaLaw wasn't buying it. He predicted that even though Pro Football Focus had Petras ranked the worst returning starter in college football, Kirk and crew would not dare seek out help in the transfer portal like any other coach would. Sure enough, they did not, and Hawk fans once again witnessed more QB regression. Petras started every game and finished with his worst statistical season yet. He improved in zero areas (despite the above privileges not afforded to most QBs) and dragged down the team with him.

-Too Much PT for McCaffery Boys. It happened. Hawkeye basketball was a Top 10 team led by Keegan Murray, but IowaLaw noted that Fran seems to love playing his kids regardless of their performance and has a blind spot toward guys on the bench. Sure enough, The McCaffery boys saw their minutes increase, with Patrick leading the nation last year in out of control missed layups, causing tension in the locker room, and Toussaint bolted from the team despite being the starting point guard.

-Wrestling Decline. It happened. Hawkeye wrestling was ranked #1 at the time of the OP. They were defending national champs and had a loaded roster of 6 year seniors. Sure enough, the squad struggled mightily, got blown out in both the Big 10 (finishing 3rd) and national championships. Worse yet, even with Spencer Lee using his extra year of eligibility this year, the Hawks just barely squeaked by lowly Iowa State in a dual meet while Penn State continues to rise. The poor recruiting/focus on in-state recruits vs. recruiting Pennsylvania and national wrestlers was obvious.

-Women's BBall Still Boring. It happened. The Iowa women were riding high, receiving praise from NBA stars, were ranked in the Top 10, and were playing on national tv. IowaLaw said they would still be boring despite the undue hype. Sure enough, their super star media darling continues to shoot worse from 3 than the worst 3 point shooter on the men's team. The rest of the team proved to be pretty average and incredibly unathletic compared to their peers. They were bounced from the NCAA tourney early and this year they started ranked in the Top 5, then proceeded to lose to every opponent with a pulse. Hype without substance is just hype.

-Labbas Won't Play a Down. It happened. Many hoped he would be the savior of the Iowa QBs room. Kirk even said "there will be an open QB competition," and Joey was getting the majority of media buzz after starring on the scout team. IowaLaw saw through it and predicted he'd never take a snap. Sure enough, another season is in the books. While the 2nd and 3rd stringers played at every other position, ol' Brian couldn't even give the kid the courtesy of a single snap. Zero passes thrown in 2 years on campus. Shocker to some, not to those who know the program. The kid will get a chance in the bowl game, but only out of default and against the coach's wishes.

-Brian Will Keep Failing Upward. It happened. Most thought it was outlandish when IowaLaw predicted Brian would not only keep his job after leading the nation's 117th rated offense, but also receive a raise on top of it. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. Brian picked up a bigger raise following his documented failures than most Iowans make at their jobs in a year, got a promotion, and proceeded to lead the offense straight into the ground.

As a result of this profound accuracy, and by popular demand, IowaLaw will indeed look into his crystal ball and make his 2023 prognostications in the coming weeks.

---@HawkeyeInCentralIowa "How much does everyone want to bet that he’s wrong on all these takes?" Jan 17, 2022.

All I can say is thank you for leaving HN and taking your garbage over here. It’s nice not having to read this crap over there.

 

[iamahawki]

Law is the best poster on this board

I'll take your helmet there, big hitter. We need to get you back in the tent.

 

[iamahawki]

Looks fairly accurate...Good job IowaLaw.

I thought even KF would not be dumb enough to make Petras his starting QB in 2022 and I was wrong on that.

I'll go out on a limb and say KF/BF are correct and Labas does stink and that is why he got zero reps this season up until bowl game....which only confirms KF/BF did a chit job recruiting.

KOK was lead recruiter on Petras, Padilla, Labas and May.

 

[HawkDoggy]

Looks fairly accurate...Good job IowaLaw.

I thought even KF would not be dumb enough to make Petras his starting QB in 2022 and I was wrong on that.

I'll go out on a limb and say KF/BF are correct and Labas does stink and that is why he got zero reps this season up until bowl game....which only confirms KF/BF did a chit job recruiting.

Yep....terrible job recruiting for the QB position. And here we go....we've all been clammering for Labas. A guy that had one offer coming out of high school....from Ball State. A QB so unskilled (or lacking intelligence) that he couldn't nudge Petras and Padilla out of the way to see even one snap during the regular season. Who sits behind Labas? Carson May....another highly sought after (not) QB out of high school with offers from Western Michigan and Old Dominion. Any way you look at it, we have missed badly at the QB position the last several years.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Yep....terrible job recruiting for the QB position. And here we go....we've all been clammering for Labas. A guy that had one offer coming out of high school....from Ball State. A QB so unskilled (or lacking intelligence) that he couldn't nudge Petras and Padilla out of the way to see even one snap during the regular season. Who sits behind Labas? Carson May....another highly sought after (not) QB out of high school with offers from Western Michigan and Old Dominion. Any way you look at it, we have missed badly at the QB position the last several years.

This is not a hot take......it's been well-documented.

Certain posters just want the attention for claiming they knew all along, and not just that they were the first to point it out, no.....but that they felt stronger about their claim than anyone else, and that others among the fanbase were unwilling to share in that opinion/claim.................






Of course, lol, let's not kid ourselves. @IowasLaw has spent many a post over the years slipping in popular commentary as if it were an original thought.

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

At least KF addressed the qb by getting one of the top transfers at the position. I'm pumped to see the O with a good qb.

 

[HawkDoggy]

This is not a hot take......it's been well-documented.

Certain posters just want the attention for claiming they knew all along, and not just that they were the first to point it out, no.....but that they felt stronger about their claim than anyone else, and that others among the fanbase were unwilling to share in that opinion/claim.................






Of course, lol, let's not kid ourselves. @IowasLaw has spent many a post over the years slipping in popular commentary as if it were an original thought.

Never said it was a hot take. Try not to project yourself on to others....it's a horrible look.

 

[HawkDoggy]

At least KF addressed the qb by getting one of the top transfers at the position. I'm pumped to see the O with a good qb.

And I agree with you 100%.

 

[jonesy5960]

Wrong on QB regressing. The OL regressed, which caused some bad QB play but the QB play itself was the same as 2021.

Wrong on McCaf boys. We saw what happened when Connor doesn’t play. This was just a stupid statement from the get go.

Wrong on Labas never playing a snap in a Hawkeye uniform as he will start the Bowl game.

Wrong on WBB being boring. Just another completely moronic statement by someone who has cornered the market on moronic statements.

I guess you got a couple right though, good for you troll.

I think you're using opinions over factual metrics on some of this.

Spencer did regress going from a 117 to a 109 passer rating. We can argue as to the cause but you have nothing factual to support your argument.

Labas didn't play a snap all season and wouldn't be in the bowl game if Spencer was able and Padilla wasn't transferring. I'd call that a win.

Brian got a raise and a promotion. I would call that "failing forward" as slaw put it. Certainly nothing to suggest that he faced any negative repercussions or a loss of confidence in him after fielding a horrible offense.

The rest is just opinion stuff with nothing to support an argument either way.

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

I think you're using opinions over factual metrics on some of this.

Spencer did regress going from a 117 to a 109 passer rating. We can argue as to the cause but you have nothing factual to support your argument.

Labas didn't play a snap all season and wouldn't be in the bowl game if Spencer was able and Padilla wasn't transferring. I'd call that a win.

Brian got a raise and a promotion. I would call that "failing forward" as slaw put it. Certainly nothing to suggest that he faced any negative repercussions or a loss of confidence in him after fielding a horrible offense.

The rest is just opinion stuff with nothing to support an argument either way.

Labas will play unless he trips in the shower in the next 48 hours. That is fact.

The rest of the points I mentioned is pure opinion (nothing factual) on his part just as much as what you say mine is LOL.

All of it is basically garbage just to get a rise out of Iowa fans, that is all it is …

 

[WSC72]

Labas will play unless he trips in the shower in the next 48 hours. That is fact.

The rest of the points I mentioned is pure opinion (nothing factual) on his part just as much as what you say mine is LOL.

All of it is basically garbage just to get a rise out of Iowa fans, that is all it is …

Apparently it has worked.

 

[jonesy5960]

Labas will play unless he trips in the shower in the next 48 hours. That is fact.

The rest of the points I mentioned is pure opinion (nothing factual) on his part just as much as what you say mine is LOL.

All of it is basically garbage just to get a rise out of Iowa fans, that is all it is …

Passer ratings aren't opinions. Raises and promotions aren't opinions. Why is it so hard to acknowledge these things?

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

Passer ratings aren't opinions. Raises and promotions aren't opinions. Why is it so hard to acknowledge these things?

I acknowledge the raise, guess you didn’t fully read my posts (I’m talking about the points I brought up, but maybe reading isn’t your strong suit).

QBR is far from an ultimate end all and be all in QB play ratings (best we have? Maybe). I hope you can acknowledge that OL play may have some baring on QBR, no?

 

[j0nnyhb_Prime]

Apparently it has worked.

I take a few minutes to point out Laws BS every so often. Death, Taxes and IowaLaws BS trolling posts are what we have to look forward to in life 😀

 

[Frosty7130]

Passer ratings aren't opinions. Raises and promotions aren't opinions. Why is it so hard to acknowledge these things?

The "raise" and "promotion" are way overblown.

The first was a contract stipulation that had to do with team performance overall, which was in every assistant's contract, which is why they all received it. Brian received no performance bonus, and his overall bonus was by far the least of all assistants, both quantitatively and proportionally. Contract law still applies to people bad at their jobs.

The second was not "promotion", because he gained no new authority. He already had authority over the QBs and QB coach as the OC. All that changed was that he worked directly with the QBs after, which is extremely common for OCs.

 

[jonesy5960]

I acknowledge the raise, guess you didn’t fully read my posts (I’m talking about the points I brought up, but maybe reading isn’t your strong suit).

QBR is far from an ultimate end all and be all in QB play ratings (best we have? Maybe). I hope you can acknowledge that OL play may have some baring on QBR, no?

No. I'm not inclined to read all of your comments to others. It's painful enough to read your comments directed towards me which failed to mention it. Completion percentage, YPA, TD/INT ratio, passer rating, QBR, all worse than the previous year. All of that would support the regression argument. Oline play certainly factored in, along with below average receivers. Oline was also bad the previous season so I'm not sure that's an argument that flies. Let's pretend for a moment that none of this statistical evidence exists. I don't think that anyone who watched Spencer this year could argue with a straight face that he improved which is unfortunate because I really did have higher hopes until he started airmailing open receivers in the first 20 minutes of the season. He is what he is. A good guy that never improved in his Iowa career.

 

[Frosty7130]

No. I'm not inclined to read all of your comments to others. It's painful enough to read your comments directed towards me which failed to mention it. Completion percentage, YPA, TD/INT ratio, passer rating, QBR, all worse than the previous year. All of that would support the regression argument. Oline play certainly factored in, along with below average receivers. Oline was also bad the previous season so I'm not sure that's an argument that flies. Let's pretend for a moment that none of this statistical evidence exists. I don't think that anyone who watched Spencer this year could argue with a straight face that he improved which is unfortunate because I really did have higher hopes until he started airmailing open receivers in the first 20 minutes of the season. He is what he is. A good guy that never improved in his Iowa career.

The OL this year has given up 5 more sacks than last year in two less games so far. I think it's safe to say they're considerably worse.

They rival the 2007 group (a whopping 46 sacks) in how young and inexperienced they are.

 

[jonesy5960]

The "raise" and "promotion" are way overblown.

The first was a contract stipulation that had to do with team performance overall, which was in every assistant's contract, which is why they all received it. Brian received no performance bonus, and his overall bonus was by far the least of all assistants, both quantitatively and proportionally. Contract law still applies to people bad at their jobs.

The second was not "promotion", because he gained no new authority. He already had authority over the QBs and QB coach as the OC. All that changed was that he worked directly with the QBs after, which is extremely common for OCs.

I'm not suggesting that his authority changed all that much if any. At the same time his responsibilities were broadened with the addition of QB coach, a position that he had arguably no experience to support his obtaining it. Getting more responsibility in the first place as many questioned his ability to do the job he already had was a surprise to most looking in from the outside. If anything it was a hige vote of confidence in a guy who was in his 6th year as the architect of an offense that was thoroughly abysmal by any definition.

The raise was small as you suggested, with Brian already getting paid far more than anyone else on the offense and close to what PP was making. Kirk specifically mentioned this when the disparity in increases was raised by the media and that his greatest motivation was to ensure that money wouldn't be a reason for staff to look elsewhere for opportunities.

In any case, after a season in which many questioned whether Brian should be retained as OC, he was rewarded with more money and more responsibility by the only guy that matters in the discussion.

 

[jonesy5960]

The OL this year has given up 5 more sacks than last year in two less games so far. I think it's safe to say they're considerably worse.

They rival the 2007 group (a whopping 46 sacks) in how young and inexperienced they are.

The OL has been dreadful both years. A lot of people were on here last saying it couldn't get any worse this year. The difference in sacks is probably more the result of playing Michigan and OSU (9 sacks) vs Indiana and Maryland (4 sacks).

 

[Frosty7130]

The OL has been dreadful both years. A lot of people were on here last saying it couldn't get any worse this year. The difference in sacks is probably the result of playing Michigan and OSU (9 sacks) vs Indiana and Maryland (4 sacks).

We played Michigan both years and their pass rush was far better last year and we still gave up 3 less sacks.

And again, have played two less games so far, and will play one less overall. This OL is really green. Fortunately, if history is any indicator, the 2007 group ended up being very good down the road, especially the very next year.