2022 College Preview
PFF's preseason college football preview has provides an advanced overview every FBS team entering the 2022 season, including PFF-exclusive advanced stats, player grades, scheme analysis and more.
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Some interesting notes and stats on Iowa:
2021 REGULAR SEASON STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: #35 of 130
CONFERENCE TITLE ODDS: 17%
PRESEASON ELO RANK #9
PROJECTED WINS: 8.3
BIGGEST STRENGTH Clear-cut top three secondary in the Big Ten
BIGGEST WEAKNESS A gutted wide receiver room + an inaccurate passer = potentially not a good time
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: BRIAN FERENTZ
EPA Per Pass: -0.111 (99th)
EPA Per Run: -0.011 (46th)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: PHIL PARKER
EPA Per Pass Allowed: -0.191 (6th)
EPA Per Run Allowed: -0.278 (6th)
Expectations are high in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes have produced a 16-5 record over the last two years and they return great and voluminous talent at important positions. The secondary returns every player from a unit that allowed the 15th lowest rate of explosive (15+ yard) passes against and ninth in yards per attempt allowed. They’ve been playing a similar system under Phil Parker, a bend but don’t break style that we can see in their low blitz rate, low Cover 1 rate and high quarters rate plus they were 116th in the country in rate of plays where they pressed a receiver. If they could find a way to get more pressure, they were only 40th in pressure rate, not bad but not elite, with their front four, this could be one of the best defenses in the country. On offense, the offensive line is the key unit. They lose two starters but return arguably the best center in the country and many of the backups who played significant snaps last year graded very well. Of all the returning players on the offensive line, Iowa’s grades out at third best cumulatively at 86.2. There’s a bit of a misnomer about Iowa football where they are thought of as a grinding power run team. Yes, they run the ball a lot and in heavier sets but they don’t run power and counter runs where they pull lineman. Only about 14% of their runs over the last three years have involved a puller. They love running outside zone these days so much that over those three years they’ve used it at the fourth highest rate in the country.
Offensive Data from 2020
PASS PLAY %
50.5%
FBS Rank: #84
PLAY ACTION %
26.8%
FBS Rank: #78
SCREEN %
11.8%
FBS Rank: #81
5-MAN PROTECTION %
66.2%
FBS Rank: #50
DEEP PASS %
13.4%
FBS Rank: #103
Defensive Data from 2020
BLITZ %
26.6%
FBS Rank: #88
COVER 1 %
3.7%
FBS Rank: #127
COVER 2 %
6.4%
FBS Rank: #59
COVER 3 %
24.8%
FBS Rank: #41
COVER 4/6 %
52.5%
FBS Rank: #6
