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Special Year?

TreyVega

Team MVP
Apr 23, 2019
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Back in 2002 I told my brother we'd have a special year if we could have solid play out of an untested quarterback. All the other pieces were in place. Turns out Brad Banks was exceptional. We have so many quality players this year that I believe we're close again, however it's not the QB position that is the linchpin. Injuries can derail this across the board, however I think that exceptional DT play can take us to the BT championship this year. Dominant DT play could be Playoff bound with a BT championship in tow. This is not a national championship team though.
 
Iowa will have a darned good, very competitive football team.

But, they have to actually go out and win games. Not as easy as it sounds.


Absolutely, learn from the mental errors that cost them the Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern and PSU games ... it’s scary just how close IOWA was from a decent season to a mind blowing season .. as they definitely could of won any of those games if not all... Need the right breaks and the right bounces but more importantly putting themselves into a better predicament .. could be a very VERY special season as Iowa has the horses and the talent to win the west and take home the BTCG
 
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Iowa will have a darned good, very competitive football team.

But, they have to actually go out and win games. Not as easy as it sounds.

Interior OL. Linderbaum will soon be very, very good at center but he is new right now. Banwart had a pretty good season at guard and will be better. The other guard, Levi Paulsen or Mark Kallenberger, needs to be ready to go with an attitude.

Oh, and our RBs need to see the hole if it opens up elsewhere from how the play was designed. We whiffed on that quite often last year.
 
I would just love to see Iowa keep their foot on the gas late in games - Step on their opponent’s throats when they can, instead of keeping the score/game close and needing to rely on a last second field goal to win.. Stop “Playing not to lose” and play to win
 
It’s hard for me to believe that we’ll be better than last year after losing 4 NFL drafted players, including 2 first rounders and the schedule is loaded with difficult road games.

Someone above mentioned Linderbaum being really good quickly? Let me ask anyone has he ever played center? We do know that he’s never faced D1 competition in a live game from the center position but no worries as major college football is just plug and play!

I’m instead banking on 6-8 wins.
 
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I would just love to see Iowa keep their foot on the gas late in games - Step on their opponent’s throats when they can, instead of keeping the score/game close and needing to rely on a last second field goal to win.. Stop “Playing not to lose” and play to win

One could argue that we needed a last second field goal to win specifically because we tried to step on Nebraska’s throat rather than take the easy three. Totally ballsy, “playing to win” call to fake the field goal. Unfortunately, the Huskers didn’t want to cooperate.
 
I think we'll also need to get back on track with the big upset specials that we were known for.....given that we play PSU at home and travel to Ann Arbor.

The schedule is not easy.We play 9 bowl teams from last year including all 3 OOC opponents (Miami, ISU, MTSU).

The three that didn't go bowling last year were Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska whom we play in Lincoln this year.
 
It’s hard for me to believe that we’ll be better than last year after losing 4 NFL drafted players, including 2 first rounders and the schedule is loaded with difficult road games.

Someone above mentioned Linderbaum being really good quickly? Let me ask anyone has he ever played center? We do know that he’s never faced D1 competition in a live game from the center position but no worries as major college football is just plug and play!

I’m instead banking on 6-8 wins.
Could be 4+ more NFL drafts picks on this current roster. Could be very well be better than last year. Alabama loses players to the NFL but somehow manages to stay great and improve.
 
Could be 4+ more NFL drafts picks on this current roster. Could be very well be better than last year. Alabama loses players to the NFL but somehow manages to stay great and improve.

I can’t take your post seriously when you compare Alabama’s situation to Iowa. I suspect you know how ridiculous that is too.
 
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I can’t take your post seriously when you compare Alabama’s situation to Iowa. I suspect you know how ridiculous that is too.

And mine? We lost three of the best players ever to play their positions after 2003 and won the Big Ten the next season.

We lost 4 of the 5 guys off the best offensive line in college football, the Mackey Award winner at tight end, and the Big Ten POTY/Heisman runner up from the 2002 team and win 10 games the following year and finish ranked #8.

Good teams replace guys all the time. Our recruiting has improved each year for 4 years now.
 
It’s hard for me to believe that we’ll be better than last year after losing 4 NFL drafted players, including 2 first rounders and the schedule is loaded with difficult road games.

Someone above mentioned Linderbaum being really good quickly? Let me ask anyone has he ever played center? We do know that he’s never faced D1 competition in a live game from the center position but no worries as major college football is just plug and play!

I’m instead banking on 6-8 wins.
Yes, he's played center. He was a center in high school and 2-time all state offensive lineman. His high school coach speaks highly of him and believed center would be his position.
 
And mine? We lost three of the best players ever to play their positions after 2003 and won the Big Ten the next season.

We lost 4 of the 5 guys off the best offensive line in college football, the Mackey Award winner at tight end, and the Big Ten POTY/Heisman runner up from the 2002 team and win 10 games the following year and finish ranked #8.

Good teams replace guys all the time. Our recruiting has improved each year for 4 years now.
That was also a different era of football in all honesty.

One that fit Iowa's style at the time, moreso than now.
 
I’ll put some money on that. Nate, at worst, will have a 2:1 TD/INT ratio.

2:1? That would be a disaster.

I really don't expect Nate to throw many INT's - it's incompletions (bad passes or drops) that I worry about - or simply having to eat the ball because no one is open.
 
Agree with you on this:
2:1? That would be a disaster.

I really don't expect Nate to throw many INT's - it's incompletions (bad passes or drops) that I worry about - or simply having to eat the ball because no one is open.

If he could pull it down and take off a few more times instead of taking a sack, that would be helpful, too. I am reminded of Nate Chandler’s 2003 season. Not a gifted runner, the way running QB’s are today, but when he did run, he was very effective and made a lot of key 3rd down runs to move the chains that way. He only needed to run for 3 yards, then fall forward at 6’7” and voila’! A 6 yard gain.

Nate made some pretty important 1st downs for us with his feet last year, so he is perfectly capable. I would just like to see a little more of that this year.
 
Better include going into Jack Trice as a very tough game to win this year. Injuries always are a factor in Hawkeye football.
 
And mine? We lost three of the best players ever to play their positions after 2003 and won the Big Ten the next season.

We lost 4 of the 5 guys off the best offensive line in college football, the Mackey Award winner at tight end, and the Big Ten POTY/Heisman runner up from the 2002 team and win 10 games the following year and finish ranked #8.

Good teams replace guys all the time. Our recruiting has improved each year for 4 years now.

You are citing an example from 16 years ago. Can it happen, yes. I’m in the ‘tap the brakes’ camp. The first time we get punched in the face, many of these ‘special season’ folks will be melting down & wanting to fire everyone because they are not realistic.
 
Yes, he's played center. Yes He was a center in high school and 2-time all state offensive lineman. His high school coach speaks highly of him and believed center would be his position.

That’s reassuring but my second point is he has yet to play the center position against D1 competition. If he comes along quickly, that’s great for us but I’d rather be cautionary about a guy with zero D1 experience at a position.
 
I am hopeful but sobered by how there's 8 other fan bases on our schedule who are echoing these high hopes.
This is one of those seasons where I will focus on each game as do or die and try to ignore the entire gauntlet. ..too daunting any other way. Beat Miami!
 
You are citing an example from 16 years ago. Can it happen, yes. I’m in the ‘tap the brakes’ camp. The first time we get punched in the face, many of these ‘special season’ folks will be melting down & wanting to fire everyone because they are not realistic.

Ok, how about we lose Josh Jackson, James Daniels, Akrum Wadley, and Josey Jewell after 2017? That's it, man! Game over, man! The next season we win one more game and finish the season in the top 25. Is that recent enough?

Again, teams lose good players every year. We're recruiting much better than we were 5-10 years ago.

I swear, Hawk fans are like Bill Paxton before we even take the field.
Bill_Paxton_Game_over_man_595x521.jpg
 
Ok, how about we lose Josh Jackson, James Daniels, Akrum Wadley, and Josey Jewell after 2017? That's it, man! Game over, man! The next season we win one more game and finish the season in the top 25. Is that recent enough?

Again, teams lose good players every year. We're recruiting much better than we were 5-10 years ago.

I swear, Hawk fans are like Bill Paxton before we even take the field.
Bill_Paxton_Game_over_man_595x521.jpg


yah... I have to agree... losing these underclass super studs to the NFL is a good thing... its only natural for these young men to develop incredibly high egos that can negatively impact other players on the team...

you got to consider the fact that there are other equally talented players waiting in the wings who are awaiting their opportunity to blossom as those before them have.

it is better for the team that these younger guys go out and prove themselves than it is for older guys who have already proven themselves.
 
2:1? That would be a disaster.

I really don't expect Nate to throw many INT's - it's incompletions (bad passes or drops) that I worry about - or simply having to eat the ball because no one is open.

Oh, I completely agree. I expect him to be much closer to 3:1. I was proposing a bet to the kind person who thinks he’s going to have a McCann type year.
 
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Ok, how about we lose Josh Jackson, James Daniels, Akrum Wadley, and Josey Jewell after 2017? That's it, man! Game over, man! The next season we win one more game and finish the season in the top 25. Is that recent enough?

Again, teams lose good players every year. We're recruiting much better than we were 5-10 years ago.

I swear, Hawk fans are like Bill Paxton before we even take the field.
Bill_Paxton_Game_over_man_595x521.jpg

Keep in mind this is a thread about a ‘special season’ not wining 8-9 games and sneaking into the top 25.
 
And mine? We lost three of the best players ever to play their positions after 2003 and won the Big Ten the next season.

We lost 4 of the 5 guys off the best offensive line in college football, the Mackey Award winner at tight end, and the Big Ten POTY/Heisman runner up from the 2002 team and win 10 games the following year and finish ranked #8.

Good teams replace guys all the time. Our recruiting has improved each year for 4 years now.
Exactly
 
One could argue that we needed a last second field goal to win specifically because we tried to step on Nebraska’s throat rather than take the easy three. Totally ballsy, “playing to win” call to fake the field goal. Unfortunately, the Huskers didn’t want to cooperate.

This. While I love the aggressive mentality BF brings to the table, knowing when and where to use that stuff is the difference between looking like a genius and looking like Bo Pelini. The fake FG against Pedo St was a thing of beauty but three points would have pretty well finished the Bugeaters there.
 
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