Tuesdays with Torbee
Tory Brecht | Staff Columnist
What's in store for the Hawkeyes in 2017? Torbee gives his prediction.
There is a certain irony to the fact there is a palpable sense of rejuvenation and re-invigoration around the Iowa football program this early autumn.
Over the last five seasons or so (minus the unexpected and amazing 2015 undefeated Big 10 record), whenever the Hawkeyes slumped or lost a game fans felt the team had no business losing, grumbles about “Ferentz fatigue” reverberated throughout the fan base.
After last season’s fairly pedestrian 8-5 campaign that included a loss to an FCS team, yet another bowl blow out and frequently unwatchable offensive production, the FF talk began anew.
That is until the heir-apparent Ferentz replaced the architect of that dismal offensive attack and quickly showed a public persona much bigger on bombast than that of his father. Brian Ferentz’s appointment as offensive coordinator in place of Greg Davis, if nothing else, appears to have energized a fan base yearning for a little something new from their favorite team.
While I am also intrigued and excited to see what the younger Ferentz brings to the table, I have to chuckle a bit that Iowa fans are hoping “Ferentz fatigue” can be cured by adding more Ferentz; albeit a younger model.
That said, you can feel that sense of renewed excitement, can’t you?
Between an uptick in early recruiting, camp accounts that some of the young skill position players Iowa needs to grow up fast actually are doing so in practice and chatter that the “bullies of the Big 10” attitude is back, it’s hard not to get on the positivity train. Of course, this is the case for most college football fan bases in early August, when every team is undefeated and dreams of conference championship banners flutter in every heart.
As is tradition in this kick-off column each year, I will be making a final record prediction. You should be prepared to take it with not a grain, but a block of salt, however.
Last season, for example, I rosily predicted 10-2 for the regular season. That’s not that bad, considering Iowa posted an 8-4 record and lost one game by two points and two others by a touchdown (the loss to the Badgers was 8 points, so I know that’s stretching it just a bit, but still.)
Amusingly, however, is that last year I attempted to rank the difficulty of each game on the schedule and identified the two home games against Nebraska and Michigan and at Minnesota as the three toughest. Of course, Iowa posted a 3-0 record in those, but crapped out against Northwestern and North Dakota State at home. Argh.
The only thing predictable about a Ferentz-coached Iowa team’s results is its unpredictability.
Actually, I take that back. It is quite predictable that Iowa will lose one game every fan expects it to win and win one game every fan expects it to lose. Last year, NDSU and the Wolverines would fit the bill, respectively.
So what do I think 2017 holds in store for the beloved black and gold?
In early summer, looking at what appears to be a fairly daunting schedule, I was leaning toward 7-5. And in my mind, that was an acceptable, if mildly disappointing, outcome. Like it or not - and like Greg Davis or not - breaking in a new offensive coordinator, new offensive line coach, a brand new quarterback and a lot of untested guys at wide receivers does make 2017 a bit of a rebuilding year. I think Brian Ferentz will bring new pizzazz and a little sizzle to what has been a frequently frustrating offensive attack. But I also think it’s going to take some time to all come together.
However, as the calendar turns closer towards kickoff, I find myself becoming a bit more optimistic. I loved the addition of transfer running back James Butler, which I thinks give the offense another game-breaker capable of gaining big chunks and sudden scores. I like what I’ve heard about the junior college All-American wideout Nick Easley and a couple of the freshman receivers. Put these new pieces together with a veteran offensive line, perhaps the conference (if not the country’s) best running back tandem, a super-salty defense and all you need is for first-year starting quarterback Nathan Stanley to perform well and you are looking at a team poised to win a lot of games.
My newfound optimism has adjusted my prediction up one full game to an 8-4 record I think most Iowa fans will be quite satisfied with.
I always hate picking individual game outcomes, so as usual, I will rank the opponents in order of perceived difficulty. Hopefully, I’ll be more accurate than last year, but if we go 3-0 against the three toughest again, that will be pretty impressive! As always, this list does not really reflect how good I think each of those teams is; rather, it takes into account where the game is being played and when it falls on the schedule
I see the difficulty order shaping up like this:
· North Texas – This isn’t Dan McCarney’s Green Machine. Although they weren’t very good either.
· Purdue – The perpetual rebuild is still in rebuild mode.
· Illinois – See Purdue.
· Iowa State – Only because this game is at Ames and it’s a blood rival are they this high. It’s a bad football team. But Iowa has lost to bad ISU teams before.
· Wyoming – I admit, I’m afraid of Josh Allen. I am not, however, afraid of the Wyoming defense.
· Minnesota – The Gophers will be pretty good this year. But they were pretty good last year and Iowa beat them in Minneapolis. Floyd stays in Iowa City.
· @Michigan State – I was tempted to swap the Spartans with the Gophers, but it is a road game. I’m still debating this one in my head, because I think MSU is in a bit of a bad stretch as a program.
· @Northwestern – The last time I thought this looked like a really tough game, Iowa went into Evanston and destroyed the ‘cats 40-10. Sure would love a repeat!
· @Wisconsin – This could end up being the de facto Big 10 West Division championship game. One of these years, though, the home team will win again.
· @Nebraska – I don’t think Nebraska is better than Wisconsin or maybe even Northwestern. But this is a road game and they will be desperate to not let this turn into a real rivalry (even though this is now a real rivalry). I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling about this Black Friday.
· Penn State – I had Michigan at home pegged as the second-toughest game last year. Let’s see history repeat itself!
· Ohio State – Iowa doesn’t beat Ohio State. Like, ever.
I don’t know which four games out of this slate Iowa drops, but if history is any guide, it will be at least one of the first four, which is maddening. But there is also a good chance that at least one of the last three will turn out to be an awesome upset win.
That’s Iowa football!
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and @12Saturdays.
Tory Brecht | Staff Columnist
What's in store for the Hawkeyes in 2017? Torbee gives his prediction.
There is a certain irony to the fact there is a palpable sense of rejuvenation and re-invigoration around the Iowa football program this early autumn.
Over the last five seasons or so (minus the unexpected and amazing 2015 undefeated Big 10 record), whenever the Hawkeyes slumped or lost a game fans felt the team had no business losing, grumbles about “Ferentz fatigue” reverberated throughout the fan base.
After last season’s fairly pedestrian 8-5 campaign that included a loss to an FCS team, yet another bowl blow out and frequently unwatchable offensive production, the FF talk began anew.
That is until the heir-apparent Ferentz replaced the architect of that dismal offensive attack and quickly showed a public persona much bigger on bombast than that of his father. Brian Ferentz’s appointment as offensive coordinator in place of Greg Davis, if nothing else, appears to have energized a fan base yearning for a little something new from their favorite team.
While I am also intrigued and excited to see what the younger Ferentz brings to the table, I have to chuckle a bit that Iowa fans are hoping “Ferentz fatigue” can be cured by adding more Ferentz; albeit a younger model.
That said, you can feel that sense of renewed excitement, can’t you?
Between an uptick in early recruiting, camp accounts that some of the young skill position players Iowa needs to grow up fast actually are doing so in practice and chatter that the “bullies of the Big 10” attitude is back, it’s hard not to get on the positivity train. Of course, this is the case for most college football fan bases in early August, when every team is undefeated and dreams of conference championship banners flutter in every heart.
As is tradition in this kick-off column each year, I will be making a final record prediction. You should be prepared to take it with not a grain, but a block of salt, however.
Last season, for example, I rosily predicted 10-2 for the regular season. That’s not that bad, considering Iowa posted an 8-4 record and lost one game by two points and two others by a touchdown (the loss to the Badgers was 8 points, so I know that’s stretching it just a bit, but still.)
Amusingly, however, is that last year I attempted to rank the difficulty of each game on the schedule and identified the two home games against Nebraska and Michigan and at Minnesota as the three toughest. Of course, Iowa posted a 3-0 record in those, but crapped out against Northwestern and North Dakota State at home. Argh.
The only thing predictable about a Ferentz-coached Iowa team’s results is its unpredictability.
Actually, I take that back. It is quite predictable that Iowa will lose one game every fan expects it to win and win one game every fan expects it to lose. Last year, NDSU and the Wolverines would fit the bill, respectively.
So what do I think 2017 holds in store for the beloved black and gold?
In early summer, looking at what appears to be a fairly daunting schedule, I was leaning toward 7-5. And in my mind, that was an acceptable, if mildly disappointing, outcome. Like it or not - and like Greg Davis or not - breaking in a new offensive coordinator, new offensive line coach, a brand new quarterback and a lot of untested guys at wide receivers does make 2017 a bit of a rebuilding year. I think Brian Ferentz will bring new pizzazz and a little sizzle to what has been a frequently frustrating offensive attack. But I also think it’s going to take some time to all come together.
However, as the calendar turns closer towards kickoff, I find myself becoming a bit more optimistic. I loved the addition of transfer running back James Butler, which I thinks give the offense another game-breaker capable of gaining big chunks and sudden scores. I like what I’ve heard about the junior college All-American wideout Nick Easley and a couple of the freshman receivers. Put these new pieces together with a veteran offensive line, perhaps the conference (if not the country’s) best running back tandem, a super-salty defense and all you need is for first-year starting quarterback Nathan Stanley to perform well and you are looking at a team poised to win a lot of games.
My newfound optimism has adjusted my prediction up one full game to an 8-4 record I think most Iowa fans will be quite satisfied with.
I always hate picking individual game outcomes, so as usual, I will rank the opponents in order of perceived difficulty. Hopefully, I’ll be more accurate than last year, but if we go 3-0 against the three toughest again, that will be pretty impressive! As always, this list does not really reflect how good I think each of those teams is; rather, it takes into account where the game is being played and when it falls on the schedule
I see the difficulty order shaping up like this:
· North Texas – This isn’t Dan McCarney’s Green Machine. Although they weren’t very good either.
· Purdue – The perpetual rebuild is still in rebuild mode.
· Illinois – See Purdue.
· Iowa State – Only because this game is at Ames and it’s a blood rival are they this high. It’s a bad football team. But Iowa has lost to bad ISU teams before.
· Wyoming – I admit, I’m afraid of Josh Allen. I am not, however, afraid of the Wyoming defense.
· Minnesota – The Gophers will be pretty good this year. But they were pretty good last year and Iowa beat them in Minneapolis. Floyd stays in Iowa City.
· @Michigan State – I was tempted to swap the Spartans with the Gophers, but it is a road game. I’m still debating this one in my head, because I think MSU is in a bit of a bad stretch as a program.
· @Northwestern – The last time I thought this looked like a really tough game, Iowa went into Evanston and destroyed the ‘cats 40-10. Sure would love a repeat!
· @Wisconsin – This could end up being the de facto Big 10 West Division championship game. One of these years, though, the home team will win again.
· @Nebraska – I don’t think Nebraska is better than Wisconsin or maybe even Northwestern. But this is a road game and they will be desperate to not let this turn into a real rivalry (even though this is now a real rivalry). I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling about this Black Friday.
· Penn State – I had Michigan at home pegged as the second-toughest game last year. Let’s see history repeat itself!
· Ohio State – Iowa doesn’t beat Ohio State. Like, ever.
I don’t know which four games out of this slate Iowa drops, but if history is any guide, it will be at least one of the first four, which is maddening. But there is also a good chance that at least one of the last three will turn out to be an awesome upset win.
That’s Iowa football!
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and @12Saturdays.
