We could still go 8-4 & the Gator Bowl

[Ripcord280]

Seriously, we have almost no chance of beating Wisconsin and I am not terribly optimistic about nebraska at all. Rutgers also worries me.

But Illinois and Northwestern look pretty beatable, and Minnesota looks like a disappointing team, so I can see three more wins, realistically. and if things break our way, we could beat Ruters and/or Nebraska to go 9-3.

Call pessimistic or whatever you want, but with our OL and quarterback issues, I would have to consider 8-4 a fairly decent year. anything more than 8 wins is a luxury.

Would like to hear you-all's thoughts, especially regarding Rutgers about whom I only know they gave Michigan a good first half.

 

[gamedayron01]

Anything less than 9 wins is a let down with this schedule. Even an average offense gets that.

 

[Legs94]

8-4 is possible. So is 7-5 unless the QB improves very dramatically in the next 2 weeks. Wisconsin and Minnesota could be tough. NW and IL should be wins. I haven’t seen Rutgers at all but they seem to be making progress up there. At Nebraska is a coin flip.

 

[WaterTower]

Not that we haven't been all year but Wisky will expose Iowa for what it is....a weak team with no offense whatsoever and a average, at best, D. Wisky 31....Iowa 6

 

[HawkPocrisy]

Anything less than 9 wins is a let down with this schedule. Even an average offense gets that.

Realistically anything over 8 wins and Iowa fans should be ecstatic, as this is not the norm. Iowa fans should only be disappointed if iowa loses more than 7. I get it, you want more, but you’re being unrealistic.

 

[blubberhawk]

Not that we haven't been all year but Wisky will expose Iowa for what it is....a weak team with no offense whatsoever and a average, at best, D. Wisky 31....Iowa 6

I am afraid you are right. This one has ugly loss written all over it. Wiscy would need to turn it over a bunch of times and Iowa will need a defensive score and 4-5 field goals. Hope for horrible weather !

 

[Franisdaman]

I demand that we win our next 6 games, win the B1G Championship, and advance to the CFP, giving @EvilMonkeyInTheCloset a chance at a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Thank you.

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

Pretty much agree with all of the above. NW and IL look pretty awful and the NW game will be essentially a home game at Wrigley, thanks to NW’s weak fan support.

So we have 2 true road games left, and I think we almost certainly lose in Madison and I’d give us about a 40% chance in Lincoln. Horrible offense like ours generally travels poorly. Fortunately for us, WI isn’t anything special this year either, so it could be an ugly but relatively close game on the score board. Of course, another 69-yard effort and PSU-like embarrassing blowout loss like 2017 is entirely possible.

Agree that Rutgers is the most challenging of our remaining home games. Distinct chance we drop that one but I think the Kinnick crowd is the difference in that one.

I think we end up an unimpressive 9-3, but 8-4 and 7-5 are certainly in play.

 

[JLDHAWK]

Seriously, we have almost no chance of beating Wisconsin and I am not terribly optimistic about nebraska at all. Rutgers also worries me.

But Illinois and Northwestern look pretty beatable, and Minnesota looks like a disappointing team, so I can see three more wins, realistically. and if things break our way, we could beat Ruters and/or Nebraska to go 9-3.

Call pessimistic or whatever you want, but with our OL and quarterback issues, I would have to consider 8-4 a fairly decent year. anything more than 8 wins is a luxury.

Would like to hear you-all's thoughts, especially regarding Rutgers about whom I only know they gave Michigan a good first half.

I'm in the same boat on the rest of the way. I'm not going to call 8-4 successful. Coaches got us in this mess and I don't think are capable of getting us back to having a decent offense.

 

[yrunvs]

We're going to win a few more and lose a few more. Then top the season off with a decent bowl and hopefully win it. Most of us can live with that the rest will grind and flail on. Next year Kirk will be back as he always is and I hope I'm here to enjoy it.

 

[gamedayron01]

We're going to win a few more and lose a few more. Then top the season off with a decent bowl and hopefully win it. Most of us can live with that the rest will grind and flail on. Next year Kirk will be back as he always is and I hope I'm here to enjoy it.

 

[Ripcord280]

We're going to win a few more and lose a few more. Then top the season off with a decent bowl and hopefully win it. Most of us can live with that the rest will grind and flail on. Next year Kirk will be back as he always is and I hope I'm here to enjoy it.

I do not mind you being here to enjoy it, sir, but I have suspicions that Kirk hangs it up after this mess of a year and the upcoming challenges with all those Pac-10 teams.

 

[coorsoriginal02]

Seriously, we have almost no chance of beating Wisconsin and I am not terribly optimistic about nebraska at all. Rutgers also worries me.

But Illinois and Northwestern look pretty beatable, and Minnesota looks like a disappointing team, so I can see three more wins, realistically. and if things break our way, we could beat Ruters and/or Nebraska to go 9-3.

Call pessimistic or whatever you want, but with our OL and quarterback issues, I would have to consider 8-4 a fairly decent year. anything more than 8 wins is a luxury.

Would like to hear you-all's thoughts, especially regarding Rutgers about whom I only know they gave Michigan a good first half.

Yes 8-4 is obviously a pretty good season. But how we got there…

The easy schedule we were again gifted to get those wins?
Didn’t compete with the one decent team we played.
Looked TERRIBLE while squeaking by bad opponents.

Another very forgettable season, folks.

 

[yrunvs]

I do not mind you being here to enjoy it, sir, but I have suspicions that Kirk hangs it up after this mess of a year and the upcoming challenges with all those Pac-10 teams.

I disagree entirely. So far we're 5-1 so the mess (record wise) hasn't really happened yet. Kirk is a competitor and will see next year as a new challenge. He will be here whether you folks like it or not.

 

[CRazzle]

Anything less than 9 wins is a let down with this schedule. Even an average offense gets that.

Boomers in Iowa dislike liberals and 1970's Hawkeye football. They'll take 8-4 Outback seasons and like it.

 

[jonesy5960]

I still think the Hawks end up at 9-3, in second place. Not a bad season and they avoid the punishment of a B1G championship game.

 

[blubberhawk]

I do not mind you being here to enjoy it, sir, but I have suspicions that Kirk hangs it up after this mess of a year and the upcoming challenges with all those Pac-10 teams.

PAC 12 teams will have their own challenges joining the BIG. I can't wait to see some of those Cali boys shivering on the sideline in Madison, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis and even Kinnick. I guess we wait and see..

 

[Hawk_4shur]

8-4 would be "meh", but it may be all this team can accomplish. The defense and running game are improving and I have to believe we've seen the worst from Hill, so maybe there is hope for 9-3.

 

[Here_4_a_Day]

Whatever it takes to "earn" Ferentz Inc. all of their bonuses!!

 

[Franisdaman]

8-4 would be "meh", but it may be all this team can accomplish. The defense and running game are improving and I have to believe we've seen the worst from Hill, so maybe there is hope for 9-3.

I am guessing this is what happens:

5-1: Now
4-2: Remaining
.........................................
9-3 before bowl game
===================

W--Sep 2 Utah State
W--Sep 9 at Clown U
W--Sep 16 Western Mich
L--Sep 23 at Penn State
W--Sep 30 Michigan State
W--Oct 7 Purdue

Oct 14 at Wisconsin
Oct 21 vs Minny
Oct 28 Bye Week
Nov 4 at N'western
Nov 11 vs Rutgers (@MrsScrew !!!)
Nov 18 vs Illinois
Nov 24 at Little Debbie

 

[Max_Rebo]

I’d like to see us get to at least 8 wins to feel some level of satisfaction; but to be honest, it’s more important how we look getting there.

I want to see clear signs of improvement. I’m not demanding perfection, but I want to see an offense that looks competent. I want to see us play well, putting up solid wins against our weaker B1G foes. When we inevitably lose some games, I want to at least be able to feel like we played well (not that I’ll be happy with a loss … you should never be happy about a loss.) I want to see a November version of the Hawkeyes that would easily beat the September version of the Hawkeyes.

If we do all that, and end up with 8 or 9 wins, and go to a decent bowl, I think I could feel some level of satisfaction, especially given the personnel losses we have endured. I wouldn’t be joyful, mind you, considering I believe this team had the potential to win the West. But I wouldn’t be ready to burn Kinnick to the ground or anything.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I disagree entirely. So far we're 5-1 so the mess (record wise) hasn't really happened yet. Kirk is a competitor and will see next year as a new challenge. He will be here whether you folks like it or not.

We're gonna have another Stanford Rose Bowl game if Kirk doesn't find a way to get this team to lose a few more games to protect his players from the teams that play real college football in 2023.

I look forward to watching that unfold..................

 

[not_mantiteo]

No offense to the pro-Ferentz guys, but 8 wins with this schedule with yet another championship-caliber defense and elite ST is pathetic. This is the weakest the West has ever been. Wisconsin isn’t even that good but due to everyone else being so poor, they look like they’re the 2017 version of themselves.

 

[yrunvs]

No offense to the pro-Ferentz guys, but 8 wins with this schedule with yet another championship-caliber defense and elite ST is pathetic. This is the weakest the West has ever been. Wisconsin isn’t even that good but due to everyone else being so poor, they look like they’re the 2017 version of themselves.

For a pessimist there's always an out.

 

[Blackleaf40]

Realistically anything over 8 wins and Iowa fans should be ecstatic, as this is not the norm. Iowa fans should only be disappointed if iowa loses more than 7. I get it, you want more, but you’re being unrealistic.

Realistically, Nebraska fans shouldn't expect to get above .500 or go to a bowl. Unbiased data accumulated over the last several years bears this out.

I get it, you don't think you're a doormat program.

You are.

Embrace your reality.

 

[NI hawk]

Not sure what Iowa's final record will be but pretty sure they won't be in Gator Bowl.

 

[JLDHAWK]

I’d like to see us get to at least 8 wins to feel some level of satisfaction; but to be honest, it’s more important how we look getting there.

I want to see clear signs of improvement. I’m not demanding perfection, but I want to see an offense that looks competent. I want to see us play well, putting up solid wins against our weaker B1G foes. When we inevitably lose some games, I want to at least be able to feel like we played well (not that I’ll be happy with a loss … you should never be happy about a loss.) I want to see a November version of the Hawkeyes that would easily beat the September version of the Hawkeyes.

If we do all that, and end up with 8 or 9 wins, and go to a decent bowl, I think I could feel some level of satisfaction, especially given the personnel losses we have endured. I wouldn’t be joyful, mind you, considering I believe this team had the potential to win the West. But I wouldn’t be ready to burn Kinnick to the ground or anything.

Good post. That wake all of us feel better for sure. Most likely we'll have to suffer through Jake Petras II for the rest of the year and we'll be miserable.

 

[iahawks10]

I’d like to see us get to at least 8 wins to feel some level of satisfaction; but to be honest, it’s more important how we look getting there.

I want to see clear signs of improvement. I’m not demanding perfection, but I want to see an offense that looks competent. I want to see us play well, putting up solid wins against our weaker B1G foes. When we inevitably lose some games, I want to at least be able to feel like we played well (not that I’ll be happy with a loss … you should never be happy about a loss.) I want to see a November version of the Hawkeyes that would easily beat the September version of the Hawkeyes.

If we do all that, and end up with 8 or 9 wins, and go to a decent bowl, I think I could feel some level of satisfaction, especially given the personnel losses we have endured. I wouldn’t be joyful, mind you, considering I believe this team had the potential to win the West. But I wouldn’t be ready to burn Kinnick to the ground or anything.

I’m not sure finishing the season 3-3 vs the upcoming schedule and feeling satisfied about it belong in the same sentence.

 

[BleedRed89]

Realistically, Nebraska fans shouldn't expect to get above .500 or go to a bowl. Unbiased data accumulated over the last several years bears this out.

I get it, you don't think you're a doormat program.

You are.

Embrace your reality.

Well that's not very nice.

 

[Packer54]

Boomers in Iowa dislike liberals and 1970's Hawkeye football. They'll take 8-4 Outback seasons and like it.

No doubt about not liking liberals and 1970s Hawkeye football. I would go as far to say I can’t/couldn’t stand either one. Like “throw up in my mouth” dislike.

 

[millah_22]

11-1 is still on the menu

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Get it this year because next year …

6 of the current top 10 in the country will be in the B1G next year.

 

[Ray Kinsella]

I'm thinking 4-2, with 5-1 more likely than 3-3. These opponents are bad, and Iowa's defense and special teams are still solid, and the offense can only het better.

 

[2D_]

Well, on the upside we won't get boat raced by Michigan again. No one in the West stands a chance against them.

 

[jonesy5960]

8-4 would be "meh", but it may be all this team can accomplish. The defense and running game are improving and I have to believe we've seen the worst from Hill, so maybe there is hope for 9-3.

8-4 is possible, but 9-3 with losses to Wisconsin and Nebraska is the most likely scenario IMO. Wouldn't shock me in the least of they did, but I still don't see them losing to Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, or Rutgers.

 

[Blackleaf40]

Well that's not very nice.

What isn't nice is @HawkPocrisy aka @Rubrum_Magnus_Virtus trolling an Iowa board and hectoring Iowa fans on realistic expectations.

That happens to be his most innocuous post. You can search briefly the actual garbage he posts here daily. Might be enlightening for you but cringey at the same time.

To be fair, you don't tend to do that.

 

[jhawkinaz]

I still think the Hawks end up at 9-3, in second place. Not a bad season and they avoid the punishment of a B1G championship game.

It makes me sad to feel this way, but I agree this is best. Just finish a decent season. No need to put this team on the National Stage for a championship bludgeoning.

 

[GunnerHawk]

Pretty much agree with all of the above. NW and IL look pretty awful and the NW game will be essentially a home game at Wrigley, thanks to NW’s weak fan support.

So we have 2 true road games left, and I think we almost certainly lose in Madison and I’d give us about a 40% chance in Lincoln. Horrible offense like ours generally travels poorly. Fortunately for us, WI isn’t anything special this year either, so it could be an ugly but relatively close game on the score board. Of course, another 69-yard effort and PSU-like embarrassing blowout loss like 2017 is entirely possible.

Agree that Rutgers is the most challenging of our remaining home games. Distinct chance we drop that one but I think the Kinnick crowd is the difference in that one.

I think we end up an unimpressive 9-3, but 8-4 and 7-5 are certainly in play.

Unimpressive 9-3? How many teams would be ecstatic winning 75% of their games. Winning is not easy. Too many fans think it is.

I wish my company would have secured 75% of all the contracts we bid over the years. Being successful at anything you do takes hard work, determination, preparation and a little luck.

 

[Franisdaman]

11-1 is still on the menu

that would mean we would then be 3 wins away from a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!! @EvilMonkeyInTheCloset

 

[Franisdaman]

Get it this year because next year …

6 of the current top 10 in the country will be in the B1G next year.

Yeah, it is going to be a lot tougher to get wins. And I hope there is not going to be a ton of controversy when they pick the top 2 teams to play in the 2024 B1G Championship game.

Current AP Rankings:

2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
6. Penn State
7. Washington
8. Oregon
10. USC