I do think Iowa “must” win 1 of the first two games. Dropping back-to-back games to start the season (and three in a row to ISU), would really cause a lot of fan discontent. And if fan anger – or worse, apathy – sets in, then things get ugly fast. More than anything, Iowa needs [...]

Must win? Depends on what your expectations are for the season. For Iowa to go to a bowl, then the NIU game is a must win, as finding six wins is very tough with this schedule and impossible without an NIU win. But, if you think this is likely to be another 4-8 team, then [...]

It’s not necessarily a binary decision between NO ALTERNATES and FULL OREGON RAINBOW! It is possible to find some common ground in-between. Iowa has done that the past few seasons with the one-game throwbacks or Veterans’ Day uniforms. I generally like that approach, but would maybe prefer a true “alternate” uni to the throwback. It [...]

I’m torn when it comes to Morris. On the one hand, I absolutely agree with PV’s assessment of his play. And as a result, I’m disappointed Morris hasn’t lived up to his hype. On the other hand, a very large part of that hype certainly wasn’t of his own making or doing, it was a [...]

I’m unreasonably excited about Spearman (who has the perfect LB name, btw), but it’s probably a lot to ask that a not-even-17-years-old-yet kid to see much playing time. But it raises an interesting question, does he redshirt and spend year developing (and, if yes, does he stick at LB or end up as a DE), [...]

Unless Iowa really surprises this year, 2014 is the year we’ve been building towards since 2011. But that comes with a lot of pressure. With a relatively easy – or at least “forgiving” – schedule, I think 2014 will be the make-or-break year for KF. Very few coaches can turn around the same program three [...]

Do you think one of the QBs transfers at the end of August camp? I think there is something to the idea that the starter in Game 1, whoever it may be, won’t necessarily be the starter at the end of the season. I think come December, whichever of the 3 is sitting at QB#3 [...]

Coming soon to an ESPN…er, um, SEC Network near you!

Actually, under the current contract, each team simply keeps the gate receipts for the game they host, so Iowa is no longer sending a check ISU’s way; but this has only been for the past couple of seasons. You are correct about ISU being incredibly shady under the previous contract, but you forgot to mention [...]

Marc, So foolish. Why do you have to so willfully taunt He Who Shall Not Be Named by invoking terms like “running back depth” and “running back controversey”, we have no such thing. All we have is whomever is left after the destruction wrought when AIRBHG is awoken from his slumber. On a serious note, [...]

Is there any indication that one of Cooper/LTP/Johnson/Ekakitie could play outside? I’m assuming that Ekakitie and/or Cooper would be the most likely candidates, but just wondering if there was any hint that one had the ability to play outside so as (1) give more depth at a glaring weakness and (2) reduce some of the [...]

Marc, At this point, I think there is real question of whether the coaching staff, KF in particular, are even capable of in-game adjustments. This has been an Achilles heel for Iowa for years, even with the good teams. KF can’t seem to adjust to things if they go against the plan/don’t play out as [...]

The biggest thing to improve Iowa’s performance on punt returns would be actually attempting a return, rather than letting 4 out of every 5 bounce and run away or simply fair-catch them. I hope Cotton (or whomever) can make a real difference there. It seems like one of the hallmarks of the early KF teams [...]

I think calling Miller’s 2011 season “excellent” is a bit of a stretch; “competent” or “servicable” come more readily to mind. Which is fine for a sophomore, first-time starter. But, like Shada before him, Miller would have a lot of shaky/sub-par play punctuated by a huge INT and return, skewing his statistics. Basically, he looked [...]

Ah yes, the old “If you didn’t play D-1 football then you have no ability to say anything about it!” argument. Somehow, part of my previous post was deleted/went missing – I’m blaming internet gremlins for it. But, in that part, I said that Morris is a decent player, but to date has only really [...]

It’s time for Morris to put up or shut up. Given his local roots and ties to the program, he has probably been unfairly burdened with expectations and hype since he was in high school. That said, he’s also been the defensive player whose reputation seems untethered to his on-field performance. Errors/lapses that were forgivable [...]

I think that’s the key question. Can one or more of Cooper/Ekakitie/Johnson move to the outside. What about LTP? Because Alvis isn’t the answer at DE, and never really has been. You are right, Marc, that it one shouldn’t judge Alvis by the Northwestern game; or rather, one DOESN’T need to judge him by that [...]

Is Tanner Miller only a junior in 2013? I thought he was going to be a senior this fall.

Mike, I think durability is a concern for all the backs, at least the presumed top 3 (since we really have no idea about Malloy or Hill). Weisman, due largely to his running style, isn’t going to avoid many hits. And that’s fine, but it raises key questions about his ability to take 25 carries [...]

I think you’re overlooking the huge difference between “starting” and “playing”. I don’t think there is anything to indicate that Rudock should have started over Vandy, but that doesn’t mean the failure to get him in the game in blowouts like Michigan and Penn State aren’t inexcusable, especially in the case of Michigan. In the [...]