Iowa Hawkeyes
Projected #4 in Legends Division
2010 Record: 8-5 (4-4)
Remember the preseason hype that the 2010 Hawkeyes had? It was all very much deserved as they featured a defense that returned plenty of NFL talent, including one of the best defensive lines in college football, and an offense that seemed poised to becomes much more lethal.
Was I the only one that remembered all of the close victories they had the year before last? It seemed like it, because I was one of the only people that thought they wouldn't be as good as advertised. It doesn't happen often, but I called that one...well, I didn't think they would only win 7 regular season games, but I wasn't exactly predicting a national championship run for the school.
Last season's 8-5 record, which culminated with an impressive win over Missouri in the Insight Bowl, was mired with heartbreaking losses. All five of Iowa's losses in 2010 were by a touchdown or less, with the four conference losses coming by an average of nearly three points per contest. In other words, the team wasn't bad, but karma came back to haunt the Hawkeyes. In 2011, I do not expect bad luck to hold this team back.
Offensively, QB James Vandenberg, RB Marcus Coker and WR Marvin McNutt should prove to be one of the best tandems in the Big Ten. Vandenberg is well known for his showing against the Buckeyes in 2009 when he replaced fan favorite Ricky Stanzi, and will have the chance to show off his skills for an entire season for the first time. The offensive line returns four starters as well, and I am calling for this to be one of Kirk Ferentz's best offenses since 2004.
On the other side of the ball...ouch. They took some big hits in the offseason, losing key players such as Adrian Clayborn, Karl Klug, Christian Ballard, and Tyler Sash. The talent is there in the secondary with CB Shaun Prater and FS Micah Hyde, but I don't expect the front seven to be nearly as productive as it has been the past two seasons in Iowa City. It could be a reversal of fortunes for Iowa in terms of not losing as many close games, but their defense could still very well cost them a few ball games...which in its own right is another reversal of fortune.
The schedule sets up nicely with most of the big boys coming to Kinnick Stadium, with the exception of road trips to Penn State and Nebraska. Due to my high expectations for the offense, along with a comfortable home schedule, I think that Iowa will win more regular season games than last year. They are a sleeper Big Ten championship contender if the defense doesn't fall off the grid too far, and should go back to a bowl game for the fourth year in a row.
Predicted Record: 8-4 (5-3)
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