It takes three units to win games. But, sometimes, you can get away with two of the three units having really good days to pick up a unit that may be sputtering. That is what the Iowa Hawkeyes did in their recent showing.
After dropping out of the Associated Press top 25 despite a win and remaining the top team receiving votes that is not ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the Hawkeyes have some work to do to climb in the rankings.
Looking at ESPN’s weekly SP+ rankings, there is just one unit that needs to improve for Iowa. That is the offense. Here is a quick tidbit of what the SP+ rankings are:
What is SP+? In a single sentence, it’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. SP+ is indeed intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise. – Connelly, ESPN
That makes sense when we look at where Iowa falls in the SP+ rankings for each unit. Defensively, the Hawkeyes come in at No. 2 in the nation. On special teams, Iowa is at No. 30 in the country. Alternatively, the offense is down at No. 93 in all of college football. Their performance caused some cause for concern.
The defensive ranking is carried by the utterly stingy defense Iowa had in the passing game. Iowa allowed just 4.44 yards per attempt in the passing game. The defense also allowed just 5-17 third downs to be converted.
Iowa will go back to the drawing board as they certainly haven’t opened up the playbook due to a handle on their first outing and quarterback Cade McNamara being limited. The offense can improve in this ranking, but the defense and special teams are already into form.
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