Tag: 2022 NCAAF season

Iowa Can Still Win the Big Ten West… But it Starts This Week

The Big Ten West Division is still there for the taking. Iowa just has to decide this week against Illinois whether or not it wants it.

This is the crucial point of the season.

Once seen as a potential trap game in between two Big Ten juggernauts in Michigan and Ohio State, Iowa’s midseason clash at Illinois on Saturday night is the defining matchup of the season. How this game in Champaign, Illinois will largely dictate the rest of the season for the Hawkeyes.

It has not been a great start to the season for the Hawkeyes. Iowa is 3-2 after five weeks, splitting their two conference games. While above .500, the method in which they’ve won their games has instilled little confidence into a restless Hawkeyes fanbase. Iowa is currently ranked 122nd in points per game, only scoring 16.4 points a contest. The offense has been flat out horrendous.

Twice this season Iowa has been held under 10 points, that was the first two games against South Dakota State and rivals Iowa State. Both of those contests, mind you, were at home. Scoring a combined 14 points against an FCS opponent and a rival Cyclones squad that is sitting at 3-2 as well. Their only other two wins are over Southeast Missouri State and Ohio by the way.

You know it’s bad when the offense is seen as improved after scoring 27 points against two bad opponents. Let this sink in. Incarnate Word were able to put up 28 more points against Nevada than the Hawkeyes were. It has been atrocious all year on offense, and we were reminded of that once again last week with yet another embarrassing loss to Michigan.

While hopes of making it to the Big Ten Championship may seem folly after a disappointing start to the campaign, the West Division is still ripe for the taking. The division is currently sitting in a seven way tie, pretty much every team with a 1-1 conference record through two weeks of Big Ten play. Entering Week Six, it seems that nobody has any real intentions of winning the Big Ten West.

It seemed at the beginning that Minnesota would finally stake their claim on the division, taking a much needed next step further under coach P.J. Fleck. The Gophers started the year off a convincing 4-0 with a big win over Michigan State. That feather in the hat looks increasingly less notable as the Spartans’ season progresses though.

Minnesota just lost their first game of the season last week to Purdue 20-10. The things that were bad about the Gophers in previous years returned. The Boilermakers are back to intriguing status after the upset, but have been massively inconsistent so far. So what you will about losing to a good Penn State team, you’d like to see a conference competitor do much more than beat Florida Atlantic by two.

Wisconsin and Nebraska are two teams in complete disarray as we approach the mid-way point. The Cornhuskers finally ripped the bandaid off a few weeks back, firing head coach Scott Frost. While they were dismantled the next week by Oklahoma, they did manage to beat Indiana this week… whatever that’s worth.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, finds themselves at the bottom of the Big Ten and without a coach. Long time head coach Paul Chryst found himself on the chopping block after a 34-10 loss to Illinois, ending an eight year tenure in Madison. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will take over, but there is big trouble in Wisconsin. The Badgers have been embarrassed in back to back weeks by Big Ten opponents, falling victim to the Ohio State machine 52-21 the week prior.

It should be noted that Northwestern is there with their 1-4 overall record. That’s all the time I feel like devoting to the team that suffered losses to Southern Illinois and Miami (Ohio) and gained their only victory against Nebraska.

This leaves us with upcoming opponent Illinois. The Illini have appeared to be the most competent of the West Division squads so far, their only loss to Indiana. I will once again mention that a horrendous call went against Illinois that changed the game. Bret Bielema’s squad have won the rest of their games pretty convincingly though.

As you can see, for all of the woes Iowa has suffered so far this season, they’ve been equally replicated by everyone else in the division. Besides Illinois, who did lose to Indiana at the end of the day, everyone else seems to be derping their way through this year. The path to the Big Ten Championship is still visible, especially with the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten West slate still upcoming on the schedule.

This is the critical week, though. This is where we find out if there’s anything left to be gained from 2022.

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College Football News predicts comfortable Michigan win over Iowa in low-scoring affair

College Football News’ Pete Fiutak is predicting that Michigan will snap its losing streak at Kinnick Stadium in a defensive struggle.

This is the week Iowa fans have been waiting months for.

The last time these two met it was on Dec. 4, Lucas Oil Stadium the backdrop, and subsequently the witness, for a Big Ten Championship beatdown for the ages. Iowa’s defense was on fire, causing a bevy of turnovers every week and just making life hectic for opposing offensive coordinators. The team’s stock might not have been where it was a few weeks ago when the Hawkeyes somehow found themselves ranked second in the nation, but big wins over Penn State and Minnesota showed that they deserved to be there!

Michigan obviously thought otherwise, treating their black and gold opponents like a bug on their windshield, one that would not stand in their way to either the Big Ten Championship, nor the College Football Playoffs.

Winning 42-3 in a conference championship against one of the best defenses in the nation no less is pretty much as profound a statement you can make as a program. Michigan truly was back, and all of the Harbaugh naysayers who called for his job the past few years would have to flock back to the woodwork.

Now, almost a year later, these two teams meet in a much different venue, Kinnick Stadium, the host for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff and one of the most anticipated Big Ten matchups of the season.

Pete Fiutak. in his recent breakdown for College Football News sees this one going the way of the Wolverines, in a comfortable, low-scoring contest.

Michigan hasn’t given away a thing.

One interception against Hawaii, one fumble against Maryland. That’s been in for the turnovers. The team has been flagged a ridiculously low nine times, and it’s been able to get through any slight adversity by being methodical.

This is the game for the Michigan defense.

The offense will sputter and cough, and Corum will be bottled up, but it’ll be a slow and steady drum beat with just enough points to get by. The Wolverine D will hold up well with a great day against the non-existent Iowa passing attack.

Michigan 26, Iowa 13. – Fiutak, College Football News.

Iowa sputtered out of the gates to start the season, the offense quite literally offensive to any onlookers those first two games. It has since improved over the past two games, 27 points scored in both contests which isn’t amazing but it is pretty good for typical Iowa standards.

Meanwhile, Michigan enters Kinnick undefeated, overcoming their biggest test yet in Maryland last week. Ranked fourth in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, they face easily the biggest defensive test of the season in the Hawkeyes. It is assumed that the J.J. McCarthy-led offense is legit again, but this will be their chance to prove so.

Every Hawkeyes fan in Kinnick will have the hope that their team will come away with the victory, the Iowa defense exposing the Wolverines offense as overrated whilst the offense does just enough to capitalize. With all rationale and logic heading in, those hopes are most likely just that: hopes. The same argument of Michigan having yet to face a truly good opponent also rings true for the Hawkeyes as well.

The difference though is that Michigan looked fantastic against the teams they were supposed to look great against. Iowa instead has struggled to inspire any confidence in their offense, the biggest cause for optimism is the unit scoring 27 points against Nevada and Rutgers.

By all rational logic, Michigan should win this one in a classic Big Ten-style way, their talent simply too much for Iowa. You never know, though.

Games are not won on paper.

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Big Ten Week 3 Heroes

Here are five Big Ten superstars that made massive statements in their Week 3 matchups.

Finally, the nonconference games are over. Let the real season begin!

It was an interesting mix over the past three weeks for the Big Ten. Some teams were smart and opted to schedule cupcake teams to beat up. Others opted for opponents with more standing, and the results were mixed. While the main portion of the season is yet to be played, we’ve already seen the emergence of some new stars, and the reinforcement of a returning batch of Big Ten leaders.

It can be hard to whittle down the list to only five with so many fantastic performances from the past week of play. Just because your favorite player didn’t make the list, it does not mean they weren’t incredible. There were just other great candidates.

Here are five Big Ten superstars that made massive statements in their Week 3 matchups.

5 takeaways from the Iowa Hawkeyes’ abysmal opener against South Dakota State

Iowa topped South Dakota State, 7-3. Here’s the five biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ season-opening triumph.

I honestly don’t even feel like writing about this game, or giving this team any attention right now. All credit to South Dakota State. They are not a pushover despite their FCS status and they played hard on defense. They were overmatched on offense, which was always going to be a likelihood with the talent on Iowa’s defense, but they surely were right there to stop Iowa’s offense.

Was that South Dakota State playing out of their minds, or Iowa just being a complete disaster? You can make your own judgement, but I know what my choice is.

I don’t care that they are a good FCS opponent, this Iowa team went into the season with aspirations of making it back to the Big Ten Championship game! That’s how you start out the season at home?! It was an embarrassment, it was a disgrace, and a disservice to every fan that sat through that mess in Kinnick Stadium Saturday. Ferentz and his staff need to figure it out, or this is going to be a long, long season.

That said off the top, let’s look at five of the biggest takeaways for the Hawkeyes versus South Dakota State.

Week 1 college football betting picks to watch

Here are some week one college football odds to keep in mind as game day approaches.

Greetings, sports fans! I’d like to welcome you from one of the states that has benefitted the most from sports gambling: New Jersey. We here on the east coast, counting the Garden State, Pennsylvania, and the latest success story New York, are firmly behind the trend that has swept through sports. One day proud Americans from coast to coast will be able to make parlays with pride.

If you are one of those from an enlightened state in the country such as Iowa, I welcome you to join me as I take a look at some of my favorite odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook. I would like to state from the start that I am not an expert, nor a professional gambler. I am just a diehard football fan passionate about the idea and industry of sports gambling.

As always, make sure to gamble responsibly my friends.

5 Offensive keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes against South Dakota State

Here’s five keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes on offense to get the season off to a strong start in week one against South Dakota State.

Week One is the perfect time to work out the kinks, earning some needed chemistry and playing time. While No. 2 Ohio State is playing a national contender in No. 5 Notre Dame to kick off their season, Iowa is also facing a national championship contender, albeit a very different one.

The Hawkeyes will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Kinnick Stadium to kick off their season. It certainly isn’t the toughest week one slate, they didn’t elect to schedule a top 25 team like No. 12 Oregon or a returning College Football Playoff team in No. 22 Cincinnati, but SDSU is certainly not a pushover. They aimed for a bit more of an ambitious FCS opponent than say Wisconsin taking on Illinois State, a team that didn’t even muster five wins in 2021.

Expectations are high for the Hawkeyes, fresh off of their Big Ten Championship game campaign. The first team left on the outside looking in of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, Iowa certainly has a chip on its shoulder entering the season. After an offseason of incessant talking points, none of that matters anymore. The season is here, time to put up or shut up. Here are five keys for the Iowa offense against South Dakota State.

5 takeaways from Northwestern’s ‘upset’ over Nebraska

Surprise, surprise. Nebraska lost another close game. With both Nebraska and Northwestern on Iowa’s schedule, here are the main takeaways.

The Big Ten officially kicked off its season in week zero in Ireland (any teams from there looking to join?) with an absolute barnburner. Northwestern pulled off the “upset” over Nebraska, Scott Frost’s men shockingly losing yet another close contest.

This game was everything great about Big Ten football. It had everything: surprisingly good quarterback play, Northwestern pounding the rock to the win, and Scott Frost losing another close game due to coaching ineptitude. What else could you want?

Despite being a week zero play between two teams that Iowa will see much later in the season, it did have intrigue for Hawkeye fans. Of course, Nebraska is a team many, for some reason, predicted to be a breakout contender in 2022.

If so, their season-ending clash could have massive playoff implications. Northwestern was projected to have another bad season this year, but showed some things that could possibly give Iowa some trouble coming off of a massive matchup with Ohio State. With the curtain closed in Ireland, here are the key points to take away from Northwestern’s victory.

Iowa’s Jack Campbell, Riley Moss named to the 2022 Nagurski Trophy watch list

Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Riley Moss each find themselves on the preseason 2022 Nagurski Trophy watch list.

Surprise, surprise. Iowa seniors Jack Campbell and Riley Moss appear on yet another award watchlist. This time the two defenders have been named to the Nagurski watchlist.

Few awards carry the amount of prestige for defensive players like the Nagurski Trophy. Awarded annually since 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the award recognizes the best defensive player in the nation.

The winners list reads off like a Hall of Fame ballot, featuring Warren Sapp, Charles Woodson, Ndamukong Suh, Luke Kuechly, and Aaron Donald. Some winners in recent years include Josh Allen, Chase Young, and last year’s winner, Will Anderson.

Campbell and Moss are each looking to be the first Hawkeyes ever to take home the award, while Moss specifically is looking to become the first defensive back to capture the Nagurski since Oklahoma‘s Derrick Strait in 2003. While no Hawkeye has won the Nagurski, linebackers Josey Jewell and Pat Angerer were both finalists.

Campbell and Moss both were featured by FWAA in their watch list reveal.

From the FWAA’s 2021 Second-Team All-America crew are Iowa teammates Jack Campbell and Riley Moss. Campbell is a senior linebacker who led the nation in tackles with 143 in 14 games and Moss tied for 14th nationally with four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. The Hawkeyes are one of four Big Ten schools and one of 20 overall that had at least a pair of players on the list. – FWAA.

It is just the most recent feather in the cap for both players. Each are again pegged to be amongst the nation’s elite at their respective positions. Campbell and Moss both appear on Athlon Sports and Sporting News’ preseason first-team All-American lists, as well as on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list. Moss himself was named a Walter Camp preseason All-American, while Campbell appears on the Butkus Award watch list.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers listed as Big Ten defense projected for improvement in 2022

While the Cornhuskers were a good defensive team in 2021, there is reason to believe the Iowa rival can improve even more in 2022.

Not a ton of defenses in the Big Ten need improving. Defense is kind of the Big Ten’s thing. While not every defense fits the stereotype—Indiana and Northwestern were not able to do much of anything right last year—overall, most defenses in the conference rank in the upper half of the FBS.

Still, there is always room for improvement and in Saturday Tradition’s latest list of the five Big Ten defenses that are destined for improvement in 2022, one of the Hawkeyes’ division rivals was featured.

Nebraska’s defense should have put up better numbers a year ago. The Cornhuskers were 12th nationally with just 46 plays of 20-plus yards allowed. They were 20th in red-zone touchdown percentage, allowing opponents to cross the goal line on 32.4% of their trips inside the 20.

But a couple of factors did Nebraska in.

A mistake-prone offense was among the issues. Nebraska was 95th with a minus-5 turnover margin as the offense had 18 giveaways and the defense didn’t do enough to compensate.

Opponents also paper-cut the Huskers to death. Nebraska allowed first downs on 39.2% of its 3rd-down situations, which was 73rd in the country.

The scheme, it seems, is fine. It’s a matter of execution when the defense needs to get off the field. A strong pass rush will help the 3rd-down situation, and that’s where the Huskers will make their biggest leap.

Nebraska has a top-tier pass-rushing combo in outside linebacker Garrett Nelson and defensive end Ochaun Mathis, so the opportunity is there for this defense to make significant statistical improvement. – Saturday Tradition.

It is common knowledge that Nebraska was a lot more competitive in 2021 than their 3-9 record suggests. This is the team who took both Michigan and Michigan State down to the wire. If a few plays go differently, Scott Frost’s team likely finishes with a winning record. Such is football, though.

Their defense was one of the better defenses in the country, but with a few tweaks it can become one of the nation’s elite. That is the key for Nebraska in a must-win 2022 season. Fix the small things.

An improved offense with transfer quarterback Casey Thompson at the helm should help out the defense, and make it so they don’t have to will a win for the Cornhuskers. This will be key if Nebraska wants to snap their losing streak against Iowa.

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Pair of Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2022 opponents tabbed as Big Ten offenses destined for improvement

Saturday Tradition broke down five Big Ten offenses destined for improvement in 2022. Who should Iowa fans be worried about in 2022?

The Big Ten is not always known for its offensive prowess. Besides the always potent Buckeyes offense—Ohio State plays by their own rules—the Big Ten is known more for dominant, gritty, defensive football.

Only five teams in the conference ranked in the top 60 in the nation for scoring average. This is great news for an Iowa squad that boasts one of the top defenses in the country (just ignore that they are amongst the fledgling offenses).

The good folks at Saturday Tradition recently took a look five Big Ten offenses that are sure locks to improve in 2022, two of which the Hawkeyes play this year.

For Wisconsin, a change in coaches projects a boost to the Badgers’ offense.

The Badgers won’t just have a fresh face calling plays. They’ll have a fresh face with an NFL pedigree.

After wearing the hats of head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last season, Paul Chryst recognized there is a much better way of doing things. Enter Bobby Engram.

Engram was John Harbaugh’s tight ends coach for the Baltimore Ravens before jumping at the chance to call plays at the college level. It’s very similar to the move Michigan made last season in hiring Ravens assistant Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator, and there’s no arguing with those results. It worked out so well that Baltimore went and hired Macdonald back as DC this year. – Saturday Tradition.

Wisconsin just has to figure out how to score more touchdowns than last year. They could move the ball solidly, but couldn’t find the end zone enough for their standards. The passing game was pretty awful a lot of the time as well, with Graham Mertz not really taking the step forward fans hoped he would in his second year.

Saturday Tradition’s hope is that with Engram calling the plays, coach Paul Cryst can help out quarterback Mertz more, which is the key to unlocking the Badgers’ offense.

Also featured on the list is Purdue. The projection is a pretty easy one to make. The Purdue offense really figured things out over the last six games, averaging over 37 points per game during that span.

Given the way the Boilermakers closed the season, it’s wild to think they were barely in the top half of the country in scoring. But that’s because the flip switched midway through the season when Aidan O’Connell finally took ownership of the quarterback job.

Following its 30-13 loss to Wisconsin, Purdue averaged 37.1 points per game over its final 6 games. Even without wideout David Bell in the mix, that’s the form Jeff Brohm’s offense will carry into 2022.

And the Boilers already were in position to be a far more potent offense in 2021. Purdue was 24th in overall red zone attempts, but just 122nd in red zone touchdown percentage. Being dead last nationally in yards per carry will do that to you in the red zone. – Saturday Tradition.

With quarterback Aidan O’Connell returning, it is easy to see the Boilermakers continuing their good run of form into 2022.

Also appearing on the list are Indiana, Illinois, and Penn State. Despite having a similar room for improvement as Indiana and Illinois, Iowa was unfortunately left off the list. The Hawkeyes were 99th in the nation with 23.4 points per game scored last season and will be counting on an improved Spencer Petras, or either Alex Padilla or Joe Labas to take over and lift the offense to another level in 2022.

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