does anyone else think Iowa is overrated?
All my buddies this year seem all worried about the Iowa game, despite the facxt that last year we were still in the game against them at the end of the game and Robinson completely took the ball down the field on their defense as an inexperience freshman. Everyone talks about the interception he threw, but jesus christ it was on a hail mary play at the end of the game with time expiring. If we were that close to beating them last year in Iowa city I don't see how this game is even close this year, I bet we win that game by at least two touchdowns...
September 17th, 2010 at 11:14 PM ^
well Minor had a lot to do with us being in that game.. We still don't know what robinson can do against great defenses, and if he will hold up. Hopefully he will and we have a RB by that wk. It is still way too early to tell..
September 17th, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^
Iowa's a year better too.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:16 PM ^
they have a solid defense. But Ricky Stanzi is a turnover machine and I don't like their wide receivers that much. Dececent run game, but the offense isn't too impressive.
I think thy are top 20, but certainly not top 10. I don't see them getting back to the BCS this season.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:21 PM ^
Stanzi is a year better. I don't think he'll be as careless with the ball this year, and they also have an actual running game.
It does remain to be seen just how good they really are because you have a higher level of experience overall, but the lucky bounces from last year may not go their way this year.
Proof is in the pudding with this one. That being said, I can see why they're ranked where they are- are there really that many other better teams that are ranked below them?
September 17th, 2010 at 11:16 PM ^
like, at all IMO. I'd say it's a pure toss-up when they face us.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
Last year was last year. Just because we almost beat them last year doesn't mean anything for this year. Are they overrated? Maybe. Are we overrated? Maybe. Two games into the season no team has really earned their ranking yet anyway.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
It wasn't quite Hail Mary in all fairness. There was more time left than that and we were moving. It was really just a misread - in that area DR will of course be dramatically improved. We are better...whether Iowa is we will have to wait and see.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
If you can definitively tell me why a team that went 11-2 last year, returns a good core of its team(i.e not losing program defining QBs a la Florida and Texas) and has pasted its weak competition shouldn't be in the Top 10 I'd love to hear it. Could we beat them? Yeah I think our offense matches up pretty well against their D and their more smashmouth style matches up better against our seemingly improved run D. However, I can't say they don't deserver their ranking and might rank them a couple spots higher than the AP or Coaches poll
September 18th, 2010 at 12:42 AM ^
Well, the main thing is that they were very, very fortunate to achieve that 11-2 record. They trailed in almost every game last season. They needed to block two FGs to beat Northern Iowa, a last-minute INT to beat us, a last-play TD to beat MSU, and so on. I thought they were more a 9-4-caliber team that overachieved a bit.
September 18th, 2010 at 2:05 AM ^
That's a fair point. I still think winning close games is more than just random luck, there is a reason Sparty consistently loses the same type of games year in and year out, they aren't a good team. To claim Iowa is overrated this year you would have to point out who ranked below them deserves to be ranked above them and I don't see it. Wisconsin? Arkansas? S Carolina? Utah? So if I go below them and I'm fine with those teams, I figure they probably aren't overrated.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
They were definitely overrated last season, but chances are they've improved. I still don't buy in to Stanzi being a good quarterback, but they've got a pretty strong team. I'm looking forward to this game after we (hopefully) beat MSU*.
*knocks on wood
September 18th, 2010 at 9:40 AM ^
out a lot about Stanzi tonight against Arizona. Is he new and improved as his stats to date show? (He's got a top 10 passer rating, albeit against a Hostess snack cake and a weak in-state rival. No picks through 2 games. 3 TDs.)
Or is he still a pretty decent QB whose been great late in games but who throws bonehead picks and makes Iowa fans pull out their hair.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^
We did a lot of beating ourselves last year. If the turnover battle is even this year, I love our chances. Especially since we haven't shown all of the wrinkles in are playbook.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:36 PM ^
Last year was probably not as close as it looked. They were perfectly content to let Robinson run the ball down the field against them and take three minutes of the remaining five off the clock, because they knew he couldn't beat them with his arm if he only had a minute left. Would he be able to this year? Maybe. But they probably wouldn't give up the running yards as easily, either.
September 18th, 2010 at 12:12 AM ^
when Robinson was on the field and yet Robinson was still able to move the ball on them. Part of the reason is he had fresh legs and the other is he's a great athlete. Iowa did not want Robinson to have a big play with his legs.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:40 PM ^
September 18th, 2010 at 2:40 AM ^
308,400,408* but who is counting.
* as of 01/01/2010
September 17th, 2010 at 11:46 PM ^
I think we'll figure out if our tackles are as solid as they seem after playing Clayborn. Also, it will be interesting to see the zone read vs. a really good DE.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:47 PM ^
DR killed it on the drive at Iowa last year - with last year's knowledge/playbook in his head, and with last year's line which especially by that time was no where near as good as it is this year.
The notion that they just let him do this makes no sense at all. The game may have been less close with Tate running the offense, but what I remember is a game where Michigan was competitive and I cannot imagine Iowa slacking off with Robinson entering and bringing to the game a completely different dynamic.
Another note to this - that defensive line was as tough as anything DR will face. He got smacked around throughout that drive, including a good one by Adrian Clayborn. He got right back up every time and kept on going.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^
I guess we'll find out who's overrated and who isn't in October. And, for that matter, we'll find out in November, too.
September 17th, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
I think we will play both IA and WI tough at home. These may be close games but I think we could take one or may be both games at home. We may be surprised at how many points we will score on these two good defenses! My only hope is that our D will not give up more points! But I think we will take at least one of these two at home!
September 17th, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
They are not overrated.
Reason: Clayborn, Klug, Ballard, Binns.
Those guys will tear apart some pretty good o-lines this year. Ask last year's Nebraska team how far a dominant d line can take you.
September 18th, 2010 at 12:44 AM ^
That may be, but our OL more than held its own against their front. Iowa hadn't given up a rush TD all year going into the game; we ran in two.
September 18th, 2010 at 12:51 AM ^
I thought Iowa was extremely overrated last year but they've been dominant so far. We'll find out just how good they are tomorrow.
September 18th, 2010 at 12:54 AM ^
They have a tough game tomorrow night playing at Arizona - that will say a lot about where they are. My impression so far is that Stanzi is improved. Last year, he was Rick-6, giving away a bad interception early in too many games, including against Michigan. He seems more patient this year, but they've only played Eastern Illinois and a very meh Iowa State team (who beat Minn in a bowl game last year). Their D line is going to be one of the biggest tests our O line will face this year.
September 18th, 2010 at 1:11 AM ^
September 18th, 2010 at 2:19 AM ^
I have a healthy fear of Ricky Stanzi right now (all things considered).
September 18th, 2010 at 2:47 AM ^
There are a lot of overrated teams in CFB. We will find out who is who in the coming weeks.
September 18th, 2010 at 2:56 AM ^
beat fuckin iowa
September 18th, 2010 at 4:01 AM ^
They remind me an awful lot of how we used to be back in the Carr days; going into every season with a cast of big names and a lot of hype, but ultimately underperfoming when it really counts, often against inferior teams. I said before the season that I think they could be ripe for Coach Rod's annual "beat the first ranked team to come in to the Big House in thrilling last-minute fashion" game. *Note: Utah was not ranked in week 1 of the '08 season; Wisconsin was the first ranked team we played at home that year.
September 18th, 2010 at 5:01 AM ^
I wouldn't say we underperformed when it really counted. Carr had some crazy winning percentage against top five teams (25%? 30%?), and even near the twilight of his career he beat a top five team in 2005 and a top ten team in 2006 (postseason rankings). Where we underperformed was against inferior opponents and when we held a slight lead going into the 4th quarter, etc.
Underperforming is also a function of being highly ranked, etc.
Iowa may not seem great on paper, but they've done better on the field than a team like Florida, which has no place in the top ten this year IMO. Even Alabama staggered through last year at times against Auburn and Tennessee.
September 18th, 2010 at 7:18 AM ^
September 18th, 2010 at 7:30 AM ^
September 18th, 2010 at 7:38 AM ^
Iowa had 6 guys taken in the 2010 NFL draft. they also no longer have ANY of that underperforming, but significant 2005 recruiting class. I think they take a step back.
September 18th, 2010 at 9:11 AM ^
but I think Wisconsin is.
September 18th, 2010 at 9:15 AM ^
... after Michigan wins.
September 18th, 2010 at 9:19 AM ^
point we will have to prove we can cover a tight end. If we can we win easy!
September 18th, 2010 at 9:36 AM ^
September 18th, 2010 at 10:04 AM ^
Iowa is a team that has always given Michigan trouble and I think this will be one our third toughest Big Ten game behind OSU and Wisconsin. That being said they are not a Top 10 team. They are a Top 20-30 team, but they are not good enough to be that high.
September 18th, 2010 at 10:08 AM ^
Last year I thought Iowa was bad until the absolutely dominated a solid Georgia Tech team in their bowl game. They lost almost nobody for this year. I no longer think they're overrated.
September 18th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^
If Stanzi is Brian Griese in '97 they're a top 5 team. If Stanzi is the Stanzi we know and love, they're 20th or so.
September 18th, 2010 at 5:18 PM ^
It only matters if we aren't also overrated.