Obligatory "Is Iowa a Rival" Thread
- Thread starter Mavric
- Start date
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
Their problem is that their O line was always their strength. If that’s gone to hell, they don’t have much.
gobiggergoredder
All-American
Huskerfollower4life
All-Conference
I mean that's how we all feel not just about Iowa but every team that plays against us but even still we don't want to give Iowa the motivation to beat us bc we need to get past them in order to establish success.
Red Five
Heisman Trophy Winner
It's Iowa. Brian Ferentz cratered their QB play, and it has continued to be terrible under a new OC.
Iowa QBs by year
2025 Mark Granowski QBR 27.2
2024 Cade McNamara QBR 37.2
2023 Deacon Hill QBR 18.5
2022 Spencer Petras QBR 31.4
2021 Spencer Petras QBR 49.2
2020 Spencer Petras QBR 61.4
2019 Nate Stanley QBR 66.1
2018 Nate Stanley QBR 73.5
(For reference, Haarberg had a QBR of 38.8 in 2023 and Dylan had a QBR of 63.8 last year.)
Look at Cade McNamara. Dude took Michigan to the CFP (when it was just 4 teams) and then was Iowa'd. Same thing is happening to Gronowski.
2021 Cade McNamara at Michigan had a QBR of 75.4
<2022 JJ beats out Cade McNamara at Michigan and he transfers to Iowa>
2023 Cade McNamara at Iowa had a QBR of 31.0
2024 Cade McNamara at Iowa had a QBR of 37.2
Husker_In_WI
Guest
I think you have to blame their scouting to some degree as well. McNamara and Gronowski were both coming off of major injuries - and the McNamara got hurt right away again, which is just bad luck. But Gronowski looks terrible, and then when he makes a good throw their receivers can't even catch it.
It'll probably improve as he knocks some rust off, but big as he is I don't think he'll survive 13 carries a game. It's not just the Penn State and Oregon games, Rutgers, Indiana, and Minnesota are going to put some hits on him. They can run the ball ok, but they (like ASU with Skattebo) are learning that replacing an elite back with good ones is a significant downgrade. If his arm doesn't come around and receivers don't take a leap the QB run game is probably their only option, but it is not sustainable IMO. He's not quick enough to avoid hits, and while he's big enough to absorb the contact pretty well he doesn't really seem to punish defenders.
Corn Train
Four-Star Recruit
Hell yeah, parlay it!
Crusader Husker
All-Conference
Of course, Akron is on this list, but also....
www.cbssports.com
College football rankings: Florida, Oklahoma State, Iowa, West Virginia sink into Bottom 25
The second Bottom 25 of the season is out, and it features some Power Four newcomers
www.cbssports.com
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
SuperBigFan69
Head Coach
This is really the truth of it.
Iowa fans are already crying about they know they can never actually compete and never make the playoffs because they don't have the resources. And, it is true.
They are a poverty program, they have no NIL and they can't compete on that level.
Hilltop
All-Conference
That's true right now but there is plenty of money in Iowa if they put the right product on the field. It would be a slow and improbable build though.
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
The bigger issue I see is that they would have to get rid of their current coach and go out and spend a ton of money getting someone else. I don't see either of those happening within the next few years.