The Iowa Hawkeyes went 8-5 last year bouncing back from a disastrous 2012 campaign, in which they went 4-8. This year they have 13 starters back and a rather easy schedule, which means this will be a dangerous team in the newly formed Big 10 West Division. Preview & Schedule are below.
The Hawkeyes put up a modest 26.3 ppg, which was a full TD more than they averaged in 2012. This year they have 8 starters back on this side of the ball, including QB Jake Ruddock, who threw for 2383 yards and 18 TDs, but he did have 13 INTs. This year he should be a bit more consistent. The running game looks to be very solid with 3 players back that had at least 457 yards last year, including Marc Weisman, who led the team with 975 yards and 8 TD last year. The passing game isn’t a hug part of this team, but there are 4 players that return, who had at least 270 yards receiving last year. Iowa also landed a top 50 WR in Jay Scheel. The OL is the strength of the offense, with 3 starters back, while all 5 on the line were in the top 88 when they came out of HS. Very talented line. The Hawkeyes allowed just 18.9 pgg last year, but they may be hard pressed to match that this year with just 5 starters back. The LB corp will be the weakness of this defense as they lose all 3 starters. They do have a couple of highly touted players in Reggie Spearman and Quinton Alston, but it will take some time for them to gel. The DL should be the strength of the defense, with 3 of 4 starters back including Louis Trincata-Pasat, who had 7 TFL and a sack last year. The secondary is average at best with just 2 of 4 starters back, while the secondary is a bit young with 2 of their 4 starters being sophomores.
The Hawkeyes really don’t have the overall talent to be in the Big 10 Title especially on the defensive side of the ball where they lost a lot of talent. The two things they really have in their favor is a better offense than last year and a rather easy schedule. The Hawkeyes get Northern Iowa, Ball State and Iowa State at home to start the year and they get Indiana, Northwestern, Nebraska and Wisconsin at home. On the road in the Big 10 they get Maryland, Purdue, Minnesota and Illinois. Avoiding Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State out of the East is huge for this team. Their toughest part of the schedule maybe ending the season at home vs Wisconsin and Nebraska but this team will be much at the end of the and winning at least 1 of those two games may be just enough to put them in the big 10 Title game. For now I will call for a very good year and a 2nd place finish in the West. KEY TREND: Visitor in the Illinois series is 0-7 ATS
2014 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Schedule
Aug. 30 Northern Iowa
Sep. 6 Ball State
Sep. 13 Iowa State
Sep. 20 at Pitt
Sep. 27 at Purdue
Oct. 4 OPEN DATE
Oct. 11 Indiana
Oct. 18 at Maryland
Oct. 25 OPEN DATE
Nov. 1 Northwestern
Nov. 8 at Minnesota
Nov. 15 at Illinois
Nov. 22 Wisconsin
Nov. 29 Nebraska
Info gathered From Phil Steele's CFB Preview and Athlon Sports
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