2026 Iowa Off-season Thread

[Hawkinole]

The Iowa offensive line which has mostly tested best all season long -- I don't understand the metrics, won the Joe Moore Award, for the second time, since the award was established in 2015.

While I agree with the outcome, because these guys are really great, I don't understand why the skilled positions are not popping out at Iowa since they have such easy going behind a great offensive line.
Iowa football wins 2025 Joe Moore Award as nation's outstanding O-line
Iowa football wins 2025 Joe Moore Award as nation's outstanding O-line

[FearlessF]

yes, my question is how does the offense struggle with the best Oline in the country?

well, that's your question

I can understand the passing game if the QB and WRs aren't good, but,........ the running game should be putting up very good numbers and points

[ManHawk]

I have a related question.

How can Iowa have the 2nd most players in the Pro Bowl this year and not one conference championship  since 2005?

Georgia has the most pro bowl players with 6.  Iowa is tied for 2nd  most with 5 players.

OT Tristen Wirfs
C Tyler Linderbaum
TE George Kittle
CB Cooper DeJean
LB Jack Campbell

[FearlessF]

Kirk obviously can develop talent

guessing not many 4 & 5 stars on that list coming out of high school

[ELA]

It's also such an extreme bar.  Iowa has 5.  Even if they were all there at the same time, that's probably 2-3 more players, at most, than any other great team.  On a roster of 100.  So Iowa could have had the most elite NFL talent, without having the most NFL talent, or even most top end college talent.

Plus...

Wirfs - 17-19
Linderbaum - 18-21
Kittle - 12-16
DeJean - 21-23
Campbell - 19-22

So, they only overlapped in 2018 (2), 2019 (3), 2020 (2), 2021 (3), and 2022 (2)

And in some of those years, you are counting on first and second year players.  The only year they had multiple of those as upperclassmen, was 2021, with a junior Jack Campbell and a senior Tyler Linderbaum.  And FWIW, that team did make it the the CCG.  How it went, once they got there...

[FearlessF]

  Brian Ferentz was the offensive coordinator  2017 - 2023

[ManHawk]

It's also such an extreme bar.  Iowa has 5.  Even if they were all there at the same time, that's probably 2-3 more players, at most, than any other great team.  On a roster of 100.  So Iowa could have had the most elite NFL talent, without having the most NFL talent, or even most top end college talent.

Plus...

Wirfs - 17-19
Linderbaum - 18-21
Kittle - 12-16
DeJean - 21-23
Campbell - 19-22

So, they only overlapped in 2018 (2), 2019 (3), 2020 (2), 2021 (3), and 2022 (2)

And in some of those years, you are counting on first and second year players.  The only year they had multiple of those as upperclassmen, was 2021, with a junior Jack Campbell and a senior Tyler Linderbaum.  And FWIW, that team did make it the the CCG.  How it went, once they got there...

Uh yes, 2021 was such an interesting year.  Iowa climbed all the way to #2 in the AP rankings after beating 3 ranked teams at the time, Indiana, Iowa St and Penn St.  Then reality came.  None of the teams Iowa beat were ranked at the end of the season.  Still Iowa did win the Big Ten West before being clobbered by Mich in the CCG.

[FearlessF]

[847badgerfan]

Wisconsin has 4 if you count the WR that ickell ran off to Florida for his senior year.

Idiot.

[FearlessF]

check the 24 pro bowlers from the bottom group....  not many 4 & 5 star recruits from Wyoming, Cincy, Tulsa, Maine, Toledo, Utah, Minnesoota, Weber St. Colorado St. BYU, Boise, Illinois, and others.

maybe Florida & South Carolina & North Carolina - maybe