#18 Wisconsin (2-1) at Iowa (3-0) Game Week

[Temp430]

Wisconsin is favored by 3.5 at this point.  Night games in Kinnick are a nightmare.  So after that BYU loss Chryst better have their heads screwed on right for this one.

[TyphonInc]

IMHO - Wisconsin's coaching staff is top notch, they will use the BYU game as a reality check. And come out "Guns Blazing"

Because they are so related /s I predicted the TCU/OSU Game would have been a blow out one way or the other, so I'm predicting this game will be a slugfest that remains within one score till the waning moments.

I ranked Iowa Higher in my power rankings, and will back that up with a divination of 17-26 victory for the Hawkeyes.  

[Brutus Buckeye]

This game has to be for the B1G West title. Who else has a realistic shot?

[MrNubbz]

This should be a great game to watch - I'm circling & highlighting it.The Fighting Ferentz's want to even the score from last season's drubbing.Bucky has to get it back on track here & now - definitely a sense of urgency there.Factoring in Herky's need for  vengeance and a home game under the lights - I'm lining up the popcorn and pilsner as we speak

[847badgerfan]

I had this one circled as a loss as soon as it was set for a night game. There is no reason to change that outlook now. UW comes out of this one with a 20-13 loss, a 2-2 record and unranked.

[fezzador]

While I liked Iowa's offensive output this past Saturday, that was against a seriously-outmanned UNI squad that got worn down quickly.  Going up against Wisconsin's 3-4 is a whole different animal.  They won't wear down nearly as easily.


I'll admit that I didn't watch a lick of the UW-BYU game, so I'm hoping that Brian F. paid attention to the Y's attack plan.  Iowa is going to at least need moderate success throwing the ball to win; conversely it seems to be the same for Wisconsin.  Whichever defense does the better job of pressuring the QB is almost certainly going to belong to the winning team.  

I did like Iowa's use of the up-tempo offense, I think they'll need to do that again to keep the Badger D on its heels.  The signature Hawkeye methodical drives are going to play right into UW's strengths.

Wisconsin is favored in this contest, and rightfully so.  BYU played a very good game, UW played a mediocre game and it came back to bite them.  I fully expect to see Wisconsin be Wisconsin again and force Iowa to throw the ball to beat them.  Again - good to see some success against Northern Iowa, but it won't be nearly as easy this time.  Although Iowa hasn't forgotten their last loss to Wisconsin, the loss to BYU is much fresher and the Badgers will come out angry and with a chip on their shoulder, as if they're the ones with something to prove (and in a sense, they do).

Look for two stellar defenses to shine, and every point scored will be well-earned.  Heart says Hawks, head says Badgers.

19-17 UW.

[847badgerfan]

If Neuville and Van Ginkle cannot play, I can't see any possibility of a UW win. Their absence after the first quarter was noticeable on Saturday.

[847badgerfan]

If Neuville and Van Ginkle cannot play, I can't see any possibility of a UW win. Their absence after the first quarter was noticeable on Saturday.

Both are listed as questionable.

[LittlePig]

This will be an interesting test for Iowa's defense.  I could be wrong, but I believe Iowa first string defense has only given up 3 points in 3 games.  All other scores were garbage time scores against 2nd string.

Still, Iowa is still figuring out who are the 3 best LB's to play, especially at MLB,  which has had some issues. Wisconsin's RB could maybe exploit this.  

Iowa has been compensating with possibly the best defensive line in its history.  Well, if not the best, then at least it is without a doubt the deepest line with 8 different players that could start on most Big Ten squads.  The secondary is young but so far has been shutting down opposing passers, again with the help of a defensive line that has been getting a bunch of sacks.

If Iowa's defense can shut down Wisconsin the same way it shut down Iowa State,  then Iowa has chance to pull the upset.

[fezzador]

This will be an interesting test for Iowa's defense.  I could be wrong, but I believe Iowa first string defense has only given up 3 points in 3 games.  All other scores were garbage time scores against 2nd string.

Still, Iowa is still figuring out who are the 3 best LB's to play, especially at MLB,  which has had some issues. Wisconsin's RB could maybe exploit this.  

Iowa has been compensating with possibly the best defensive line in its history.  Well, if not the best, then at least it is without a doubt the deepest line with 8 different players that could start on most Big Ten squads.  The secondary is young but so far has been shutting down opposing passers, again with the help of a defensive line that has been getting a bunch of sacks.

If Iowa's defense can shut down Wisconsin the same way it shut down Iowa State,  then Iowa has chance to pull the upset.

Agreed.  A great defensive line can often make life a lot easier for young linebackers/secondary.

Iowa is going to most likely load up the box and put 8-9 guys to commit to the run early and often.  Taylor, and not Hornibrook, is the centerpiece of the Wisconsin offense, and since Hornibrook isn't having a particularly strong year so far, the Iowa D may force him to try and beat them.  Wisconsin has a whale of a line though, so it isn't about to be pushed around without pushing back. 
Iowa does have some question marks as far as its line (especially the interior) is concerned - it did give up a couple of sacks to UNI on Saturday so they really need to tighten up and keep Stanley in the pocket.  He's a pure pocket passer and isn't the best at making throws under pressure.  He seems to have improved his deep ball, but his mid-range throws are a bit off.  Maybe it's simply a rhythm thing, he really seemed to be at his best when they upped the tempo some.

[FearlessF]

I expect a great game - slugfest

unknown how the wins and loss will affect either team

Iowa could be basking in their 3-0 start and their press clippings (bad)

Wisconsin would be hurting from the early loss and feeling sorry for themselves (bad)

or they could both be highly motivated

I give a very slight edge to the Badgers on the road at night, but think it will be a very close game decided by a few penalties and turnovers as usual

team that makes the fewest big mistakes wins

[Hawkinole]

Having gone to the Iowa-Wisconsin game last season, and seeing the worst offensive coordinator work in recent memory from Iowa, I hope they learned a lesson. Wisconsin would stack 8 men in the box on 1st and 2nd down. Iowa would run 1st and 2nd down -- every time. Iowa would be nowhere near the 1st down marker. Wisconsin would drop back into pass coverage on 3rd down, and every time they didn't run they'd try to pass a short lame one on 3rd down. The result: 25 yards rushing; 8/24 passing for 41 yards. Total offense 66-yards, and 32 yards of penalties. Iowa's defense scored twice on interceptions. It was the dumbest damned game plan in history, if there was a plan.

A week earlier against Ohio State, Stanley threw the ball vertically, and well, and on 1st down. Mixed in the run and scored 55 against Ohio State. The play at Wisconsin against a good team, was imbecilic. It was the same old stuff Iowa tries that doesn't work against a good defense.

Ferentz has talked since after the bowl game about how if you are in the Western Division you have to beat Wisconsin to get to the championship game. They put the O-Line coach on the video screen studying Wisconsin video this summer. I know they have put some effort into this game. I just hope the Iowa O-Coordinator has put some thought into the game.

I can't predict. Wisconsin is a good team, has good personnel, a very good O-Line from what I have seen. Mixes it up pretty good on offense. And has a good defense too. They play a lot like Iowa. I think Wisconsin is better on offense by a long shot, and not quite as good defensively.

Home field in this series means nothing.

[FearlessF]

home field might not seem to matter in the series record, but the difference between playing night games in either stadium is a helluva lot more than nothing.

I heard O-coordinator Brian Ferentz set some records vs UNI.  Hopefully this gives him confidence to try some things down field vs the Badger's defense.

[fezzador]

Having gone to the Iowa-Wisconsin game last season, and seeing the worst offensive coordinator work in recent memory from Iowa, I hope they learned a lesson. Wisconsin would stack 8 men in the box on 1st and 2nd down. Iowa would run 1st and 2nd down -- every time. Iowa would be nowhere near the 1st down marker. Wisconsin would drop back into pass coverage on 3rd down, and every time they didn't run they'd try to pass a short lame one on 3rd down. The result: 25 yards rushing; 8/24 passing for 41 yards. Total offense 66-yards, and 32 yards of penalties. Iowa's defense scored twice on interceptions. It was the dumbest damned game plan in history, if there was a plan.

A week earlier against Ohio State, Stanley threw the ball vertically, and well, and on 1st down. Mixed in the run and scored 55 against Ohio State. The play at Wisconsin against a good team, was imbecilic. It was the same old stuff Iowa tries that doesn't work against a good defense.

Ferentz has talked since after the bowl game about how if you are in the Western Division you have to beat Wisconsin to get to the championship game. They put the O-Line coach on the video screen studying Wisconsin video this summer. I know they have put some effort into this game. I just hope the Iowa O-Coordinator has put some thought into the game.

I can't predict. Wisconsin is a good team, has good personnel, a very good O-Line from what I have seen. Mixes it up pretty good on offense. And has a good defense too. They play a lot like Iowa. I think Wisconsin is better on offense by a long shot, and not quite as good defensively.

Home field in this series means nothing.

I think the offenses are closer than you think.  I do think Wisconsin has the edge in the running game, but the passing game (especially sans Cephus) isn't much better than Iowa's.  Hornibrook hasn't exactly impressed this year so far.  If the Iowa D-line can establish some pressure, look for lots of Badger 3-and-outs (and yes, I fully expect plenty of Hawkeye 3-and-outs too).
It might come down to penalties, turnovers, and short fields.  Iowa needs Recinos to be sharp because they'll likely need every point they can get.  20 points probably would be enough to win this.