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The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: Hawkinole on December 23, 2025, 12:51:35 AM

Title: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: Hawkinole on December 23, 2025, 12:51:35 AM
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 (https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2025/12/22/iowa-football-2025-joe-moore-award-offensive-line/87793168007/)
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on December 23, 2025, 08:55:49 AM
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
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on December 23, 2025, 07:08:00 PM
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
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on December 23, 2025, 11:16:00 PM
Kirk obviously can develop talent

guessing not many 4 & 5 stars on that list coming out of high school
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ELA on December 24, 2025, 12:11:29 PM
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...
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on December 24, 2025, 12:16:20 PM
  Brian Ferentz was the offensive coordinator  2017 - 2023
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on December 24, 2025, 01:46:09 PM
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.
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on December 24, 2025, 06:04:27 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/xmFpu3h.png)
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 25, 2025, 07:07:01 AM
Wisconsin has 4 if you count the WR that ickell ran off to Florida for his senior year.

Idiot.
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on December 25, 2025, 11:18:01 AM
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
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on April 14, 2026, 06:07:22 PM
https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-football-tampering-violations-kirk-ferentz-suspension-cade-mcnamara/71016306

Iowa forced to vacate 4 victories from 2022 due violating tampering rules when recruiting Cade McNamara from the portal.

The guy ended up being a total bust.   I guess the only good thing in hindsight was that he got hurt early enough in the 2022 season that Iowa did not have to vacate all its wins that season.
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on April 14, 2026, 07:50:21 PM
Just trying figure out how this affects Kirk Ferentz's overall record and his chances to get into the college hall of fame. The rules are you must have an overall record above .600 to be elligilble as head coach.

Kirk Ferentz overall record before vacated wins; 225-149 (.6016)

Now subtract 4 vacated wins in 2023

Then subtract 1 win in 2024 that Ferentz sat out for a suspension due to the same McNamara tampering issue.

Total overall record with vacated wins:
220-149 (.596)

If I did that right, does that mean he is still elligilbe for the hall of fame? I know they made an exception for Mike Leach. In the end does it matter?

Edit:  I guess they don't add 4 losses when you vacate 4 wins.  They just take away the 4 wins.  So I guess Ferentz overall record with vacated wins is 220-149 (.596).    So technically that's still below .600 but now it at least rounds up to .600. 
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on April 16, 2026, 08:22:00 AM
Big Ten football coaching wins leaders (updated)

*Note: This is total wins while coaching a Big Ten team, not wins against Big Ten opponents

1. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, 1999-present (209 wins)
2. Woody Hayes, Ohio State, 1951-78 (205 wins)
3. Amos Alonzo Stagg, Chicago, 1896-1932 (199)
4. Bo Schembechler, Michigan, 1969-89 (194)
5. Joe Paterno, Penn State, 1993-2011 (162)
6. Hayden Fry, Iowa, 1979-98 (143)
7. Henry Williams, Minnesota, 1900-21 (136)
8. Robert Zuppke, Illinois, 1913-41 (131)
9. Lloyd Carr, Michigan, 1995-2007 (122)
10. Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin, 1990-2014 (118)
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on April 16, 2026, 08:25:44 AM
Kirk is going in the college hall of fame
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: ManHawk on April 16, 2026, 12:14:07 PM
Kirk is going in the college hall of fame
Yeah, I guess after the HOF changed the criteria to get Mike Leach in,  they decided to make it a permanent change.   So now the minimum winning % for a head coach is 0.595 instead of .600.  So as long as he keeps winning at a 60% rate until he retires,  he's in.   

I also have a hunch Iowa is going to appeal the 4 vacated wins as an excessive penalty, which I agree with.
Title: Re: 2026 Iowa Off-season Thread
Post by: FearlessF on April 17, 2026, 11:12:34 AM
in my opinion, it doesn't really matter

other folks might care