does anyone else think Iowa is overrated?

Yes.

well Minor had a lot to do with us being in that game.. We still don't know what robinson can do against great defenses, and if he will hold up.  Hopefully he will and we have a RB by that wk.  It is still way too early to tell..

Iowa's a year better too.

they have a solid defense.  But Ricky Stanzi is a turnover machine and I don't like their wide receivers that much.  Dececent run game, but the offense isn't too impressive.

I think thy are top 20, but certainly not top 10.  I don't see them getting back to the BCS this season.

like, at all IMO.  I'd say it's a pure toss-up when they face us.

Last year was last year. Just because we almost beat them last year doesn't mean anything for this year. Are they overrated? Maybe. Are we overrated? Maybe. Two games into the season no team has really earned their ranking yet anyway.

It wasn't quite Hail Mary in all fairness.  There was more time left than that and we were moving.  It was really just a misread - in that area DR will of course be dramatically improved.  We are better...whether Iowa is we will have to wait and see.

If you can definitively tell me why a team that went 11-2 last year, returns a good core of its team(i.e not losing program defining QBs a la Florida and Texas) and has pasted its weak competition shouldn't be in the Top 10 I'd love to hear it.  Could we beat them? Yeah I think our offense matches up pretty well against their D and their more smashmouth style matches up better against our seemingly improved run D.  However, I can't say they don't deserver their ranking and might rank them a couple spots higher than the AP or Coaches poll 

They were definitely overrated last season, but chances are they've improved. I still don't buy in to Stanzi being a good quarterback, but they've got a pretty strong team. I'm looking forward to this game after we (hopefully) beat MSU*.

*knocks on wood

We did a lot of beating ourselves last year.  If the turnover battle is even this year, I love our chances.  Especially since we haven't shown all of the wrinkles in are playbook.

Last year was probably not as close as it looked. They were perfectly content to let Robinson run the ball down the field against them and take three minutes of the remaining five off the clock, because they knew he couldn't beat them with his arm if he only had a minute left. Would he be able to this year? Maybe. But they probably wouldn't give up the running yards as easily, either.

No. In a country with more than 300 million people it's unlikely that anyone else feels this way.

I think we'll figure out if our tackles are as solid as they seem after playing Clayborn.  Also, it will be interesting to see the zone read vs. a really good DE.

DR killed it on the drive at Iowa last year - with last year's knowledge/playbook in his head, and with last year's line which especially by that time was no where near as good as it is this year.

The notion that they just let him do this makes no sense at all. The game may have been less close with Tate running the offense, but what I remember is a game where Michigan was competitive and I cannot imagine Iowa slacking off with Robinson entering and bringing to the game a completely different dynamic.

Another note to this - that defensive line was as tough as anything DR will face. He got smacked around throughout that drive, including a good one by Adrian Clayborn. He got right back up every time and kept on going.

I guess we'll find out who's overrated and who isn't in October.  And, for that matter, we'll find out in November, too.

I think we will play both IA and WI tough at home.  These may be close games but I think we could take one or may be both games at home.  We may be surprised at how many points we will score on these two good defenses!  My only hope is that our D will not give up more points!  But I think we will take at least one of these two at home!

I thought Iowa was extremely overrated last year but they've been dominant so far. We'll find out just how good they are tomorrow.

They have a tough game tomorrow night playing at Arizona - that will say a lot about where they are.  My impression so far is that Stanzi is improved.  Last year, he was Rick-6, giving away a bad interception early in too many games, including against Michigan.  He seems more patient this year, but they've only played Eastern Illinois and a very meh Iowa State team (who beat Minn in a bowl game last year).  Their D line is going to be one of the biggest tests our O line will face this year.

But not really.

They remind me an awful lot of how we used to be back in the Carr days; going into every season with a cast of big names and a lot of hype, but ultimately underperfoming when it really counts, often against inferior teams.  I said before the season that I think they could be ripe for Coach Rod's annual "beat the first ranked team to come in to the Big House in thrilling last-minute fashion" game.  *Note: Utah was not ranked in week 1 of the '08 season; Wisconsin was the first ranked team we played at home that year.

Past history is not an indication of future performance. Please see your financial advisor for complete details and a prospectus. In all seriousness, though, last year was last year. They're a year older and wiser. They haven't played good teams yet, but the Iowa State game they easily won. That's at least as much due to how good they are, as how bad Iowa State is. And, Iowa State is in an automatically qualifying conference, (one of the better ones) so its not like they played Baby Seal U. Never underestimate a Kirk Ferentz team.

Maybe I'm old school, but you don't break out the overrated chant till late in the fourth quarter of a blowout. IIRC, Iowa was one of the big ten teams that won their bowl games last year. They deserve the ranking until they lose.

Iowa had 6 guys taken in the 2010 NFL draft. they also no longer have ANY of that underperforming, but significant 2005 recruiting class. I think they take a step back.

but I think Wisconsin is.

point we will have to prove we can cover a tight end. If we can we win easy!

 

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Last year I thought Iowa was bad until the absolutely dominated a solid Georgia Tech team in their bowl game.  They lost almost nobody for this year.  I no longer think they're overrated.

If Stanzi is Brian Griese in '97 they're a top 5 team.  If Stanzi is the Stanzi we know and love, they're 20th or so.

It only matters if we aren't also overrated.