OT: Iowa CB/Dude Cooper DeJean reportedly out for year

Submitted by MGoMike19 on November 15th, 2023 at 2:48 PM

Looks like Iowa's top playmaker is out for the year; rumor is a broken foot. Whatever (slim to none) chance they had in the B10 title game is proooobably out the window - even though I don't *think* they've wrapped up the West yet...

I can confirm that Iowa star CB/PR Cooper DeJean has sustained an injury during practice. Will likely miss the remainder of the regular season-- status unclear about potential bowl game. (This has not been made official by KF or Iowa.)https://t.co/oXi60LfSpp

— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) November 15, 2023
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LeCheezus

November 15th, 2023 at 3:45 PM ^

Your statement is really just an indictment of the B1G West.  Their defense is elite and the offense is terrible, which I think as the effect of making almost everyone on offense basically a replacement level player.  If the offense was bad with player A and you win games on the strength of defense, when player A gets injured and replaced by player B, and the offense is still bad, what's the difference?  You're still going to win with defense.

Joined: 06/11/2017

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Brhino

November 15th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^

Iowa's got a 2-game lead with two games left.  I don't hate myself enough to attempt to figure out the potential tiebreakers if they were to lose both of the next two games, but I think you're right in that they haven't clinched the division yet.

Iowa got hamblasted by the one upper-tier B1G East team they played, PSU.  And that was before losing Cade, All, and now DeJean.  PSU proved to be inferior to both UM and OSU, one of which will be in the title game... it's going to be a bloodbath.

Joined: 09/08/2009

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crg

November 15th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^

The work has already been done:

Let's start with the easy part: how IOWA locks up the title.

 

Beat Illinois this week, OR

Beat Nebraska next week, OR

Minnesota loses at least once & Nebraska loses to Wisconsin & Illinois loses to Northwestern

Win once and they're in. Even if they lose both the Hawkeyes still go to Indy if they avoid being tied with the one West team that has beat them (Minnesota) or the two West teams that still could (Illinois or Nebraska). This is simple. This is probable. This is the path of the least chaos.

 

But what's the B1G West without some chaos?

 

The clearest path for the teams not named Iowa belongs to NEBRASKA.

 

Win their final two games (@ Wisconsin, vs Iowa) AND Iowa loses to Illinois AND Minnesota loses at least once, OR

Win their final two games (@ Wisconsin, vs Iowa) AND Iowa loses to Illinois AND Northwestern loses to Illinois

Basically, winning out and having Iowa lose out would be good enough... so long as they avoid a four-way tie with Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern.

 

Then things start to get very specific. Here's what WISCONSIN has to do to win the West:

 

Win their final two games (vs Nebraska, @ Minnesota) AND Iowa loses their final two games AND Northwestern loses to Illinois

Wisconsin would lose a head-to-head tie with Iowa, and they'd lose a three-way tie with Iowa and Northwestern, but they would win a three-way tie with Iowa and Illinois.

 

What about ILLINOIS? Their suddenly-red-hot offense could still make its way to Indy if they get a bit of luck.

 

Win their final two games (@ Iowa, vs Northwestern) AND Iowa loses their final two games AND Nebraska loses to Wisconsin AND Wisconsin loses to Minnesota.

On top of winning out and Iowa losing out, they need to hope that neither Wisconsin nor Nebraska win out either. They would lose three-way tiebreakers involving Iowa and either of those two teams.

 

MINNESOTA is still alive on paper. They'll be out if (when) they lose to Ohio State next week, but the dream lives on until then...

 

Win their final two games (@ Ohio St., vs Wisconsin) AND Iowa loses their final two games AND Northwestern loses to Purdue AND Illinois loses to Northwestern, OR

Win their final two games (@ Ohio St., vs Wisconsin) AND Iowa loses their final two games AND Wisconsin loses to Nebraska AND Illinois loses to Northwestern

Minnesota wins a head-to-head tie with Iowa, and would win a three-way tie with Iowa and Nebraska. They would need to avoid Illinois being involved, as well as one specific scenario...

 

And last but not least, NORTHWESTERN has exactly one path to Indy. There are seven games left that could impact the West title race and the Wildcats need all seven to go this specific way:

 

Win their final two games (vs Purdue, @ Illinois) AND Iowa loses their final two games AND Minnesota wins their final two games AND Nebraska loses to Wisconsin

The Cats' only hope is a three-way tie atop the West involving themselves, Iowa, and Minnesota. In this scenario, the tie would be broken by their record against the teams tied for 4th (Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Illinois) which would eliminate Iowa, and the head-to-head win would eliminate Minnesota.

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S.G. Rice

November 15th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^

Man, that sucks.  Dude is a DUDE.

Also saw that punter Tory Taylor is off the the NFL after this season, he could have come back next year.

Not the best week in Hawkeyeland (Hawk Island?)

Joined: 07/18/2008

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1VaBlue1

November 15th, 2023 at 3:30 PM ^

This sucks!  He's the guy that gives their offense hope.  Without him, if the defense falls apart, they won't be playing in the B1G CG.  It's not likely that the offensive juggernaut known as the 'Iowa Offense 402' is going to carry them...

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UgLi Eric

November 15th, 2023 at 3:46 PM ^

It's like with every injury they get worse, and that somehow brings the bar down even lower for the rest of the Big 10 West. Maybe Pope Landon can do something about injuries this week in Iowatch. Do they keep getting better as their best players succumb to the Iowa disease?

Joined: 10/09/2016

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bighouseinmate

November 15th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^

That sucks for them. He’s one of those guys that plays for another b1g team that’s actually likeable. It’ll be interesting if iowas defense takes a severe downturn or if they can plug in the next man up and approximate most of his production. I don’t think they can get close in punt returns though. 

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TXWolverine44

November 15th, 2023 at 4:02 PM ^

I think mathematically it's Iowa. If Iowa loses the next 2 games, there's a big log jam in the West but Iowa has beaten everyone save Minnesota.

Minnesota is the only one with an inside track assuming they win out and tie Iowa but no way Minnesota beats OSU

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