Predictions/thoughts on Iowa versus Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is presently favored by four.
When it came to pool-picking time, my quick reaction was "How do you predict what a team will do against that unusual Ga Tech offense?" But then I got to thinking, what normally is a Ga Tech advantage in the regular season--an unusual offense that opponents have one week to prepare for--is not as much of an advantage in a bowl game. Ferentz has time to prepare.
And from what I've read, Stanzi is good to go. I like Iowa. (OK, I'm a B10 homer.)
January 1st, 2010 at 11:33 PM ^
I too think that Iowa is going to win this game. I can't give you a reason why it's just one of those feelings. I think with stanzi coming back Iowa will play well.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
I think the Miami game was instructive about the depth of that conference.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
Though perhaps not as instructive as the FSU or VT games?
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 AM ^
I think that's why the whole conference versus conference thing is so misleading and inconclusive, which pretty much renders the whole conference strength in the bowl season arguments moot.
Overall though, I find it really hard to believe that Georgia Tech will be able to run over Iowa the way they've done so many times this year. Iowa has a great front seven, and GaTech's offense is extremely one-dimensional. Personally, I don't think the combined amount of points will reach 40, unless I really underestimated Georgia Tech's offense. Other than Morgan, their defense seems pretty unspectacular, especially considering they don't have to play too much time on defense due to their ball-control offense. Georgia kind of exploited them I think, and Iowa's coaches are smart enough to do the same.
Iowa - 21
Georgia Tech - 10
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 AM ^
One-dimensional they are definitely not. Demaryius Thomas is as good a receiver as there is in either conference.
And the funny thing about the defense, Derrick Morgan is a pretty beastly pass rusher, but the line is actually considered their weakness. Very strong in the secondary.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:19 PM ^
Chucking up passes to Thomas doesn't really qualify as a decent passing game, Nesbitt is a terrible passer.
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
Iowa has an excellent pass defense, but they're actually not all that great against the run. GT poses a real challenge for them. I like GT in this game.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^
the one dimensional offense tage is so false.
2 years, 20 wins, and 1 conference title later you'd think someone would have figured it out by now
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
I wouldn't read too much into that game. Wisconsin was underslotted. They really should have been matched up with Auburn in the Outback. (I know they lost to NU head to head, but they definitely were the better overall team.)
January 1st, 2010 at 11:35 PM ^
I have Iowa as well. I am very interested to see what the Iowa defense has in store for the Ramblin Wreck and their running attack. Iowa wins 24-17. I'll promise you that this game can't be worse the Cincy UF
January 1st, 2010 at 11:55 PM ^
live twice this year. Early on against Clemson, and then the UGA game in which an average Georgia team ran all over them. They struggled to beat a so so Wake team, but they beat Va Tech and a decent NC team. They're hard to figure out. They've got some talented skill players on both sides of the ball, especially on offense with Dwyer, Nesbitt, Thomas, Allen, etc.
On paper this looks like a pretty good game.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:56 PM ^
There is no way Iowa wins that game. If preparation for GT's offense is so useful, then why did they beat Clemson twice? GT's a better team than you think.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:13 AM ^
regarding Clemson, they jumped out early in first game with a couple of big scoring plays--one on a fake field goal, if I recall. Anthony Allen broke a long run for a score. It was 21-0 I think at end of 1st Q. And after that, Clemson pretty much shut them down. Not discounting the win, but both games with Clemson went down to the wire.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
at least a 2 TD win.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:05 AM ^
I have a slight feeling that Iowa's defense > most other defenses GT has faced in the ACC
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:09 AM ^
I don't think you've seen many ACC defenses. Iowa's is good. But so are Clemson's, UNC's, and VT's.
And I have more than a slight feeling - more like a guarantee - that the Big Ten doesn't have an offense better than GT's.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
The same thing was said about Oregon and OSU.
So basically what I'm getting it is I think this game is a complete toss up
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:13 AM ^
Could be. Bowl games tend to have plenty of surprises in store. But I don't think Iowa's as good as their record, while I think GT is every bit as good as theirs.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:32 AM ^
gets a bit discounted at times for lack of star power, flashiness, and just generally being Iowa. The Penn State game and the OSU games this year impressed me, particularly the latter without Tate despite the loss. Plus they won in Madison, and in EL (albeit they squeaked that last one out). That's about as tough a road shedule you can have in the B10 and they went 3-1. The Northwestern loss was without Stanzi, and NU is pretty good.
I haven't seen as much of Iowa as I have of Tech, but what I have seen of Iowa, they strike me as legit.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:40 AM ^
and took tOSU to OT in spite of Ricky Stanzi's injury :)
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:03 AM ^
time warp moment. Not the first time Stanzi's been Drew Tate 2.0 in my head ...
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:05 AM ^
Preparing for an offense doesn't necessarily bring a win; many teams spend 1-2 weeks trying to prep, but in the end their scout teams just aren't up to par as the real thing (or even close in some cases).
I like Ferentz and Parker, but I still think Tech will escape with the win here.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:22 AM ^
Iowa with the win, further boosting the Big Ten in the eyes of ESPN (And thus, 99% of the sports population).
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^
But this was one of those game's I saw as a toss-up. GT's offense vs. Iowa's prep for bowl games. I've been a little lifted in that view by how many Navy scored vs. Missouri. Yeah, Iowa's defense is a lot better, but GT should be a lot better than Navy. And it is one of those step-up games where the 2nd or 3rd place team is playing a Conference Champ. Plus we should have beat Iowa, so how good can they be??
But either result wouldn't shock, but I'll go with 24-17, GT.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^
This just feels like an ugly one, doesn't it?
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:12 AM ^
Tough one to call. It's a fairly even match-up so I expect a close game and my guess is 21-17 Iowa. McNutt with 2 TD catches.
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:33 AM ^
Iowa 24
GT 13
Tech struggles to get much going as Iowa's D is solid up front and doesn't miss a whole bunch of tackles. They'll play smart and take care of the ball as well.
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:34 AM ^
Really, Iowa can prep all they want. GT is getting just as much time to figure out the weaknesses of Iowa's defense. Read the Smart Football article on just how tough to defend the flexbone is. OSU certainly had a tough time defending Navy's and it was their first game of the year.
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
Just like against Miami? I would hardly call anyone who has Nesbitt come out and throw 5 sraight times a genius. Smart Football's writer has admittedly put too much stock in schemes, so I would count that as a biased article. You countered your own retort in you last sentence.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:22 PM ^
Ohio State might have treated that game a tiny bit like a scrimmage, with Bauserman in the game in the second quarter and all. They were definitely looking ahead and Navy had a lucky pass to make that game look closer than it was.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:00 AM ^
I gotta go GaTech though. They have so many weapons on offense, running a scheme thats so hard to defend. Combine that with a defense that has 1 giant playmaker in Morgan and decent talent around him, and Tech will probably end up making the big defensive play that will swing a game that will be heavily dominated by clock eating offense.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:05 AM ^
It was hard to watch our boys lose the UM/Iowa game this year. I am a bar manager at one of the largest sports bars in Des Moines and had limited time to watch UM at Kinnick 2009. I don't remember the exact stat, but I think Minor's rush touchdown was the first rushing touchdown surrendered by Iowa's D in something like 10 quarters before the game. I think DRob got one as well. Does this equal hope for our rushing game next year or dismay for Iowa vs. GT? This is my first post, please feel free to tear me up. Being my first post I would like to say thank you TomVH for the work you do.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
I like Paul Johnson, but I'm rooting for Iowa.
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:53 AM ^
Looks like some folk are picking the hawkeyes to score in the 20s.Do you really think that GT will fumble the ball enough times for Iowa to score that many points?
Y'all may be right...who knows
GT 24
Iowa 9
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
this is going to be one of those random games where you say afterward 'well i wouldn't have guessed that'. well i'm going to go ahead and guess it:
iowa 42
georgia tech 17
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
GT up at the half. I think Iowa puts the clamps on GT's
offense and makes a comeback. Iowa 27 GT 24.
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
"But then I got to thinking, what normally is a Ga Tech advantage in the regular season--an unusual offense that opponents have one week to prepare for--is not as much of an advantage in a bowl game. Ferentz has time to prepare."
Maybe, maybe not.
Navy (blasted Missouri) and Air Force (almost 600 yards!) had field days against their bowl opponents, who had plenty of time to prepare for the run-first option offense.
What's most interesting is how tough Navy was on Missouri's spread offense, especially at the goal line. Looks like the extra preparation time worked out much better for Navy's defense than Mizzou's.
Stanford's now-unconventional power running game was strong in the first half but stopped up in the second half by Oklahoma, though this was helped by Stanford having to play its backup QB who was unable to really move the ball through the air.
I have no idea who will win this, but I am predicting lots of big hits. One of the most anticipated bowl games of the year for me personally.
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:21 AM ^
and that's pass defense. Georgia Tech already beat a good number of average teams this year and isn't that what Iowa is without that leverage?
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:22 AM ^
i dont think that triple option crap is going to work against a real big 10 defense (...gulp).
January 4th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^
GT has an elite coach, a QB that would have been first team all Big 10, two running backs better than anyone iowa has seen (yes Allen > Royster), and the most physically imposing WR in the nation.
Add is an offensive gameplan that makes full use of the skill position talent GT has and i dont think iowa will be able to keep up.
and yes, GT's defense has been gashed before, but Adam Robinson is not CJ Spiller or Caleb King. and ricki stanzi is definately not Jacory Harris or Christian Ponder...or even Tyrod Taylor
January 4th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
GT is going to win...1 reason is the OPTION! look at the Navy and Air Force games. Iowa will not know how to handle it and their offense is just stale. The only way Iowa can win is if there defense can play out of their minds.