Under head coach Kirk Ferentz, Iowa has put together a number of successful seasons. In his first 13 years on the job, he has led the Hawkeyes to at least seven wins in nine of the past 11 seasons. This year, another 7 win season is definitely within reach.
Iowa could just have easily won nine games last year if it wasn't for some very close contests that they let slip away in the form of an Iowa State overtime loss and one point heartbreaker against Minnesota. The schedule once again seems to favor the Hawkeyes, but they need to adjust to new coordinators Greg Davies and Phil Parker.
Nfl 2012
The changes to the coaching staff might just work out well for Iowa since they had gotten stale and predictable on both sides of the ball.
Offense
Senior quarterback, James Vandenberg might very well be the best pure passer in the Big Ten. He threw for 3,032 yards with 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2011. While he will certainly miss Marvin McNutt's excellent play as the school's all-time leading receiver, the presence of Keenan Davis will still make life easier for Vandenberg. Davis caught 50 passes for 713 yards and four scores last season.
Sophomore wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manly seems to be coming into his own, showing flashes of brilliance last year. Look for him to be even more productive in 2012 in a larger role.
With Iowa being known for having good tight ends, it looks as though C.J. Fiedorowics might just be the latest player to be added on that list and have a bright future with the NFL on the horizon.
Iowa's offensive line might be decimated with the loss of three starters, and they will definitely miss the play of All-Big Ten left tackle Riley Reiff.
Coming into the new season, the running back position seems to be the biggest area of concern for the Hawkeyes. Last year's leading rusher, Marcus Coker, has left the program and the guy that was supposed to replace him, Jordan Canzeri, had a debilitating knee injury that will sideline him for the season. Now it seems as though Damon Bullock, the unproven sophomore, will get the starting job.
Defense
Iowa was a regular fixture among the elite defensive teams in the nation for a number of seasons until they drastically fell off last year. The Hawkeyes finished just eighth in the Big Ten in both total and scoring defense with 378.9 yards and 23.9 points allowed. Their struggles were even more apparent against the pass as they would repeatedly fail to mount much of a pass rush.
Parker is expected to blitz more to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but he'll also be counting on end Dominic Alvis and tackle Steve Bigach to get penetration.
Big Ten Legends Prediction: 4th Place
Iowa has had years where they overachieved and 2012 could prove to be one of those years. The Hawkeyes have very little chance to win the Legends division but they could finish as high as second with a relatively easy schedule.
2012 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Predictions
Jack Jones posts his football picks at Betfirms.com as well as FootballFreePicks.com.
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