SATURDAy, SEPTEMBER 5 Iowa vs. ILLINOIS STATE Kinnick Stadium
PREGAME
KIRK FERENTZ, THE LINEMAN WHISPERER Inside: Aaron Mends, the wild card
22 -- The The Daily Daily Iowan Iowan -- PREGAME PREGAME -- Iowa Iowa City, City, Iowa Iowa -- Friday, Friday, September September 4,19,2015 2014
GUIDE
STAFF
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Publisher: 335-5788 William Casey Editor: 335-6030 Stacey Murray Pregame Editor: 335-5848 Danny Payne Sports Editor : 335-5848 Ian Murphy Jordan Hansen Copy Chief: 335-5855 Beau Elliot Design Editor: 335-5855 Pat Lyne Photo Editor: 335-5852 Josh Housing
REMEMBER When WHEN ... Remember
Actually, we don’t remember when. Iowa and Illinois State have never played. If Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney has his way and Big Ten teams stop playing FCS schools, they’ll never play again.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents
4 6 8
Cover Story Twenty-seven Iowa players have been drafted or had a stint in the NFL since Ferentz took over in 1999. What makes them successful, and will anyone on this offensive line add to that number?
Inside Feature Kirk Ferentz called Iowa linebacker Aaron Mends a wild card because he’s very physically gifted. What, and how prominent of a role will the redshirt freshman have in 2015?
By The Numbers The Redbirds may have had the best offense in the Football Championship Subdivision last year, but in 2015 could be more one-dimensional.
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Point/Counterpoint Will Iowa’s win total be over or under 7.5 wins this season? Two DI staffers debate.
Around the Big Ten Our weekly conference power rankings, plus some players and this week’s big game to watch.
On The Line Check out the DI’s predictions on some of this week’s biggest games.
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Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff blocks Pitt defensive lineman Darryl Render during the game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. Iowa defeated Pitt, 24-20. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
The lineman pipeline
By Jordan Hansen jordan-hansen@uiowa.edu
Since Kirk Ferentz took over the Iowa football team in 1999, 14 offensive linemen have been drafted by NFL teams, and another 13 have signed as free agents. Of those, 12 ended their careers having played at least two years. Ten made NFL training camp rosters this season. It’s certainly no secret Iowa has had success developing linemen who meet the standard to play the game at its highest level. In fact, the Hawks have had more offensive linemen drafted since 1999 than just five other schools — Wis-
consin, Alabama, Florida State, Miami (Florida), and Notre Dame. But the question remains: what makes Iowa linemen such a valued commodity? “It starts with the people,” strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle said. “Kirk Ferentz is the best offensive-line coach in the country and learned from the best in Joe Moore.” The late Moore, who is considered among the best offensive-line coaches ever, coached impressive lines at both Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Ferentz crossed paths with Moore when he was a graduate assistant on the Panther staff in 1980. Soon after, Ferentz began his first stint
Twenty-seven Iowa players have been drafted or had a stint in the NFL since Ferentz took over in 1999. at Iowa as the offensive-line coach from 1981-89. After three years as the head coach at Maine, Ferentz went back to coaching offensive lines, though this time in the NFL. From 1993-95, he was with the Cleveland Browns and then with the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-98. When he returned to Iowa a year later as the head coach, he brought with him plenty of experience coaching linemen, something he still has his hands on to this day. “His fingerprints are all over everything,” Doyle said. “People carried the torch from time to time — Joe Philbin carried that torch onto Reese Morgan and then to Brian Ferentz, but through
all of that entire time, the commonality is that Kirk has been present.” Continuity has been a strong theme of the program, and Philbin, Morgan, and Brian Ferentz have been Iowa’s only offensive-line coaches in Kirk Ferentz’s 17 years. Philbin, now the Miami Dolphins head coach, spent 1999-2002 as the offensive line coach, before moving on to the professional leagues. Morgan, who was already on the staff as the tight-end coach, then took over for Philbin. Morgan coached the offensive line until the 2011 season, when he switched to the defensive side of the ball. See COVER, 10
GO HAWKS!
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Iowa’s wild card on deck Aaron Mends will play a role this season for Iowa. What will it be? By Danny Payne daniel-payne-1@uiowa.edu
During his freshman season at Iowa, Aaron Mends briefly found himself in a position he didn’t think he’d play at all during his college career. The outside linebacker from Kansas City, Missouri, took reps on the other side of the ball, at fullback. Mends, now back at a more natural spot as weak-side linebacker, would be the first to admit that experiment didn’t go as planned. “I’m a stronger guy, so people think I can do a lot, but I didn’t weigh enough to be a Big Ten fullback,” Mends said. “It didn’t work out like we thought it would.” It’s tough to blame Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff for giving it a shot. After all, it was planned to be a temporary move from the get-go, making it a low-risk situation. It’s also a testament to Mends’ physical skills. No one in their right mind believes a 6-foot, 212-pound linebacker could actually succeed at that position, but Mends was lauded for his quickness and ability to hit coming out of high school. His coaches in Iowa City agreed, so the Hawkeyes took a try. Now listed as weak side linebacker Cole Fisher’s co-backup with Bo Bower, it’s time for Mends to find his role. At minimum, those skills should give him a prominent role on special teams. But, then again, his role could be more. “Aaron Mends is a wild card,” Ferentz said. “How quickly he can learn to play in the system is probably the best way, which is what all young players have to learn. I’d say he’s further behind … because he hasn’t really had experience.” In addition to Fisher and Bower, Mends is also behind Josey Jewell and Ben Niemann, all of whom (with the exception of Niemann) have at least one year of college experience on him. So how does Mends get past that wild card role? How does he hone his craft and cement himself in the rotation? As Ferentz said, the key is the mental game.
“When you’re a freshman, you don’t know what’s going on,” linebacker coach Jim Reid said. “It’s hard to hone in. You run some scout team, other people’s defenses. Then, when you get to do what you do here, Iowa defense, it’s not going to happen in four, five practices.” To help get Mends and some of his other players up to speed, Reid isn’t afraid to let his players make mistakes, at least in camp and perhaps early in the season. He said he’d rather have them play fast and physical than fail to make a play because they think they’re doing something wrong. He sees it as his job to put them in the right place to be successful. Reid said Mends takes full advantage of that. Again, he’s a physically gifted player, but to take that next step, he has to put in his time. “I’m a lot less experienced than the rest of the players out there, so obviously, that’s an issue,” Mends said. “I haven’t played in a college football game yet. I just do my best to work as hard as I can, but we’re not going to be able to see what I can do until we’re out in the stadium.” To what capacity Mends will be on the field and in what role is something we’re not sure of. But make no mistake: Mends will play a role for Iowa this season. It just won’t be at fullback. “He’s a guy who you could be talking about by the end of the year no doubt,” Reid said. “He’s got a role, no question. How big a role? “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
The Mends Profile • Year: Redshirt Freshman • Height: 6-foot • Weight: 212 pounds • Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri (Winnetonka) Source: hawkeyesports.com
Iowa linebacker Aaron Mends walks out to talk to reporters during Media Day at the Iowa football practice field on Aug. 8, 2015. Mends redshirted in 2014. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
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Iowa defensive lineman Drew Ott and defensive back Desmond King tackle Ball State wide receiver Roy Denson in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014. Ott led the team with 13 tackles on the game. Iowa defeated Ball State, 17-13. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
By the Numbers: Iowa vs. Illinois State
By Charlie Green charles-j-green@uiowa.edu
Average rush by running quarterbacks against Iowa in 2014: 5.6 yards At times in 2014, dual-threat quarterbacks crippled Iowa in both close and not-so-close games. Four times last season, the Hawks allowed an opposing quarterback to rush for more than 60 yards, one of them being Wisconsin backup Tanner McEvoy — a player defenses know is going to run the ball when he’s on the field. Mitch Leidner also torched the Hawks for 77 yards on 11 carries in the blowout 51-14 loss to Minnesota. And of course, no performance was more daunting than Tennessee’s Joshua
Dobbs in the TaxSlayer Bowl, in which he ran for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries. Iowa actually lost to every running quarterback it came into contact with last season, except for Riley O’Toole of Illinois — a backup who rushed 5 times for 29 yards.
Tre Roberson’s yard per carry in 2014: 6.0 Illinois State’s man behind center fully embodies a dual-threat player, enjoying breakout success 2014. The former Hoosier threw for more than 3,200 yards with 30 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions — and his legs are what make him dangerous. He topped 1,000 yards last year on 171 carries, running by design and when plays broke down. If Iowa doesn’t keep
him in the pocket in passing situations, it could be a long day for the Hawkeyes.
Yards Marshaun Coprich outrushed Iowa by last season: 154 Roberson isn’t the only Redbird who could give Iowa’s defense trouble Saturday. Coprich, a senior running back, earned All-American honors last season after rushing for 2,274 and 27 touchdowns. That production came against a lower level of competition, but Coprich keeps defenses honest for Roberson in the passing game — which goes a long way. And consider this: Iowa’s two-back attack of Mark Weisman and Jordan Canzeri rushed for a combined 1,306 yards in 2014; Coprich ran for nearly 1,000 more on his own.
Redbird receptions lost to graduation: 158 One of the things that made this Illinois State team so good a season ago was its experience at wide receiver, but Roberson’s top three targets from 2014 have since moved on to life after college. Around 73 percent of the team’s receptions on the year came from players in their final year of eligibility. Cameron Meredith hauled in 66 passes for 1,061 yards with 9 touchdowns. Lechein Neblett also went more than 1,000 yards receiving with an average yards per catch of 18.9. Ja O’Shaughnessy averaged 18.8 yards on his 29 receptions, going for 544 yards and 9 touchdowns. The trio clearly benefited from a superhuman ground game, but the three brought balance to the offense with an ability to stretch the field.
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COVER Continued from 4 After Morgan switched, Ferentz brought in his son Brian to coach the offensive line. Of course, the NFL experience Brian Ferentz brings to the table hasn’t hurt, either. After a short playing career, Brian spent 2008-11 working for the New England Patriots, rising from an offensive coaching assistant to tight-end coach. “Learning from those guys is huge,” senior Iowa center Austin Blythe said. “They prepare us to be pros. They expect us to be professional here at Iowa from an early age, and it forces guys to mature. Especially on the offensive line.” A major part of Iowa’s coaching philosophy deals with forcing maturity onto players. The idea is bad, lazy habits are broken in college so pro teams don’t have to waste time on getting rid of them. Simply put, it makes them more valuable. It’s even more relevant on the offensive line, in which miscommunication can cause a play to quickly crash and burn. Mistakes happen, but younger linemen are expected to grow up fast and often see the field sooner than other positions
because of this rapid growth. The maturation process of some younger players is something Kirk Ferentz saw firsthand in the NFL. “I think that’s one thing that NFL people might say, is that they feel comfortable that they’re going to get a guy that is dedicated,” he said. “They know what it is to come in early, and maybe stay late, and just take care of the little detail things that, based on my experience, in the NFL not all young guys understand.” Brian Ferentz echoed his father’s thoughts and took things a step further. “Based on being in NFL draft rooms and around personal, when you draft an Iowa player, the consensus is that you’re getting a second-year pro,” the younger Ferentz said. “He knows how to do things. He’s no longer a child.” Being able to step onto the field and contribute to a team from the second players are drafted makes the lives of NFL executives easier. The idea of a second-year pro may not be entirely unique to Kirk Ferentz, but the solid reputation Iowa players have only helps them make rosters at the next level. What sets the Iowa players apart — at least in the coaches’ minds — is the idea they’re more prepared for the work ahead work than the average player being drafted into the NFL.
The Iowa offense waits during a time-out against Michigan on Oct. 16, 2010, in Michigan Stadium. The No. 14 Hawkeyes subdued the No. 24 Wolverines, 38-28. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo) At the heart of the program lies a simple truth. Iowa does not sign very many four- and five-star recruits, so it relies more on developing athletes from the ground-up, which, predictably, takes more time. When asked about the type of players Iowa looks to recruit, Doyle had a simple answer.
“They’re tough, they’re smart, and they’re physical. They’re guys who are willing to work. They’re typically humble people,” Doyle said. “They realize that it’s a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight.” An impressive strength and conditioning program also has quite a bit to See COVER, 16
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DEPTH
IOWA VS. ILLINOIS STATE | SATURDA
IOWA HAWKEYES OFFENSE
DEFENSE
WR... 4
Tevaun Smith
DE... 34
Nate Meier
LT... 52
Boone Myers
DT... 67
Jaleel Johnson
LG... 79
Sean Welsh
DT... 99
Nathan Bazata
Austin Blythe
DE... 95
Drew Ott
Jordan Walsh
OLB...44
Ben Niemann
RT... 75
Ike Boettger
MLB...43
Josey Jewell
TE... 80
Henry Krieger Coble
WLB...36
WR...89
Matt VandeBerg
LC... 13
WR...17
Jacob Hillyer
SS... 19
Miles Taylor
QB...16
C.J. Beathard
FS... 27
Jordan Lomax
RB... 29
LeShun Daniels, Jr.
RC... 14
Desmond King
FB... 42
Macon Plewa
9
64
78
C... 63 58/54
RG...65
58
69 46
83
83
8
33 38
Jerminic Smith Cole Croston
James Daniels
Eric Simmons/Steve Ferentz Eric Simmons
Keegan Render George Kittle
Riley McCarron
Riley McCarron Tyler Wiegers
Jordan Canzeri Adam Cox
SPECIAL TEAMS PT... 16
Dillon Kidd
PK... 1
Marshall Koehn
1 2
Marshall Koehn Mick Ellis
96
56
61
40
36/41
39
41/31
28
12 37
7
Matt Nelson
Faith Ekakitie Kyle Terlow
Parker Hesse
Cole Fisher/Bo Bower Travis Perry
Cole Fisher
Bo Bower/Aaron Mends
Greg Mabin Maurice Fleming Anthony Gair
Brandon Snyder Sean Draper
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CHART
AY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 | 11:01 A.M.
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS DEFENSE
OFFENSE
DE... 87
Teddy Corwin
LT... 76
Dan Pawlak
DT... 98
Dalton Keene
LG... 77
Kyle Avaloy
DT... 91
Adam Conley
C... 54
Mark Spelman
DE... 4
David Perkins
RG... 78
Cameron Lee
SLB...32
Alejandro Rivera
RT... 56
Ryan Gelber
MLB...33
Pat Meehan
TE... 85
Tylor Petkovich
WLB...40
Alex Donnelly
WR... 6
Jon-Marc Anderson
CB... 1
Josh Burch
WR... 82
Anthony Warrum
SS... 2
Alec Kocour
WR... 12
Christian Gibbs
FS... 14
DraShane Glass
QB... 5
Tre Roberson
CB... 10
Tevaun Smith
RB... 25
Marshaun Coprich
FB... 30
Brady Tibbits
3
99 55 39 22
34 9
17
8
42
24
David Kenney
Matt McCown Blake Hopper
Daejgeon Love
Reggie Spearman Brent Spack
Jalen Battle Paris Ratliff
LaDarius Newbold Soniel Estime
Stephen Amaoko
58
60
75
63
68
86
19
83 89 16
38
31
Dean Helt
Camden Cooper Charles Cowley Tyler Brown Nick Fish
Michael Clements Anthony Fowler Matt Bielgalski JJ Stahl
Jake Kolbe
Jamal Towns Bryce Holm
SPECIAL TEAMS PT... 88
Reece Attard
PK... 97
Sean Slattery
97 88
Sean Slattery Reese Attard
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COVER Continued from 10 do with the development of these athletes. Doyle is often considered one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country, and his long tenure with the program (he was hired in 1999) has only helped build a strong reputation. Luckily for Ferentz’s program, the NFL values development almost as much as it does raw talent. Professional teams seem to believe taking an Iowa player is a fairly safe bet, and in a multibillion dollar business, the safe bet is often the right bet. Linemen, especially, can have issues adapting to the NFL’s faster speeds. Couple that with needing to fix an issue in a player’s technique, and all the sudden a talented-but-raw rookie can find himself out of the league. “Kirk coaches fundamentals. There are a lot of people who talk about it, and there are people who do it,” Doyle said. “A lot of coaches out there don’t believe in blocking. They think they need to trick the opponent.” Iowa’s blocking schemes don’t hide much and misdirection comes secondary in the Hawkeye offense. Employing a
hard-nosed, downhill offense may be traditionalist way of playing the game, but it translates well into the NFL, where many offenses run on the same mechanics. This style of football makes a Hawkeye lineman fairly easy to scout and doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Professional teams know what they’re getting, one way or another. “The way we play, it’s easy for NFL guys to look at our guys and project them,” Kirk Ferentz said. “They can see them and make that easy transfer; that helps them a little bit, too.” This season, Iowa’s best chances to add more linemen to the professional ranks will be seniors Austin Blythe and Jordan Walsh. Blythe leads a young lineman core this season with 35 starts, while Walsh has started 24 games during his career. The two have flown mostly under the radar, and while not gathering much in the way of accolades; their names still pop up on draft boards. CBSsports.com has Blythe ranked as the eighth-best center and Walsh as the 19th-best guard. More telling, each is projected to be a late-round draft pick or a free-agent signing. While it’s impossible to predict what the upcoming season will bring for either player, simply having been at Iowa
Iowa offensive lineman Robert Gallery follows a runner during the Iowa-Maimi Ohio game at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 14, 1999. Gallery was drafted 2nd over-all to the Radiers in 2004. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo) for five years will at least earn them a look from an NFL. The pipeline likely won’t end this season, either. Despite some of the criticism they have recently received, offensive tackles Ike Boettger and Boone Myers are on 2018 draft boards. Boettger is CBSsports’s 12th-ranked offensive tackle in the 2018 class, and Myers is 27th.
While Boettger and Myers are unproven, if history repeats itself, Iowa could add several more linemen to the NFL ranks. If nothing else, it shows scouting services and pro teams very much believe in Ferentz’s ability as a coach. “I think that’s just kind of the reputation that Ferentz has built,” Blythe said. “He’s an offensive-line guy.”
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Point/Counterpoint: Will Iowa’s win total be over or under 7.5 wins this season? Under Each fall, there is a renewed sense of hope for the Iowa football team. Unfortunately for the Hawks this year, I believe it is false hope. There are just too many question marks on the 2015 roster. Let’s start with how in this world Iowa is going to replace the bookends of the 2014 offensive line that includes 2015 Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff and fourth-round draft pick Andrew Donnal. Redshirt sophomore Boone Myers will be the Hawkeyes’ starting left tackle, replacing Scherff. Myers has seen action in four games in his career, the most recent being a 30-14 win over Illinois last season. Redshirt sophomore Ike Boettger is Iowa’s starting right tackle, replacing Donnal. Boettger was a prep quarterback before coming to Iowa. As much hype as there is around C.J. Beathard, the fact remains he is still a relatively unproven quarterback. The only meaningful snaps Beathard has taken were in the second half against Pittsburgh and his start against Purdue last year. In the win over Purdue, Beathard finished 17-of-37 for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Purdue finished the year 3-9 (1-7) and gave up 31.7 points/game, good for 99th in the country. Hardly a juggernaut. Let’s move on to the linebackers. A weakness on the team last year, the starters have even less experience this season. Bo Bower has lost his starting position, but let’s talk about the negatives. Ben Niemann, Josey Jewell, and Cole Fisher have four starts combined, all belonging to Jewell.
Maybe all of these players become breakout stars, and Iowa gets to eight or nine wins. But I just don’t see that happening. — by Blake Dowson
Over The Iowa Hawkeyes will win more than 7.5 games in 2015. Why? Look at the roster. With a new face at quarterback, C.J. Beathard will spark a fire in a once-dormant Iowa offense. His accuracy, arm strength, and underrated running ability make him a solid passer and an upgrade from last season. Catching passes from Beathard, senior Tevaun Smith and junior Matt VandeBerg stand as excellent complements to each other. Smith, coming off a 596-yard, 3-touchdown season, seems to be the main target in the passing game. The supporting cast, senior receiver Jacob Hillyer and senior tight end Henry Krieger-Coble, are also valuable weapons in the passing game. Iowa’s main strength will be its running game. LeShun Daniels, Jr.’s downhill, bruising running will be the driving force of the offense. Jordan Canzeri’s quickness and excellent vision will leave defenses struggling when Daniels needs a break from his workload. The offensive line is young, but it will still provide holes for both Daniels and Canzeri and will give Beathard time to pass. Senior guard Jordan Walsh and senior center Austin Blythe lead the group. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Drew Ott, junior corner Desmond King, and senior safety Jor-
Iowa fans celebrate a touchdown during the Homecoming in Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 11, 2014. Iowa defeated Indiana, 45-29. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock) dan Lomax will head up the unproven group. There may be growing pains at first, but as the season goes on, the Hawkeye defenders will comfortably fill their roles. Besides the roster, Iowa owns a favorable schedule. Out of the four nonconference games (Illinois State, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, and North Texas) the team with the best odds to beat Iowa is Iowa State, but the talent does not match up. Iowa should win all its nonconference games. In Big Ten play, Iowa does not face Ohio State or Michigan State. Their toughest games are on the road against Wisconsin, at home against Minnesota, and on the road against Nebraska. Factor in an Iowa upset of one of those three, as well as the possibility that a lesser team could upset Iowa and an eight- or nine-win season is very much in the picture. — by Adam Hensley
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AROUND THE BIG TEN power rankings
Ryan Rodriguez ryan-rodriguez@uiowa.edu
1. Ohio State The reigning Big Ten and national champions enter the 2015 season as the first program in NCAA history to be a consensus No. 1 overall team in the AP Poll. They kick off with a redemption game against Virginia Tech, the only team to beat them last season.
8. Nebraska The firing of Bo Pelini by the Huskers last winter was curious to say the least. The man epitomized Nebraska football to a T, and with nice-guy Mike Riley ready to step in, Big Red seems to be in a weird state of flux for the first time in what seems like forever.
2. Michigan State Fresh with a new defensive coordinator, Michigan State will try once again for another Big Ten title to go with its most recent win in 2013. Will they unseat the Buckeyes, or is another year in Ohio State’s shadow just around the corner?
9. Indiana Could this be the year that the Hoosiers actually make the fabled bowl game that has eluded them since 2007? Maybe. Nate Sudfeld is an underrated quarterback as far as the Big Ten goes, and the Hoosier offense actually looks formidable. Defense is a huge question mark.
3. Wisconsin Probably the closest thing the Big Ten West has to a true odds-on front-runner. With the Paul Chryst era set to begin, the Badgers return a defense that should be tops in the conference. But will the offense be able to cope with the loss of Melvin Gordon? 4. Minnesota As head coach Jerry Kill enters his fifth season at the helm of the Gophers, Minnesota is poised for a breakout season that could catch a few by surprise. If its offensive line is up to snuff and junior quarterback Mitch Leidner continues to progress, the Gophers could be a force in the Big Ten West. 5. Penn State Penn State is a team with a unique situation. Should it find its offensive stride, it could challenge for a Big Ten title this year. But playing in a rough East Division with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan State won’t make things any easier. 6. Michigan One word: Harbaugh. No matter how the season plays out for Big Blue, attention will most likely remain focused on Michigan’s first-year coach. Harbaugh has the pedigree, but how much change can he implement in just one off-season? 7. Iowa There’s a ton of questions surrounding just about every unit the Hawkeyes will put on the field this year, but the potential for something momentous is there. With the easiest schedule of any Power Five team in the nation, the Hawkeyes will be short on excuses once again should they falter again.
10. Rutgers The Scarlet Knights are entering their second year in the Big Ten, and they look more like a regular than fellow newcomers Maryland. Their offense could propel them to a second-straight bowl appearance, but they still have their work cut out for them defensively. 11. Maryland Head coach Randy Edsall had his wake-up call after his first year in the Big Ten, and he has devoted more time this off-season to developing a bigger, more hard-nosed and athletic offensive line. Still, questions at quarterback and lack of experience on D could make this season tough. 12. Northwestern The Wildcats have a killer schedule this season, including the season-opener against No. 21 Stanford, as well as trips to Wisconsin and Michigan. There are reasons for optimism, but thinking of Northwestern as anything more than the 5-7 team it has been the last two seasons is probably foolhardy. 13. Purdue Darrell Hazell could be on to something at Purdue, but it’ll likely take a few years before anyone starts to see the true effect of his influence at West Lafayette. They were below average on both sides of the ball last season and will probably remain there in 2015. 14. Illinois I don’t know man, I just don’t know. The Illini appeared to be on the up, kind of, at Big Ten media days in August, but with the firing of head coach Tim Beckman eight days before the opener, things don’t look good. So, yeah.
Offensive Impact Name: J.T. Barrett & Cardale Jones, Ohio State Position: Quarterbacks Year: Sophomore & Junior, respectively It’s not often two players on the same team who play the same position are on the player watch list in the same week, but that’s the embarrassment of riches Urban Meyer has amassed at Ohio State. Meyer won’t reveal who will take snaps, but rest assured they’ll see the field in some capacity.
defensive Impact Name: Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State Position: Defensive End Year: Senior Calhoun is the best player on arguably the best defense in the conference and one of the top defensive units in all of college football. A frequent member of more than a few preseason trophy watch lists, Calhoun will try to make a statement in his final year of college football with Sparty.
GAME TO WATCH OHIO STATE AT VIRGINIA TECH When: 7 p.m. Sept. 7 Where: Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia Watch: ESPN
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22 --The TheDaily DailyIowan Iowan--PREGAME PREGAME--Iowa IowaCity, City,Iowa Iowa - Friday, September 4, 2015
ON THE LINE
- The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa
Taylor Brooks
Patrick Lyne
DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (0-0)
DESIGN EDITOR (0-0)
IOWA Chicken little’s beware, the sky is not falling. At least not yet.
IOWA This is a test for Iowa, it has to beat Illinois State if it even wants to think about a winning record.
IOWA Fingers crossed.
Iowa (70%) Hawks open the season with some wins, but who knows when we get to the Big Ten slate…
Arizona State Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the upsets.
TEXAS A&M Their quarterback has been improving, and their wide receiver core is stellar. Arizona State won’t be able to stop them.
ARIZONA STATE Too easy.
Texas A&M (68%) A&M puts on an offensive show in a big win.
ALABAMA Roll tide.
ALABAMA Powerhouse. Wisconsin can’t handle it. They have the best front seven in the nation.
ALABAMA Roll tide, fersure.
ALABAMA (89%) Badgers get rolled.
OHIO STATE Frank Beamer beating Urban Meyer twice in a row will never happen, not in this universe anyway.
OHIO STATE History won’t repeat itself, but Ohio is still a terrible state.
VIRGINIA TECH Who doesn’t want to see the #1 in pre-season polls go down the first game?
OHIO STATE #ZEKE4HEISMAN
ohio state (81%) Buckeyes start 1-0 on the way to defending their title.
AUBURN Auburn starts 2015 by running all over the Cardinals, reminding everyone why the SEC still reigns in college football....but...
AUBURN Teddy Bridgewater can’t save you now.
AUBURN Louisville is not the team it used to be. Jeremy Johnson is pretty stinking good.
AUBURN They’re also from Alabama so they’ll win.
Auburn (77%) Tigers maul Cardinals on offense and defense.
Danny Payne
Jordan Hansen SPORTS EDITOR (0-0)
FOOTBALL REPORTER (0-0)
IOWA Won’t be surprised either way.
IOWA Something, something, Reggie Spearman.
IOWA Iowa wins and doesn’t impress anyone.
Arizona State What’s JFF up to these days? Still not starting? Cool.
Arizona State Kyle Allen. Never trust a man with two first names — or the A&M defense, for that matter.
Arizona State Rule of thumb: never trust A&M against a good offense.
ALABAMA Bovada has Alabama by 10.5. Wisconsin could cover.
ALABAMA Charlie’s picking Wisconsin. I’m not.
WISCONSIN The Badgers play the SEC well, they’re due for a win. Corey Clement and the Badger defense stuns Bama in week one.
No. 1 Ohio St. at Virginia Tech
OHIO STATE I want Zeke, JT, Cardale, and Braxton in the backfield simultaneously.
OHIO STATE Worth watching only to see who Ohio State’s QB is going to be.
Louisville at No. 6 Auburn
AUBURN I can’t wait until Big Ten season and these picks actually get challenging.
AUBURN This won’t be close.
MATCHUPS Iowa vs. Illinois St. No. 15 Arizona St. at Texas A&M No. 20 Wisconsin at No. 3 Alabama
*All picks were made Tuesday
PREGAME EDITOR (0-0)
Charlie Green
Ryan Rodriguez FOOTBALL REPORTER (0-0)
Fan Picks
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, September 4, 2015 - 23
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