2008 Iowa Hawkeyes
Written June 11, 2008 by Jason Lowry
Jason Lowry is at it again and this time he is making his 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football predictions. The Hawkeyes are coming off a very disappointing season where they finish 6-6 overall and just 4-4 in the Big 10. It was the first time in years that head coach Kirk Ferentz wasn’t able to get this team into a bowl game, and it has many Hawkeye fans wondering what went wrong. Just a few years ago this team was winning nearly 10 games a year and even had a share of the Big 10 title in 2004. Some weak recruiting classes and off the field problems has this team hurting in a lot of positions this year, and it will have to hope that with 15 returning starters this team can rebound and get back in a bowl game this year. First lets take a look at what the Hawkeyes bring to both sides of the football.
Offense:
With 8 returning starters you would think that you would have a unit that could put up some points on the board, but the Hawkeyes were a 109th in total offense last year and it doesn’t look like things are going to improve to much. If the offense is going to get better it all depends on the arm of junior quarterback Jake Christensen. He was only able to average 6.1 yards per pass completion, and was the lowest rated passer in the Big 10. Without a clear cut choice at running back after the departures of seniors Damian Sims and Albert Young, it might make things even harder on Christensen. As it looks now Shaun Greene is expected to return to the team after having to take some time off for academic reasons, and the junior could play for the fist time in 18 games. Look for true freshmen Jeff Brinson and Jewel Hampton to get a shot as well. At receiver it looks like the team will rely heavily on senior Andy Brodell and sophomore Derrel Johnson-Koullanos. The team gets a boost at the tight end spot as Tony Moeaki is back after missing most of last season, and they also have senior Brandon Myers as a solid backup. The team returns all 5 starters on the offensive line, but the unit is going to have to improve if the offense is ever going to get better. Last season they had Christensen running for his life as they gave up the 6th most sacks in the nation last year. The Hawkeyes are usually good with maturing players on the line so we expect a better performance out of this group.
Defense:
The defense is only returning 5 starters to a unit that was 36th overall and 13th in scoring. They lost 3 players to the NFL draft, but still have some talent left behind. Senior defensive tackles Mitch King and Matt Kroul were a force in the middle last year as they combined for 132 tackles last season. King is one of the highest rated tackles in the country and his 14.5 tackles for a loss and 7 pass deflections give you a good reason why. It looks like the team will lean on two sophomores at the end spots in Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard. At linebacker the team still has junior A.J. Ebbs who could be the next big linebacker to come out of Iowa. The secondary could be hurting at the corner spot, as they need to find two new faces for the position. It looks like senior Bradley Fletcher will take over one spot for sure, and as of now it looks like sophomore Jordan Bernstine will hold down the other side. The team should be fine at the safety position returning both starters, and don’t be surprised if FS Brett Greenewood doesn’t have a big year for the Hawkeyes.
Prediction: 7th in the Big 10
If the offensive line improves this team can make a run at a bowl game this year, but I really think that this team could make big push in 2009. The team will be bringing back all but 6 players on offense and defense. Christensen will have to get better as they don’t have much behind him as of now. We are thinking this team could be as good as 7-5 if things go well, but expect something more like 6-6.
If you want to get a head start on the NCAA Football season be sure to check out BetUS.com, as they are one of the best sportsbooks on the web. Professional Handicapper Jason Lowry will continue to work his way through all the top teams in the country, and as always feel free to leave any comments in our comment box.
