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 recnt 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’ 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 Jordan 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