Iowa Hawkeyes: Is 2010 Setting Up To Be Another 2006?

Remember 2006, Hawkeye fans? The year of the "fat cats?"

For those who don't remember, "fat cats" was what head coach Kirk Ferentz called his team after an embarrassing, sloppy, half-hearted 2006 home loss to Northwestern.

2006 could fairly be called the low point in what has been an otherwise substantial 10-year run by the Hawkeyes under Ferentz.

Certainly, 2005 wasn't all Iowa fans had hoped, as the team had huge expectations coming into the year following the monumental end to the 2004 season. Nevertheless, they went 7-5 with a loss to Florida in the Outback Bowl (a loss that was marred by the worst officiating I have ever seen in a football game, but a loss nonetheless).

However, when one steps back and looks at 2005, it really wasn't that bad. Iowa was literally two plays away from going 9-2, and sharing another Big Ten crown. Moreover, the Big Ten was very good that season, as both Penn State and Ohio State were legitimate National Title contenders.

Finally, when one considers that the 2005 team had to replace all four members of an exceptional defensive line, the '05 season really wasn't that bad.

Then there was 2007, which was a holy disaster by any standards. In retrospect, it's hard to believe Iowa managed to go 6-6 that year.

Yet, when one steps back and considers that once injuries and suspensions took their toll, the only experience on the offense was at running back, 6-6 was understandable.

On the other hand, 2006 shouldn't have happened. Man-for man, Iowa was a good team with plenty of experience on both sides of the ball.

The Big Ten was decidedly top-heavy, but outside of the top three teams—OSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin—the rest of the conference was meh. Furthermore, Iowa had both OSU and Wisconsin at home.

Besides, while three of Iowa's losses in '06 were indeed to OSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin, it was the embarrassing losses to Indiana, Northwestern, and Minnesota that stick out.

I call those defeats "embarrassing" not because Iowa lost, but because of how they lost. They were undisciplined, lazy, often befuddled, occasionally bickering, as well as listless, uncompetitive, and lacking effort. They were the opposite of everything Hawk fans had come to expect under Kirk Ferentz.

Now that I've brought up those bad memories, consider that 2006 team.

A much ballyhooed, though occasionally maligned quarterback was returning for his senior year. The running back corps was supersaturated with three very good backs. The defensive line was returning en masse while two of the greatest linebackers in Iowa history had just graduated.

Both specialists were returning for their senior year. The Hawks schedule was seemingly more favorable than the previous year. Finally, the Hawks began the year ranked inside the top 20.

Does any of that sound familiar?

If it does, that is probably because it sounds a lot like the Iowa Hawkeyes heading into 2010.

I will stop here and note that I am not some doom-saying cynic trying to rain on Hawk fans' parade. I am saying there are similarities of which we should be mindful. On the other hand, there are also some glaring differences.

To begin with, this returning defensive line is considerably better than the 2006 incarnation. Also, the linebackers that will be replacing the two now departed all-time great Hawkeye linebackers are more experienced than their 2006 counterparts.

Then there is the secondary. The 2006 Hawks had to replace two cornerbacks and returned two pretty good safeties.

The 2010 Hawks have to replace one cornerback and return one of the best Iowa safety tandems in a Ferentz era that has been full of quality safety tandems.

On offense, the '06 Hawks had a good amount of experience returning on the line, but the only returning experience in the receiving corps was tight end Scott Chandler.

Meanwhile, the '10 Hawks have minimal experience on the line, but they return arguably the best receiving tandem in the Ferentz era.

And while, at this point, I'd unquestionably take 2006's trio of running backs—Albert Young, Damien Simms, and Shonn Greene—over 2010's—Adam Robinson, Jewel Hampton, and Brandon Wegher—there is a sizable upside to this year's bunch.

Finally, the 2010 roster has a huge amount of depth; I would argue more than at any time since Kirk Ferentz took over. 2006 had no depth to speak of at any position short of tailback.

Then there is a matter of the previous season. The 2006 team was coming off that deflating Outback Bowl loss while the 2010 team is coming off the exhilarating Orange Bowl win.

There is also one other major difference and that is the coaching staff. Yes, much of the 2006 coaching staff is still intact, but if there is one thing that Kirk Ferentz et al have shown themselves to be good at, it is learning from their mistakes.

Following the team's poor showing in the 2003 Orange Bowl, Kirk Ferentz said that they would look into adjusting the way they prepared for bowl games . Since 2003, Iowa has gone 4-2 in bowl games and have competed in every single bowl in which they've been involved.

Last season, having a history of not playing well in night games and confronted with the prospect of playing a large number of night games, Ferentz began running more evening practices, in order to get his team used to it.

It appeared to work, as Iowa won five of the six night games they played.

In short, no, I don't think this 2010 Hawkeye team will fall flat like their 2006 counterparts, most especially because I don't think Kirk Ferentz and company will let it happen.

However, it is inadvisable to let the horse get before the cart. The fact of the matter is expectations are extremely high for this Iowa team; as high as they've been since arguably 2006.

It would be a shame if over-inflated hopes of fans and predictions of sports writers took the wind out of what might otherwise be a very good Hawkeye team.