Iowa Football 2011 Schedule: Game-by-Game Breakdown
What's almost as important to a football team's success as the talent they put on the field? How about their schedule?
Over the many years, we've seen mediocre teams excel thanks to a relatively light schedule. At the same time, we've seen powerful teams come up short in the wins column, thanks to brutal slates of opponents.
It seems that the majority of attention paid to Iowa following their 8-5 letdown of 2010 surrounds the amount of talent lost to graduation or early departure. Perhaps it's rightly so, but does that mean that the Hawkeyes are destined for a repeat performance in 2011? Will it be worse?
Over the next couple of months, many of us here at Bleacher Report will attempt to answer those questions the best we can. There are a lot of factors that go into effectively breaking down a program like Iowa.
One such factor is the schedule. So, how tough will Iowa's road be to the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game?
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
1 of 13
Date: Saturday, September 3, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: This is Iowa's typical, season-opening cupcake, like many other schools around the country pick on. I have railed against the scheduling of such teams in the past, but am settling with age, I suppose.
I understand the desire to take an FCS opponent to break in your new troops. I may not like it, but I understand it.
Tennessee Tech hails from the Ohio Valley Conference. The Golden Eagles finished 2010 with a 5-6 overall record; however, don't let that completely fool you. They did venture to take on Arkansas and TCU to open their season a year ago.
Obviously, they lost both (44-3 and 62-7 respectively), but they're no stranger to FBS caliber opponents and aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with the big boys.
They went 4-2 over their last six games with wins at Austin Peay, against Eastern Illinois, at Tennessee State and against Jacksonville State. Their losses during that span came at Murray State and against Eastern Kentucky.
Potential Season Impact: No big deal. This is just an opportunity to get some exposure for the Golden Eagle football program while Iowa gets to take a look at some of their new(er) faces in action. It's likely penciled in as a "win" for the Hawkeyes on virtually everyone's calendar.
Shake off the rust, toy with some ideas you were wondering about and kick off the season on a positive note.
On the flip side, an inexplicable loss for the Hawkeyes here would spell disaster for the upcoming season.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 4 - but only because it's the first game of the season and the rabid fanbase will be excited to see their team take the field again.
Iowa State Cyclones
2 of 13
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa
The Skinny: Iowa State's 2010 was a little bit of a letdown as well. After a 7-6 campaign in 2009 that saw the Cyclones narrowly defeat Minnesota (14-13) in the Insight Bowl, they returned with a 5-7 finish last year and were home for the holidays.
QB Austin Arnaud has been the face of the Cyclone offense for a few years now and has graduated, leaving a large hole to fill. Along with Arnaud, RB Alexander Robinson has left for (hopefully) greener pastures.
Both starting safeties have departed, DE Rashawn Parker is gone and the 'Clones are missing a couple of offensive linemen. Does any of this sound remotely familiar?
Still, Iowa State has brought in a couple of Junior College tranfers (most noticeably, QB Steele Jantz) and some decent recruits to try and fill the gaps. What's more, Paul Rhoads has shown to be a very energetic and resourceful coach.
Will there be a drop off or gain by attrition?
I'm not sure I completely agree that Iowa equals Iowa State's "bowl game", but it's definitely one of the top two or three games on their list every year. Neither team will have much time to get the kinks worked out before this heated battle, but it will be as entertaining as usual.
Third-year coach Paul Rhoads has made something of a reputation in Ames as a giant slayer. In 2009, he took his Cyclones into Lincoln, Nebraska and upset the No. 14 Cornhuskers 9-7. Last year, he took them down to Texas and knocked off the Longhorns 28-21 and nearly took down No. 20 Nebraska again, dropping 30-31.
Granted, Texas in 2010 was nothing like Texas in 2009 (whom Iowa State was able to avoid that year). And the Cyclones did get clobbered in 2010 by Iowa (7-35), No. 6 Oklahoma (0-52), Colorado (14-34) and Missouri (0-14).
Still, Rhoads has made a habit out of getting at least one huge game out of his Cyclones and showing them and their fanbase that they can play with anyone anytime. It's only a matter of time until Rhoads turns his sights on Iowa and gets that one huge performance out of his guys against their most hated rival.
Also, Nebraska is no longer in the Big 12, so there are fewer "giants" left to slay within the conference.
Look for the new quarterback (whoever it is) to test Iowa's revamped secondary and for Rhoads to throw lots of looks at the Hawkeyes to push their overhauled defensive line. The big question for Iowa State is whether their defense can handle Iowa's powerful offensive line and slow down Marcus Coker.
I greatly respect what Rhoads is trying to do in Ames and have said for a couple of years now that he will succeed where others (like Gene Chizik) failed. I just don't know if his team is ready with the turnover they've suffered to hold Ken O'Keefe's offense in check for four quarters.
Potential Season Impact: Younger Iowa fans have taken to writing the Cyclones off as an automatic win. Don't forget that from 1998 to 2002, the Hawkeyes were blanked by the Cyclones and that Iowa State has tasted victory over Iowa as recently as 2007. It's not necessarily an automatic that the Hawkeyes will come away victorious.
Still, as mentioned before, the 'Clones have a lot of holes to fill in key positions offensively, and their defense will have their hands full with Coker, McNutt and Davis.
This is always a big deal for both programs. It has to do with pride and in-state bragging rights.
More importantly, though, this is where the season really starts. The Cyclones may not be as dangerous as most other teams on the remaining schedule, but they're an honest-to-goodness FBS team, and Paul Rhoads is making them a dangerous opponent to contend with.
A big win here shows the Hawkeyes that they can be better than just a mid-tier team. Anything less than that, and you really have to break down whether it's a case of the 'Clones stepping up like they did against Nebraska or whether the Hawkeyes still need a lot of work.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 5 - It's Iowa / Iowa State. Everyone in the nation should watch this game.
Pittsburgh
3 of 13
Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: With all of the goings on in college football, it kind of got lost that Pittsburgh had three different head coaches in barely a month.
Despite a decent 8-5 record that included a 27-10 BBVA Compass Bowl victory over Kentucky, Dave Wannstedt was politely asked to step down as the head man. Mike Haywood was brought in to take over the program. However, following an arrest for domestic violence, he was released after only 2 1/2 weeks on the job.
In comes Todd Graham to try and take the Panthers to that elusive Big East title that ultimately cost Wannstedt his job.
Pittsburgh finished 2010 at 5-2 in a conference that didn't see a single team break the 10-win mark. Their wins came over the likes of Syracuse, Rutgers and Louisville, while their losses came at the hands of such teams as Miami (Fl), Notre Dame and UConn (not to mention West Virginia).
In a nutshell, they didn't beat anyone of significant note and lost to a team or two that didn't help their cause.
The Panthers will also have to find ways to replace RB Dion Lewis and WR Jon Baldwin, both of whom declared early for the NFL. Along with them, they lose DE Jabaal Sheard, who was the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year.
The last time Iowa played at Pittsburgh (2008), they came away on the down side of a 20-21 score. That was then. This is now.
There's no question that Iowa has some questions that just weren't answered during the Spring Game, but so too does Pitt. The Panthers are breaking in a new coach that had to come into a bad situation at a bad time. They're missing some key components to their offense and their best pass rusher.
That's not to say that this thing is going to be a walk for Iowa. I'm not that confident yet in how "together" the Hawks will have things by the third game of the season, particularly on defense.
Still, Iowa's offense should be fairly strong, even with a new QB under center and a few new faces on the receiver corps. If the defense is still finding its stride, the offense should be potent enough to keep the tempo slow, control the clock and keep putting points on the board.
The Hawkeyes just can't come into this game thinking they have anything figured out. Tennessee Tech likely won't provide that much of a challenge, and Iowa State is always an "iffy" opponent. They'll need to be hungry and play the full 60 minutes, because things don't get much easier from here on out.
Graham is installing a pass-heavy attack at Pitt, so things could get very interesting for an Iowa secondary that lost a CB and both starting Safeties.
Potential Season Impact: While this is still an OOC opponent and not nearly as impressive as Penn State's home-and-home with Alabama, this is a pretty big game for Iowa.
The Big East is a joke as far as BCS AQ conferences go, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Pitt is a pushover. This is a respectable opponent that will show Iowa some things they haven't seen in their first couple of games.
As mentioned before, Graham is installing a pass-heavy offense at Pittsburgh, and this is where Iowa will have their defensive secondary really tested for the first time. It's also the first real chance they'll get to see how well the defensive line can get into opposing backfields and disrupt plays.
Between Iowa State and Pitt, the Hawkeyes will have to strongly evaluate what they have and what needs work before conference play starts.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 3 - It's not a rivalry like Iowa State and it's not the first game like Tenn. Tech, so it loses a little luster. Still, it's worth a look-see, as some of Iowa's questions will be answered (one way or another) in this one.
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Louisiana-Monroe
4 of 13
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: Okay, so maybe it was premature to say that "things won't get any easier" following Pitt. They do get a big easier here.
ULM is coming off a 5-7 season that included a 3-52 loss to No. 1 Auburn and a 0-51 loss to No. 8 LSU, en route to a fourth place finish in the Sun Belt.
Give it up to the Warhawks, though. Three of their first four games are at Florida State, at TCU and at Iowa. If they're not seriously rethinking their scheduling choices by the time they enter Kinnick Stadium, someone needs to bottle what they're on and sell it as a cure for depression.
ULM is without RB Frank Goodin, LB Theo Smith and DB Alex Ibe. That's pretty much it for their losses.
On the flip side, they bring back sophomore QB Kolton Browning, who averaged a 61.9 percent completion rate as a freshman. Pairing nicely with Browning are WR Luther Ambrose and WR Tavarese Maye. Both are dangerous and productive threats that will take good advantage of Browning's accurate arm.
Potential Season Impact: This is the last tune-up opportunity before Iowa takes a break and then starts their Big Ten campaign.
ULM probably isn't anyone that will (or should) strongly push the Hawkeyes. They'll be beaten up before they even get to Iowa City and they're a mid-tier Sun Belt team anyway.
A win is expected and a loss would be catastrophic. It'll really only impact their season if someone gets hurt or if the Hawkeyes lose. Otherwise, it's just another cupcake OOC game to pad the stats and get some experience for the younger/untested players.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 1 - Die hard Hawkeye fans will tune in just because they love their team and it's football season. It won't likely be one of the more exciting games of the season.
Penn State
5 of 13
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011
Time: 12:00 P.M. ET (11 Central)
Place: Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania
The Skinny: One year after Robert Bolden was named the first freshman to start under Joe Paterno since dirt turned brown, there's a quarterback controversy brewing at Penn State.
Bolden gave way to Matt McGloin following an injury midway through the 2010 season. McGloin was largely credited for sparking the offense, but did he really?
Checking out their stats, it's debatable. The two were nearly identical in Yards/Attempt, McGloin edged Bolden in total yards and Bolden edged McGloin in completion percentage. So...who is the better choice?
That depends largely on whether Joe Paterno wants to keep pushing his Spread HD offense or whether Old Joe wants to go Old School and return to a pro-style system. Bolden is more of a dual threat QB in a spread-ish situation, but McGloin is more of a pocket passer.
Oh yeah, and all of this is predicated on the notion that Bolden will stay at PSU. He wanted to transfer after the end of last season, but Paterno wouldn't sign his release form, asking him to stay through spring to see how things transpired. It's entirely possible that Bolden could still decide to leave the program and Joe Pa might grant it this time around.
Then again, Kevin Newsome could come out of left field and surprise some people. Don't count on it, though.
That aside, things look pretty good in Happy Valley. All-time leading rusher, Evan Royster, is gone, but Silas Redd put up a better average (albeit in limited carries) and should do well in replacement. Losing RG Stefen Wisniewski is a pretty bad blow, but overall, the line should be okay.
Defensively, Penn State has dealt with so many injuries and inconsistent play from guys like Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu that losing them might not be such a crushing blow, particularly considering Penn State is traditionally good at producing solid linebackers.
Most importantly, any time Joe Paterno is standing on the sideline, you have to expect that Penn State could potentially be a conference title contender.
Iowa has enjoyed a long successful streak against Penn State under Kirk Ferentz. It should really come as little surprise considering that Ferentz grew up idolizing Paterno and wanting to play for him. If there's a coach in the Big Ten that understands Joe Pa, it would have to be Kirk Ferentz.
However, as I mentioned in the slide about Iowa State, fans can't get too comfortable in recent history and think that this one is in the bag. Iowa's 2008 victory was by the narrowest of margins, and the Lions were struggling in several positions when Iowa took it to them in the mud last year. The 2009 meeting wasn't quite as dominant as the scoreboard might have ultimately indicated.
By the time these two teams meet, several things will have likely been addressed. Both teams will have faced at least one opponent that should expose any potential weaknesses and/or highlight strengths.
Both teams should have strong run games that are tempered by potentially dangerous pass attacks and both teams should have decent (if not good) defenses. Special team play could be a huge factor in the field position battle.
Ultimately, it could come down to which head man can out-coach the other. That would beg the question: How much does Joe Paterno know and understand Kirk Ferentz? Paterno may be a living legend, but Ferentz has spent years admiring Joe Paterno. How many years has Paterno spent admiring Ferentz?
Not nearly as many; that you can be sure.
The final piece of the puzzle (that we can discern from the schedule) is that this game is in Happy Valley. It'll be White Out conditions in October.
Yes, Iowa has survived the White Out before. They can do it again, but I'd be real nervous about predicting it too readily this year.
Season Impact: This is where the rubber meets the road. Everything up to this point will have been a series of prep matches. Everything from this point forward is a chase for the first ever Big Ten Championship Game.
This is also a series that I would love to see as a permanent rivalry. Across the Big Ten, there are very few teams that are as evenly matched and coached as Iowa and Penn State. Regardless of the score on the board, this match has been a real battle and will continue to be so.
A win here sets a great tone for the conference race. Penn State isn't mentioned in many circles as a true contender for the conference crown, but they're my Dark Horse for the Leaders Division. While Ohio State deals with the fallout of Tattoo Gate and Wisconsin figures out how to replace Scott Tolzien and J.J. Watt, Penn State could be quietly putting together a Division Title run.
They'll be flying under the radar because they'll get beat by Alabama again, but that doesn't mean they'll be a trailer in the conference train.
A loss against the Lions puts Iowa on the ropes early if they have any hope of going to Indianapolis in early December.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 5 - It just doesn't get much better than this! A living legend against the one guy who has been a constant thorn in his side in another epic battle of evenly matched teams. Gotta see that!
Northwestern
6 of 13
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: If Kirk Ferentz is the thorn in Joe Paterno's side, Pat Fitzgerald is the dagger in Ferentz's. Iowa has lost the last three straight against the Wildcats and four of the last five.
Northwestern loses OLB Quentin Davie and MLB Nate Williams, but brings back QB Dan Persa and RB Mike Trumpy (along with Adonis Smith). Persa ruptured his Achilles tendon against Iowa last year, but is ahead of his rehab schedule and should be ready to go come September.
Fitzgerald opened up position battles practically across the board for spring practices. He's feeding the hunger of the players and trying to recapture the attitude that has helped lift the Wildcats over slightly superior opponents in the past.
There's little doubt that Fitzgerald holds a level of contempt for Iowa. He holds nothing back when it comes to facing the Hawkeyes and another win here would go a long way toward soothing the savage beast within.
Season Impact: This game takes on slightly more meaning in the new conference alignment than it had previously. Northwestern is in the Legends Division with the Hawkeyes, so this is a direct battle for division supremacy.
Equally important, this is one of those hurdles Iowa has to figure out how to cross successfully. While Norm Parker had all the answers for Georgia Tech's Triple Option attack in the 2010 Orange Bowl, he has yet to figure out how to stop Northwestern's version of the spread.
This isn't just about pride or even conference integrity. This is also about finally figuring out a puzzle that has eluded the Hawks for better than half a decade.
From a conference view, this is part of the stretch that might be considered "must win". With Penn State behind them and the two Michigan teams (plus Nebraska) looming in the future, Iowa can't afford to be giving games away.
If Iowa falters against the Nittany Lions, they absolutely cannot afford to lose to Northwestern. That could spell doom to their conference title hopes altogether. If they beat the Lions, a win here could propel them right through to November.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 4 - A few years ago, this might have rated a 2, but given the Wildcats' recent history over Iowa, this game is taking on more interest and immediacy. It could make or break Iowa's division and conference title hopes.
Indiana
7 of 13
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: With only one winning season in the last five years, the Hoosiers bid Bill Lynch farewell and brought in Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson.
Right away, Wilson went to work changing the atmosphere in Bloomington. From up-tempo to brutal workouts, he has dug deep to find out who wants to do what's necessary to win. Wilson is asking a lot of his players, but more importantly, he's asking them to ask a lot of themselves.
Still, Indiana is without QB Ben Chappell and WR Tandon Doss. They're also missing five defensive starters, including LB Tyler Replogle. Even with a new attitude and new belief in their coach and system, there are some pressing questions that need good answers.
They'll have some positive things to build on, though. RB Darius Willis will return (recovering from knee surgery), and WR Damarlo Belcher is a solid target. Perhaps most importantly, the offensive line lost only one starter and should be pretty good this coming year.
In 2009, Iowa rallied from way behind to beat Indiana 42-24 in a contest that was much more dangerous than it would have appeared on the scoreboard. Last year, the Hawks slipped by the Hoosiers 18-13.
With Wilson at the helm and a strong O-Line to help with their transitions, this is a very dangerous team.
Season Impact: This is a dangerous game. Not only will Indiana be improved under Wilson, but Iowa could be hitting a place in the schedule where they start taking things for granted.
Indiana isn't widely considered one of the programs that a team like Iowa should fear, but they are. Again, Penn State and Northwestern will be in the rear view mirror while the Michigan teams and Nebraska are on the horizon. This is a real potential "let down" game if Iowa isn't careful.
This is also a "must win" game for the Hawks. Michigan is bound to be improved, Michigan State shouldn't drop off too far, Nebraska will be tough (and motivated), Penn State is always dangerous and Northwestern seems to have the recipe for beating Iowa.
Iowa's season won't be a walk in the park on any level, but a resurgent Indiana team could spell disaster. This is a big reason why prognosticators have Iowa finishing anywhere from 6-6 to 10-2. There are obviously difficult opponents on the schedule, but then there are also tricky teams like Indiana that could derail the whole shebang.
Must-See Rating: 3 - It might be even higher given Wilson's arrival in Bloomington. Iowa hasn't had an easy time with Indiana the last couple of years and this season should be even tougher. It may not look great on paper, but this could be an epic battle.
Minnesota
8 of 13
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Skinny: Iowa's longtime, season-ending rivalry with the Golden Gophers is protected, but has been moved in the new conference alignment scheme. It's no longer at the end of the season; it's now part of the regular ensemble of Saturdays.
Like Indiana, Minnesota is breaking in a new head coach. Tim Brewster was let go before the season ended. The Gophers suffered nine straight losses, but rallied at the end of the season to knock off Illinois and Iowa in the last two weeks.
Jerry Kill comes in from Northern Illinois to take over a program that was once among the nation's elite. Sure, for the younger fans, that was eons ago. Trust me, as you get older, you begin to appreciate how short a span of time that really is and how quickly things can change.
The Gophers finished last year with a 3-9 mark and a ton of questions to answer.
Three-year starter QB Adam Weber is now gone, as is safety Kyle Theret. That's not good news for a program that was 10th in the conference in total offense and eighth in the Big Ten in total defense.
Let's face it, this is a program in turmoil and transition. They have a new coach, a new signal caller (or will) and a lot of problems to fix in a short amount of time. What's more, some of their competition at the bottom of the conference pile (Indiana) are getting better.
Season Impact: It would be pretty easy to say that the Hawkeyes have this one in the bag. Truthfully, they should have this one in the bag. However, they should have had it in the bag at the end of last season and coughed up a 24-27 clunker.
After this point, there's only one more game left on the schedule that I would feel comfortable favoring Iowa to win with any confidence. If they have managed to get to this point with no more than one conference loss, then they'll be firmly in the hunt for a trip to Indianapolis.
On the other hand, if they have more than one loss, they're likely out of that hunt altogether and shooting for the best bowl game possible. Either way, this is where Iowa hits the home stretch of the 2011 season.
They have to put this one away and they need to do it in fantastic fashion.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 2 - It's a Legends Division battle, but it's not one of the bigger ones. Bump this rating up if Iowa's on the bubble, but it's nowhere near the best game on their schedule.
Michigan
9 of 13
Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: So everyone on the planet (football fan or not) knows that Rich Rodriguez was finally shown the door at Michigan and Brady Hoke is the new head man.
With Hoke comes a new system of play. Will it be a true pro-style attack or will it be a hybrid? How will Denard Robinson handle trying to play in a new scheme?
Those are some of the questions Michigan will have to answer.
A couple of questions are already answered. Will the defense be better? Unequivocally, the answer has to be "yes." Hoke lured former NFL defensive coordinator Greg Mattison to Ann Arbor to shore up the worst defense in the conference.
Hoke also convinced Robinson to return for another season, securing one of the toughest-to-catch offenders in the conference.
As a young team, Michigan lost very few key personnel from last year. Losing LB Jonas Mouton isn't great, but switching from a 3-3-5 to a 4-3 defense will help. The rest of the cast is pretty well in tact.
Iowa has enjoyed a couple of consecutive wins over the Wolverines, but they haven't necessarily been dominant. Last year's victory was a 10-point margin and the year before was only two points. A stiffer defense on the part of the Wolverines very likely would have made all the difference in both contests.
Season Impact: As Iowa kicks off November, there's little doubt that the defense will be working as well as it's going to with the personnel the Hawks have. The offense will also be clicking at full potential.
Will that be enough to keep Iowa holding the Wolves at bay?
A victory over Michigan—which may not seem like such a feat to some fans—could make some waves in the Legends Division. If it doesn't assert Iowa as a legitimate threat in the title chase, it will at least shake up the race for those still in it.
A loss could kick off a late-season collapse. Of the three games following this one, two are against Michigan State and Nebraska.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 4 - We'll know long before this point how well Brady Hoke's changes have taken affect in Ann Arbor. This could be a tremendous battle in the thick of the Legends Division chase.
Michigan State
10 of 13
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
The Skinny: Michigan State is coming off an 11-2 campaign that saw regular season victories over Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Penn State. It also saw the Spartans falter to the Hawkeyes (6-37) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-49).
It's unfortunate that a great co-conference championship season has been overshadowed by a terrible bowl showing. It happens.
Still, the Spartans return with QB Kirk Cousins, running backs Edwin Baker, Le'Veon Bell and Larry Caper and WR B.J. Cunningham. The offense should be as deep and dangerous as we've seen from Michigan State in some time.
What about the defense, though?
While Mark Dantonio seems confident in his crew, what coach doesn't seem that way in front of the media and fans? Michigan State said goodbye to LB's Greg Jones and Eric Gordon—the hearts and souls of the Spartan defense. Also missing is safety Marcus Hyde (Micah's older brother).
The Spartans play Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska all at the front end of their schedule, with three of those games being on the road. When they come to Iowa, they could be woefully beaten up and struggling just to put together a bowl worthy season.
On the other hand, they could be the cream of the Big Ten crop and Iowa could just be one more speed bump on the way to a conference title.
Season Impact: Just how good was Michigan State last year? It's a question some of us have struggled with. On the one hand, there was the 34-24 victory over Wisconsin—their only loss. On the other, there are the losses to Iowa and Alabama.
Determining that will say a lot about the team that's coming back this year, since so many of the pieces are still in place.
For Iowa, this is a crucial point in the season. Time will be running low on whatever statement they're going to make within the Legends Division and the conference as a whole.
What's more, this is a worthy opponent. Unlike teams like Iowa State, Indiana, Pittsburgh—or even Penn State and Michigan—this is a team that will have very few questions surrounding them coming into the year. They will be expected to be in the conference title hunt.
This could very well be a serious battle for the Legends Division. Both teams could have similar conference records, and both will be needing that extra bit of evidence that they deserve to earn the spot in Indianapolis.
It's a tough way to head into the final three games of the season, but considering the strength of the schedule (or lack thereof) to this point, it's a great boost in competition.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 5 - Unless one of these two teams collapse more than expected prior to this point, this should be a huge match-up between two teams in the thick of a conference title hunt.
Purdue
11 of 13
Date: Saturday, November 19, 2011
Time: 12:00 P.M. ET (11:00 A.M. Central)
Place: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
The Skinny: The Boilermakers are coming off a very disappointing 4-8 season in 2010. Some (including Yours Truly) had predicted Purdue to be something of a Dark Horse in the Big Ten title race. Not that they were necessarily expected to win it, but that they were expected to be in the thick of the chase and potentially play spoiler to some of the heavier favorites.
Injuries played a big part of the season that was and the season that wasn't.
QB Robert Marve is one of those injured players that will return this season. However, he'll have to fight Rob Henry for his old starting position, as Henry took over after Marve's injury and performed fairly well.
Second Team All-Big Ten CB Ricardo Allen comes back to bolster the secondary.
There are some pretty big losses, though. Most notably is DE Ryan Kerrigan. Along with Kerrigan, the Boilermakers said goodbye to WR Cortez Smith and TE Kyle Adams. They also lose RBs Dan Dierking and Keith Carlos.
Coach Danny Hope is hoping (no pun intended) that some of his latest recruits will help fill out the holes and provide some depth to insure against catastrophic meltdowns like was suffered last year.
Iowa hasn't played Purdue since 2008, when they sneaked by the Boilers 22-17.
Season Impact: Purdue is one of those teams that you assume won't be a problem until they prove otherwise. It's a result of a history that hasn't had much recent success.
Purdue couldn't come at a much better time in Iowa's schedule. Following Michigan and Michigan State, and preceding Nebraska, it's a welcome reprieve from the most grueling segment of the season.
It's also a pretty decent trap game. It's located in West Lafayette and is sandwiched between more respected competition.
This is a must-win for the Hawkeyes, though. Regardless of how the chase for the conference title is going, Iowa has to prove that they can consistently win the games they're supposed to win if they're going to maintain any level of respectability with the pundits.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 2 - There's just not a lot to get really excited about in this match-up. That is, unless by some miracle Iowa is undefeated and trying to put together a perfect season. Otherwise, it's pretty ho-hum.
Nebraska
12 of 13
Date: Friday, November 25, 2011
Time: 1:00 P.M. ET (Noon Central)
Place: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
The Skinny: Nebraska took their 10-4 record and bolted the Big 12 for the Big Ten. They missed out on securing one final Big 12 title before leaving, when they lost to Oklahoma 20-23 in the title game. They then went on to lose a letdown rematch with Washington in their bowl game 7-19.
The Cornhuskers bring a lot of talent with them to the Big Ten and are widely considered one of the front-runners to be in the first conference title game. QB Taylor Martinez returns for another year and brings back RB Rex Burkhead, WR Brandon Kinnie and TE Kyler Reed.
They also bring back defensive linemen Jared Crick and Cameron Meredith as well as LB Lavonte David.
On the other side of the coin, Nebraska loses some pretty big names too. Topping the chart is RB Roy Helu Jr., who headed off to the pros. WR Niles Paul has graduated as has DB Eric Hagg, DB DaJon Gomes and DB Prince Amukamara.
Don't underestimate the amount of attitude brought into the conference with Nebraska this year, and I don't mean arrogance. The Cornhuskers know that they're under the microscope. Everyone wants to see how they'll do in their new conference and whether or not they'll still be at the top of the heap.
They've got a lot to prove to their new conference mates, their fans, their former conference foes and the fans around the nation that have certain expectations (both good and bad) for the Huskers. They want to come in and immediately be competitive with the best in the Big Ten. Nothing short of that is acceptable.
Season Impact: This game impacts more than just this season. As the new season-ending rivalry between these two border states, this game sets the tone for the whole rivalry.
Throughout the history of these two teams, it seems that one has been soaring while the other has been sleeping. In the most recent meetings between the two, Iowa was just bringing in Kirk Ferentz and his system, while Nebraska was sill soaking up the Tom Osbourne legacy.
Now, they'll come together as two fairly-evenly matched teams, both with some good talent and both with something to prove.
As for this season, this is the game of the year for Iowa. It could very well be the game that decides the Legends Division.
Even if it's not quite that dramatic, this is their last chance to do something big before bowl invites are sent out. It's against arguably the toughest opponent on the schedule and it'll be closely watched by many around the nation. This game will help clarify where both programs ultimately fit into the bigger conference picture for 2011.
Must-See Rating (0-5): 5 - It's potentially the last chance to see Iowa before their bowl game, it's against their new/old rival and it could be for a place in the conference title game. You can't miss this game!
Overall
13 of 13
Lay it all in a row:
Tennessee Tech
@ Iowa State
Pittsburgh
ULM
@ Penn State
Northwestern
Indiana
@ Minnesota
Michigan
Michigan State
@ Purdue
@ Nebraska
This is a quality schedule for where Iowa is this season. There are enough tough programs like Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska (along with Pitt OOC) to keep it respectable.
At the same time, it's light enough missing Ohio State and Wisconsin to keep Iowa from having to run a complete gauntlet in a year when there are so many pieces that have to be replaced. Getting Penn State and Nebraska on the road isn't fantastic, but bringing Michigan and Michigan State into friendly confines is a boost.
The Out-of-Conference schedule isn't too tough, but does bring in Pitt, which is better than facing two FCS opponents, a mid-major opponent and Iowa State. Granted, the Big East is arguably about as good as some mid-major conferences, but it looks just that much better to the human-types in the ranking department.
With this schedule, Iowa will have time to work out some of their issues before hitting Penn State, then get something of another reprieve to fine-tune before the final four-game stretch for all the marbles.
The Hawks just can't take teams like Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue too lightly. Every team on this schedule is beatable, but then again, virtually any team on this schedule can beat Iowa too.
With the great turnover on both sides of the ball, Iowa needed a respectable, yet somewhat light, schedule to help them get their ducks in a row. They got just what they needed.
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