I think Iowa +8 is a very strong play.
Everyone might be high on Penn St right now because they beat the SKERS, but the Skers are horrible. Any magor conferance team would have there day against the SKERS this year on their home field during prime time! Penn St just happens to be one of them. But look what Penn ST has done in previous games. They are far from domininating., Well except for the SKER game, but the whole country saw that, thats why everyone is on Penn St.
Why Do I like Iowa?
1.)Fred Russell will play at rb this week....yes he was held out with a shoulder injury last week, but we didn't need him against Utah St and wanted him to be 100% for the start of the Big 10. AND yes Bob Sanders will be back also, like I said they both could of played last week.
2.)Unlike Chenker, IMO Iowa will be able to run on Penn St, We , as many of you find out, will be able to run on about anyone this year, we have 5 Offensive Linemen who have been there starting for 3 years now. They may be one of the best lines in the country, little known, but very dominating. With Fred Russell hitting holes with his 4.2 speed, this will be very hard to shutdown.
3.) Brad Banks, QB, mobel, accurate, Top 5 QB in the country for effinciency, gets the job done, mistake free..no ints(just 2 costly fumbles in the ISU game that cost us a game we completely dominated in the 1st half until the injury bug hit , Russell ,Sanders, and Banks' thumb, he was unable to grip the ball firmly. But the kid is a player and with the reciever core we have watch out...Mo Brown, 5 tds, CJ Jones, just waiting to break out, to go along with two very plesent surprises, Clinton Soloman and Ed Hinkle, both true freshmem and players. Any of you see Solomans one handed grab on ESPN highlites last Saturday, WOW, the Kid is 6'3, catches everything, and runs a 4.2...he is a converted QB. I don't think we will have any problems on offense in this game.
4.)The Defense....no advantage here, both defenses aren't that great against the pass, as of last week we were 117 of 117 and they were 114 of 117. Could be high scoreing. The advantage I see for us though is we faced 4 good QBS so far this year,
That Frye dude from Akron
That Rosenfields dude from Miami Oh
That Wallace Kid from Iowa St
and that Fazoni Dude from Utah St...
So Zach Mills? Um? Ah? they won't be intimidated.
Iowa has been very impressive so far this year, except for the 3rd qrt of the ISU game. So far we have been very vanilla on defense and offense, but dominating on Offense and vanilla. Our defense will settle in, the younger guys got there feet wet, now it is time , BIG 10 time, Ferentz and Norm Parker will turn them loose with more blitzing schemes and zone coverages this week. Our defense will look revamped. Also returning is LB Chad Greenway, who they say is the best athlete we have and hasn't even played a down as a hawkeye yet..he redshirted last year and was injured in early august pratice, wait till you see this kid!
4.) Iowa has beaten Penn St 3 times in a row, and twice in Happy Hawkeye Valley, we are like 3-1 all time in Happy Hawkeye Valley.
I LOVE IOWA +8 THIS WEEK