- Thread Author
- #1
Michchamp
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2011
- Messages
- 34,212
Who would've thought we'd be here right now before the season started? Or hell, even after we beat Wisconsin? Eh? NOBODY.... (except that one ESPN.com headline writer - and I can't find his article online anymore)
Saturday, December 4, 2021, #2 MICHIGAN plays #13 IOWA for the Big Ten Championship at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central, on FOX.
Iowa started out an impressive (at the time) 6-0 and was ranked as high as #2 in the nation (including getting a first place vote) after beating Penn St., before being waxed in back-to-back weeks by Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa recovered a bit after that, although their offense was still more or less anemic for the rest of the year.
In hindsight, their early season ranking was due to some of their opponents being overranked to start the season... 2-10 (0-9) Indiana was ranked #24, and 7-5 Iowa State was ranked #9, when Iowa played each of them.
Seems like if Iowa scored more than 17 pts, you could bet that special teams or turnovers were the reason. Iowa's best offensive output of the season came in the 2nd Q against Maryland where they scored 31 pts. Maryland's possessions during that Q were: FUMBLE, INT, 3 plays -2 yards PUNT, and another INT.
Other than being more or less stout on defense (ranked 13th by Total Defense - 315 ypg allowed), both against the run (14th in the country) and the pass (3rd in Team PED) Iowa really doesn't do anything well on the other side of the ball... by statistics:
- Rushing offense: 106th (121 ypg)
- Passing offense: 110th (177 ypg)
- Passing efficiency: 114th
- 3rd down conversions: 103rd (34.7%)
- Scoring: 87th (25 PPG)
They really do live off turnovers (3rd in the country) and their special teams are pretty solid; have blocked 3 punts/kicks this year.
"Wrestling a pig in the mud" seems like an apt description of what it's like to play Iowa ... although neither UW or Purdue had much trouble handling them. Neither team trailed Iowa at any point in either game.
Seems like we match up pretty favorably against them, and although they dodged the three best teams in the Big Ten East, they still played a decent schedule (Sagarin ranks their SOS more-or-less equal to ours). My biggest fear is that we get bogged down on offense for 3 quarters, or turn the ball over, particularly on special teams.
Vegas likes us by a consensus 11 pts, w/a 43 1/2 pt. o/u. The line has moved in our favor a bit since the open.
So go ahead and post your picks and a bit of analysis if you like, but as always, save the woofing and the barking for the other threads!
Saturday, December 4, 2021, #2 MICHIGAN plays #13 IOWA for the Big Ten Championship at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central, on FOX.
Iowa started out an impressive (at the time) 6-0 and was ranked as high as #2 in the nation (including getting a first place vote) after beating Penn St., before being waxed in back-to-back weeks by Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa recovered a bit after that, although their offense was still more or less anemic for the rest of the year.
In hindsight, their early season ranking was due to some of their opponents being overranked to start the season... 2-10 (0-9) Indiana was ranked #24, and 7-5 Iowa State was ranked #9, when Iowa played each of them.
Seems like if Iowa scored more than 17 pts, you could bet that special teams or turnovers were the reason. Iowa's best offensive output of the season came in the 2nd Q against Maryland where they scored 31 pts. Maryland's possessions during that Q were: FUMBLE, INT, 3 plays -2 yards PUNT, and another INT.
Other than being more or less stout on defense (ranked 13th by Total Defense - 315 ypg allowed), both against the run (14th in the country) and the pass (3rd in Team PED) Iowa really doesn't do anything well on the other side of the ball... by statistics:
- Rushing offense: 106th (121 ypg)
- Passing offense: 110th (177 ypg)
- Passing efficiency: 114th
- 3rd down conversions: 103rd (34.7%)
- Scoring: 87th (25 PPG)
They really do live off turnovers (3rd in the country) and their special teams are pretty solid; have blocked 3 punts/kicks this year.
"Wrestling a pig in the mud" seems like an apt description of what it's like to play Iowa ... although neither UW or Purdue had much trouble handling them. Neither team trailed Iowa at any point in either game.
Seems like we match up pretty favorably against them, and although they dodged the three best teams in the Big Ten East, they still played a decent schedule (Sagarin ranks their SOS more-or-less equal to ours). My biggest fear is that we get bogged down on offense for 3 quarters, or turn the ball over, particularly on special teams.
Vegas likes us by a consensus 11 pts, w/a 43 1/2 pt. o/u. The line has moved in our favor a bit since the open.
So go ahead and post your picks and a bit of analysis if you like, but as always, save the woofing and the barking for the other threads!
