If there is any team in America that has the most room to only go up on offense, it may be the Iowa Hawkeyes. Everyone and their mother knows the defense will do their thing and keep them in games, but the ultimate question remains the same. Can the Hawkeyes score?
In ESPN’s recent top 25, the Hawkeyes see themselves making an appearance capping off the list by coming in at No. 25. ESPN’s Bill Connelly discussed each top 25 team’s floor and ceiling of wins along with the biggest variable facing each team.
Ceiling: 10-2 | Floor: 7-5
Odds of finishing 11-1 or better: 6%Biggest variable: I’ll give you one guess. (It’s offense.) Iowa has finished sixth or better in defensive SP+ for four straight seasons. They ranked first defensively in 2022 but went just 8-5, falling to 118th in offensive SP+ and averaging an appalling 10.8 points in losses. Instead of firing offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, Iowa gave him a new contract with a ridiculously low bar for improvement. Sadly, if they clear that low bar — and with incoming Michigan transfers in QB Cade McNamara and TE Erick All, plus some O-line reinforcements, they might — they could win a lot of games. – Connelly, ESPN.
Should Iowa get to 10-2 overall, they would likely have a grasp on the Big Ten West title and a trip to Indianapolis. That win total would see an offense scoring, a defense doing their thing, and a bounce-back season after a 2022 full of headlines.
Say the Hawkeyes actually do hit the floor. Well, they still hit the extraordinarily low threshold of wins that Brian Ferentz needs to get to in his amended contract. They would still have to score 25 points per game to retain him which would be the determining factor. A 7-5 season in Iowa City would certainly turn up the heat, amp up the headlines, and get things even more uncomfortable.
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