Teams Compared to Preseason Expectations

uihawk82

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2021
3,095
4,579
113

With the hawks having one of the youngest teams in D1 and losing so many starters I would think and place Iowa in the better than expected group.

At the start of the season most prognosticators probably had the hawks being 3-3 or 4-2 at this point. There were projected losses to Mich and OSU and probably Wash. But instead the hawks beat Mich, hung tough with OSU until 40 seconds left in the first half, and clobbered Wash.
 

Palmerhawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,318
4,630
113
Currently by analytics the hawks are underdogs to NW and Nebraska so the pure stats do not place the hawks very high,hence not beating expectations.
Sadly, these analytic- driven ratings seem to rule the way media forms their impression of teams.
Iowa will never flourish in pure stats.
 
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squeezebox_1

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2018
1,176
1,684
113
Iowa was picked as A 7.5 win total team across the board. Iowa is overachieving and was undervalued to start the year.
SP+ ratings have issues with Iowa, it's as simple as that. Their offensive efficiency, coupled with recruiting rankings/returning production drag that number down. Analytics in football are nearly laughable based on the sample sizes.
 

TrojanHawkeye

All-Conference
Feb 11, 2009
895
1,480
93
The Hawks were a team a lot of talking heads mentioned that had a chance to make the playoffs. They still are.

Meeting expectations.
 

85Bears

All-American
Aug 31, 2019
6,004
6,435
108
Doesn’t contradict a thing I said, Iowa was 7.5 win total across the board before the year, and I don’t recall many predicting Iowa taking 2 of 3 for OSU,Michigan, UW.

to suggest Iowa was a widespread playoff pick before this season is laughable.
 

iahawkeyes17

All-Conference
Apr 22, 2014
877
2,194
83
Switch Iowa and Nebraska. Cornhuskers choking to a ranked team is just as expected.
Yep. Not all 5-1 are created equal. Look at Iowa schedule vs theirs. They beat 3 non P4 teams all at home. Then other 2 Ws against 2 of the 3 worst big 10 teams (Mich st and arguably the worst team with Maryland). Played 5 of 6 of the games at home but let’s give them credit for another moral victory for playing IU close.
 

squeezebox_1

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2018
1,176
1,684
113
Doesn’t contradict a thing I said, Iowa was 7.5 win total across the board before the year, and I don’t recall many predicting Iowa taking 2 of 3 for OSU,Michigan, UW.

to suggest Iowa was a widespread playoff pick before this season is laughable.
That wasn’t the commentary, a decent number of prognosticators claimed Iowa would be a dark horse. That is what you replied to by saying “no one.” Good lord dude just admit you’re wrong. Man you and eyes have the market cornered on that monopoly
 

85Bears

All-American
Aug 31, 2019
6,004
6,435
108
That wasn’t the commentary, a decent number of prognosticators claimed Iowa would be a dark horse. That is what you replied to by saying “no one.” Good lord dude just admit you’re wrong. Man you and eyes have the market cornered on that monopoly
oh good troll juicebox
 

UIAlumFireFighter

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
1,420
2,126
113
With the hawks having one of the youngest teams in D1 and losing so many starters I would think and place Iowa in the better than expected group.

At the start of the season most prognosticators probably had the hawks being 3-3 or 4-2 at this point. There were projected losses to Mich and OSU and probably Wash. But instead the hawks beat Mich, hung tough with OSU until 40 seconds left in the first half, and clobbered Wash.
We are NOT “one of the youngest teams” …

Starting experience? Yes. Youngest? No.

Most of the starters have been in college many years now.

And…You’re seemingly giving us some level of ‘kudos’ for “hanging tough” for almost a half with Ohio State. That’s too funny.
 
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Hawkedup

All-American
Jul 8, 2025
3,153
7,150
113
We are NOT “one of the youngest teams” …

Starting experience? Yes. Youngest? No.

Most of the starters have been in college many years now.

And…You’re seemingly giving us some level of ‘kudos’ for “hanging tough” for almost a half with Ohio State. That’s too funny.

Do you ever have anything positive to say about Iowa? Are you really an Iowa fan? Why even bother watching if it makes you this miserable?
 

Ripcord

Senior
Aug 30, 2016
420
555
63
With the hawks having one of the youngest teams in D1 and losing so many starters I would think and place Iowa in the better than expected group.

At the start of the season most prognosticators probably had the hawks being 3-3 or 4-2 at this point. There were projected losses to Mich and OSU and probably Wash. But instead the hawks beat Mich, hung tough with OSU until 40 seconds left in the first half, and clobbered Wash.
Ditto re: Iowa's predictions.

regarding Nebraska, their first five games were obvious wins, and their sixth game, v. Indiana, was a probable loss.

In other words, anybody who follows college football could have predicted accurately a 5-1 record. So, I do not know how they get "better than expected" for Nebraska, nor do I know who gets paid to write these kind of things.
 

eyesofhawk

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2011
3,677
3,492
113
Currently by analytics the hawks are underdogs to NW and Nebraska so the pure stats do not place the hawks very high,hence not beating expectations.
Sadly, these analytic- driven ratings seem to rule the way media forms their impression of teams.
Iowa will never flourish in pure stats.
I don't know about the analytics.

But I can promise you Iowa will be favored against Nebraska. And there's a pretty good chance the Hawks are favored vs NW, too.

The pure stats have Iowa at 5-1
 

MeetTheFerentzes

All-American
Sep 6, 2022
2,835
5,616
113
So,

Nebraska has beaten 5 teams that they were heavy favorites over and lost to the team in which they were the underdog….and is exceeding expectations.

Iowa has beaten 5 teams, 2 in which they were heavily favored, 1 rivalry game, and 2 road games in which they were the underdogs, including the Big House and West Coast, and their only loss is to the odds-on favorite to win the natty….and is only meeting expectations.
 

Madman_1

Senior
Dec 28, 2002
2,358
482
83
The Hawks were a team a lot of talking heads mentioned that had a chance to make the playoffs. They still are.

Meeting expectations.

That's a very broad look.

I could make the statement: "The Hawks were expected to win some games. They have."

Meeting expectations.


In reality, they were NOT expected to have a 5-1 record at the mid-point of the season. 4-2 or 3-3 was the likely expectation. With a 4-2 record they would obviously have a chance to make the playoffs. Therefore, Iowa having a chance to make the playoffs should not be the only data point to determine whether they are meeting or exceeding expectations.
 

Hawk_4shur

All-Conference
Jan 2, 2009
916
2,178
93
That's a very broad look.

I could make the statement: "The Hawks were expected to win some games. They have."

Meeting expectations.


In reality, they were NOT expected to have a 5-1 record at the mid-point of the season. 4-2 or 3-3 was the likely expectation. With a 4-2 record they would obviously have a chance to make the playoffs. Therefore, Iowa having a chance to make the playoffs should not be the only data point to determine whether they are meeting or exceeding expectations.
I think you may be assuming someone worked really hard on that graphic.
 
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