Big Ten 2010 // Iowa's Achilles Heel - The Offensive Line
by Bama Hawkeye on May 18, 2010 6:45 AM CDT
in Iowa
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PrintWait...he didn't just write that Iowa - home of the unheralded, but quickly admired, corn-fed behemoths - may have issues on the Offensive Line, did he?
Rising Sophomore Riley Reiff (#77) is the last man standing.
Oddly enough, Iowa's traditional strength could be its undoing. Let's look at the best starting lineup for the 2009 Offensive Line:
LT: Bryan Bulaga
LG: Riley Reiff
C: Rafael Eubanks
RG: Dace Richardson
RT: Kyle Calloway
The names crossed out? They don't live here anymore. Gulp.
Is it going to be that bad? Here's the thing. Nobody really knows. Riley Reiff is moving over to Left Tackle. The general consensus is that he is a special player that should excel on the offensive line for the next two/three years before a professional career calls him (By the way, we should all hope that he makes it as a first round draft pick if only so that Mel Kiper and Todd McShay can analyze his character issues due to this glorious incident prior to his red-shirt year). Let's assume that Reiff can settle in and be strong. What will the other four spots look like?
At the end of Spring practice, it appeared that Senior Julian Vandervelde had claimed the Left Guard spot. Vandervelde has the most experience on the squad, and he started games in each of the last two years. Last year's problem: he didn't really play that well when he started. If he progresses, if he can lead an inexperienced line...
One of these three boys is Julian Vandervelde in the 2000 Little League World Series. The other two are starters on the Penn State D-Line. Now you know why Iowa owns Penn State.
At Center, it appears that James Ferentz may be slightly ahead of Josh Koeppel for the starting slot. If the last name Ferentz (it's pronounced FAIR - ents) sounds familliar, it's because his brother Brian started at center for the Hawkeyes last decade and is now a tight ends coach for the New England Patriots. Regardless of which man wins the job, he'll be new and replacing a fifth year Senior. That means that delay of game penalties while the line tries to figure out its blocking assignments are to be expected.
Right guard looks to belong to Adam Gettis, a rising Junior. Gettis started the season opener last year. His performance was notable only for the number of times he was shoved backwards into Ricky Stanzi and Adam Robinson. Luckilly, with a new year comes a new schedule. Gettis shouldn't have to worry about facing athletes on the interior line on this season's slate like he faced last year against Northern Iowa. Crap.
Out at right tackle, Markus Zusevics has received a lot of positive buzz from Spring ball. That said, he's another blocker who has yet to see meaningful minutes in a game. That's a scary theme. And as you might expect, there is no experience on the bench behind any of the projected starters.
So, how bad will this be? Tough to say. It's not a mystery that Iowa's best teams have come with a veteran offensive line that controls the time of possession. The Hawkeyes do not have that this year. So the questions remain: Will this line be good enough to enable Robinson, Jewel Hampton and Brandon Wegher to find holes for five yard gains? Can they keep Stanzi upright? Will the line, in some combination, congeal enough to fight off the Ohio State front seven in November?
To end a positive note, I'll add this: at least we don't know that the offensive line will be bad. We just don't know that it will be good. And as weaknesses go, that's not a bad position to be in.
This week...
MONDAY: Spring Field Guide
TUESDAY: Achilles Heel
WEDNESDAY: Greatest Strength
THURSDAY: MVP Profile
FRIDAY: Keeping the Enemy Close
***
More Big Ten 2010...
Indiana | Michigan | Illinois | Minnesota | Purdue | Michigan State | Northwestern | Wisconsin | Penn State
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James Ferentz. That name sounds familiar, besides Brian Ferentz.
Where else have I heard “Ferentz” from???
Our “underwhelming” kicking game could be considered another Achilles heel…
And our recruiting. Everyone knows 2 stars can’t compete.
You must be thinking
of James’ mother, Mary. She lives nearby and goes to a lot of the games. I think she just donated a bunch of money to the children’s hospital as well, but surely that had nothing to do with him being a possible starter.
Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable. - Werner Herzog
Everyone knows
the hospital runs Iowa City. If you donate a lot of money, you too can have a son start for the Hawks.
http://www.rivalryesq.com/
"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Hawkeye State
by Bama Hawkeye on May 18, 2010 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions
One question
What was Iowa’s 2009 Achilles Heel?
I’d say rolling out Ricky Stanzi unblocked in their own end-zone directly at massive and fast defensive ends.
If Iowa can’t solve that in 2010, it may be a long season….
That's okay...
…Iowa knows jNW’s game plan now (take out the best offensive weapon at all costs) and we’re just gonna leave our defense on the field ALL-GAME-LONG.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on May 27, 2010 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions
It's becoming more and more clear
that Iowa 2010 is quite similar to Penn State 2009. You better hope traffic cone and stop sign don’t show up on the O-Line for the Hawkeyes this year.
by ChrisHarrell's_stache05 on May 18, 2010 10:29 AM CDT reply actions
I'm fine with Banana Peel at Right Tackle though...
He’ll atleast slow a guy down. Plus hilarity always ensues when bananas are involved…
PSU 2009 O-Line
Thanks RUTS
Fuck tOSU
H/T PSUisMyHeart for their take on Iowa's D-Line in that thread.
"You don't become a Hawkeye fan, You're born with Black and Gold in your veins." - Me
by BStylin Hawkye on May 18, 2010 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Okay, I'm trying to figure out which guy was the rolly-polly cat...
…cause he looks like a weak-link (which our D-line doesn’t have). Wait, he breathes fire, doesn’t he? I knew it.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on May 27, 2010 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions
And stop sign isn't terrible.
but ye gods, scarecrow is a disaster.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on May 18, 2010 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions
You couldn't resist taking a shot at Penn State, could you?
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on May 18, 2010 11:47 AM CDT reply actions
I know I shouldn't be so credulous
But PLEASE tell me that little factoid about the Little League World Series is true.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
That is
Vandervelde. The other two didn’t go to Penn State.
They went to Michigan.
http://www.rivalryesq.com/
"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Hawkeye State
by Bama Hawkeye on May 18, 2010 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
I knew about Vandevelde
being on the Iowa team that went to the Little League World Series. I was just hoping the other part was true, if only for the “what a small world” nature of it.
And either one of those two other kids is bigger in that picture than Forcier is now.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
Has Penn State
ever recruited a kid from Iowa?
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 19, 2010 12:30 AM CDT up reply actions
The baseball coaches saw Moonlight Graham play there once and offered him a schollie on the spot.
But then he turned into an 80 year old man. They still offered the schollie.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
by Jeff Junstrom on May 19, 2010 7:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Just because Joe Paterno really liked
From Here To Eternity, but what 55 year old man wouldn’t?
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 19, 2010 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
It's hard to replace four offfensive line starters.
If Stanzi should somehow wind up with a revolving door at RT, there’s going to be a lot of trouble in Iowa City…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on May 18, 2010 11:50 AM CDT reply actions
Can we trade?
We were kind enough to send Ben Brust to Wisconsin to play basketball so can we have one guy from your O-line?
It seems fair, Brust has four years eligibility (five with a redshirt!) which is like 120 games; I think I speak for almost all fans when I say we would accept a nice, ready to graduate senior with only 11 or so games left in his career.
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 18, 2010 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Brust had one of the worst coaches in the Big Ten.
Shall I take the time to remind you of Iowa’s basketball success (or lack thereof) from last year?
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on May 18, 2010 4:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Brust didn't have a coach in the BigTen.
He’s an incoming freshman, released from his LOI.
by The Mexican't on May 18, 2010 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions
I know he's an Iowa guy so he's self-sabotaging...
…but have you heard of Bielema’s reputation as a Big Ten Coach?
by Eyeheartfreedumb on May 27, 2010 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions
By the way, I don't know if you guys would want some of our offensive linemen considering the way Clayborn and company ripped them apart the last two years...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on May 18, 2010 4:36 PM CDT up reply actions
if they played against Clayborn everyday in practice
we could toughen them up a bit
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 19, 2010 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Sooooo 8-4 right?
Something about plowhorses and show ponies or something right?
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
I was waiting for that
My math has Iowa with 36 starts returning. That’s three fewer than PSU had last year. That’s why this is ID’d as the problem area.
http://www.rivalryesq.com/
"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Hawkeye State
by Bama Hawkeye on May 18, 2010 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions
unfair comparison
Nobody does less with more in terms of offensive lineman than Penn State. If PSU could coach o-lineman the way PSU coaches running backs, linebackers, punters, and defensive lineman, PSU would never have a 9-wins or less season ever again. Iowa will have these guys in much better shape by the start of the B10 schedule than PSU did last year.
No alarms and no surprises please.
That's a solid + 1 from me.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on May 19, 2010 12:31 AM CDT up reply actions
Just pullin yer leg
But yeah, I see a few similarities between PSU last year and Iowa this year. Should be interesting. Hopefully we can repay the honors in Iowa City this year.
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
Iowa has some of the most creatively named linemen in college football. It makes me wonder if they just recruit them off their name-interest factor.
Art Modell gives me a hard one
What gives me hope
is that the defense should be solid, so we shouldn’t have to worry about too many shoot-outs.
DJK and McNutt are good receivers, who should be able to have some success even if Stanzi doesn’t have a lot of time.
Also, Stanzi seems to do well rolling out and scrambling, at least in my memory. I could be hallucinating that.
It never gets to be easy
"I could be hallucinating"...
…that’s what D. Morgan thought as Ricky got farther and farther away as he chased him around the Orange Bowl.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on May 27, 2010 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions
What gives me hope
is that our O-line has to gets to practice against our D-line. If they can learn to block our D-line, they should do well enough.
by KinnickNorthHawk on May 19, 2010 12:02 PM CDT reply actions
As a Hawk fan...
…I’ve heard this so many times (and heard PSU folks lament having the same thought last year) that it’s not comforting at all any more.
100 days and we can stop speculating and start spectating.
I see so many games on the schedule that should practically be pick-ems, that I’d be happy with 9-3 (give or take a game) so long as one of those wins is Ohio St. Of course I hope we win them all, but I’ve watched enough football to know better than to expect that (even if you have the best team in the big ten, you can still drop an inexplicable one).
by Eyeheartfreedumb on May 27, 2010 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions
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