Evidently, they have one of the best offensive lines in the conference.  A very big part of our defensive successes, last year and this year, is based off controlling the line of scrimmage...  I think Iowa will be able to hold the ball for longer stretches, and they'll be able to drive in to IU's territory more than we're used to.  Game will be determined by who gets touchdowns when they do have long drives, and then turnovers.  I think we'll get enough in the end to win the game, but it'll be a close one.  And a close game, in Kinnick, going in to the 4th quarter after "The Wave"... scares the crap out of me.

IU 27 - Iowa 22

Expectations checked a little bit when we compare ourselves to other top 5 level teams.  If we thump them... gonna be hard to keep the expectations in check... and honestly, probably not necessary.  

38 - 16, but I could see us in the 40's depending on how Iowa's secondary handles our WRs and how fast of a start we get.  I don't expect we hit 50 this week.

@iunorth  - People need to realize.  IU has outscored their opponents by 13+ points in 14 of the last 17 games.  When they are simply favored, they have done that 14 of the last 15 games.

I fully understand that anything is possible but if you are playing the odds, IU is going to walk out of Kinnick with a decisive win.  I think people are having a really hard time coming to grips with how good this program is.  Even those like us who never miss a snap. ha

@yothn Trying to think of a comparable challenge last year, to what playing Iowa at Kinnick will be.  Somewhere in between the game at Michigan State, and then the games at OSU and ND.  Iowa is probably a little bit more like MSU, than it is OSU or ND, from a team abilities and overall talent perspective... but the environment at Kinnick will be closer to the OSU/ND games, atmosphere wise, than the game at MSU was.

IU didn't handle the beginnings of any of those games very well.  But obviously took control of the MSU game from the 2nd quarter on.

Iowa at Kinnick is nearly always a formidable challenge, for anyone.  

@iunorth - But what is that logic based on?  Iowa lost to Michigan State by 12 last year. They lost to UCLA.  Nebraska almost beat them at Iowa.  Iowa State is ranked 14th but they're worse than Illinois.  They eek'd out a win vs 1-3 Kansas State. Almost lost to Arkansas State last week. I think once Iowa State gets exposed (possibly vs Arizona tomorrow), people will start to revalue how meaningless that Iowa vs ISU game was.

I think I'm more nervous about this week than last week. Stay focused men!

IU-38

Iowa-17

@yothn First off...I hope you're right.  You were last week, for sure.  And I'm getting closer to trusting that IU might just be a top 5 level program right now.  Winning at Kinnick would be a pretty big statement towards that. 

But...Iowa's roster is filled with solid 4 star level players.  Its the same program that wins 7-8 games basically every single year, with 9-10 win seasons sprinkled in every now and then.  Their OLine being one of the best in the conference seems to be accepted as a fact, at this point.

I'm not questioning whether we'll win the game or not.  I think we will.  I'm questioning whether we'll blow them out.  Iowa has plenty of home losses in the last 10-15 years.  But only a couple double digit losses among those.  And one of them was to Michigan's natty team a couple years ago.

Going in to Kinnick, and blowing them out, isn't something many teams have really ever done.    

Tough one.  We've never beaten a good team on the road in the Cig era.  Iowa is a borderline top 25 imo and it will be a very fired up crowd.  That said, I think it's a good matchup for us.

IU 27

Iowa 20

31-17 Hoosiers.  One field goal.  

37-17 good guys.  

close early then a second half boat race 

42-13 Hoosiers