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Iowa Is Headed to the Big Ten Championship. Is There Any Way They Can Win It?

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Iowa Is Headed to the Big Ten Championship. Is There Any Way They Can Win It?


As unbelievable as it may sound, the Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2023 Big Ten West champions and are one victory away from winning the conferene for the first time since 2004. Iowa had to overcome a seemingly insurmountable set of hurdles to claim the division crown: a preseason gambling scandal; long-term injuries to several of the team’s key players; and the de facto firing of offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz with four games remaining in the regular season. While any of these challenges might have been enough to derail the Hawkeyes, their ability to weather this adversity has set them up with an opportunity to achieve the goals the team set out with at the start of the season.

Iowa’s opponent in the Big Ten Championship will be the winner of the Michigan vs. Ohio State game, though both opponents will pose a significant challenge to the Hawkeyes. Both teams have defenses of similar caliber to Iowa’s; while the Hawkeyes rank third in the FBS in scoring defense and are allowing only 12.4 points per game, Michigan (9.0) and Ohio State (9.3) rank first and second in that metric respectively. Meanwhile, Iowa is scoring 18.5 points per game; only nine teams are putting up fewer points than the Hawkeyes. Given that Michigan and Ohio State have held much, MUCH better offenses than Iowa’s to fewer than ten points per game, it is difficult to imagine Iowa being able to score in double digits against one of these elite defenses. Unlike Iowa, however, Michigan and Ohio State are both averaging over 30 points per game (38.3 for the Wolverines and 33.6 for the Buckeyes), so it is also no guarantee that the Iowa defense can shut down the opposing offense the way the have for almost the entirety of the year. Add in the fact that both Michigan and Ohio State each defeated a Penn State squad that humiliated Iowa in a 31-0 beatdown in Week 4, and there are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about Iowa’s chances of beating either team in Indianapolis.

What would it take for the Hawkeyes to pull out victory over Michigan or Ohio State and win the Stagg Championship Trophy? Obviously, the Hawkeyes getting all of their injured players back and adopting a completely new offensive system would give Iowa a strong chance of victory, but is there anything in the realm of reality that would help the team claim victory over their heavily favored opponents? As unlikely as an Iowa victory in the championship game may be, there are a few scenarios which would help improve the Hawkeye’s chances to claim the conference crown.

1. Dominate the turnover battle. Iowa has won nine games so far this year despite posting a -3 turnover margin, but it’s difficult to imagine the Hawkeyes being able to get away with giving the ball up against teams that can score as often and efficiently as the Buckeyes and Wolverines can. Iowa’s four turnovers against Penn State created easy scoring opportunities for the Nittany Lions and forced the Hawkeye defense to stay on the field for 97 plays, and Iowa cannot afford to give their opponents the same luxury in this game. Similarly, Iowa must seize every opportunity to create turnovers their opponents give them. Iowa had a whopping 13 pass breakups against Illinois, but no interceptions despite several catchable balls being thrown in the direction of the Hawkeye defense. If the Buckeyes or Wolverines make reckless plays with the football against the Hawkeyes, Iowa must capitalize to create short fields for their offense and opportunities for their defense to score outright.

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2. Empty the playbook on offense. Iowa’s offense has shown improvement over the past two weeks, especially in their 22-point, 402-yard performance against a Rutgers team that is ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense. However, given Iowa’s athletic, skill, and consistency deficit on offense relative to their potential championship game opponents, it is tough to believe Iowa can run their normal offense and still move the ball and score with any regularity. While the Hawkeyes cannot change their entire offensive scheme between now and December 2nd, Iowa can use this remaining time to develop creative plays to potentially catch their opponents off guard. Iowa’s offense is nothing if not predictable, but they did manage to fool Michigan’s defense with a halfback pass play in the championship game two years ago that was a few inches away from resulting in a touchdown. Whatever gadget plays or creative wrinkles Brian Ferentz has in the dusty recesses of his playbook, the championship game is the time to put them into action for Iowa to have any hope of moving the ball. Similarly, if LeVar Woods can dial up a fake field goal or punt play that can extend a drive or steal points from their opponents, it may be worth the Hawkeyes sacrificing an opportunity for a Tory Taylor coffin corner punt or a Drew Stevens field goal to try and shift the momentum of the game. Playing the field position game has gotten Iowa to the championship game, but the Hawkeyes will likely have to roll the dice successfully a few times if they hope to have a real shot at winning it.

3. Ride the Kalebs as much as possible. Running back Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Kaleb Brown have emerged as two of Iowa’s most dynamic players on offense, though both have been used inconsistently throughout the season. Johnson has led the team in yards per carry each of the past two games but has been consistently out-touched by Leshon Williams and had a similar carry split to Jaziun Patterson, and was not used at all in Iowa’s win over Northwestern. While Williams and Patterson are good backs who deserve a role in the Hawkeye offense, Johnson remains Iowa’s most capable big-play threat on the ground and needs to be in for more than the 15 snaps he saw against Illinois for Iowa to have a chance to keep pace with the Buckeyes or Wolverines. Similarly, Kaleb Brown’s usage cannot tail off in the championship game and should ideally be at or above the six touches he has averaged over Iowa’s past two contests. Whether Brown is catching the ball, taking handoff on a jet sweep, or even receiving a direct snap (something Iowa has occasionally experimented with using their more dynamic skill players), Brown has shown that he has the athleticism to move the chains and create big plays for an Iowa offense that is sorely lacking in explosiveness. The more opportunities Iowa can scheme up to get the Kalebs the ball in space, the better their chances of moving the ball against the elite defense they will face in Indy.

4. Get healthy and stay healthy. While Cade McNamara, Erick All, Luke Lachey, and Cooper DeJean aren’t expected to make it back in time for the conference championship game, Iowa does have several key players dealing with injuries who could improve their team’s chances for victory if they were at full strength, including wide receiver Diante Vines, cornerback TJ Hall, and most of the offensive line. Given that Iowa has clinched the West, there is a case to be made for the Hawkeyes resting all their players who are dealing with lingering injuries in Friday’s game against Nebraska to give them more time to heal in preparation for the conference championship, even if doing so decreases Iowa’s chances for victory. Kirk Ferentz is unlikely to adopt this strategy, especially with an opportunity to claim revenge on Nebraska and retrieve the Heroes Trophy on the line. However, given that winning the Big Ten remains the team’s ultimate goal, Iowa would be wise to do everything it can to minimize the chances of injury to key contributors this week and give the players that are currently banged up an opportunity to recover if at all possible. If Iowa can get a comfortable lead over Nebraska early, don’t be surprised to see Kirk put the backups in earlier than fans are used to seeing.

5. Find a way to take the pressure off Iowa’s offensive tackles. While the performance of Mason Richman and Gennings Dunker has been an improvement over the tackle play from recent seasons, Iowa has still struggled throughout much of the year at protecting the quarterback from edge rushers. Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson only recorded one sack against Iowa this season, but he practically lived in the Hawkeye backfield and created so much pressure with his pass rush that Cade McNamara was unable to go through his progressions and find open receivers downfield. Both Michigan and Ohio State have defensive ends and outside linebackers who could similarly challenge the pass protection skills of Iowa’s tackles, which would make things complicated for quarterback Deacon Hill given his lack of mobility and tendency to hold onto the ball too long in the pocket. Unless Iowa’s tackles can consistently hold up against edge pressure, Iowa may need to use running backs and tight ends to assist in pass protection more often than they are used to or continue to roll Deacon Hill out of the pocket the way they have successfully done in recent weeks.

6. Shore up the secondary. The loss of Cooper DeJean deprived Iowa of a lockdown cornerback with the speed and athleticism to run step-for-step with the likes of Roman Wilson or Marvin Harrison Jr. and the cover skills to force opposing quarterbacks to make elite throws to complete routine passes against him. With DeJean injured, junior Jermari Harris, freshman Deshaun Lee, and sophomore TJ Hall will have to prove they can lock down the type of top-flight receivers they will face when matching up against Ohio State or Michigan. Harris has had his share of struggles in coverage this year but had arguably his best game as a Hawkeye against Illinois, breaking up four passes and doing his part to hold a solid receiving corps in check. Deshaun Lee, meanwhile, was regularly targeted by Illinois and gave up several catches to Isaiah Williams, a player who is of similar caliber to the receivers he will be asked to cover in Indianapolis. Whether Lee and TJ Hall can learn from their past struggles covering top-tier wideouts (Hall’s struggles covering Nebraska’s Trey Palmer last year as a freshman are well documented) and help contain the opposing passing games will play a huge role in determining whether Iowa has a chance to keep this game competitive. Both young players have the talent to be future stars in this defense, and Iowa needs Phil Parker to bring that potential out of them sooner rather than later.

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7. Hit the opposing quarterback early and often (albeit legally). Injuries are the worst part of the game of football, and nobody should ever hope for or intentionally try to inflict serious damage on an opposing player. It is also true that Iowa’s chances of winning the Big Ten championship would increase dramatically if its defense managed to either knock the opposing starting quarterback out of the game or hit him hard enough to make him wary of standing in the pocket long enough to continue taking damage from Iowa’s defense. This is not a prescriptive gameplan, and it would be neither strategic nor moral for Iowa to try to incapacitate the opposing quarterback. But in listing scenarios that could potentially lead to an Iowa victory, it would also be disingenuous not to include it.

8. Benefiting from inside information. No, I don’t mean that Iowa should film its potential championship opponents and try to steal their signals (though if Michigan’s allegations against the Buckeyes are true, Ohio State may be willing to volunteer their intel on the Wolverines should they end up losing next weekend). However, Iowa has players on their roster who suited up for both Michigan and Ohio State last year and could potentially give the Hawkeyes some insights about what to expect from their opponents. This is particularly true of Michigan, whose former starting quarterback and tight end are currently members of the Iowa football team. Any insights these players can provide about their former team’s tendencies, vulnerabilities, or ways to get under their opponent’s skin could prove beneficial to Iowa in a game where the Hawkeyes can use all the help they can get. Cade McNamara and Erick All may not be able to suit up due to their injuries, but perhaps they can find a way to give their teammates an edge in this game should the Wolverines manage to punch their ticket to Indianapolis?

The chances of Iowa beating either Michigan or Ohio State and winning the Big Ten title are extremely low, and all eight of the scenarios listed above coming to fruition still might not be enough to bring home the championship. However, if Iowa’s bizarre path to Indianapolis has shown the college football world anything, it’s that this Hawkeye squad is capable of achievements that seem far beyond the realm or reason. In a campaign full of statistical anomalies and unexplainable results, why not one more shocking twist to confound the pundits and make the entire sport shake their head and wonder what kind of black magic Kirk Ferentz is practicing in Iowa City to keep this team winning the way they are? At this point, doing something unexplainable may be the most predictable thing Iowa’s football team can do.



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Iowa

Donald Trump calls for Iowa supporters to caucus, says ‘nothing’s over’ for 2024 – Iowa Capital Dispatch

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Donald Trump calls for Iowa supporters to caucus, says ‘nothing’s over’ for 2024 – Iowa Capital Dispatch


CEDAR RAPIDS — With six weeks left until the Iowa caucuses, former president Donald Trump largely spent his time in Iowa criticizing President Joe Biden instead of going after his Republican rivals — but told supporters to not listen to claims that the primary is already “over.”

“Don’t listen to that, don’t listen,” Trump said. “Nothing’s over. I’ve seen things that are over and bad things can happen. You got to get to the polls, you’ve got to get in the caucus and you’ve got to do your job and we’re going to win.”

The former president addressed a crowd at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids Saturday afternoon, taking over the college’s basketball court and bleachers for the rally.

He accused the current administration of weaponizing the government and justice system against a political opponent — himself. Trump currently faces criminal and civil cases in multiple states, and some state courts are deliberating whether Trump can be kept off the ballot in 2024.

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“This campaign is a righteous crusade to liberate our republic from Biden and the criminals in the Biden administration,” Trump told the crowd.

Trump waved off comments from national media claiming Democrats want him to become the GOP nominee because they believe Biden would win in a 2020 rematch.

“If they wanted to run against me, they wouldn’t have indicted me four times,” Trump said.

According to aggregated poll data from Real Clear Politics, Trump leads the Republican field at 47% in Iowa, and 62% nationally. But other candidates hope to use the Iowa caucuses to stop Trump from coasting to the nomination. At the same time as Trump’s event in Cedar Rapids, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held an event in Newton, completing the s0-called “full Grassley” by holding events in all 99 Iowa counties.

DeSantis, who holds a distant second place to Trump in some national and early state polls, is hoping to pull an upset at the Iowa caucuses. He has the support of influential Iowa Republicans like Gov. Kim Reynolds, Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats and state lawmakers like House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, who joined him at the Saturday event.

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Vander Plaats has said DeSantis’ caucus performance will set the stage for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination cycle. If Trump wins Iowa, Vander Plaats said, it likely means Trump will easily win the nomination. But if a rival like DeSantis wins, he said, it means there’s appetite among Republicans for a serious race.

“If one of these others rises up to be the alternative to Trump, and they win the Iowa caucuses, I think now America’s gonna see game on,” Vander Plaats said. “And they’re going to have to make a choice, of who do they want to be their nominee? So they got Iowa is very crucial in this go-around.”

Trump’s campaign hopes to stave off a potentially more competitive 2024 nominating cycle by winning big in Iowa.

Before the president took the stage, campaign videos explaining how to caucus for Trump on Jan. 15, 2024 played on a screen above the stage. A panel of Iowa GOP leaders and Trump caucus captains answered common questions about Iowa Republicans’ caucus process.

Trump has also focused on combatting Reynolds’ endorsement specifically — he has criticized both Reynolds and DeSantis for “disloyalty” on social media, as he endorsed both of their gubernatorial reelection campaigns in 2022.

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On Friday, his campaign launched a six-figure TV ad buy in Iowa that included a commercial featuring previous footage of Reynolds praising the Trump administration, ABC News reported. But in Iowa Saturday, the former president repeated his criticisms of Reynolds’ support for DeSantis.

““I mean, that was her choice to do this,” Trump said. “But I believe in loyalty.”

Bill Stilich, a retired teacher from Cedar Rapids area, said he believes Trump will easily win the Iowa caucuses, regardless of DeSantis’ Iowa endorsements or recent voter interest in former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Stilich said he believes Republicans going against Trump will do more to hurt their own political prospects than Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Stilich said he was a big supporter of Reynolds until her endorsement of the Florida governor in November.

“It definitely hurt her …. yet, by the same token, she’s done a lot for the state,” he said. “But I just don’t appreciate her as much.”

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Trump’s campaign also featured Iowa endorsers, including Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who called for Iowans to show up to the  caucuses.

Mark Lucas, the founder of the Iowa chapter for Americans for Prosperity, endorsed Trump at the Cedar Rapids event. Lucas, who is no longer affiliated with AFP, said he was disappointed that the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity PAC put their support behind Haley. Though Lucas said he was a big proponent of the Iowa caucuses, he believed the 2024 primary was “done.”

He said Trump was the biggest threat to President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, claiming that Biden was “weaponizing” government to hurt Trump’s election, pointing to the former president’s legal battles and efforts to remove Trump from state ballots.

“The stakes in this election cycle are just too high for me to stand on the sidelines,” Lucas said.

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Iowa bar has beer promotion for Big Ten championship: Free drinks till Hawkeyes score

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Iowa bar has beer promotion for Big Ten championship: Free drinks till Hawkeyes score


A Cedar Rapids bar is putting more faith in the Iowa offense than the majority of college football this season.

X-Golf, an indoor golf simulation bar, is rolling out a promotion that is as Big Ten as it gets: free beer from kickoff of the Big Ten Championship until Iowa scores against Michigan. That score can, for what it’s worth, come from the offense or defense. X-Golf can swing it, probably, but it’s an interesting marketing tactic for the 124th-ranked offense in the country.

The last time Michigan (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) played Iowa in a Big Ten championship game, it took until 1:26 left in the first quarter for Iowa to put points on the board with a Caleb Shudak field goal. Iowa, which lost that game 42-3, is hoping for earlier success this season.

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The over/under for Michigan-Iowa this week is 35.5, with Michigan entering as 21.5-point favorites per BetMGM. The 10-2 Hawkeyes (7-2 in Big Ten) are looking to control the pace of the game and pull off a tremendous upset.

REQUIRED READING: Iowa football bowl outlook: Where will the Hawkeyes land after Big Ten title game?

X-Golf co-owner Bryant Nicholson said this isn’t the first time the promotion has been run, but it’s now getting attention due to the status of the game.

“One of the owners thought of this to get people in during Hawkeye games,” Nicholson said, per Jack Lido of KCRG. “We’ve done it the past few weeks! We’re not nervous at all and confident in our Hawkeyes! Hawks by a million! (Ends if the defense scores too!)”

Iowa had several record-breakingly-low over/unders this season, and has scored 20-plus points just once since Oct. 14 (22-0 over Rutgers on Nov. 11).

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Ultimately, X-Golf needs Iowa to score early, not often. If not, it could be a long night for some fans in Cedar Rapids. One other important thing to note: The promotion does specify it only runs until the end of the game. So there will not be beer served for free throughout December, until a bowl game — sorry, loophole seekers.



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Go Iowa Awesome – PREVIEW: Iowa vs Michigan football (Big Ten Champ. Game)

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Go Iowa Awesome  –  PREVIEW: Iowa vs Michigan football (Big Ten Champ. Game)


WHO: #2 Michigan Wolverines (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten)
WHEN: 7:15 PM CT (Saturday, December 2, 2023)
WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Ed Podolak, Rob Brooks) | Sirius/XM 84
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @HawkeyeFootball | @CFBONFOX | @IowaonBTN
WEATHER: n/a (dome)
LINE: Michigan -22.0 (total of 34.5)

THE SCOOP

The stakes are clear for this game: either Iowa pulls off the biggest upset in the history of the Big Ten Championship Game and wins its first outright Big Ten title since 2004 or Michigan wins its third straight Big Ten title and rolls into the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines are prohibitive favorites to win the game (-22), while the Hawkeyes are massive underdogs. On paper, this game looks like an utter mismatch. Can Iowa make the on-field game more competitive than the on-paper version?

WHEN MICHIGAN HAS THE BALL

Michigan ranks 13th in scoring offensive, at 37.6 ppg, although the Wolverines are just 59th in total offense, at 394.5 yards per game. The Wolverines’ yards-per-play average of 6.36 ranks 33rd nationally. Michigan ranks 53rd in rushing offense, at 169.8 yards per game, and 56th in yards per carry, at 4.44. The Wolverines’ 33 touchdowns on the ground is tied for third-best in the nation.

The main man in the Michigan ground game has been senior RB Blake Corum, who is fourth in the Big Ten with 976 yards rushing (4.8 yards per carry), but has a staggering 22 rushing touchdowns this season. When Michigan gets the ball near the end zone, Corum tends to find a way to score a touchdown.

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Backup RB Donovan Edwards has 354 yards and three touchdowns, albeit on only 3.3 yards per carry. QB JJ McCarthy is also a bit of a threat to move the ball with his legs; he has 181 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season.

Obviously, McCarthy’s main threat is through the air. Michigan ranks 68th nationally in passing offense, at 224.8 yards per game, and with a very healthy 21-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. McCarthy has been extremely accurate — and efficient — through the air this season. His 74.3% completion rate ranks second nationally, behind only Oregon’s Bo Nix (77.2%). His 9.7 yards per attempt average also ranks 5th nationally.

Senior WR Roman Wilson has been McCarthy’s top threat in the passing game — he leads the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (648), and touchdowns (11). Iowa not having Cooper DeJean available to help defend Wilson is a big blow for Iowa defensively.

Senior WR Cornelius Johnson has also been a prolific target for the Wolverines, with 33 catches for 503 yards and a touchdown. Tight ends Colston Loveland and AJ Barner round the set of Michigan’s top pass-catchers. Loveland ranks second on the team in receptions (37), yards (550), and touchdowns (4).

The strong Michigan offensive line has not only been effective opening holes for Corum in the running game, it’s also been successful at keeping McCarthy’s pocket clean. Michigan allowed just 14.0 sacks, tied with Rutgers for the fewest-allowed in the Big Ten.

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WHEN IOWA HAS THE BALL

On the other side of the ball, Michigan’s defense has been a steel trap this season. The Wolverines lead the nation in scoring defense (6.7 ppg), with only five of seven opponents hitting double digits this season and only two (Maryland and Ohio State) exceeding 20 ppg. The nation’s best scoring defense facing one of the nation’s worst scoring offenses looks like a bad time for that terrible scoring offense.

Michigan is also 2nd nationally in total defense (246.8 ypg) and 4th in yards per play allowed (4.4). Michigan is 7th nationally in rushing defense (91.4 ypg) and 8th in yards per carry allowed (3.02 ypc). Michigan also ranks 4th in pass defense (166.3 ypg), 6th in passer rating (102.2), and 7th in opponent completion percentage (54.4%). The Wolverines have also allowed just seven touchdown passes against 16 interceptions this season.

Wolverine defenders have been average at creating havoc — they’re 67th in tackles for loss (68.0) and 40th in sacks (29.0). However, they’ve been among the nation’s best at generating turnovers — their +7 turnover margin is 3rd best nationally. The Wolverines have forced 21 turnovers (16 interceptions plus five forced fumbles) so far, tied for 18th best nationally.

Junior LB Junior Colson leads the team with 71 tackles on the season. Five Michigan defenders have at least 5.0 carries for weight, led by edges Jaylen Harrell and Josaiah Stewart and DL Mason Graham with 6.5 TFL apiece). Harrell and Stewart also lead the Wolverines in sacks, with 5.5 and 4.5 sacks, respectively.

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Defensive back Mike Sainristil has been a particular threat through the air — he as a team-high 5 interceptions, including a pair of pick-six returns. Defensive back Will Johnson is second on the team with two picks and one defensive touchdown as well. Sainristil also leads the team in passes broken up with five, ahead of several guys with four pass deflections.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Iowa has Tory Taylor, Michigan does not. Advantage: Iowa.

Michigan has junior punter Tommy Doman, whose 45.0 yards per punt average would rank 5th in the conference if he qualified for the Big Ten leaderboard. Doman doesn’t qualify because he hasn’t punted often enough; his 36 punts on the season is 43 fewer (!) than Taylor has attempted this season.

Senior placekicker James Turner is 12/14 on the season and his 86% conversion rate is second-best in the league. In a close game, there’s likely to be more confidence in Turner to make a kick than Iowa’s kicking game, despite Marshall Meeder‘s heroic game-winning kick last week.

Jake Thaw has returned 14 punt returns for 106 yards, a 7.57 yards per return average. Michigan hasn’t been very effective at kickoff returns; the Wolverines have returned 15 kickoffs for 224 yards, a 14.9 yards per return average, which ranks 13th in the Big Ten.

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THE PICK

There is a path to Iowa winning this game, which we’ve already discussed in great detail. It involves a lot of things going right for Iowa and a lot of things going wrong for MIchigan. Is it possible? Sure. But is it probable? No.

Michigan has a talent advantage over Iowa at every position except punter. Jim Harbaugh has used that talent advantage and improved tactics to out-coach Kirk Ferentz in the last two Iowa-Michigan games. The Big Ten East’s best have figured out how to play (and overwhelm) Iowa in recent years and Ferentz hasn’t found an effective counter-punch yet.

It would be easier to envision a possible Iowa upset if so many of the Hawkeyes’ best players weren’t going to be in street clothes on the Iowa sideline — Cade McNamara, Luke Lachey, Erick All, Cooper DeJean. If Iowa had their best guys, it would be easier to see them having a puncher’s chance to hit the plays they need to hit to knock off Michigan.

Instead, Iowa will have to play the hand that it’s been dealt, with the players that it has available. From that perspective, it’s just too hard to see Deacon Hill being able to make enough plays against the Michigan defense. Likewise, it’s too hard to see the Iowa defense being able to hold back the patient and powerful Michigan offense for a full 60 minutes. At some point, slippage is inevitable.

Michigan 31, Iowa 10

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