Iowa will be a one dimensional team offensively this year, which is on the ground. Iowa State's defense is currently set up to stop the Air Raid Big 12 offenses more so than ground and pound teams like Iowa and Kansas States. Our green LB core and front 4 full of potential, but still question marks, will probably get chewed up and spit out by Iowa's O-line, TE's, and RB's. Iowa will get whatever they want on the ground, 200 yards is entirely likely.
That said, Iowa is full of almost as many question marks as us. Who is the QB? Does it matter? Who will be catching passes? Will there be passes? Will there NEED to be passes? Their whole O-line is back I believe, and they manhandled our front 7 last year, so I have little reason to believe any of that will be different this year. Whoever is the QB will have plenty of time to throw his screen passes and 5 yard outs to his FB/TE's. Just chip chip chip away until the time runs out.
All we can really hope to do is overmatch them offensively, and while we are skilled, I do not share the faith that other Cyclone fans have in Park to lead the offense. The dude is clearly talented, but in his interviews and based on his history, I fail to see a guy who is gonna keep his head up when the going gets tough, and it will against Iowa. Until he proves me wrong, Jacob Park his Steele Jantz 2.0. Wish he'd get a haircut. Fortunately, I think the future is bright for Zeb. I hope we don't have to see him this year, but I think he'll be the next great QB for Iowa State. Not Park.
If worse comes to worse, we could always trot Lanning back out there. I think he'd succeed with the pieces around him, he has intangibles and leadership ability that I've yet to see from Park. But maybe, and hopefully, Park can prove me wrong.
Not sure I see us winning this game, it would take quite a bit to do so. I think the 42-3 result last year was a fluke performance, probably on both sides, but I could see the game transpiring in similar fashion this year. Think 2013 when Iowa dominated us both sides of the ball, but let the final score look a little better in the 4th quarter by taking their foot off the gas.
Halftime score will be 24-7 Iowa after a thorough ass-kicking. Iowa gets sloppy in the 2nd half and eases off a bit defensively, but we still come up short. 34-24 Hoks.
