Intro to the Hawkeyes

[timotheus]

The key to the game will be how much the Iowa QB has to scramble or be forced from the pocket. special teams will be critical and I hope it does not rain.

[Recreationalgynecologist]

I agree with that. Don’t let the play action catch you off balance and put pressure on him

[Recreationalgynecologist]

I'm pretty sure that historically, Iowa puts Olinemen into NFL on a pretty frequent basis. Not sure what they have this year tho. Bama may have 1 or at most 2 NFL Olineman on their starting Oline.

Alabama’s best OL player is from Iowa

[dawgday166]

Off the top of my head, Iowa has at least 8 OL in the NFL on 53 man rosters. Alabama has like 9 or 10 (but, a WHOLE lot more skill players). 6 of the 8 for Iowa in the NFL are starters - including Marshall Yanda for the Ravens, widely considered the best OL in the NFL. There's also Blythe for the Rams, Bulaga for the Packers, Rieff for the Vikings, Schereff for the Redskins, etc.

Interesting tid-bit: One of Alabama's better 2018 OL (4 year starter, but not in the same class as Jonah Williams) is Ross Peirschbacher, who hails from...wait for it...Iowa.

Iowa churns out solid NFL OL. HC Kirf Ferentz was the OL coach @ Iowa back in the 80s as well as OL coach for the Browns (on the same staff as Belechick and Saban) in the 90s before the move to Baltimore imploded the staff.

I was somewhat aware of that. Big rawboned, corn fed country boys that weigh about 260 or so in HS but can grow bigger works pretty good when recruiting for Olinemen. I always wanted Mullen to go up into the midwest towards Iowa and hunt for Olinemen. He didn't like to recruit further than 200 or so mile radius to Starkville tho. Moorhead seems to be more inclined to do something like that.

[Recreationalgynecologist]

Put Bama's o line in the big 10 and see how much they improve. Every week in the SEC play they face 300 pound D lineman who run 4.7 to 5.0 forties. Does their O line even have a 3 star?

300lb DT?s who run 4.7 40’s? Most are in the 4.9-5.2 range.

The only people who say that are the ones that never played the game past junior high. Very, very few do that and OL/DL isn?t an issue in the Big 10 or SEC.

[Recreationalgynecologist]

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears

[dawgday166]

So has every p 5 school. Bama has a good o line and Iowa does not face the same quality of d line Bama faces every SEC Saturday. If Bama line isn't any good then no line in the SEC isn't any good.

Let me rephrase. Bama's Oline is just ok. They suck compared to the 2012 line and it ain't close. And they really aren't that good at that. When you have to grab Ga's Dline by their arms as they're blowing past you to protect Hurts, they just ain't that good. They get to hold more than everyone else gets to. See AU TD that was called back against Bama for a reference point.

I think our Oline can run block much better than Bama's ... when they ain't confused about whether it's a run or pass.

[Bubb Rubb]

300lb DT?s who run 4.7 40’s? Most are in the 4.9-5.2 range.

The only people who say that are the ones that never played the game past junior high. Very, very few do that and OL/DL isn?t an issue in the Big 10 or SEC.

Our own coach, who was an OC in the Big 10 for two years prior, has said the biggest adjustment to him with his offensive philosophy is accounting for the strength and speed of the DL in the SEC. It's a big difference and it's no joke.

[Bubb Rubb]

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears

I have long wished that State would recruit the midwest for OLs. Ability and talent on your offensive line is not the issue. Preparing for the type of talent you're going to see on the defensive line is the issue. Your guys can't hit the gym hard for one month, or replicate it in practice to prepare for it. Going through the SEC gauntlet week in and week out is what prepares you for it. You have great coaches and some good talent so I'm sure y'all will try to scheme against it, but it's going to be a big hurdle to overcome.

[dawgday166]

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears

I figure y'all probably put Olinemen in the league at least at the same rate and maybe a higher rate than Bama. What you don't see every game are Dlines across the board that are big and as fast as SEC. And you haven't seen one this year like ours. But y'all do produce quality NFL linemen without a doubt.

[Hawkeyegoofball]

I was somewhat aware of that. Big rawboned, corn fed country boys that weigh about 260 or so in HS but can grow bigger works pretty good when recruiting for Olinemen. I always wanted Mullen to go up into the midwest towards Iowa and hunt for Olinemen. He didn't like to recruit further than 200 or so mile radius to Starkville tho. Moorhead seems to be more inclined to do something like that.

There are a lot of good, large framed lads in the midwest. Southern teams are missing the boat if they're not recruiting the midwest for big boys in the trenches (OL specifically...I think they've got it down on the DL side of things)...also, add in the work ethic and humility for these guys and it becomes a no brainer. The trick is identifying, attracting and developing.

A lot of Iowa's linemen are leaner than say, Wisconsin, when they get on campus...and many of them are TEs or QBs or DL in high school...but we get them on campus, put them through good S&C and have coaches who are rock solid at technique and fundamentals.

You'll see Iowa's line on Jan 1. and at first sight they won't look that big, but more like a group of power forwards. They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, allowing Iowa to run zone blocking schemes. Completely different from the Badgers, who have a lot of girth/heft and work the philosophy over overpowering the opponent by mass. Either philosophy can work.

[Recreationalgynecologist]

There are a lot of good, large framed lads in the midwest. Southern teams are missing the boat if they're not recruiting the midwest for big boys in the trenches (OL specifically...I think they've got it down on the DL side of things)...also, add in the work ethic and humility for these guys and it becomes a no brainer. The trick is identifying, attracting and developing.

A lot of Iowa's linemen are leaner than say, Wisconsin, when they get on campus...and many of them are TEs or QBs or DL in high school...but we get them on campus, put them through good S&C and have coaches who are rock solid at technique and fundamentals.

You'll see Iowa's line on Jan 1. and at first sight they won't look that big, but more like a group of power forwards. They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, allowing Iowa to run zone blocking schemes. Completely different from the Badgers, who have a lot of girth/heft and work the philosophy over overpowering the opponent by mass. Either philosophy can work.

Badgers are pretty good laterally too. They?re also fairly tall and lean, they just don?t have a great QB

[Hawkeyegoofball]

Badgers are pretty good laterally too. They?re also fairly tall and lean, they just don?t have a great QB

They tend to have stiff hips and not move well in space, which may explain why they have less than 1/2 dozen OL in the NFL in spite of the reputation on the line they hold within the NCAA. And they'll have fewer as the NFL game evolves offensively....quickly.

I do agree that their QB sucks.

Peace.

[Jack Lambert]

They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, a

Like this?

[KnightHawk]

Like this?

No, talking about the OL. Got any video on your AA center?

[Jack Lambert]

No, talking about the OL. Got any video on your AA center?

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like.

[KnightHawk]

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like.

I'm just trying to be a smartass

[Jack Lambert]

I'm just trying to be a smartass

I am with you and I can take it just like I can dish it out.

[KnightHawk]

I am with you and I can take it just like I can dish it out.

Appreciate that definitely. Check out AJ Epenesa for a comp to Simmons. Still just a sophomore, but really coming into his own.

[Hawkeyegoofball]

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like.

Simmons is excellent. Along with Sweat and Abraham. Dantlzer is a very good player as well. Would love to have dudes like that playing for Iowa.

Comparing an OL and a DL is fairly ridiculous at any level - if you want to highlight athleticism, by and large the DL is going to win out from a visual perspective, especially when you compare/contrast B1G and SEC. No question...SEC and DL overall are the winners. But, we're good.

And, no, Iowa doesn't have a DL like Simmons.

Other than Gabe Jackson, is there another Mississippi State former player/alumnus who currently plays on the OL for an NFL team? Having watched quite a bit of MSU video from this year, doesn't look like OL is a priority (and with due respect, your first year coach Joe Moorhead needs time to recruit and integrate his guys).

To paraphrase Dean Wormer from Animal House: "Drunk, fat and stupid is no way to run an offensive line".

Having fun.

PS. Abraham is a potential liability for this game, just in terms of the play action Iowa implements and his overall aggressiveness. Happens to the best of them (See Bob Sanders, Iowa, 2004 Outback Bowl vs. Florida - former D player of the year NFL as a safety with the Colts - complete land-based missile, like Abraham). There is risk at that spot.