The Iowa Hawkeyes have been a Big Ten West contender for awhile now. They haven’t won under seven games in a season since 2012. Kirk Ferentz has been a staple for this Iowa program since 1999. Last year, the problem wasn’t with their defense. However, they struggled to put points on the board in 2022. They averaged 18.7 points per game in Big Ten games last season. If they can improve that number, the Hawkeyes are contending for a shot at the Big Ten title game. Here is the preview for the 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Offense
Kirk Ferentz is looking to put last year’s horrible offensive numbers behind him. It all starts with the quarterback and Iowa brought in Cade McNamara from Michigan in the transfer portal. McNamara is looking to show that he still has what it takes to be a starting quarterback. The offense last year for the Hawkeyes has to be up there as one of the worst offenses in Iowa history. How does Iowa get better from last season’s horrendous showing?
For starters, they get running back Kaleb Johnson back for his sophomore season. Johnson led the team in rushing last year with 779 rushing yards. Iowa will need a lot more help from Johnson in 2023. The Hawkeyes bring back all five starters from a season ago on the offensive line, which could be good with experience, but could also be bad due to how they played in 2022.
However, this offense needs playmakers at the wide receiver position. They had seven total passing touchdowns last season, which is abysmal for an offense. Tight end Luke Lachey returns and he had four out of their seven receiving touchdowns last year. They had four players with over 100 receiving yards last season and only two of them return. Nico Ragani is going to need to be a big time playmaker for the Hawkeyes. They also brought in Kaleb Brown (Ohio State) from the transfer portal. If Iowa’s offense is going to be successful, someone from the wide receiver position will need to step up for McNamara.
Defense
Iowa’s defense lost a good amount of talent. They will be without Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell at middle linebacker, Lukas Van Ness on the defensive line, and Riley Moss and Kaevon Merriweather in the secondary. Those are all big losses, but Iowa is known for retooling and putting out a good defense on the field.
In the front seven, they have three multi-year starters returning and will need them to step up in a big way. Defensive end Deontae Craig was tied for first in tackles for a loss and led the team in sacks last season. He returns to bolster this defensive line. Virginia transfer Nick Jackson will look to come in and make an impact at the linebacker spot. It’ll be hard to replace Campbell’s value to this Iowa front seven, but they will try their best to do so.
In the secondary, they are led by Cooper DeJuan who led the team in interceptions and was third on the team in tackles last year. Another key player in the secondary to look out for is former five star recruit in safety Xavier Nwankpa. He is going to potentially have a breakout season for the Hawkeyes defense. Iowa needs this team to be at the level they were a season ago so that they can continue to contend in the Big Ten.
Win Total Bet
The win total is set at 8.5 on the FanDuel Sportsbook, with the odds on the over set at +100 and the under set at -122. This team has the potential to win double digit games in 2023. However, I see the struggles offensively being an issue. I like the potential of this Iowa team, however I am going to take the under 8.5 win total at -122 odds for one unit. I think they get to the eight win mark but struggle to get over that hump to get to nine wins. Iowa will contend for the Big Ten West title and if they figure out the offensive struggles, this team will be a tough team to play against.
Schedule Predictions
Win vs Utah State (1-0)
Win at Iowa State (2-0)
Convincing Win vs Western Michigan (3-0)
Loss at Penn State (3-1)
Loss vs Michigan State (3-2)
Win vs Purdue (4-2)
Win at Wisconsin (5-2)
Loss vs Minnesota (5-3)
Win at Northwestern (6-3)
Win vs Rutgers (7-3)
Big Win vs Illinois (8-3)
Loss at Nebraska (8-4)