Who’s right? CBS Sports’ 2023 Big Ten predictions split on the Iowa Hawkeyes
You can tell football season is approaching and overanalysis is setting in when the predictions begin to contradict themselves. Only so many times can we look at a team and try to guess how they are going to be.
It just so happens to be that the Iowa Hawkeyes are one of those teams getting the overanalysis treatment. CBS Sports recently put out their Big Ten predictions for 2023 and the Hawkeyes are viewed as not only one of the most overrated teams but also as one of the most underrated teams.
Three of CBS’ analysts, Dennis Dodd, Barrett Sallee, and Shehan Jeyarajah all stamped the Hawkeyes with the overrated crown.
Iowa: Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Phil Parker is god, and you might as well use a capital “G” because Iowa’s defense was the difference in the team being an eyesore and making a bowl last season. Yes, the Hawkeyes somehow won eight games despite an epically bad offense — so bad that Kirk Ferentz’s offensive coordinator son, Brian, is on the hot seat. The offense shouldn’t be as bad this year with Michigan transfers Cade McNamara at quarterback and Erick All at tight end. Iowa has always punched above its weight, but this season it will be a borderline top-25 squad. That makes it good enough to win the West, but it’s never a healthy thing to be so deficient on one side of the ball. – Dennis Dodd (Barrett Sallee, Shehan Jeyarajah)
The defense gets its obvious kudos. They are consistently among the best in America and it has been that way for a while under Phil Parker. The question marks come around the offense. As they mentioned, Cade McNamara does provide an upgrade at quarterback. So, this can ask one to wonder: if the defense is going to perform well and the offense is expected to take a few steps forward, are they truly overrated?
Adversely, there are those that believe the Hawkeyes are not quite respected enough and remain underrated. David Cobb is one of those believers.
Iowa: Iowa’s offense is a well-established punchline, but its defense still carried the team to an 8-5 record last season against a schedule that included Michigan and Ohio State. The defense remains stout, the offense has nowhere to go but up and the Wolverines and Buckeyes have dropped off the schedule. With Iowa State in quarterback turmoil amid the state’s collegiate athlete betting scandal, the Hawkeyes should also get revenge on the Cyclones in the early season Cy-Hawk rivalry game. Iowa is poised to hit 10 wins for the third time in the last five seasons. – Cobb
Cobb’s logic isn’t hard to see here. Iowa avoids two of the best teams in the Big Ten and gets a weakened Iowa State. That alone can translate to a win total above the eight wins the Hawkeyes tallied last season. With last year’s anemic offense being carried to an 8-5 record, an expected upgrade on that side of the ball with a stout defense should improve that win total.
The Hawkeyes were also the second-most-popular pick to win the Big Ten West, with three selections compared to Wisconsin’s five. Neither was picked to take home the Big Ten crown, though. Ohio State and Michigan each received four votes in that prediction.
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