Iowa and four others listed as snubs in the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll
USA TODAY Sports released its 2022 preseason AFCA Coaches Poll and the Iowa Hawkeyes were the first team on the outside of the top 25 looking in. For a team that won the Big Ten West last season and returns plenty of firepower defensively, it’s surprised some that Iowa starts outside the coaches’ top 25.
Iowa isn’t alone in that distinction, though. USA TODAY Sports’ Scooby Axson listed five teams, including the Iowa Hawkeyes, that were snubbed in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll.
LSU Tigers
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
LSU was the first team that Axson mentioned as a top 25 snub. Brian Kelly comes over from Notre Dame to take over for the Tigers. The addition of Jayden Daniels is going to be a fascinating one at quarterback.
As Axson notes, Kelly didn’t get a 10-year, $95 million contract to duplicate Ed Orgeron’s 6-6 season from a season ago. Plus, each of the past three LSU head coaches have won national championships.
It’s not like LSU is devoid of talent. They generally recruit well, but getting back to becoming a respectable unit is not that far off. If the defense can get back to stopping the run, they will be fine. But the key is shoring up a leaky offense line and figuring out quarterback position, including Jayden Daniels from Arizona State. Anytime you are dealing with the gauntlet called the SEC West, which has gotten more coaches fired than any other in the past 15 years, nothing is assured. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome aboard the snub train to Mack Brown and North Carolina. Quarterback Sam Howell is gone, so replacing that star power is obviously one of the biggest storylines here. Really, Axson didn’t offer up a ringing endorsement on why North Carolina is a solid snub candidate, but he included the Tar Heels all the same.
UNC has an absolute stud in wide receiver Josh Downs and the inevitable questions at quarterback and offensive line will linger without improvement. Despite having an offense that ranked in the top 10, more often than not Howell was running for his life, going down nearly 50 times in 2021.It seems the entire Coastal division got better and now Carolina is looking up at Miami, who brings in coach Mario Cristobal , and the often-forgotten Pittsburgh, who happen to be the defending conference champion. So, it may be a good thing to fly under the radar as tampered expectations could lead to a few upsets. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
According to Axson, the other Big Ten team that got snubbed is Penn State. Sean Clifford returns at quarterback for a team that is looking to improve upon a fourth-place division finish last season.
They lost their seven games by an average of 5.8 points, and had ample chances to win each.
Quarterback Sean Clifford is back for a sixth year, and coach James Franklin vowed to the Happy Valley fan base that whatever issues have plagued his team over the past two years that it will get fixed. Here is an alarming thing they can start with: No running back gained 100 yards in any game in 2021. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
Tennessee Volunteers
Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hendon Hooker passed for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns and also rushed for 620 yards and five more touchdowns. That production alone is enough to warrant Tennessee‘s consideration for the top 25.
Hooker and his top target, Cedric Tillman (64 catches, 12 TDs) will give opponents fits all season.
While the offense has the ability to score with anyone in the nation, stopping anyone was an issue as their defense was on the field for more plays than any other team in the SEC and gave up nearly 30 points a game.
When the defense didn’t get to the quarterback on a consistent basis, it spelled trouble giving up an absurd 97 plays that went for 20 yards or more. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Iowa was among his five teams that got snubbed.
It seems every few years Iowa surprises people and they used a suspect 2021 schedule to get all the way to the Big Ten championship where they were exposed and humiliated by Michigan. Despite the talents of all-world center Tyler Linderbaum, the Hawkeyes were next to last in the conference in total offense, rarely scared defenses with their passing attack and averaged a little more than three yards per rush.
The combination of Spencer Petras, or whoever is going to be QB1, and tight end Sam LaPorta is key and Iowa must find another play-making wideout to keep defenses honest.
Iowa ranked in the top 10 in turnover margin, while leading the nation in interceptions and must sustain that productivity and rely on its outstanding linebacking corps to compete with Wisconsin along with Ohio State and Michigan, who join the schedule this season. – Axson, USA TODAY Sports.
Iowa returns plenty of talent to one of the nation’s best defenses. Most notably, that includes linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson along with cornerback Riley Moss.
The Hawkeyes feel like Jestin Jacobs is another emerging star at linebacker and that this is one of their deepest defensive lines in some time. Combine that with other talented options in the secondary and you have what should be one of the Big Ten’s and nation’s best defenses once more.
Thank goodness talking season is almost over. It’s the same song and dance here. We get it already. Iowa’s offense was a problem last year. How much Iowa improves there will determine whether or not Axson including the Hawkeyes here ultimately was the right or wrong call.
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