Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense among ESPN’s Week 1 college football overreactions
If there weren’t overreactions about the first games of the college football seasons for teams, we would be doing it all wrong. Week 1 and sometimes even Week 2 are meant for overreactions, freaking out about the good and bad, and basing early judgment on a small sample size.
That said, Week 1 can also be a cautious tale of things to come if teams aren’t careful. The Iowa Hawkeyes fall into the latter category in regards to overreactions. Their offense started off electric in their first game only to fall asleep for two quarters and barely wake up for 10 points the rest of the way.
At times, it felt as if Iowa hadn’t taken any steps forward from last year. The main culprit for that was the ground game, which didn’t get the job done. The passing game with Cade McNamara had some juice and was efficient.
In the end, Iowa, in only a way they could, ended with 24 points, one shy of the threshold that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz must meet in his new contract clause. ESPN has put Iowa’s offensive performance and his status in their Week 1 overreactions.
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz needs the Hawkeyes to score at least 325 points this year — an average of 25 per game over 13 games — to reach his full incentive bonus. They scored 24 in the season opener against Utah State, which had, per defensive SP+, the worst projected defense on Iowa’s 2023 schedule. They now need to average 25.1 points the rest of the way to secure victory in the Drive for 325. – Connelly, ESPN
Had this been a Big Ten matchup or even the upcoming game against Iowa State, it may not have created such a fuss and a stir. The issue is that Iowa didn’t hit the 25-point threshold against what ESPN’s metrics tell us is the worst defense on their schedule.
Now, remember, Iowa had this game in control and was content playing the game the way that they wanted. Cade McNamara wasn’t 100% and they didn’t need to risk anything with him. They also could trust their defense as they allowed next to nothing all game.
On the surface, it can be a cause for concern, but when the curtain is pulled back and things are looked into a bit deeper, we can see why it is exactly what it is, an overreaction.
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