A look ahead at Nebraska's 2014 schedule

Gut-check game: at Wisconsin. Sure, the Michigan State game on the road is a big gut-check game, too, but the Spartans are in the other division. Nebraska could have a hard time getting to Indianapolis if it doesn't get past Wisconsin. And, of course, Big Red lost 48-17 the last time it went to Madison (and 70-31 the most recent time it played the Badgers away from home). Camp Randall can be an intimidating place for visitors to play, but Bo Pelini's team has to be ready to step up and stop the run.

Trap game: Fresno State. Coming a week before the more heavily-hyped showdown versus those Hurricanes, this one has all the makings of a trap. The Bulldogs have fielded a solid program for years, won 11 games last year and have been picked to win their division in the Mountain West. Plus, the game is on the road with a night kickoff before Fresno fans who will be foaming at the mouth. No overlooking allowed here.
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http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bigten&id=104093

 
1. Iowa Hawkeyes


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2013 regular-season SOS rank: 55

2014 projected regular-season SOS rank: 99

The Hawkeyes went 8-4 in the regular season last year with three losses coming against teams that won at least 12 games each -- Northern Illinois (12-2), Michigan State (13-1) and Ohio State (12-2). None of those three opponents appears on the 2014 schedule, as Iowa slides to a new Big Ten West Division with fewer interdivision challengers and a manageable cross-division slate (Indiana and Maryland). Iowa is 30th in our post-spring FEI rankings, but the Hawkeyes have the 13th-best chance nationally to finish the regular season at 11-1 or 12-0 (16 percent).


http://insider.espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11252196/teams-most-helped-2014-schedule-strength-college-football
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BoKnowsD said:
I just started paying attention to this series. Do they play on a neutral field or do they go home&home
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Home and home, and yes, you should. Iowa's season seems to track pretty nicely with the outcome of that game. If they beat the Cyclones, they've typically turned out to have decent to good teams the last 5 or so years. If they lose that game, they're sweating bullets over the 6 wins necessary to make a bowl. I suspect this is because Paul Rhodes does a very nice job of maintaining a perfectly mediocre team in Ames. His only big failure on paper was his 3-9 team last year...that went 1-5 in one score games. Iowa on the other hand jumps all over the place from good to crappy with no apparent reason, so the ISU game is usually a pretty good harbinger of how the season is going to go for them.

 
LukeinNE said:
BoKnowsD said:
I just started paying attention to this series. Do they play on a neutral field or do they go home&home
Click to expand...
Home and home, and yes, you should. Iowa's season seems to track pretty nicely with the outcome of that game. If they beat the Cyclones, they've typically turned out to have decent to good teams the last 5 or so years. If they lose that game, they're sweating bullets over the 6 wins necessary to make a bowl. I suspect this is because Paul Rhodes does a very nice job of maintaining a perfectly mediocre team in Ames. His only big failure on paper was his 3-9 team last year...that went 1-5 in one score games. Iowa on the other hand jumps all over the place from good to crappy with no apparent reason, so the ISU game is usually a pretty good harbinger of how the season is going to go for them.
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that's a really good take. i am going to pay more attention to this theory from now on.

 
As long as we don't crap the bed during our cake non-con schedule, it seems like a fairly easy path to #9wins this year. Just win 2 games between Iowa, Minnesota, and Northwestern. Easy-peasy.

 
Looking at the schedule we should be 5-0 heading into the Michigan State game, given we expected the same last year. I expect to be 5-0 up to the Michigan State game then all bets are off. Here's to an undefeated season and a national title chance!

 
LukeinNE said:
BoKnowsD said:
I just started paying attention to this series. Do they play on a neutral field or do they go home&home
Click to expand...
Home and home, and yes, you should. Iowa's season seems to track pretty nicely with the outcome of that game. If they beat the Cyclones, they've typically turned out to have decent to good teams the last 5 or so years. If they lose that game, they're sweating bullets over the 6 wins necessary to make a bowl. I suspect this is because Paul Rhodes does a very nice job of maintaining a perfectly mediocre team in Ames. His only big failure on paper was his 3-9 team last year...that went 1-5 in one score games. Iowa on the other hand jumps all over the place from good to crappy with no apparent reason, so the ISU game is usually a pretty good harbinger of how the season is going to go for them.
Click to expand...
Except for 2001 where ISU kept Iowa from having a shot at the National Title. I still can't believe we let down in the 2nd half and let them beat us like that.

 
Caven said:
LukeinNE said:
BoKnowsD said:
I just started paying attention to this series. Do they play on a neutral field or do they go home&home
Click to expand...
Home and home, and yes, you should. Iowa's season seems to track pretty nicely with the outcome of that game. If they beat the Cyclones, they've typically turned out to have decent to good teams the last 5 or so years. If they lose that game, they're sweating bullets over the 6 wins necessary to make a bowl. I suspect this is because Paul Rhodes does a very nice job of maintaining a perfectly mediocre team in Ames. His only big failure on paper was his 3-9 team last year...that went 1-5 in one score games. Iowa on the other hand jumps all over the place from good to crappy with no apparent reason, so the ISU game is usually a pretty good harbinger of how the season is going to go for them.
Click to expand...
Except for 2001 where ISU kept Iowa from having a shot at the National Title. I still can't believe we let down in the 2nd half and let them beat us like that.
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I'm confused on this comment.

I didn't ever remember Iowa being that close to an NC so I went back and looked. In 2001, you ended up 7-5 and tied for 4th in the Big Ten. Are you talking about 2002?

 
BigRedBuster said:
Caven said:
LukeinNE said:
BoKnowsD said:
I just started paying attention to this series. Do they play on a neutral field or do they go home&home
Click to expand...
Home and home, and yes, you should. Iowa's season seems to track pretty nicely with the outcome of that game. If they beat the Cyclones, they've typically turned out to have decent to good teams the last 5 or so years. If they lose that game, they're sweating bullets over the 6 wins necessary to make a bowl. I suspect this is because Paul Rhodes does a very nice job of maintaining a perfectly mediocre team in Ames. His only big failure on paper was his 3-9 team last year...that went 1-5 in one score games. Iowa on the other hand jumps all over the place from good to crappy with no apparent reason, so the ISU game is usually a pretty good harbinger of how the season is going to go for them.
Click to expand...
Except for 2001 where ISU kept Iowa from having a shot at the National Title. I still can't believe we let down in the 2nd half and let them beat us like that.
Click to expand...
I'm confused on this comment.
I didn't ever remember Iowa being that close to an NC so I went back and looked. In 2001, you ended up 7-5 and tied for 4th in the Big Ten. Are you talking about 2002?
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He must be, But if Iowa wins that game, Ohio State is still undefeated and I don't see a Iowa-Ohio State national title game. It would have been Miami again.
 
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