2008 Iowa Hawkeye Football Season Preview

Disappointment. That's how the Hawkeye faithful characterize their beloved football team's abysmal performance during the 2007 season. The Hawks went 6-6 ending with a home loss to Western Michigan, which pushed the team out of bowl contention and left the Hawks staying home for the postseason for the first time in six years. Now Head Coach Kirk Ferentz has been dubbed the most overpaid coach in college football by Forbes magazine, a claim not entirely unjustified considering that Iowa paid him $3.4 million for six wins last year and $4.7 million to lead Iowa to an Alamo Bowl loss the year before that. Another shaky year for the Hawks could put him on the hot seat.

Offense

To say the Iowa offense was terrible last season would be a vast understatement. The unit ranked last or next to last in the Big Ten and near the bottom in the country in nearly every imaginable category. They were 10th in the conference in passing and rushing offense (92nd and 94th respectively nationally), and last in the conference in total offense and scoring offense (109th and 110th respectively nationally). Perhaps the most glaring stat however would be a conference worst (114th national rank) 46 sacks allowed.

Does that mean more of the same this season? On the surface, it appears so. Iowa returns eight starters on offense, meaning eight of eleven players responsible for their less than stellar performance in 2007. However, consider that Iowa's offense was devastated by injuries last season, many came in the early half of the campaign including star tight end Tony Moeaki and wide outs Andy Brodell and Trey Stross. Let's not forget the revolving door to starting offensive line positions, as none of the starters could stay healthy for very long.