The Bone Yard

What will be Iowa's keys to upsetting Nebraska?

How do you think Iowa should go about containing Nebraska offense?

How do you think Vanderkamp fare?

Bigger threat: Abdullah or Martinez?

Thanks, Todd. And tell Brommelkamp he's welcome to join in the discussion also.

What the heck happened to Vandenberg this year? What happened to his production? Is it him? The receivers? Or is it Greg Davis? This is all very mysterious to me.

Is the Untouchable Ferentz finally on the hot seat? I don't know another guy who has developed so much pro talent with such little results while they were in college.

I think the Iowa fan base is pretty divided - I'd say about 50/50 - on their feelings about Ferentz at this point. Some think Iowa should be getting much better results from a head coach that makes $3+ million per year, while others point out his past success, everything he's done for the school and that he deserves a chance to bounce back, just like he did after the 2007 season when Iowa didn't qualify for a bowl game, but won the Orange Bowl two years later.

But when it comes down to it, most people don't think he's actually on the hot seat, and the main reason is that he's signed through 2020, so his buyout would be enormous.

Is the feel around Iowa that this team has folded? Sure seemed that way against Michigan.

Is there a spread you guys are working with? Or is it just straight up?

I answered a lot of this in another post. But in short, a player doesn't just lose it from one year to the next as long as they're healthy and still motivated. Vandenberg has still made some unbelievable passes this year, with several of them in clutch situations. So the talent is still there. Entering the season, I thought his biggest weakness by far was his pocket presence. It was well below average last year, but it's improved to at least average this year, so he deserves credit for that.

As for his production, it's a team sport. Losing three offensive linemen to the NFL, not having any legit offensive tackles on the roster this year, losing the best receiver in school history, injuries galore at running back and a brand new offense all combined to make it very challenging for him this year. With that in mind, I think the decline in production is understandable.

Not at all saying that he's above the blame here, as I feel he pressed too much early in the season when things weren't clicking, and that just exacerbating some of the problems. But when you examine all the other glaring holes in the offense, his statistical struggles make a lot more sense.

The mood around the team is very difficult to put a finger on at this point. At least in my opinion, one thing you always know about an Iowa team is that they're going to battle you for 60 minutes. They may not come out on top, but you'll know you were in a game, and they'll keep plugging until the final gun no matter what the score is. That heart and fighting spirit was on display this year at Michigan State, at Northwestern and against Purdue two weeks ago. I said all that to say this - I was very surprised by the lack of heart Iowa displayed in Ann Arbor on Saturday. I thought the offense came to play, but the defense was soft. Not just in terms of not making plays and getting beat, but in the way they let it all go down. As a former player myself, I've been on some bad teams and I've been on some great teams, but I'd be embarrassed if my team played like that. For lack of a better term, I thought they played like sissies. I think Anthony Hitchens and James Morris (both linebackers) are Iowa's two toughest players on the roster. Hithcens was out on Saturday, and Morris only played sparingly due to an injury, so that obviously didn't help. But it still shouldn't have gotten to the point it did on Saturday.

If the Michigan game hadn't happened, I would have been confident in telling you that Iowa will still bring it for 60 minutes on Friday against the Huskers, and try to restore some pride and send the seniors out on a high note. I still think that's the type of effort you'll see, but I'm not quite as sure now after what happened on Saturday.

Beyond that, everyone associated with the program is obviously extremely frustrated with how this season has unfolded, but I give credit to Ferentz for not letting anyone point the finger publicly.

As for the coaches, I think they've just tried to continue preaching execution. Ferentz doesn't let much get out to the media, so I'm not completely sure what's being said behind closed doors. But the one thing he can fall back on is the track record of success his program has had, so the players know it can work.

Is this a marked game on the schedule? I think it depends on who you ask. I got to know Drew Ott very well during the recruiting process, and this game is obviously his Super Bowl without a doubt. He's been getting some playing time the past few weeks, so he'll have a chance to make a statement on the field on Friday. I don't think Iowa really has one main rival that everyone circles on the calendar. A lot of the fans hate Iowa State, and many of the in-state players do as well, but I haven't gotten the impression that it's quite as big with the out-of-state players. And this game with Nebraska is too new to really determine how the players approach it. Again, some fans and players absolutely despise Nebraska, but I don't think it's completely uniform. I do think we'll get a better gauge of how Iowa views this game with the way the Hawkeyes play on Friday. Win or lose, if the Hawkeyes play inspired ball for 60 minutes on Friday, then that may be your answer right there.

At this point in the season, I think Iowa is too banged up up front to have much success running the ball against any above average defensive fronts. I haven't seen every Husker game this year, but if the Huskers play as well as they're capable of playing up front on Friday, particularly how they played against Michigan, that'll likely be the case once again. If Iowa can get Vandenberg in a groove early on on Friday, he's capable of getting hot and having a big day. Fiedorowicz and Kevonte Martin-Manley have been coming along in the passing game recently, so I do think there's potential for Iowa to have some success on Nebraska's defense if the pass protection is there.

I addressed this in another post. In short, I do think the defense in particular played with absolutely no heart in Ann Arbor, and that was very disappointing for a lot of the fans when they're so used to seeing the Hawkeyes battle no matter what the situation. I think we'll find out on Friday whether this team really has folded, especially if adversity strikes early in the game.

If I'm coaching against Nebraska's offense this week, I think the theme of my game plan would be aggressiveness. Iowa's safeties really struggle against the run, and if that continues, Martinez could have a field day on the perimeter. Iowa's got some pretty good corners, so I think it's vital that the Hawkeyes simplify the job of the safeties and take away some of their responsibilities against the pass. Whether that's blitzing them more, aligning them closer to the line of scrimmage or adjusting their reads, something needs to be changed. That may result in the corners being on an island more, but that's a risk Iowa needs to take. I think making this change would help Iowa defend against the run. And to address the lack of a passrush, Iowa really needs to blitz more and/or use some of the linebackers at defensive end in passing situations. This is all easier said than done, as the safeties still need to be able to tackle, and the blitzers have to get home, or else the defense is in trouble.

Right back atcha! I always enjoy coming over here, and you, Bruntz and everyone else do an outstanding job.

Sounds like the 247 league to me...