Reiff is not a weak link on the offensive line. In fact, he is proabaly one of our best linemen. Don’t be fooled by his lack of experience (redshirt Frosh.). He stepped in for Bulaga and played very well at left tackle. He impressed the coaching staff so much they decided to start him at left guard. Heck, after what I saw this season, I’d say Bulaga might be more of a weakness than Reif.

Vandervelde might be the weakest link on the line, but if Dace Richardson can make it back in time, it might not matter. Eubanks has had his moments at center as well. If the Hawks can get the combination of Bulaga, Reif, Eubanks, Richardson, and Calloway, it would go along way in winning the line of scrimage and the point of attack in the run game.

While Iowa’s o-line might have not lived up to expectations this season, I believe they still have the ability to be a dominating force. Remember, the Hawks have had a lot of injury’s to deal with up front.

Iowa’s ability to handle Derrick Morgan might come down to Bulaga. He was beatin at times by guys like Graham, and Schoefield earlier in the season. If Bulaga can get back to playing like he did last season, the Hawks should be able to handle Morgan. If not, it could be a long day for the Hawks.

Brandon Graham (Michigan) or O’Brien Schoefield (Wisconsin)?

but I’ve seen Wegher get tackled in the backfield a lot this year. Robinson is better, but I’d be shocked if there wasn’t at least 1 TFL.
Sackwise, I’m just hoping if KOK calls a naked bootleg, Stanzi audibles.

He’s been at Iowa for 10 years, but not all were coaching the O-line. Just sayin’ that the research on this post is a little….lax.

Before him was Joe Philbin, who is now the Packers O-Coordinator. Philbin coached some great lines, including Outland Trophy winner Robert Gallery.

I believe Iowa’s O-line has two guys projected to go in the draft – Bulaga in the 1st round as a junior, and Calloway in the 3rd round. If Dace Richardson makes it back for the game, you may see him getting talked about as a late rounder, too.

Derrick Morgan is going to be seen in the backfield plenty, but will it be in time to get to Stanzi is the question.

says that Derrick Morgan will have his way with Iowa’s line

yall also had to come from behind in almost every one of yalls wins( like Indiana)…. You can’t fall behind and expect to have a good chance to fight back against this offense.

we’ll see in a couple of weeks

but remember fsu? they fall behind us, like they did against Indiana for instance, they lose. No question about it. The reason they came back against Indiana and in their other games is because their opponent broke down: offense and defense. Our defense, while it does allow teams back in, usually allows them back in over time; eating away at the clock( except for the fsu game lol). and then our offense eats up more clock and scores.

So plain and simple. if Tech is winning at the half, we win.

if were down…. well, thats another story

But you need to hire somebody from out of town to evaluate the Iowa O-line.

In regard to sacks, your historical summary is badly skewed by including one and half seasons of Iowa’s most troubling, and troubled, QB this decade. Jake Christiansen squeezed the ball so hard it went flat. Then we started a rookie for 70% of last year. It’s college football: three years ago is meaningless (ask Michigan, I believe three years ago they were beating Florida?).

If Dace can stay healthy there is a reasonable probability that the top six guys are eventually in NFL camps. (The one I’m not sure about is Raph.) Reiff has already been singled out by Ferentz as one of the next great Iowa OT, and the next great Iowa OT always goes in the first round, where Bulaga is currently slotted — as a 20 year-old junior. We don’t think he’s our best lineman this year, incidentally.

Griese said before the Minnesota game that his tape review showed Iowa to have the best O-line in the Big Ten by November. Obviously, this is Ferentz’ metier, the one pure thing he enjoys most — to the point where when he was asked about the Notre Dame job, he said, “I may change jobs someday, but it will be to coach O-line at some nonscholarship little place no one has ever heard of.”

I’d go on but it would sound parochial. However, a last point: while Tony Moeaki may be the most athletic guy on the Iowa offense, he’s also a devastating blocker. (Moeaki is so scary up the seams that he was triple-teamed by mid-season. But he might be a better blocker, when he doesn’t get injured pouring skim milk on his Cheerios.)

I’ll be curious to see how Morgan handles a zone blocking scheme, which is predicating on influencing rather than the one-on-one or two-on-one matchups that monstrous freaking superguys like Morgan usually prefer.

Did GT play anyone with a mature zone blocking rush scheme this year?

Does Morgan do a good job staying home? Because if he doesn’t, he will be on skates going sideways while A-Rob goes for 150. We want to play linemen who overcommit to penetration.

Norm will just tell Bulaga, Reiff and Morse, in regard Morgan: “Great guy, bring the respect, but same shit different day. Wooten, Minor and Schofield are freaks too, and all four will start on Sunday.”

Net: we don’t get hepped up about individuals, no matter how extraordinary. We play as a team, and generally beat anyone who doesn’t. It would seem GT is struggling with the team defense concept. And as Stoops suggests, we don’t get tired in the 4Q. You may shut down the Iowa run game for 2.5 quarters — and we won’t care at all.

This game will be a marathon, not a track meet.

I don’t have a computer, so I don’t have the stats. I think that Iowa’s QBs are responsible for more sacks than the Awesomive line. Their QBs roll into defensive ends, or stand there waiting for the #2 (and last) route to open up. It has been the the most frustrating aspect of watching God’s team.