The Iowa Hawkeyes are the Associated Press #7 ranked college football team in the preseason rankings. The Hawkeyes finished the 2009 season with a BCS Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech, the Orange Bowl win gave some credibility to the Big Ten conference which had been struggling in BCS games. Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Farentz has a lot to look forward to this season with (6-4 230) senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi at the helm on the offensive and the Hawkeyes are loaded on defense with the defensive line anchored by All Americans candidates Karl Klug and Adrian Clayborn. Klug is a 6-4 270 pound defensive tackle from Caledonia, Minn., was a 2009 first-team all-Big Ten choice by Sporting News. He started all 13 games for the Hawkeyes last season and totaled 65 tackles. He had 13 tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks. Clayborn has been named to almost every preseason all-America team. He was named to the Sporting News first preseason all-America team. The 6-foot-4, 285 sen ior from St. Louis, Mo., was named 2009 Defensive Performer of the Year by the College Football Performance Award group. He was also named to the 2010 Playboy all-America team, he also surprised many by skipping the NFL draft to come back to Iowa City for his senior season. Then there is junior Safety Tyler Sash, a 6-foot-1, 210 pound junior safety from Oskaloosa, Iowa. He has started 21 straight games and has 138 career tackles. He was named to the AP third all-America team last year. He was also a first team all-Big Ten choice last season. Sash has totaled 350 return yards (an Iowa record) on 11 career interceptions. Sash also was named to the Sporting News second preseason all-America squad for 2010.
Don't forget that Iowa gets Penn Sate and Ohio State in Iowa City this year, in 2009 the Hawkeyes won at Penn State 21-10 and lost a close one in Columbus, Ohio against the Buckeyes 27-24 in overtime and that was without quarterback Ricky Stanzi. If there is one weakness on this team it is at running back where they lack a great player, last years freshmen received a lot of playing time and got a lot of valuable experience This will be one team to watch, not only in the Big Ten but nationally, this sports handicapper actually believes this is the best team in the big Ten, they will beat Ohio State in Iowa City and may play for the BCS National title.
The Hawkeyes were 8-4 against the spread last year and were 4-7-1 on totals. This will be a great college football team to move on total in 2010.
Let Charliessports guide you on your 2010 College Football Predictions.
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