Preview of Iowa Game

Workin 80 hours a week, folks, so my Spartan blogging is taking a hit. But I did want to weigh in on Tomorrow's game. The main thing I've been thinking since the Notre Dame game is that MSU now has better talent than most of the teams it's going to face, and that includes Iowa (and Notre Dame). So I really do think the pressure is on the coaches. I hate to say it, but Brian Kelly basically outsmarted our coaches, with a lot of help from the refs. I am hoping that it's much more difficult to say that after the Iowa game.

Basically, I don't want to come out of the Iowa game thinking that a pattern is being established, where a more talented MSU team loses to a less talented team because our coaches are being outsmarted by the opposing team's coaches. The offense is supposed to be the weak link, but I'm sorry, the Notre Dame game showed us that this offense has enough to talent to score at least 17 points a game -- which should be enough to win most games this season, including the Iowa game.

Folks, the offensive line is finally looking good (perhaps the best I've seen in more than a decade), and we have excellent running backs in Langford and Hill. We finally have a few guys making catches: Jamal Lyles, Macgarrett Kings, and even Bennie Fowler. The quarterbacks are still struggling, particularly with accuracy. But if they can't make the throws, the coaches should at least be using their mobility. I would make sure that they at least make good fakes on the read option -- I want to see some confused cameramen!

Anyway, the point is that there is enough there on offense to at least score 17 points a game, even against a good defense like Iowa's. If the coaches can't get at least 17 points out of this offense, then it's on them. And Dantonio then should be fully searching for a new group of offensive coaches for next year.

If the offense does not get 17 points, then you can count on a very close game with a high probability of an MSU loss. Last year, Iowa showed just enough cleverness on offense to beat MSU at home. This year, they have a more competent offense and their coaches seem to be doing a better job than last year. They will get at least 14 points.

So the offense has to do its part. Progress must be made on offense, or this game will be a loss, and we can pretty much start thinking of this season as a repeat of last year. If MSU loses this one, I expect it to be because of the offense's futility. And as I've said, that result will be on the coaches.

So what's my prediction? I really want to believe that MSU will figure things out on offense, but Iowa's defense is probably better than Notre Dame's, so I do expect the offense to struggle. I foresee the offense moving the ball well with run after run, only to see drives stall because the coaches outsmart themselves with an odd passing play. I foresee that this may be the game that breaks the patience of Spartan Nation, especially if the offense fails to score a touchdown (which is a very likely outcome in this game).

Final score: MSU 10  Iowa 17

PS: Please let me be wrong! I would love to be eating crow all day Sunday.