Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Which WRs will step up in 2021 | Michigan State will be the easiest game on the schedule | 2020 Bowl breakdowns

Episode Date: September 30, 2020

Our 2020 position preview continues with the deepest position in the program, the wide receivers. We know who the top four is, but who are guys who could step up this year and what are the expectations for future seasons at the position? We then dive into game three of the 2020 schedule versus Michigan State and explain why this might be the easiest game on Iowa's schedule. Lastly, we hit on the 2020 bowls and how the allegiances have changed and how that impacts the Hawkeyes.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back, Hawkeye Nation, to another episode of the Locked On Hawkeyes Podcast, your daily podcast covering your Iowa Hawkeyes on the Locked On Sports Network. As always, I am your host, Andrew Wade, and today's episode is brought to you by Built Bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get $10 off your next order. And if you've been tuning in the last couple days, you know what's coming today. We are doing our position-by-position breakdown and also our 2020 game breakdown. We're getting into the wide receivers today.

How deep is this wide receiver group? What is the expectations for this year? And what are the expectations going forward? Can they keep up this level of talent integration into the wide receiver room? I believe they can. We'll talk about that today. We're also going to talk about the Iowa-Michigan State game. We haven't played Michigan State in a little bit.

What to expect from them in this season. We're going to be talking about that as well. Before we get into both of those topics, though, we do have some conversation to talk about the bowl game schedule. Because bowl games are kind of switching up a little bit, the eligibility requirements are likely going to be changing. I thought it was a good time just to cover what bowls are even possible for Iowa and what are some of the requirements for those. I know it can be a little bit confusing, so I want to make sure I cover that as well on the show today. Also, just as a teaser, in a couple weeks we have former Iowa Hawkeye wide receiver and NFL veteran Quinn Early joining the show. That'll be dropping probably in a week and a half, so be on

the lookout for that. And like I said, the rest of the week and the rest of next week, we're going to be doing our position by position breakdowns and our game previews as well. So let's kick it off though with our bull breakdown. And as you probably know, the last couple of years, the Big Ten has had agreements with multiple bulls. And one of the big things within those agreements was the fact that they could only take teams a certain number of times. So, for example, in the Outback Bowl, the agreement was to only take or to take a minimum of five teams in six years. So that means when Iowa was taken to the Outback Bowl twice, they were no longer really eligible to play in the Outback Bowl. So it definitely switches things up a little bit.

However, going into 2020, there's a few new bowl agreements, and that whole thing with how many teams can be in it has restarted. So that means the Outback Bowl is back on the table for the Iowa Hawkeyes, along with several other bowls. So we're going to kick it off by starting at the top. Obviously, any team that finishes in the top four of the College Bowl Playoff Committee's rankings, they get to go to the College Bowl Playoffs, which this year is the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. After that though, the next best step is one of those New Year's Six bowls. That is for Iowa, more than likely the Orange Bowl, but it could be the Peach Cotton or

Fiesta. The Orange Bowl does have a little bit of a contingency there. It's basically if their non-champion is higher than the SEC non-champion, the Big Ten will go there. The Big Ten does have an agreement with the Orange Bowl to send at least three teams over the course of the decade. So that is an option as well. And then obviously any teams ranked within that top 12 to 14 range could go to the Peach, Cotton, or Fiesta. range could go to the Peach, Cotton, or Fiesta. Outside of that, once we get past those New Year's Six Bulls, we got the Citrus Bull, which is kind of the cream of the crop if you are not in that top tier of bulls. This is the top team from the Big Ten and the SEC that did not make the New Year's Six. Last year, I thought there was an opportunity for Iowa to make it. Michigan slid in there,

though, and got that game against Alabama. I did think Iowa could make that bowl last year, but obviously they did not. They ended up at the Holiday Bowl, which is no longer on the Big Ten's docket of bowls this year. Instead, we got the Belk Bowl. So the Big Ten still has the agreement with the Outback Bowl. That is in place for the Big Ten versus SEC, but the Belk Bowl is a new one for the Big Ten and for the Iowa Hawkeyes. And you'll remember the Belk Bowl because it used to be, oh, excuse me, I'm thinking of a different bowl here, which I'll get to in a second. But the Belk Bowl is going to be alternating with the Las Vegas Bowl every single year for the next six

years. So the Big Ten will go to the Belk Bowl on even years and the Vegas Bowl on odd years. And this will be against the ACC and it will be in Charlotte. And believe me, if there's an opportunity to go to Charlotte, I highly recommend it. They have fantastic beer there, a few fantastic food places. If that is the case where Iowa does end up at the Belk Bowl, I hope they end up at a better bowl than that. But if they do end up at the Belk Bowl, I'll be breaking down some suggestions. I've been to Charlotte a few times and it is a fantastic community. Obviously, if they allow fans, I'll be breaking down what you can do there. After that, they got the Music City Bowl. The Music City Bowl will have the third selection from the Big Ten behind the Citrus Bowl

and the Outback Bowl. And then in 2020, 2022, and 2024, or sorry, excuse me, in 2021 and 2022, or 2023 and 2025, they'll actually be sharing the third and fourth selection with the Las Vegas Bowl. So it'll be kind of alternating there as well. That is an option. Obviously, Iowa has played in that Music City Bowl before. Not a very good outcome with C.J. Beathard getting just blown up by the SEC. The Pinstripe Bowl, again, that's back on the table now. Big Ten versus ACC.

The Red Box Bowl has actually been canceled this summer. There's a chance that it could come back, I think, just because the Big Ten and the Pac-12, which are the two teams that are in the Red Box Bowl, they are both back playing football this fall. So there's a chance I think that could come back. Obviously, the people who run that bowl, people want money. So maybe there's a chance there.

Now we have the Cheez-It Bowl. This is what I was getting into when I started talking about the Belk Bowl. But the Cheez-It Bowl, formerly known as the Camping World Bowl, you might know that name because Iowa State got beat by Notre Dame on national television at the Camping World Bowl last year. The cool thing about this Cheez-It Bowl, though, is the fact that it is Big 10 versus Big 12, the only bowl between these two conferences. And I think, depending on how the seasons shake out for both teams,

in theory, we could see an Iowa-Iowa State game in that Cheez-It Bowl. And what a scenario that would be to see our two in-state teams playing in a postseason game against each other, especially when Iowa inevitably wins that game. And then finally, we'll wrap up with the Quicklane Bull, which is the Big Ten versus the MAAC. It used to be the Big Ten versus the ACC, and if neither conference had a team to throw in there, the MAAC could join.

However, now that is exclusively a Big Ten versus MAAC game. Iowa has never played in this game. It's relatively new, about 6-7 years old, and is based in Detroit, but that is also an option. But that is usually reserved for the bottom tier team in the Big Ten. I don't expect Iowa to be there this year, but you know what, it's never, never say never because there's always a possibility there. But that is kind of a conclusion of what Bulls Iowa has on the table as we go throughout the season. Depending on what Iowa's record is, I'll start breaking down what Bulls make the most sense for Iowa.

Obviously, last year was a little bit more interesting because there were the intricacies of, well, this team has been to this Bull, so they can't go back, which gives it a little bit more challenge to what Bull the teams will actually go to. This year, a little bit easier to predict. It's basically in order by which they are ranked. We're going to know those rankings because we have that crossover game at the end of the season between each seed in the Big Ten. So really looking forward to that and how that all plays out

when it comes to the rankings and the Ultimate Bowl seedings. Coming up, though, on segment number two, we're going to dive into that wide receiver position and what wide receivers obviously are going to be big components of the offense this year. Who are a few guys that could theoretically step up in case of injury? And what does that wide receiver room look like next year after Amir Smith-Marsep and Brandon Smith ultimately do depart after four years with the program? Before we get into that, though, we do have a message from our sponsor of the show today, Built Bar, because they are back and they are better than ever. If you ordered Built Bars a couple months ago, try them again because they are even and they are better than ever. If you order built bars a couple of months ago,

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We talked about the quarterbacks on Monday. We talked about the running backs yesterday and why they could be splitting carries. We're talking about the wide receivers today. And tomorrow, we're talking about the tight end position. And we're not only going to talk about what could be for this tight end group this year, but also who can be the incoming riser, right? So we have Sean Byer and we have Sam Laporta, but who's that third guy? Remember a couple of years ago, we had Noah Fant, TJ Hawkinson. Hawkinson kind of rose out of nowhere. Who could be that guy who rises out of nowhere with Sam

Laporta? Or could it be Sean Byer? Could he finally have a breakout year? We're going to be covering that on tomorrow's episode. And then on Friday, we're going to talk about this offensive line and why it could be the best offensive line Brian Ferentz has had in his tenure as the offensive coordinator of the Iowa Hawkeyes. But let's get back to the wide receiver group because this is undoubtedly the best wide receiver group Iowa has had in quite some time. And I would argue that the duo of Brandon Smith and Amir Smith-Marset

might be the best duo that Kirk Ferentz has ever had. And that's comparing this against Kevin Kasper and Khalil Hill earlier on in Kirk Ferentz's tenure, and then DJK and Marvin McNutt. Those are tough duos to combat against, but that is very much a possibility that this duo is the best that Iowa has ever had. And I don't say those words lightly. They obviously have to stay healthy. Brandon Smith missed a lot of time last year.

He needs to be able to stay healthy in order for that to carry out. We also need Amir Smith-Marset to continue his development. We saw a huge step taken from him last year, and then we really saw it all come to fruition in that Holiday Bowl game against USC where he was really an X-factor across the board. We need him to be that X-factor, and we need to see Brandon Smith be that big play guy, that red zone target that we all expect him to be. We've seen him make some pretty impressive catches,

but can he take it to the next level and consistently do it? We're going to need that to happen for Spencer Petras to be able to play solid quarterback this year. Behind them, they've got Tyrone Tracy and Nico Reganey. Both guys kind of alternated interchangeably. What I think is most impressive though. Is Tracy's open field running. Is absolutely incredible. I think for Nico Reganey.

He seemed to be the most consistent target. But he kind of struggled with drops at times. Struggled with a little bit of that consistency. That I would expect for that slot receiver for Iowa. But those are the other two guys. I expect to be kind of filling out that four-man wide receiver group. Behind them, though, there's a couple other guys that could be in the mix for playing time.

Max Cooper is a guy I think people most often forget about. He's been a reliable punt returner, and they've actually thrown the ball to him in big-time situations. Former three-star recruit has been in the program for five years this year. He's a senior wide receiver. He could be getting a few more snaps as well. Struggled with injuries the last couple years, but could be in that mix. Also, two transfers. Charlie Jones played at Buffalo, 18 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman at Buffalo. He transferred, is now eligible this year. And Jack Combs, a former walk-on at Central Michigan. I do not expect much

from him, but also just want to make sure you know that he is in the mix as year. And Jack Combs, a former walk-on at Central Michigan, I do not expect much from him, but also just want to make sure you know that he is in the mix as well. And then incoming freshmen, Quavon Matthews and Deontay Vines, both guys I expect to maybe get a few snaps here and there, but not enough to really make an impact for that Iowa Hawkeye wide receiver group this year. Again, it is just a tough time to get into that mix and the wide receiver group this year. Again, it is just a tough time to get into that mix on the wide receiver group because Iowa, again, has the deepest wide receiver group they have arguably ever had.

And I don't want to touch on this too much, but that could be a reason why Oliver Martin ultimately left. He's a guy who was considered a highly talented recruit coming out of high school, a four-star recruit, went to Iowa after being at Michigan for a couple years, and we thought he was going to get some playing time, but just never seemed to push himself past some of those other guys. And I think one of the reasons why he did decide to transfer is the fact that he couldn't beat out some of those guys. And that speaks volumes not to Oliver Martin and his skill,

but to the talent in the Iowa wide receiver room. And don't let me forget about Desmond Hudson, a guy who did get some playing time last year as well, and Calvin Lockett as well. Those are both guys that also could be in the mix. So again, when you look at this, this wide receiver group is very deep. And with Amir Smith-Marset and Brandon Smith ultimately going to the NFL this year, I mean, in theory, they could return if they wanted to, but given the fact that the NCAA has basically allowed this to be a free year, I expect them both to go to the NFL. We need one of those guys to step up. Tyrone Tracy and Nico Regani are definitely going to be the top two guys.

Tyrone Tracy is going to be able to fill in for that Brandon Smith role. We saw him do it last year. Nico Regani is that slot guy. But who is the guy who's going to step up? I think Brian Ferencz is going to try to figure that out this year and have a guy who's basically the frontrunner coming in to next year. But regardless, there's no questions with this group. Kelton Copeland has done an absolutely phenomenal job

developing this wide receiver room. And then also going into next year, keep in mind that I was bringing in a pretty solid trio of wide receivers. We had Arlen Bruce IV and Brody Brecht on the podcast a couple weeks ago, and they talked about what the expectations are for them. Arlen Bruce is expected to be that slot wide receiver. Does Tyrone Tracy and Nico Regani take the outside receivers, and Arlen Bruce can step in right away?

Who knows? Brody Brecht, a guy who they really like as that outside wide receiver guy, a 6'4 guy who can run almost a 4-4-4 yard dash, and then Keegan Johnson, a guy who is making a ton of plays at the high school level. That wide receiver room is only going to continue to get deeper. This wide receiver group is going to continue to remain very good for the foreseeable future, which makes me very excited about the potency of this Iowa Hawkeye passing attack. But that'll do it for segment number two.

Coming up on segment number three, we're going to talk about Iowa versus Michigan State and what the question marks are for Michigan State and why Iowa should be able to handle this game pretty easily. We are back for our third and our final segment of the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast today. Getting into the third game of the season for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa versus Michigan State.

And Michigan State is in a state of transition. And if you listen to me on the Wednesday morning episode that came out today on the Lockdown College Football Podcast, I'm there every single Wednesday with Josh Ward, host of Lockdown Balls. You'll know that one of the things I find very interesting about the season, and one of the things that I think people are not factoring in into the potential success of a team, is the amount of transition that team has gone through into the potential success of a team is the amount of transition that team has gone through. And Michigan State is a team in transition. So to me,

this should be a relatively easy game for Iowa. Offensively, Michigan State has not really ever been a great team, and they have a lot of question marks. Specifically at quarterback and at wide receiver, they were replacing their top three guys at wide receiver. And at quarterback, they were replacing longtime starter Brian Lewerke. Honestly, Brian Lewerke was like Michigan State's Nate Stanley. But honestly, even worse. So it's not a huge loss to have to replace Brian Lewerke. He never really took that step that we expected after his junior year. Struggled last year.

They have another guy, though, who we should all be familiar with. Former Valley quarterback Rocky Lombardi. He is projected to be the starter, but who actually knows there. But he has also not looked that great in his time that he has had as quarterback at Michigan State. But he could be the guy who wins that battle. They do have Jaden Reed, though, who is a former freshman All-American that did transfer from Western Michigan to Michigan State.

He is a guy who could get some time. Offensive line, they shouldn't have too many issues. Kind of like Iowa, they've dealt with some injuries over the past couple years. And so they're actually bringing in 10 guys who have starts at the Big Ten level. So that's huge. But tight end is also not a strength either. Not a big time threat there. So offensively, I think we're going to see the same Michigan State that we've seen in the past. They're I think we're going to see the same Michigan State that we've seen in the past. They're not going to be able to move the ball that well. They're going to try to rely heavily on that run game, and they do have a stud running back there. But defensively,

which is usually Michigan State's strength, is not going to be that good this year. It's my prediction that they're going to really struggle. They only return two starters, and they're breaking in a new defensive coordinator. Like I said on today's episode of the Locked On College Football Podcast, do not underestimate transitions. Look at LSU against Mississippi State. Teams in transition struggle early on. I don't feel like they're going to be able to figure it out,

breaking in nine new starters and a new defensive coordinator. Typically, Michigan State does finish in the top 20 for defense-wise, but I do not feel like that is this year. Again, this roster is still talented, but clearly they're not on that normal path, that normal trajectory. They needed some livelihood, and that's why they brought in Mel Tucker, who did really well at Colorado and turned around a Buffs team that's kind of been stagnant over the couple years, has a little bit of a history at Michigan State. But this roster, you know, has finished in the top 40 in the last four years every single year from a recruiting standpoint, except this past season, which was 44. So again, there's some talent on this roster, but I do not expect that talent to come into

play this year and translate into wins under Michigan State's first season with Mel Tucker. I expect this to be a relatively easy win for Iowa. Michigan State's going to be coming off a game against Michigan where it's either going to be a very emotionally draining game that they beat Michigan in, or they're going to be stomped against Michigan. And either way, that bodes well for Iowa. I expect Iowa to win this game. I very much expect Iowa to start the season 3-0. If you've been listening to the last couple shows, I predict a win against Northwestern and a win against Purdue. They get a win in my book against Michigan State, and I honestly think this might be

the easiest of their three games to open up the season before they go into that game against Minnesota. So at this point, I'm predicting Iowa to be 3-0 at this point in the season. I fully expect them to be getting into that Minnesota game, going on 3-0, and having a matchup of two top 25 ranked teams. Coming up on tomorrow's show, though, again, we're going to be breaking down that tight end position. We have Sean Byer, we have Sam Laporta. Can Byer finally break out? What does Laporta do to build off an impressive freshman season where he finished quite strong? And then who are the guys who could step up and be that third tight end that we've been kind of waiting to see? I will tease you with this. A couple years ago, we had freshman year of Noah Fant and TJ Hawkinson. That was one of the worst

seasons Iowa has had at that tight end position in quite some time. And then they broke out. So is that this year where they break out? Because Sam Laporta was a freshman last year. We also had another guy, Josiah Myman, who was also a freshman. Could they both break out? Could this be the year where we start seeing that tight end position get back to the strongness of that tight end position that we come to expect from Iowa? We're also going to be talking about the Iowa-Minnesota game

and why Minnesota's defense is expected to be, in my opinion, pretty darn bad coming into this year. Last year, they were 37th ranked in the nation. This upcoming year, I do not expect that they're lost. A couple of their big-time playmakers. So could this actually be an easier game than I anticipate? Potentially, but we'll be covering all that on tomorrow's episode of the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Again, I appreciate you all tuning in to today's episode.

If you haven't already, please make sure to give us that five-star review if you love the show. If you don't, give us that constructive feedback and let us know what you want to hear more of. And then also make sure to subscribe wherever you downloaded this podcast at. And as always, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And thank you all, Hawkeye Nation, for tuning in to another episode of the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Have a fantastic day. And as always, let's go Hawks.