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BURNING QUESTIONS

Five Week 2 Ponderings

1️⃣ Are we sure Mark Gronowski is the steady hand the Iowa offense has been searching for?  

In four years at FCS powerhouse South Dakota State, quarterback Mark Gronowski threw for over 10,000 yards, scored 130 touchdowns, won a pair of national titles, and was named the 2023 Walter Payton Award winner as the top FCS offensive player. 

He’s a serial winner. He’s a dual-threat weapon. And now, Hawkeye fans are hoping he’s the missing piece that makes this offense hum and that can propel this program from good to great.

Last season, then-new offensive coordinator Tim Lester pushed the Iowa offense past the hoopla of the now-infamous Brian Ferentz “Drive for 325” contract clause. But make no bones about it, the 2024 Iowa offense was far from explosive and didn’t exactly strike fear into opposing defenses. 

Running back Kaleb Johnson was a workhorse. The offensive line was decent, but not prolific. And the quarterback trio of Cade McNamara, Brendan Sullivan, and Jackson Stratton combined to throw just 10 touchdowns through 13 games. It wasn’t a typical “Iowa offense,” but it wasn’t that far off either.

But now with Gronowski at the helm, Hawkeye fans have something to hold onto, something to believe in. The FCS-to-FBS jump for quarterbacks isn’t always a smooth transition, though. In Saturday’s season-opener, Gronowski struggled mightily, finishing with 8 completions on 15 attempts, 44 yards, and one touchdown. Let’s just say it didn’t exactly inspire confidence that things will be different. 

Iowa fans will hope this was just a case of the Week 1 jitters. Opposing fan bases will point to that stat line as a glimpse of what’s to come. You be the judge if this is the same old Iowa or something different.

2️⃣ Can continuity propel Illinois from dark horse to CFP contender? 

In 2024, Illinois tied the program record for wins in a season with 10, which had only been done four times previously in 1902, 1983, 1989, and 2001. Now, the Fighting Illini bring back 16 starters in total and have their sights set on making the College Football Playoff. 

Of those 16 returning starters, none is more important than quarterback Luke Altmyer. Last season, Altmyer threw for over 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns, while leading the Fighting Illini to a strong four-game win streak to close out the season. Along with Altmyer, Illinois also brings all five starters on a veteran-laden offensive line that includes standout tackle J.C. Davis and center Josh Kreutz. 

On defense, Illinois is poised to have another strong set of linebackers and secondary, with OLB Gabe Jacas, two-time All-Big 10 selection Xavier Scott, and three other returners in the secondary all back for 2025.

If all goes to plan, continuity will be Illinois’ ticket to the Playoff—and the reason fans are popping Champagne in Champaign come December.

3️⃣ Is Florida building a contender, or just delaying the inevitable? 

The 2024 Florida Gators faced a Dante’s Inferno-level schedule, a 12-game slate that included matchups against Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas, just to name a few. Through six games, the Gators found themselves sitting at 3-3 with head coach Billy Napier facing an uncertain future. Then everything changed.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway took over after Graham Mertz went down, the defense rose to the occasion, and the Gators closed out the year with four straight wins, saving Napier’s job for at least another season. So what should we expect in 2025?

What we know:

• Lagway is a rising star and has as much talent as any quarterback in the country.

• The offensive line returns the best center in college football (Jake Slaughter) and returns quality starters in LT Austin Barber and RG Damieon George Jr.

• The Gator defense went up a level down the stretch in 2024. In theory, that group should take another step forward this season. 

What we don’t know:

• Do the Gators have enough weapons on the outside? Eugene Wilson III flashed some serious star power, but has started the season a little dinged up. 

• The defense looks strong, but is filled with young guys. Can that unit mature fast enough for Florida to navigate a tricky early slate? 

• The schedule is brutal for a second year in a row. What’s a realistic expectation for this team in Year 4 under Napier? 

Florida feels like a team walking a knife’s edge in 2025. The Gators could just as easily slice upward into SEC contention or cut the other way to a season filled with failed expectations.

4️⃣ Dream start or nightmare fuel…what awaits Bryce Underwood against Brent Venables’ defense?

Rarely do highly-rated freshman quarterbacks live up to the hype immediately.

Justin Fields sat most of his first season at Georgia before transferring to Ohio State. Quinn Ewers completed less than 60% of his passes and had a 15:6 TD:INT ratio in his first year at Texas. Last year, Dylan Raiola was an improvement on Husker quarterbacks past, but didn’t exactly light the Big 10 on fire. Trevor Lawrence is one of the few exceptions, throwing for 30 touchdowns and helping propel Clemson to an undefeated season and national title his freshman season. 

That begs the question: how much should we realistically expect from Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood in Year 1, much less in his first real test against a Brent Venables’ defense? 

If you had to build a nightmare scenario for a freshman quarterback’s first real test, I think it would look a heck of a lot like this Michigan-Oklahoma matchup.

• On the road? Check

• Against a defensive madman? Check

• With an offense lacking standout receiving talent? Double check

The hype around Underwood is real. He looks like a Vince Young/Cam Newton regen. But even if Underwood will be prolific someday, I’m not sure it’s going to happen this week. Perhaps we’ll only see glimpses of his top-end abilities this entire first season.

I think I speak for everyone not cheering on the Maize and Blue when I say that I’d be floored (and incredibly impressed) if Underwood is ultra-successful this week against a filthy Oklahoma defense.  

5️⃣ Is the Big 12 on the verge of a sneaky conference identity crisis?

Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the Big 12 Conference one full week through the 2025 college football season. 

Trendy conference title pick Kansas State already has one conference loss and nearly took a shocking L at home to North Dakota in Week 1. Baylor and Colorado got out-physicaled in losses on the national stage last Friday. And Arizona State won its opening-season game, but didn’t exactly impose its will on Northern Arizona. 

Some might say I’m overreacting, but I think this weekend is sneaky huge for the conference as a whole.

Baylor plays a high-profile game against SMU. Undefeated Iowa State squares off with in-state rival Iowa. Undefeated Kansas and Arizona State hit the road for games against SEC teams Missouri and Mississippi State.

Let’s bookmark this space. If things break the wrong way in some or all of these games, the Big 12 Conference could quickly find itself looking like a one-bid league for the 2025 College Football Playoff. 

THE PODCAST

Your Week 2 Predictions Special is live!

Week 2 has big 2011 energy with lots of emotion, some heartbreak, and plenty of unfinished business. This weekend is loaded with tension and storylines, with Michigan’s trip to Oklahoma, another installment of the Cy-Hawk game, a quiet monster between Illinois and Duke, a stinky line between Arizona State and Mississippi State, and a revenge spot for Ole Miss at Kentucky.

In this episode, we dive into the biggest matchups of the week, discuss a handful of under-the-radar games, suggest your most ideal quad box setup, and much more. Plus, a plea to Virginia Tech, a debacle over Ty’s yellow shirt, realistic expectations for Oklahoma State vs. Oregon, and more!

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