Despite being the longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have been taking some steps backward over the last couple of years. They went 11-2 in 2009 and won the Orange Bowl, but have went 8-8 in Big Ten play in the last two seasons and went down to 7 wins in 2011. I don't think anybody expects Iowa to continue this trend and become a Big Ten bottom dweller, but it does signal Iowa's removal from Big Ten Championship contention. They will be looking to return to that form in 2012, but it will be a challenge.
If Iowa has one thing to lean on in 2012, it's their senior quarterback James Vandenberg. While he's not quite one of the Big Ten's elite quarterbacks yet (he wasn't even in honorable All-Big Ten last year), he is quite formidable. He threw for over 3000 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions last year. For a team that has traditionally relied on defense under Ferentz, those are some pretty good numbers.
