It's the noon hour in the blast furnace which is Phoenix in the summer, so I click on to OTE for Iowa week, while eating lunch.

What? Nada? The 'writers' likely have cramps from all the Olympic stuff, understandable, but why else?

Methinks it is because, well, everybody knows what Iowa Hawkeyes football is. There isn't a lot to say, even when there is (for Iowa) significant change in the coaching staff. So, for about the 15 minutes or so I have to think about Iowa football for 2024, here goes.

Iowa is the most stable football program in the B1G. 25 years of the same guy coaching will do that.

Coaching Staff: A new Offensive Coordinator!!!!! Someone else coaching receivers!! With any other team, this would be huge news. At Iowa, eh, changes, huh? Wake me in September, I'll believe the big changes when I see them. Playcalling might be better, though Brian's scripted 25 out of the box weren't bad--the rest of the game, not so much. Again, believe when see, because for all the angst which came about during the Life of Coach Brian in Iowa City, Dad's fingerprints were all over the general style of offensive play.

Skill positions: We have QBs. Two of them. One won a B1G championship somewhere, though the porn star guy's involvement back then is unknown. Then again, he beat Iowa with that offense, oh well. The second guy actually won some games for a jNW team which overcame lots of adversity to have a good season.

Read more: An Ode to Brendan Sullivan, by a Northwestern Fan

Whatever it is, if guy #1 remains upright for 5 games, better than last year. QB #2 is light years better than last year, which is kind of easy when last year's offense was pretty good--for 1908.

O-Line: Another believe when see. This has been the biggest problem the past two years, uncharacteristically so. Everybody back in God's Country is saying the right things, the line is better, more seasoned. If there was much more seasoning, you couldn't actually taste the steak. One slight ray of hope is that under the supposedly new offense, blocking schemes are better and enable the linemen to do better. Believe when see.

RBs: Under the radar good. They'll be on the radar if the line cooperates.

TE's: This is Iowa. You know the TEs will be very good.

PUNTING!!!!--

We have a new Aussie. Should be good, also just signed supposedly the best punter in the Country out of Texas, though I don't think he joins the team until next year. Maybe I missed someone, I'm almost out of time.

Defense: Again, this is Iowa. Defense will be very good, if not great. DeJean is gone along with the touchdown cheated away from him (I don't care what the B1G ref says to cover himself, not one player on that field considered it a fair catch signal in real time), but this is one area where Iowa re-loads. Only potential issue here is being a little thin on D-Line.

Kicker: We had a good kicker who inexplicably got the yips or something towards the end of the season. We brought in the second coming of Fred Cox, without the distance, to once again beat jNebarska. The kid may have made one other kick, don't remember.

Time's up, maybe a couple minutes over, but yeah, that's Iowa 2024.

Wins?

C'mon people, you know we get at least 8 a year. Which ones, don't know. OK, will lose to aOSU. Will recover the Pig and start PTSD therapy immediately. Should actually win more than 8 this year but who knows. I do think I'll drive over to LA and see my daugther, oh, and also go to the UCLA game. I've been to the Rose Bowl a couple of times; I'd simply like to see my team win in it.

If you'll pardon me, its time to raid the candy jar in the lobby for my lunchtime treat.