A few quick questions with former Iowa Hawkeye/NFL player Matt Bowen

Matt Bowen is one of the Hlog's favorites, a football player-turned-writer. The former University of Iowa and six-year NFL safety is one of the mainstays of the National Football Post, a terrific Web site devoted to NFL insider stuff.

Today, Bowen took a few questions from me as the college football season entered its first game week.

From a state away (he lives in Chicago), how do you view the 2010 Hawkeyes?

I think you're going to see a lot of what you're accustomed to under Kirk. The team will play solid, fundamental football. There's not a lot of window dressing and what you see is what you get. They'll tackle well, they'll block well.

I look at that lineup, and you've got a veteran quarterback, an NFL-talent defensive line ... there's no reason they shouldn't compete and play well.

They do everything the right way. I know a lot of scouts in the NFL, and they like how the guys up front are so well-coached, on the offensive and defensive lines.

You've watched a lot of NFL preseason games. What have you seen from the rookies from Iowa?

Bowen: I think Pat Angerer will be a real good player at Indianapolis. He's a perfect fit at that place. Their middle linebacker has to come downhill in the ruyn game. He'll be a perfect fit at that place, the way he runs to the football.

Bryan Bulaga (Green Bay offensive lineman) is the real deal. I saw him in camp. It's tough to come in the offensive line as a rookie. There's a lot of transition. But it wouldn't surprise me if he is starting at some point this year.

(Bulaga isn't going to start right away,  it would appear, as this National Football Post story illustrates)

(Detroit cornerback Amari) Spievey is going to be challenged. Detroit's a young team and he might be thrown into the fire. They don't have a lot of veteran depth in that secondary, so they'll see what he can do. But you've got to have elite talent to be drafted where he was. He can run, he can turn his hips, and he can tackle. But as rookie in that division against Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, he'll be tested.

Q: Which NFL team is ready to jump up?

Bowen: I think Miami, for sure. They remind me a lot of Kirk's team. Yeah, I know they do run the Wildcat. But when they need a play, they line up and run the ball. They tackle well, they're coached well. I think Chad Henne will be a great quarterback. He has a big pro arm.