Hawkeyes 2010: 5 reasons why

IOWA CITY -- The math gets goofy somehow. 

The last time the Hawkeyes went into a season ranked in the top 10 was 1988. That time finished 6-4-3. In 2005, Iowa came off a co-Big Ten championship and had quarterback Drew Tate. The Hawkeyes started No. 11 and finished unranked. In '06, the Hawkeyes started No. 16. Again, they finished unranked. 

So, it's 2010. 

Iowa has quarterback Ricky Stanzi, a charismatic leader and budding playmaker. There's defensive end Adrian Clayborn, a devastating force. Wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is poised to become Iowa's No. 1 in receptions and receiving yards. 

Offensive tackle Riley Reiff is in the chute that coach Kirk Ferentz has built from Iowa O-line to the NFL. Safety Tyler Sash comes with an interception magnet, with 11 in two seasons as a starter. 

Last weekend, The Associated Press installed Iowa as the No. 9 team in the nation. 

Uh oh, goofy math. 

"I think Iowa has the ingredients to make a run to win a championship," ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. "One thing I would say, a little bit of an asterisk that concerns me, in the past, when I've come into Chicago and we're all excited about Iowa and all of the sudden they finish the year unranked. 

"Why is this year going to be different? Are they going to be able to handle prosperity? Are they going to be able to handle expectations?" 

 Take away the running back drama that's made for a nagging distraction this month, the difference between 1998,

 2005 and '06 could come down to players. 

The list is subjective, but a few are above reproach. Ferentz goes into 2010 with as many seniors and stars as any of his teams have had. 

That's why Iowa could be different. 

Ricky Stanzi, senior, QB

Two years ago, Ricky Stanzi engaged in one of the more position battles in the Ferentz era. After a loss at Pittsburgh, Ferentz and offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe turned away from Jake Christensen and slid the keys across the table to a gangly sophomore.

Two years later, Stanzi has gone from gangly -- he didn't weigh much more than 200 as a sophomore -- to a 6-foot-4, 230-pound winner. He enters 2010 with an 18-4 record, but still with the perspective of a gangly sopohomore trying to win a job.

"It's hard to gauge what I've been able to do here, because I've been fortunate enough to play for three years compared to a Brad Banks, a great quarterback who played one season," Stanzi said. "It doesn't really mean much to me, it's a tremendous honor to be looked at like that, but as far as what goals may have been set, that isn't where anyone on this team is."

Adrian Clayborn, senior, DE

During his first two seasons, you could see Adrian Clayborn had the outline for Hawkeyes' next great DE.

You saw it against Michigan State in 2007. In desperation time, the Spartans mounted a comeback. Clayborn came up with a huge sack late in the fourth quarter. In '08, Clayborn helped set the tone with a sack and a fumble that fueled Iowa's surge and eventual upset victory.

Last season, it all came together.

He finished with 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. The sacks were the most by an Iowa player since Matt Roth in 2003. After giving Iowa fans an early Christmas present with a December announcement that he would return to Iowa City, finished with MVP performance in the Orange Bowl.

He goes into 2010 as everybody's all-American.

"Yeah, it's neat seeing your picture on the front of a magazine, but the magazines are the easiest to ignore," he said. "Yeah, it's an honor and it's fun to see those types of things, but like I say, you've just got to take it, absorb it and spit it back it out."

Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, senior, WR

Boil it down to numbers, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has done a lot at Iowa.

The 6-1, 200-pounder has 127 receptions for 1,871 yards and seven TDs, needing 31 receptions to pass Kevin Kasper as receptions leader and 401 yards to pass Tim Dwight's yardage record of 2,271. He's led the Hawkeyes in receiving for the last three seasons, just the third player in Iowa history to do that.

Still, he goes into Iowa's opener Saturday as a c0-starter with senior Colin Sandeman. He's as flamboyant of a personality as Ferentz has had. But, he's done it on the field.

"He's an athlete," receivers coach Erik Campbell said. "One thing about Derrell, he's a competitor. He's also a strong kid. If you look at him, you see he's physically strong and he plays that way."

Tyler Sash, junior, SS

During Orange Bowl practices last season, linebacker A.J. Edds was asked about junior safety Tyler Sash's success.

"Sash does a good job of catching tipped balls that land right in his hands," Edds joked. "I'm kidding, kidding."

There's a reason for that, by the way.

"Guys give him a hard time about having these balls that fall in his hands, but if he's not in the right place at the right time, those balls aren't coming to him," Edds said. "People don't seem to understand that. If he's a second late here or there, those balls are going to be on the ground."

Riley Reiff, sophomore, OT

Riley Reiff, a 6-6, 300-pounder, never had a chance to be nervous. Bryan Bulaga went down with a thyroid condition last September, and Reiff had about three days to think about his first start.

It wasn't an ordinary start, either. He was the new left tackle, protecting Stanzi's blindside, against Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium.

He made two more starts at left tackle, broke into a permanent job a few weeks later at guard and, in the Orange Bowl, played right tackle and found himself opposite NFL first-rounder Derrick Morgan.

All of that shows the degree of trust Reiff has won so early in his career. Ferentz doesn't mess around with the O-line.

"I don't know if I was ahead of schedule. Bryan went down and they asked if I'd step up," Reiff said. "It was a great opportunity for me. I just kind of took it and worked hard. It's definitely helped me with a little experience under my belt."