Who's better: 2009 Hawkeyes today or '08 Hawkeyes at season's end?

This isn't telling you anything you don't already know, but USA Today has a story on why the 2009 Iowa football team has surpassed the 2008 squad.

"This time last year, we weren't coming up with the last three points or five points we needed to win the game," defensive end Adrian Clayborn says. "We didn't want that to happen again. We're pushing harder in the fourth quarter."

During the Gazetteonline.com's weekly Thursday Iowa football live chat, I asked participants if the '09 team was better than the '08 Hawkeyes. To my surprise, everyone who answered said no.

A replay of the chat can be found at the bottom of this Hlog post.

I agree, sort of. Iowa's offensive line last year was just plain good, with current NFL player Seth Olsen and NFL practice squad player Rob Bruggeman helping form a vintage Kirk Ferentz O-line. This year's line hasn't come together completely, with sickness and susp. There's still time.

But this year's receiving corps is better and deeper, with more quality  at wide receiver and a healthy Tony Moeaki at tight end. This year's secondary is a little better, just from experience if nothing else. Tyler Sash has been safety of impact. Cornerback Amari Spievey is simply terrific.

The defensive front seven? I think it's almost as good this year even with the terrific Matt Kroul and Mitch King graduated from the '08 squad.

Iowa's running backs have been adequate this year and perhaps more, but the Hawkeyes had a pretty great two-man gang a year ago in Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton.

Special teams? Same fine punter in Ryan Donahue. Daniel Murray has been on a nice roll at placekicker lately, so that's a slight improvement from a year ago. The kickoff coverage hasn't been good this year. It was better at Wisconsin, but the Badgers' kick-return units aren't among the Big Ten's best.

Quarterback? I'd take Ricky Stanzi today over the Stanzi of the end of 2008. He's had to shoulder a lot more this season, and he's handling it.

Maybe I'd take the '09 Hawkeyes after all. Plus, they do have a certain statistic that tilts things in their favor. Namely, 7-0.

But what do you think about this debate? My comments were late-night shallow. You're free to expound, expand or explode. Choose one of the first two, please, after you cast your ballot below.

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