Pigskin predictions for 2011

Throw a football on the ground and guess which way it will go.

That's what I'm doing today, taking a look at the 2011 college football season for Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.

Predictions are like the expectations Gazette columnist Mike Hlas wrote about in Friday's paper - they don't really matter. But they are fun. Just don't remind me later, unless, of course, I nail it.

The Hawkeyes could be very average or something special in 2011.

A lot isn't expected, so they could fly under the radar and surprise some opponents. They'll need a surprise or two to have a truly special season.

Look for Iowa to be 2-0 heading into a home game against Pittsburgh, which should propel the Hawkeyes to 4-0 (do we even need to talk about Louisiana-Monroe?) heading into the Big Ten opener at Penn State. University Park or State College - whichever you prefer - is never an easy place to win, but the Hawkeyes under Kirk Ferentz sure seem to find a way.

Northwestern (as always) and Michigan State seem to be the biggest stumbling blocks after the Nittany Lions.

If James Vandenberg turns out to be the quarterback - and leader - most have predicted, this team could be 9-2 or even 10-1 heading into the regular season finale at Nebraska.

Not only does Vandenberg need to shine, but Marcus Coker needs to start where he ended last year and keep growing. Someone like Keenan Davis will have to step up and catch some passes when most defensive attention will be on Marvin McNutt. And don't forget the defensive line. It needs to mature and grow each week.

That said, I'm guessing something around 8-4 for the Hawks.

Anybody who thinks Iowa State will automatically be 1-0 after Saturday's opener against UNI better think again.

The Panthers will be a tough opponent, but more on them later.

The Cyclones face, once again, an uphill battle with one of the toughest schedules in the land - and have to do it with a lot of new faces in the lineup, including quarterback and running back.

After opening at home with UNI and Iowa, the Cyclones fly to Connecticut before returning home to host Texas. Think the Longhorns want a little revenge in 2011?

Throw in the usual Big 12 suspects and things don't look too promising for ISU. The Cyclones will get better every year under Paul Rhoads, but those wins may still be a year away.

Look for something around 5-7 again.

Mark Farley always puts a competitive team on the field in Cedar Falls, a team willing to battle anyone anywhere.

The Panthers, too, have a tough schedule, playing at ISU, Stephen F. Austin and North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

But with Tirrell Rennie under center for the second year in a row - not to mention Carlos Anderson's running skills - UNI will be in every game.

The Panthers go 8-3 in the regular season, followed by a couple of wins in the FCS playoffs.