Hey, I get it, you're probably thinking this is just another Nebraska fan trying to troll in Iowa fans. That's not the case. Kirk Ferentz's performance in 2018 was easily his worst season ever at Iowa, and I will argue the worst in all of the Power 5.
The Big Ten West was terrible, and Iowa potentially 5 or 6 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS STARTING, and 10 LIKELY FUTURE NFL Draft picks starting in their starting 22. Think about that for a moment. Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue haven't had 10 NFL players combined over the last two NFL drafts.
Here are the draftees from 2019:
TJ Hockenson - 1st Round
Noah Fant - 1st Round
Anthony Nelson - 4th Round
Amani Hooker - 4th Round
Ok, well that's 4 guys... Two tight ends, a Defensive End, and a Safety.
But lets look at 2020 likely draft eligible players:
DE AJ Espensa - Expected 1st Round
QB Nate Stanley - projected 1st Round to 3rd Round
OT - Alaric Jackson - Projected 1st Round
OT - Tristan Wirfs - projected Round 1 to 2
DT - Cedrick Lattimore - projected 3rd to 4th Round
DE Chauncey Golston - will leave early 3rd to 4th round
In a year when a dreadful Northwestern Team won the Big Ten West let's look at Iowa's conference season:
Crossover Games: (No Ohio State or Michigan)
They play at a bad Indiana team. - Easy Win
They draw clustereff team in Maryland to Kinnick - Easy Win
Play at a marginal Penn State team (arguably the 4th best team from the East Division) - Loss, but Iowa could've easily sustained this loss and still won the West.
Iowa gets Wisconsin and Northwestern at Home.
Iowa loses to the worst Wisconsin team of the last 20 years in Kinnick
Iowa allows 200 yards rushing to a Northwestern team that couldn't run on anyone all season. Ferentz completely outschemed and outcoached by a vastly inferior team in Kinnick.
Iowa loses at a 6-6 Purdue team which still has NO depth after Brohm inherited a shitty roster. Brohm completely outschemes and outcoaches Ferentz.
Iowa draws road games at Illinois and Minnesota, the two worst teams in the West. They then get to play one of the worst Nebraska teams of all time, at home. Scott Frost completely outschemes and outcoaches Ferentz with only one Scholarship Receiver healthy for the game. But Iowa wins on a last second field goal to avoid Overtime.
Iowa NOT going 12-1 and easily winning the Big Ten West is an indictiment on Kirk Ferentz, and he seriously was the absolute worst coach in the Conference last season.