Quarterback is obviously the main question mark yet again, but like every Cy-Hawk Game, Saturday's contest will be won in the trenches.
In just two days, it will officially be Cy-Hawk game day in the state of Iowa.
Iowa and Iowa State fans will abruptly end their trash talking sessions on social media and turn their attention to their TV screens, where the Hawkeyes and Cyclones will be meeting under the lights at Kinnick Stadium (6:30 p.m., NBC).
You've already read about which Hawkeyes have a chance to shine in primetime, but now it's time for the position groups. Here are the top three position groups to keep an eye on during Saturday's game:
Quarterback
We're taking the easy way out again, but unless Iowa finds some consistency at the position later in the year, quarterback is always going to be the main discussion point. We know Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are probably going to split reps again on Saturday, but the main question everyone has is if Kirk Ferentz will go with a different plan.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Brown earn the start after his performance against Northern Illinois, but if he plays as well as he did to open last weekend's game, would Ferentz ride the hot hand and keep him in there, or would he still go with Hecklinski to give him a fair chance to win the race?
Ferentz was asked about this by The Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow, but didn't give a definitive answer, so we'll see how Iowa plays its cards on Saturday.
Backup running backs
Notice the word backups here. There's no question that Kamari Moulton could be in line for a big role after his career outing against Northern Illinois, but with L.J. Phillips week-to-week with an injury, the Hawkeyes are going to need one or both of Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil to produce on Saturday.
Though both have showed flashes during their brief Iowa careers, the results were mixed at best last weekend. McNeil managed just eight yards on seven carries, while Williams also tallied just eight yards on six carries. Needless to say, the Hawkeyes are going to need those numbers to improve to help take the load off whoever is under center.
The trenches
Every Cy-Hawk Game is won in the trenches, and though there's plenty of new faces on Iowa State's sideline, head coach Jimmy Rogers is going to have his team ready to play an old-school Big Ten rock fight on Saturday night.
Iowa should have the advantage on both lines of scrimmage, but remember this important detail: the last eight meetings in this series have been decided by 10 points or less. Time of possession is going to be a major factor, and it all starts down low.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
