An "OR" designation on the Week 8 depth chart is exactly what fans don't want to see

Whether it's gamesmanship or the program still doesn't truly know, the dreaded "OR" designation has resurfaced in a crucial position group.

Iowa is coming off a bye week in week seven, after beating Washington in week six. The Hawkeyes dominated, earning a second Big Ten road win, and they have another chance to add to their win total against a reeling Minnesota team this week. Minnesota is also coming off a bye week, but lost a disappointing week-six game to Purdue. All the pieces are in place for another Iowa win, but one lingering question remains.

The week 8 depth chart has an 'OR' between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski

Iowa called upon backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski against Washington with Hank Brown sidelined with a shoulder injury, and he delivered. Hecklinski and the Iowa offense woke up, putting up 41 points and 465 total yards. The offense struggled against Michigan and Ohio State, and it was unclear how it would perform on the road against Washington with a backup quarterback under center. After a slow start, Hecklinski put those fears to bed as Iowa entered the bye week with another conference victory.

With Brown sidelined, Hecklinski threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first Iowa quarterback since Nate Stanley in 2017 to throw three touchdowns in his debut. His stellar performance, combined with Brown's injury, raised questions about the starting quarterback situation, and the dreaded "OR" designation has returned.

After two weeks as the starting quarterback, Brown's position is no longer guaranteed, with an "OR" designation between him and Hecklinski. It is unclear whether Brown's health played a role in the designation, or if it was Hecklinski's play, but either way, we're back to quarterback uncertainty. Brown initially won the starting job after the UNI game, but the offense was inconsistent against Michigan and Ohio State. The inconsistency, paired with Hecklinski's stellar play, has forced the coaching staff to rethink the starting job, and it is clearly not an easy decision.

Kirk Ferentz and the coaching staff could have easily handed the starting role back to Brown if he were fully healthy, suggesting he isn't, or they can't ignore Hecklinski's play. In the coordinator interviews during the bye week, offensive coordinator Tim Lester said both Brown and Hecklinski are "good to go" health-wise, so something isn't adding up. The staff may also believe they have two good quarterbacks and could use both of them against Minnesota. While keeping Minnesota's defense off balance by not announcing the starter is one strategy, it must be hard on the rest of the offense when they don't know who the starter is.

Constantly preparing for two quarterbacks isn't easy, and while Iowa has a lot of talented players, it would be easier if they knew who to prepare for. It will be interesting to hear what Ferentz says during his weekly press conference, but we might not learn who the starter is until gameday. Ferentz and the coaching staff face some tough decisions ahead, but it isn't a bad thing that they truly believe in both quarterbacks.

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