With week one fast approaching, we still don't know who will take the first snaps under center for the Iowa offense.
Kirk Ferentz has been steadfast in his decision to not name a starting quarterback up to this point, taking every possible second to evaluate his two projected options. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski have battled all offseason, and Ferentz said earlier this week that there wasn't a right choice yet. Even though not having a true QB1 is worrisome, it might not be the worst thing for the Hawkeyes...until they travel to Michigan.
Iowa has until week three to truly name a starting quarterback
As expected, Ferentz has kept the starting quarterback decision very close to the vest and hasn't revealed much about which way he is leaning. Both quarterbacks have shown flashes of good play, but have largely been inconsistent throughout the offseason. Ferentz recently revealed that regardless of who takes the first snaps, both players will play on Saturday against NIU, and will be on a "pitch count." Brown and Hecklinski will each receive around 2-3 possessions before switching, a very interesting strategy. While it is definitely not a long-term solution, the squad can afford to experiment during the first three weeks.
Northern Illinois is Iowa's first opponent, and with an interim coach and few returning starters, the Hawkeyes have some leeway to make a concrete starting quarterback decision. While it sounds bad that the program hasn't named a starter yet, they have three games to figure it out. Ferentz has consistently said that the decision could stretch into the first few games, and he has been true to his word. The first three games of the season against NIU, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa aren't the toughest competition the squad will face all season, but it will be a good test to see who takes advantage of the reps.
The first game against NIU will be the first true test for both quarterbacks, but it shouldn't determine who wins the job. It will most likely come during week two when Iowa State comes to town. Even though Iowa State is in a full rebuild, rivalry games are always tough, and the game will be a much better barometer for who deserves the job. Whoever plays the best against Iowa State should win the job and play the entire game against Northern Iowa to prepare for Michigan in week four.
With all the uncertainty at starting quarterback, the program will benefit from a three-week trial run before the Big Ten Conference schedule starts, and it should give us a clearer picture of who the starter should be. If the decision still isn't made by the UNI game, the program is much worse off than everyone initially thought. The waiting game continues, and we shouldn't make any true determinations until after the Cy-Hawk rivalry game in week two.
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