All eyes will be on new starting quarterback Mark Gronowski and the Iowa offense on Saturday against Albany.
The Iowa offense has struggled over the past five seasons since the departure of Nate Stanley.
In college football, you must have a signal caller who can move the ball and operate well under pressure. Iowa has had players with rocket arms, but they often lack touch or consistency and are one-dimensional pocket passers.
In the Big Ten, there are no nights off, and defenses will get after you. They will expose your weaknesses and force you to abandon what you do best.
The weakness for the Iowa offense is its passing game, and Gronowski is the remedy for that.
During his career at South Dakota State, Gronowski threw for 10,330 passing yards and 93 touchdowns and was an effective runner.
He also rushed for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground.
Gronowski is projected to be a ray of sunshine for a dismal Iowa offense, and he spoke to the media about how he feels heading into his first start with the Hawkeyes.
During his media availability this week, Gronowski discussed his mindset heading into week one. He is no stranger to Kinnick Stadium, having played a game there in 2022 with South Dakota State, but this will be his first game as a starter for the Hawkeyes.
In a portion of his media interview posted by "The Hawkeye Report," he stated that he feels great right now and has found it "cool" to see the development he has made over the past few weeks.
As it will be his first start as a Hawkeye in Kinnick Stadium, he believes there will be a couple of bumps and bruises, but he wants to see improvement throughout the game.
It might not be pretty at first, but he is adamant that he is his harshest critic and will hold everyone on the offense accountable if they are not meeting their standards.
Over the past few weeks, Gronowski has stated that he has become more comfortable in the offense and is getting into a groove ahead of week one.
Gronowski has heavy expectations on his shoulders, but if he can run the offense efficiently and put some points on the scoreboard, it is a welcome sight for Hawkeye fans.