By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – For the first time since 2011, the Iowa football team enters spring practice with positive momentum thanks to winning a bowl game.

Iowa actually won its last two games this past season. Its 27-20 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl was preceded by a resounding 56-14 thumping of Nebraska in the 2017 regular-season finale.

A season that appeared on the verge of collapse when Iowa lost to Purdue 24-15 at home in the 11^th game ended on a high note instead.

Iowa’s 8-5 record marked the 10^th time that Kirk Ferentz has led the Hawkeyes to at least eight victories, and the third time in a row.

Iowa has combined to win 28 games over the past three seasons, which averages out to more than nine wins per season.

That is impressive for a program that has averaged slightly more than seven victories per season since Hayden Fry resurrected it in the early 1980s.

But it hardly makes Iowa the team to beat in the Big Ten West Division.

Wisconsin currently holds that title and shows no signs of regressing. The Badgers are to Iowa football what Penn State is to Iowa wrestling.

That point was driven home this past Nov. 11^th when Wisconsin whipped Iowa 38-14 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score.

Take away Josh Jackson’s two pick sixes and the closest Iowa came to reaching the end zone was during warmups.

Iowa was held to just 66 yards on 50 plays against Wisconsin.

The Badgers committed four turnovers and still won easily by using a style that is similar to how Iowa plays under Ferentz.

A strong case could be made for Iowa being the second best team on paper in the Big Ten West Division heading into the 2018 season.

And while that is nothing to take for granted, it’s still Wisconsin’s world in the West Division until proven otherwise.

Iowa’s quest to prove otherwise begins in earnest this week with the start of spring practice.

Ferentz will meet with the media on Tuesday to usher in practice and to update the status of his team.

He won’t make any bold statements or predictions because Ferentz prefers to let his team’s actions speak louder than words.

And for Iowa’s actions to speak loudly this coming fall, here are five positions that have to be addressed this spring.

1. Linebacker: The challenge at this position is to replace all three starters who combined for nearly 10 seasons of starting experience.

All-America middle linebacker Josey Jewell received most of the attention, and deservedly so, considering how well he performed on a regular basis.

But his two sidekicks, Bo Bower and Ben Niemann, were highly valuable as well. It is rare for Iowa to have three senior linebackers with the kind of experience that Jewell, Bower and Niemann brought to the defense.

You knew what to expect when they played together and there was a sense of security based on their vast experience and leadership.

The situation at linebacker is now just the opposite as three new starters look to emerge this spring. There are plenty of candidates, including seniors Jack Hockaday and Aaron Mends and juniors Kristian Welch and Amani Jones.

But none of the returning linebackers have much experience beyond playing on special teams. Iowa rarely substituted at linebacker last season, so it’s hard to judge the returning personnel.

2. Receiver: This position is almost always a concern heading into spring practice, and this spring is no exception.

Iowa returns two of its top three receivers from last season in senior Nick Easley and sophomore Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

They both had their moments last season, just not enough to make receiver anywhere close to being a position of strength. They also had too many drops and too many games where they failed to produce.

Sophomore Brandon Smith created quite a stir with his arrival on campus last season. But the Mississippi native spent most of his freshman season watching from the sideline. That almost certainly will change this spring and next fall because Iowa needs at least one or two inexperienced receivers to emerge.

Iowa is loaded at tight end and returns a quarterback who threw 26 touchdown passes last season in Nate Stanley. But Stanley and the tight ends need more help from the receivers in order to avoid the same problems that occurred last season.

3. Punter: Iowa has a history of playing in close games under Ferentz in which field position is often the difference between winning and losing.

And nobody effects field position more than the punter.

To say that Iowa struggled at punter last season would be an understatement.

Junior-to-be Colten Rastetter averaged fewer than 40 yards per punt and struggled with hang time, while Ryan Gersonde didn’t have enough opportunities as a true freshman to be fairly evaluated.

One of them, or somebody on the roster, has to emerge this spring or the same problems that occurred last season are likely to resurface this fall.

4. Center: With exception to quarterback, there is no position on offense more valuable than center and Iowa has to replace a great one in James Daniels.

Daniels decided to skip his senior season to enter the 2018 NFL draft where he projects as a high draft choice, perhaps as high as the first round.

Sophomores Spencer Williams and Cole Banwart were listed as the backups at center throughout last season, but neither played enough to gain any experience.

Redshirt freshman Levi Duwa also reportedly has switched from defensive end to center. So there will be enough candidates to create a competitive environment this spring.

5. Running back: Sophomores-to-be Toren Young and Ivory Kelly-Martin both look the part and flashed at times last season.

But until they show they can carry the load, questions remain as Iowa moves on without Akrum Wadley and James Butler.

Wadley rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons and had a gift for making defenders miss in space. He also had a knack for turning short gains into long runs.

Whether Iowa has somebody to fill that void remains to be seen.

Josh Jackson's decision to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft has left a huge void at cornerback and you could make s strong case for cornerback being on this list.

But with Matt Hankins, Manny Rugamba and Michael Ojemudia all returning, Iowa has a solid nucleus to build around at cornerback, along with a talented group of safeties to help with the transition.