This season will mark a decade since Iowa last won a team title. In the nine years since, the Hawkeyes have won eight team trophies but only finished second once, a full 18 points out of first place.

So this year represents a major opportunity for a fan base that's used to winning championships. For a program that won 23 times in 36 years, "settling" for Top-4 finishes is not the standard in which they wish to operate. The goal for Tom Brands and his coaching staff remains the same as well.

But like all squads with potential for greatness, a lot must go right, and a few things must be addressed. We've already posed some questions for both Penn State and Ohio State, both of whom appear on paper to be Iowa's main competition this year.

So, what are we still unsure about with the season just five months away?

#1: Does Spencer Lee take an Olympic Redshirt?

This seems like a resounding no. Although he has stated on numerous occasions his desire to be an Olympic gold medalist, he has not wrestled any freestyle since the summer before his senior year of high school. Also in the room is world silver medalist Thomas Gilman, who is at the same weight as Spencer. The coaching staff may want to keep their attentions focused on Gilman's senior level career while Lee still has college eligibility.

Additionally, the push to a title run will include home duals against the Nittany Lions, Buckeyes, and Oklahoma State. Given that the Black & Gold have led the nation in home attendance for 13 straight years and Lee will be necessary to beat all of those teams, I see him wrestling the entirety of the folkstyle season.

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#2: Does Gavin Teasdale wrestle for Iowa this year?

He has not officially transferred in, but he's living and training in Iowa City. You'd have to think he wrestles 133 for them if he ends up on the team, with an outside shot of 141. Or he might of course just redshirt, or at least not start.

We still have no clue how good Teasdale can be in college, as he has yet to wrestle a Division 1 match and his last tournament was the 2018 Open at the Junior level. The talent level and accolades from high school indicate he should be more than adequate, but there are simply too many variables in college to guarantee success. The whole wrestling community anxiously awaits how his career will turn out.

#3: Do 133 and 141 look any different from 2019?

See the question above for context here. But even then, what's a junior Austin DeSanto look like? He placed fifth last year and scored 13 points at the national tournament, and had a win in the regular season over national champ Nick Suriano. But Wisconsin adds Seth Gross, who DeSanto  could have to see multiple times before NCAAs, though Oklahoma State could lose Daton Fix to an Olympic redshirt.

As for Max Murin, he did not place and scored two points in Pittsburgh. Could he be bumped out by Vince Turk or Jason Renteria? If Teasdale comes in, does DeSanto slide up to 141? To win a team title, the Hawkeyes are going to want to push their 15 points between these two weights to 20 or more.

#4: Is Michael Kemerer healthy?

Follow up: how will he look up at 174? If Kemerer is 100% recovered from his injury, he'll be an All-American contender at worst. With some of the possible Olympic redshirt and weight change rumors floating around, he very well may be the title favorite walking into the season. Those 20 points may be necessary this year with Anthony Cassar and Shakur Rasheed coming back for Penn State.

Lately, it has not been major injuries to necessary impact a career if surgeries and rehab are done properly, especially when the guy takes a full year off the mat to heal. Rather, it is general and gradual wear and tear that helps contribute to a dropoff in performance. 

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#5: What's Anthony Cassioppi's ceiling?

The Illinois native had a very strong redshirt campaign, with his biggest win coming over AJ Nevills. But his losses to Matt Stencel and Jere Heino at Midlands also mean he's not a shoo-in to be an All-American. He won Super 32 as a senior and the USA Wrestling triple crown twice, as well as Junior Pan Am titles in both styles in both 2017 and 2018.

He also won the Junior Open, but did not compete at Junior Trials and was pinned by Nevills in the U23 quarters. But those were all in freestyle, where we know his gut wrench is lethal. His top game in folk is great, especially against lesser opponents where he will be big in the early rounds of tournaments and in duals piling up pins.

The questions for Iowa mainly center around performance, particularly with Cassioppi being a new piece to the lineup, as well as potentially Teasdale. But it is unquestionable this represents Iowa's best chance to win a title in quite some time.