Could it been a worse start?

[longtimer]

CBS now has Iowa in bottom 25. Badger wire has our QB rated second to last ahead of Northwestern. Don’t know if bottom 25 is fair but QB is after 2 games
Hawks need to win some big games to stop national attention on our futility
Hopefully we can get by next 2 setting up important game with Indiana

 

[Garandx]

Bottom 25 is absowarranted

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Bottom 25 is absowarranted

Sorry but I can’t agree with this. There are many teams out there that are in much worse shape and have no hope of even sniffing a bowl game. I completely understand not being happy with how the first two have gone but there has been signs of life from this squad. When have the hawks ever been a world beater in September?

 

[thedukeofearl]

Rather Extreme

Losing to #16 Ranked ClownU at their house by a FG is not a national disgrace

They rose to a #14 rank after the Hawkeye game

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Rather Extreme

Losing to #16 Ranked ClownU at their house by a FG is not a national disgrace

They rose to a #14 rank after the Hawkeye game

Exactly. If hawks are so bad, there wouldn’t have been any movement. Hell, I remember few time teams we played ended up dropping us in the polls instead of rising after a win

 

[NCHawker]

whatareyagonnafuckingdo.

I'm watching WF - NCSU and the forward pass is happening and its beautiful. The WF qb drops bounces and throws on time on target. WHY IS IT SO FUCKING HARD?

 

[eyekwah]

The ISU game was exactly what the bookies told you how it would end up, 3 points. I am ambivalent about this team and its coaches. Iowa State had 24 more yards of offense (238 to 214). It had 104 yards of passing to Iowa's 83. It had 134 yds on the ground to 131 yds for Iowa. Iowa was actually ahead stat wise offensively until Iowa States last drive to get a field goal. ISU ran 13 plays for 55 yds of offense to get the game winning FG.

Iowa gets ball with 1:48 to go and proceeds to go 4 and out after gaining 6 yards on first down. This is where two QB sacks happened. ISU gambled that the Iowa Passing game was shit and was right. The play calling had no counter in that situation. It has been the problem and the coaches are unable to fix it.

 

[longtimer]

The ISU game was exactly what the bookies told you how it would end up, 3 points. I am ambivalent about this team and its coaches. Iowa State had 24 more yards of offense (238 to 214). It had 104 yards of passing to Iowa's 83. It had 134 yds on the ground to 131 yds for Iowa. Iowa was actually ahead stat wise offensively until Iowa States last drive to get a field goal. ISU ran 13 plays for 55 yds of offense to get the game winning FG.

Iowa gets ball with 1:48 to go and proceeds to go 4 and out after gaining 6 yards on first down. This is where two QB sacks happened. ISU gambled that the Iowa Passing game was shit and was right. The play calling had no counter in that situation. It has been the problem and the coaches are unable to fix it.

Clearly we have a really bad passing game and have been one of the worst in nation for a number of years. But if they don’t complete that deflected pass we may well have been the one kicking the winning field goal and rated in top 25. Very fine line but we don’t belong in either 25 ranking

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Rather Extreme

Losing to #16 Ranked ClownU at their house by a FG is not a national disgrace

They rose to a #14 rank after the Hawkeye game

Yeah if Iowa is that shitty then ISU can't be that good... I mean there's an oceans difference between them based on the takes here. Since when was 3 pts that big a difference geesh? Don't get me wrong Iowa's passing game and O overall are terrible. But what's that make ISUs since they only put up 16 on us at home while givng it everything they had?

It takes a month or more of games to get an idea of what everyone really kinda is. It's why I hate preseason rankings at all. They are so pointless

 

[Gander Hawk]

I was encouraged by Iowa's defense against the clones. The DBs made some great plays on the ball, disrupting some well thrown passes. Iowa's passing game remains a mess, with competent defenders to practice against why can't they figure out anything that works?

 

[dagdaj]

I was encouraged by Iowa's defense against the clones. The DBs made some great plays on the ball, disrupting some well thrown passes. Iowa's passing game remains a mess, with competent defenders to practice against why can't they figure out anything that works?

Totally agree. I've not seen this defense falter other than one series against Albany very early. And my assumption is Phil was just trying a few things out to see. It did not last.

ISU looked like any decent Iowa team over the last 5 years. 230 total yards. Solid special teams and what was essentially a pick 6.

Iowa is not in the bottom 25.
There are at least 75 teams (maybe more) where Iowa could run for 4 yards a carry and never throw the ball, and win.

If they're in the bottom 25, they would lose every game except this Saturday. I just don't see that happening. Now, how many can they eke out and how close to 25 can they get? Different story. How close to the top of the middle can they get?

And how long can I take it when it's the SAME problem every year? And can I expect it to ever be resolved? That's wearing thin.

 

[dagdaj]

Yeah if Iowa is that shitty then ISU can't be that good... I mean there's an oceans difference between them based on the takes here. Since when was 3 pts that big a difference geesh? Don't get me wrong Iowa's passing game and O overall are terrible. But what's that make ISUs since they only put up 16 on us at home while givng it everything they had?

It takes a month or more of games to get an idea of what everyone really kinda is. It's why I hate preseason rankings at all. They are so pointless

I do have to say, though. As I've been thumping the table about how poor ISU looked (looking like Iowa teams of the last few years)....I went to go look for data to see how often Iowa performed that poorly in the last 5 years. It's not often, if Hill wasn't playing. Not unheard of. But not often. Not sure Petras ever had a game like that. Hill sure had a few.

One thing that did stand out....the Iowa/ISU game is a real rivalry. Rarely (if ever) can you point to a game in recent (10 years?) history where either team played to the potential they play against similar or more difficult opponents in a given season.