It was especially crazy because Brian's job depended on better qb play and it was blatantly obvious that as long as Hill was the starter Brian had no chance at all of keeping his job.
Interesting News at QB
- Thread starter Teddy
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Teddy
Well-Known Member
Far too many slow developing plays and inability work around the poor line play.
dahlhawk
Well-Known Member
If Marco can't separate himself from Bacon by the end of spring practice they both need to transfer and Iowa needs to hit the portal. From what we saw in the bowl game I just can't believe it isn't a obvious decision for Lester to give Marco the snaps. If Lester doesn't see this or isn't allowed to see this, then it's time to panic.
HawkPowerlifter
Well-Known Member
I think KF has had to learn to adjust after years of digging his heels in on how he runs the program. The NIL and portal aren't going anywhere for the time being. The loyalty factor to players who have played and performed (marginally) will have to go to the wayside.
New OC with the hope that there is some sort of positive change to the playbook or tweaks to it at minimum. Potentially landing a talented QB from the portal to come in and play are potentially glimpses of change.
As pointed out McNamara is on two bad knees and one play away from being done. Hill is not the answer. Marco I don't believe is either just from the small glimpse I saw of him. Having a Plan B or even someone who would compete for the starting spot would not be a bad thing in lieu of the normal passing of the torch once you "learn the system" aka wait until the starter graduates.
New OC with the hope that there is some sort of positive change to the playbook or tweaks to it at minimum. Potentially landing a talented QB from the portal to come in and play are potentially glimpses of change.
As pointed out McNamara is on two bad knees and one play away from being done. Hill is not the answer. Marco I don't believe is either just from the small glimpse I saw of him. Having a Plan B or even someone who would compete for the starting spot would not be a bad thing in lieu of the normal passing of the torch once you "learn the system" aka wait until the starter graduates.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Unless the incoming freshmen QB is a ready-made two-deep type player, bringing in a portal QB of any quality, especially someone that schollied at a major school like OSU, is a NO BRAINER.
McNamara is the presumed starter but has a glass jaw
Hill should be competing with the incoming freshmen for 4th string/emergency, at best.
Lainez showed he has some skills, but has in no way, shape or form demonstrated that he is ready to take the reigns.
What's the debate in the coaching room over this? They need depth in the QB room beyond what they have.
McNamara is the presumed starter but has a glass jaw
Hill should be competing with the incoming freshmen for 4th string/emergency, at best.
Lainez showed he has some skills, but has in no way, shape or form demonstrated that he is ready to take the reigns.
What's the debate in the coaching room over this? They need depth in the QB room beyond what they have.
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Yeah what our QB room situation tells me is if the Lincoln rumors are true the staff must really not think Lainez is it. This spring is his time to get off the pot to make a move and if he's not doing it then it's wildly important to bring someone else in that can.
What are the odds Cade stays healthy and plays all yr? 10%? 20% tops? We have to have a competent backup and we can't have Hill play again. It's just that simple and if Lainez isn't ready to take the bull by the horns you can't afford to play him and just hope he improves on the job. You gotta go shopping in the portal. It'd be coaching malpractice not to. It might seem a tad unfair to him in that here we are with a new OC and new O being dropped in his lap. But it's the same for everyone else too sink or swim.
How programs are handled now and especially QB rooms can't be ran the same way they used to. You get a RS yr to adjust to college football and that's about it. By the time you go through spring ball your second yr on campus you gotta show enough to justify keeping you and if you don't you'll be buried on depth chart recruited over and transfer portalled over.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
I would not read this reported interest in a transfer QB as an indictment of Lainez. But, maybe. By the few accounts coming out of spring camp, Hill is still ahead of Lainez. That is not a good sign for anyone.
My view is that with such an injury proned starter, you basically need two starters and a back-up. Hill just can't be any of those, so you are missing a body.
I guess I just looked at Lainez this way. Coming off what all they saw from him last yr and then the first few weeks of spring ball here they have an idea of what they have. And if he's not only not pushing Cade but not above Hill then.... And with Cade being damaged goods and all it just makes it that much more important to have a stud backup like you said.
Since Lainez doesn't seem to be that it's portal time for sure. They already tried to get Ty Thompson (who woulda been a heck of a get) So we'll see what happens on the 16th. I saw that OSUs spring game will be televised saturday so we should get to see how Lincoln looks in that
Fryowa
Administrator
Hate to say it, but Lester doesn't have a prayer. I've mentioned it before, but this program had a metaphorical cancer that's gone too far to remove outside dumb luck, and dumb luck isn't gonna happen.
KF may be a damn good coach. But his quest to crown his dopey kid as the next football coach effectively ended this program. This B1G team is competing against a level of negative recruiting that's insurmountable. It went on too long and Iowa was made a total laughing stock for several years because of the nepotism and impotence of the offense. For a while the defense could make up the difference, but we've gotten to a point where even that's been affected by the circus sideshow.
When was the last time we had even a remotely promising skill player sign up to play? It's been years. This thing hasn't been a recent development, it's been a long, slow burn that now we're finally seeing start to kill off the program. Farence's chickens have arrived and they're knocking down the door to roost.
You think even if KF let Lester run things the way he wants it's all the sudden going to be decent here with the players we have? No way. With the environment in football the way it is now the Hawks are up against too much. Unfortunately we've entered the shadow realm of hope and pray instead of having a plan of execution and means of executing it. We're at the point where the only thing that's going to keep this ship from sinking like the Titanic is a wing and a prayer, and we all know how likely that it. If you disagree, give me some valid, substantive reasons beyond strictly, "because I think so."
There are some benefits on the horizon in the next few years though, so all hope is not lost.
- Tickets will be much cheaper and easier to get.
- Tailgating spot availability will increase.
- Won't have to worry about freezing your ass off at night games.
- Hawkeye Elvis will be much more accessible with fewer people roaming around tailgates asking for pictures.
- Prices at the pork-on-a-stick lady's tent will likely go down or at least won't go up.
- It should only take 4 hours to get out of town on 380 and 218 vs the 5 hours it takes now.
- With basketball and wrestling sucking big time now, there will be fewer pesky award ceremonies and cameos by other sports teams interrupting football games.
KF may be a damn good coach. But his quest to crown his dopey kid as the next football coach effectively ended this program. This B1G team is competing against a level of negative recruiting that's insurmountable. It went on too long and Iowa was made a total laughing stock for several years because of the nepotism and impotence of the offense. For a while the defense could make up the difference, but we've gotten to a point where even that's been affected by the circus sideshow.
When was the last time we had even a remotely promising skill player sign up to play? It's been years. This thing hasn't been a recent development, it's been a long, slow burn that now we're finally seeing start to kill off the program. Farence's chickens have arrived and they're knocking down the door to roost.
You think even if KF let Lester run things the way he wants it's all the sudden going to be decent here with the players we have? No way. With the environment in football the way it is now the Hawks are up against too much. Unfortunately we've entered the shadow realm of hope and pray instead of having a plan of execution and means of executing it. We're at the point where the only thing that's going to keep this ship from sinking like the Titanic is a wing and a prayer, and we all know how likely that it. If you disagree, give me some valid, substantive reasons beyond strictly, "because I think so."
There are some benefits on the horizon in the next few years though, so all hope is not lost.
- Tickets will be much cheaper and easier to get.
- Tailgating spot availability will increase.
- Won't have to worry about freezing your ass off at night games.
- Hawkeye Elvis will be much more accessible with fewer people roaming around tailgates asking for pictures.
- Prices at the pork-on-a-stick lady's tent will likely go down or at least won't go up.
- It should only take 4 hours to get out of town on 380 and 218 vs the 5 hours it takes now.
- With basketball and wrestling sucking big time now, there will be fewer pesky award ceremonies and cameos by other sports teams interrupting football games.
Early in the season you get to sweat your ass off, so you get some variety...so, there's that.
Teddy
Well-Known Member
I may be delusional, but I just cannot see Hill on the field in anything but an emergency basis.
The program is dead sounds a lot like people around 2013, the last losing record. Had pretty decent classes the last two years. Won ten games in three of last five years, and 6-2 in the Covid year. Finished the season ranked.
The program is dead sounds a lot like people around 2013, the last losing record. Had pretty decent classes the last two years. Won ten games in three of last five years, and 6-2 in the Covid year. Finished the season ranked.
It is far too early to judge Lainez. Some wild balls in the last quarter of a blowout loss in a bowl game, his first game appearance...doesn't scare me. The excellent mobility is a significant skill, especially in an offense that creates running opportunities for QBs. Let's give the guy more than one quarter in his first game before he's written off.
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When's the last time we've had an even remotely promising skill player sign up to play? You'd probably have to go all the way back to Kaleb Brown last year. ]
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Man the negativity you have for Iowa must be exhausting. Yes, KF stuck with his "dopey kid" for way too long and missed a great window of possibilities with great defense and specials, but despite even that, Iowa football has enjoyed a stretch the last 8 years that is about as good from a win loss perspective as it has experienced in our lifetime.
Is the window closed? Maybe? We are out of the West now and the schools coming in make the conference even tougher. Both of those factors weigh heavily against Iowa.
But are there reasons to be optimistic about a special season? Yep. A 12 team playoff makes it plausible for schools like Iowa to make the playoffs without having to run the table. As we saw in 2002, 2009, and 2015, Iowa had to go undefeated to make the playoffs. Now, Iowa could afford a loss and still get in.
The defense shows no signs of fading and should be a Top 10 defense once again.
The offense returns a lot of starters, has a new OC, and if McNamara could somehow stay healthy, there is a chance this offense could be competent. This is obviously the biggest if. I have said since 2021 that the offense can't get worse, and it did each year, so I aint saying that again, but come on, it can't get worse, right???
While there is certainly reason to fear that KF's run of winning football is over, there are equal reasons to believe that '24 could be another double digit winning season. Its April, so I am choosing to be optimistic!
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
It certainly smells like the coaches aren't seeing what they want to see in spring practices, otherwise, they would have hit the portal earlier looking for a QB. Not a good sign at all. Either this, or Cade still isn't looking too healthy from last years injury. What about James Resar. He's green to the system though since first year.
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I'd maintain that play calling and overall strategy going into games has been the biggest thing holding them back. I think Iowa's had some skill guys that can play. The QB position recently not withstanding I think RBs, TEs and even the much maligned WR room has had some talent. Enough to do something with if just used correctly. Oline has been worse then a wet roll of toilet paper and that hasn't helped either.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
I feel pretty comfortable saying that we are only a couple of QB’s of quality short of a pretty good football team in 2024. We have one, though his injury history is significant. Next, Hill must be out of the picture, plain and simple. So, the portal becomes a critical issue, along with development of at least one member of the current QB room into a competitive option. Probably a lot of teams have similar issues. So, with what we have coming back on D and the rest of the O that returns, I don’t buy into Fry’s doom and gloom. Kind of looks to me we are positioned about like a large % of BT teams preparing for next season. Just my two cents.
When the coaches chose to play Hill for the remainder of the season last year I decided that I really am not persuaded by what they smell or do not smell. They passed up the chance that someone else could develop. With our defense it is not as though we need the world's greatest QB. A game manager would be a great improvement. I still am disappointed that Labas did not get a better chance after the bowl game he played. When I was in school we had a great offense and I see no reason we cannot do so again.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
It seems clear enough to me that Hill is very good at mastering a playbook and competently running an offense. He won the backup job clearly through Spring Ball last year after being on campus for a couple weeks. I bet he runs clean in practice, gets everyone in and out of the huddle, makes the right reads and checks, and just executes. The problem is that he is not a gamer. He stinks when the bullets start to fly.
Lainez likely just does not show the mastery of the offense in practice, and that is why Hill was ahead of him all last year and still is. It is the only explanation for KF continuing to send Hill out their in games when he was so bad AND turned the ball over so much. KF just did not trust that Lainez could run the offense. I mean, even in the glimpse we saw of him in the bowl game, he really did not execute the offense as much as run for his life and make a couple plays with his feet (which is still an improvement over Hill).
If things have not changed in the QB room, and it seems that it has not, a portal QB is needed. Badly.
Lainez likely just does not show the mastery of the offense in practice, and that is why Hill was ahead of him all last year and still is. It is the only explanation for KF continuing to send Hill out their in games when he was so bad AND turned the ball over so much. KF just did not trust that Lainez could run the offense. I mean, even in the glimpse we saw of him in the bowl game, he really did not execute the offense as much as run for his life and make a couple plays with his feet (which is still an improvement over Hill).
If things have not changed in the QB room, and it seems that it has not, a portal QB is needed. Badly.
Fryowa
Administrator
It's not exhausting at all.
It's a shame what it's done to the program though. There are zero skill players who want to come here and that's not a coincidence. KF let BF take this whole deal waaaaay too far. And we've become known as the program you go to if you don't want to put up any yards, catches, or scores. That's a big, big problem.
We don't have an ISM, Brandon Smith, Wadley, Goodson, Daniels, hell...we don't even have a Matt VB or Nico Ragaini left.
The cupboard is empty and it isn't working to go shopping either. That's a major problem.
