2010 Hype vs. 2011 question marks...

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bhawkn30

Well-Known Member
Don't get me wrong I'm jacked about the upcoming 2011-12 season. Truly I am, constantly checking this site among others looking for any and every daily update. I'm also excited to see which player(s) will emerge from the pack and turn into our play makers and I do firmly believe that we stand a great chance at surprising some people.

Now with that being said, 2010 just had that feeling in the air like something special was about to happen/could happen. People projecting us at a minimum bcs bowl if not bcs nc... It was exciting, it was fun, there was an energy that you could just feel... Granted those expectations weren't met but having those thoughts, feelings, expectations made a guy where his hawkeye shirt and puff his chest out just a bit further... I think with the base we've built and the quality recruits in the last couple classes we stand a great chance of getting back to those type conversations in the near future (hopefully)! Idk, pretty much a pointless post, but just something that came to mind.
 


Overall I think you are on the right path. Iowa's recruiting is putting them in a place where they will be able to compete more often, much like 02, 03, 04, 08, and 09. We will probably never be like tOSU, Florida, Bama, and whatnot because no matter how much we hope it will happen, Iowa is not a true "reload" program. We have to take our lumps and have a down year or two before we rebuild. The goal is to make those rebuilding years 7 and 8 win seasons instead of 6 win or less seasons, which for the most part Kirk has done a good job at.

This year Iowa is not really expected to make much of an impact this year, which some people think is an omen. 2008 really wasn't supposed to be that good of a year coming off of the 2007 disaster but it ended up pretty good. On the other hand 2007 wasn't expected to do anything either and guess what, they didn't. I know the preexisting thought is that Iowa does better when under the radar however 2007 is proof that they don't always beat the expectations. Iowa has the tools in certain areas to be good this year, yet it has the holes in certain areas to create issues.
 


dyerhawk said:
Yea that is true but should we settle for that any more. After the success we have had over the past thirty years is it time to take the next step. Dont get me wrong Kirk Ferentz is an awesome coach and find it an honor to have such a loyal coach who pulled us out of the late 90's when the great Hayden Fry held on a little to long (psu has that problem now!) But I think maybe a new offensive cordinator might be a wise move!
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The timeless question seems to be, what is the next step? And how do we get there? Over the last decade we have 4 top 10 finishes, two BCS invites, and one BCS win. From the time Hayden took over to his retirement we had three BCS invites (assuming we are putting the Rose Bowl of that time as a BCS equivalent) and won none of them. Excluding getting to Pasadena Ferentz has equaled what Fry did in only 10 years (yes, I know fry went to three Rose Bowls and Ferentz to two BCS Orange Bowls however Ferentz won one of those). I would go out on a limb and say that we have taken the next step with the hiring of Kirk. I know all teams start the beginning of year with BCS title aspirations but the basic odds of getting to that game are like 1 in 33 and that's if you treat all teams as equals. Being a consistent participant in the BCS title game like Texas, USC, Florida, Okie, and tOSU is a very difficult task. Iowa's goal should be to make a BCS game and even then only 10 teams a year get that honor. Two BCS visits in 10 years isn't that bad, and I assure you with Kirk at the helm 2009 won't be the last time either. However, expecting to make that proverbial leap to the next level is far fetched at best.
 
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I don't want to see anyone talk about next level. That talk got alford and lickliter. I'm happy with the progression of the team under Ferentz. It worked going from Fry to Ferentz. Trying to force the program to take the next step with cutting a coach lose will backfire more times then not. Handing over the reigns when the time comes is the best option.
 






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