Alvarez on Future Wisconsin Offensive Philosophy

[SwirlinLingerie]

Just some food for thought here. How many programs around the country (across all conferences) have had more prolific offenses than Iowa over the past 10 years? All those programs certainly aren't getting NFL talent or top recruits. Perhaps this isn't a fair example, but Oregon, for all its incredible offensive production the past several years, has had little NFL talent. I give credit to Kelly's incredible innovation, and it's not fair to expect Iowa to be able to mirror that, but at some point you can no longer ignore Iowa's breathtaking lack of creativity or innovation on the offensive side of the ball.

Take a guy like Canzeri or Bullock, for example. They both might turn out to be interesting skill players. But what has anyone seen from Ferentz that makes you think Iowa will find a way to maximize their talent?

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Alvarez - "Bret used my gameplan to win"

He did.. End of story..

 

[HawkU]

..I'd probably take Harmon.

Except for Rose Bowls - right? (Yeah, I'm old enough to know )

 

[STILLBUSTER]

So then it's either Kirk won't, or he is incapable or not allowed...

... Before you say Kirk and his staff are then incapable, do you think Hayden was incapable? He didn't exactly have the nation's elite skill pos talent lining up outside his door, either.

You're getting warmer with the "incapable" part. Not so much from the "scholar"-athlete limitations but from the "know your typical kind of player (talent level and potential) and create around them

Hayden was a master at knowing what he had to work with and maximizing their opportunities to succeed -- everything from scheme and formation vs particular opponent to situational play-calling. He also wasn't afraid to win. The Corporal, none of the above.

In a nut-shell, Hayden "scratched the itch". KF ignores the itch and hopes it goes away on its own. If it is too much to bear, he applies some long-expired salve because it worked on another itch.

 

[racerhawk]

Palookas.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Nothwestern may not have the success of an Oregon type team. However, look at what Fits has done with the players he is getting.....and they are more wide open than Iowa.....and they are beating Iowa for the most part on a regular basis now. They have higher academic standards than Iowa to.

I think you can win with any style provided you have a coach that can teach that system well and you have good players.

Problem is, our program is not very uptempo, recruits notice this, and it does not pass the eye test with many fans.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

Palookas.

My wife has big palookas

 

[SpecialKHawk]

The strength/success of Iowa's OL is one of the biggest myths of all time.

Agree with this post. The o-line is the number one and most important driver of offensive success bar none. KF has produced some great lineman individually but has not recruited and played across all 5 line positions the type of player you need to CONSISTENTLY move the football. Every lineman must be at least 6'4" and 300 lbs to dominate up front in today's game. In most seasons our guards and center are below those measurements. Thus drives are killed when plays are blown up due to leverage issues and inability to move the line of scrimmage.

KF employs the best style of football - nothing wrong there. He is too stubborn now to admit the major issue in the area he is supposed to be a guru.

Want to know how NW got 350 yds rushing on us? Have you checked out their O-Line measurements lately? Now you put a couple of playmakers out there and you have something.

Most frustrating aspect to me of this entire program because it Should be obvious and should be something we can do. See Wisky.

 

[Billso]

Just some food for thought here. How many programs around the country (across all conferences) have had more prolific offenses than Iowa over the past 10 years?

Stop right there.

Forget prolific O's and gobs of NFL playmakers - is it too much to ask that Iowa's offense consistently sniffs the Top 40?

I mean, really?

 

[TheLorax]

Except for Rose Bowls - right? (Yeah, I'm old enough to know )

I would take Harmon in the Rose Bowl-cuz I'm a bettin' man!

 

[MeatMan]

i'm okay with smaller linemen, but we have to know who we are. we can't effectively run inside zone (like we laughingly tried to do against Purdue, Nebby, etc) with small interior linemen. you can use smaller, more agile linemen to pull, to run outside zone, etc. but we just got dominated up front when we tried to run inside, yet we kept doing it. KF might just be losing his lineman coaching abilities.

 

[FreedComanche]

You can run spread, blur, air raid, triple option, power rush, whatever and be successful in college football, but you definitely need to know who/what type of team you are and commit to doing that. Iowa seems to lack an identity right now.

And that is with a coach who's been there 14 years. That speaks volumes.

FreedComanche

 

[FreedComanche]

Lacking an identity and not having the athletes to represent said identity are completely different things..

Iowa prefers the defense win games. Attempts to stop a passing offense primarily with its front four.

Iowa prefers the offense runs the ball - eat up the clock. Pro set, play action passing.

Iowa has always been a conservative team.
Iowa's defense will always have trouble with spread teams, with passing teams.
Iowa's offense will rarely score points in bunches like, for example, W Virginia.

ferrentz' offensive philosophy is this: Do the same thing year after year no matter what your talent. If teams catch on to what you do year after year, keep doing it. If this philosophy takes you to 114th in the nation, you still keep doing it. At least you'll have a coach that will be comfortable.

FreedComanche

 

[FreedComanche]

Agree with this post. For Iowa to win, you also have to have a tough and physical front 7 on defense, which is exactly what Fry and Ferentz had in their bowl seasons. I firmly believe Ferentz can get there again.

Now we can get our Comedy Central posters to weigh in with their pithy, negative remarks.

"I firmly believe Ferentz can get there again. "

What have you seen from ferentz in the past 3 years that would make you think that?

FreedComanche

 

[NCHawker]

"Alvarez: I don't see us as a spread offense. We can't recruit those guys consistently. You know the plan - starts w/ big palookas up front."

I have felt this applies to Iowa, too..and still think it does. You have to first know the kind of player you are realistically going to be able to sign on a regular basis...and create your offense from there. For Iowa, and Wisconsin, you feel good about your chances of getting good offensive linemen.

Of course Kirk would never be so transparent as to come out and plainly say that to the media.

 

[FreedComanche]

You're getting warmer with the "incapable" part. Not so much from the "scholar"-athlete limitations but from the "know your typical kind of player (talent level and potential) and create around them

Hayden was a master at knowing what he had to work with and maximizing their opportunities to succeed -- everything from scheme and formation vs particular opponent to situational play-calling. He also wasn't afraid to win. The Corporal, none of the above.

In a nut-shell, Hayden "scratched the itch". KF ignores the itch and hopes it goes away on its own. If it is too much to bear, he applies some long-expired salve because it worked on another itch.

I am standing up and clapping. Never heard ferentz explained this well before.

FreedComanche

 

[FreedComanche]

Stop right there.

Forget prolific O's and gobs of NFL playmakers - is it too much to ask that Iowa's offense consistently sniffs the Top 40?

I mean, really?

With ferentz as coach, yes.

FreedComanche

 

[gohawks71]

This is too funny!

You're getting warmer with the "incapable" part. Not so much from the "scholar"-athlete limitations but from the "know your typical kind of player (talent level and potential) and create around them

Hayden was a master at knowing what he had to work with and maximizing their opportunities to succeed -- everything from scheme and formation vs particular opponent to situational play-calling. He also wasn't afraid to win. The Corporal, none of the above.

In a nut-shell, Hayden "scratched the itch". KF ignores the itch and hopes it goes away on its own. If it is too much to bear, he applies some long-expired salve because it worked on another itch.

 

[gohawks71]

"My point is that Iowa has been challenged on the playmaker front for a long time and will continue to be."

It will continue to be because that is Ferentz's way of thinking so he is making his own immovable object. We either need a up and comer as a recruiting coach or scrub the whole staff and go in a different direction. If we go with a different staff and they don't do any better, we aren't out anything but to stand pat on the off chance he can make this program a winner again is foolish based on his history. We DON'T owe him a damn thing... This is just business and my stock is falling.

 

[CAARHawk]

So then it's either Kirk won't, or he is incapable or not allowed.

KSU and Iowa admin standards are not the same. I have no idea about Boise State, but guessing the same.

This is the problem with the whole Boise thing. Boise has a 29% SIX YEAR graduation rate. Their standards are way below KState. They are basically a JC. Their success has been about taking kids with mad athletic talent who couldn't get into FBS programs in the west.

Basically, they adopted the Southern Schools model and took it to the North.