Are You Glad the Football Season is Over?

[eyekwah]

I'm glad that it is. I think this season has been a continuation of the Brian Ferentz era as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. While Tim Lester made some noticeable improvements Iowa is or was still hung with his recruitment choices at the QB position. I was optimistic that C McNamara would be a big positive. It was obvious after the ISU debacle that it wasn't going to be much better. With the end of this regular season Iowa still does not have any clarity about the QB position. After reading about the freshmen recruits it doesn't portend well into the future.

Another reason I'm glad it is over is the impact of adding 4 west coast teams. Iowa just seem to have all kinds of start times and game dates. Iowa had two Friday games and two dates where they had no game. In addition, most of their games started at 2:30 or 6:30. I had to miss watching some games or only seeing part of them. That schedule while not overly difficult sure impacted the performance versus Michigan State and UCLA. Both were road games for Iowa. MSU had a bye week during the weekend Iowa played Washington. Iowa had to travel to UCLA for a Friday night game after playing Wisconsin on Saturday. Bye weeks and Friday night games ended up in two losses.

How would you describe your sentiments at this point?

 

[HuckFinn]

Am I glad the season is over? Never. Don’t know how many I have left.

I will now enjoy my season men’s basketball ticket. That helps!

 

[Fryowa]

I'm glad that it is. I think this season has been a continuation of the Brian Ferentz era as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. While Tim Lester made some noticeable improvements Iowa is or was still hung with his recruitment choices at the QB position. I was optimistic that C McNamara would be a big positive. It was obvious after the ISU debacle that it wasn't going to be much better. With the end of this regular season Iowa still does not have any clarity about the QB position. After reading about the freshmen recruits it doesn't portend well into the future.

Another reason I'm glad it is over is the impact of adding 4 west coast teams. Iowa just seem to have all kinds of start times and game dates. Iowa had two Friday games and two dates where they had no game. In addition, most of their games started at 2:30 or 6:30. I had to miss watching some games or only seeing part of them. That schedule while not overly difficult sure impacted the performance versus Michigan State and UCLA. Both were road games for Iowa. MSU had a bye week during the weekend Iowa played Washington. Iowa had to travel to UCLA for a Friday night game after playing Wisconsin on Saturday. Bye weeks and Friday night games ended up in two losses.

How would you describe your sentiments at this point?

I'm never glad the college football season is over. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If you're glad it's over, it's probably something you don't enjoy and should stop doing.

During football season my Saturdays when I'm not travelling to and from Iowa City consist of the following:

--Wake up at my normal 5:30 am, have coffee and watching a few episodes of Andy Griffith and A-Team because they're on one of those old-school networks. Enjoy the dead quiet calm of early morning.

--Start watching the kickoff shows, Gameday, BNKO, etc.

--Have the TV in the kitchen going with the kickoff show and make breakfast for the GF and myself. We only eat one or two meals a day so on Saturdays it's breakfast in the morning and whatever I do in the next bullet point below...

--Start the smoker when breakfast is cleaned up and throw ribs or chicken on, or start a pot of chili on the stove.

--Watch college football games from 11:30 am until the last west coast games get over around 11:00pm.

--There's usually a short nap intermixed in there unintentionally during a game I'm not particulary interested in.

I always watch Iowa and nebraska's games live and post game pressers. Sundays I always watch Iowa again being able to fast forward, and I typically re-watch nebraska. Even if I see Iowa play at home in person I rewatch it. I don't like NFL so I don't watch those, so like you...I'm glad when that season is over. The only difference between us is I don't like it so I quit it years ago.

My son is 18 and will be leaving the house soon, my GF has two sons, one is out of the house already and the other is a HS junior. We both have jobs that are strictly M-F. We do have that dedicated free time with no little kids and we both enjoy football, so that helps some.

 

[Fryowa]

I'm glad that it is. I think this season has been a continuation of the Brian Ferentz era as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. While Tim Lester made some noticeable improvements Iowa is or was still hung with his recruitment choices at the QB position. I was optimistic that C McNamara would be a big positive. It was obvious after the ISU debacle that it wasn't going to be much better. With the end of this regular season Iowa still does not have any clarity about the QB position. After reading about the freshmen recruits it doesn't portend well into the future.

Another reason I'm glad it is over is the impact of adding 4 west coast teams. Iowa just seem to have all kinds of start times and game dates. Iowa had two Friday games and two dates where they had no game. In addition, most of their games started at 2:30 or 6:30. I had to miss watching some games or only seeing part of them. That schedule while not overly difficult sure impacted the performance versus Michigan State and UCLA. Both were road games for Iowa. MSU had a bye week during the weekend Iowa played Washington. Iowa had to travel to UCLA for a Friday night game after playing Wisconsin on Saturday. Bye weeks and Friday night games ended up in two losses.

How would you describe your sentiments at this point?

I will also add, life is too short to try and force yourself into being interested in something (the Hawkeyes) because you used to like what it is. I used to be a rabid Viking and NFL fan and even though I still root for them, the league doesn't interest me in the slightest anymore. Find something more fun to do with your time that you're passionate about. That's not sarcasm. It ain't worth your effort to spend time on something you're blah about...

 

[Westernhawk]

I found some of the year to be really entertaining, and a little encouraging. Iowa had to use three QBs this year. With Sullivan gaining some traction, the Iowa offense showed it could do a few things with spacing, RPO, and a little misdirection. When Sully went down, it was going to be a challenge. I'm glad the team hung together and survived with 8 wins, which wasn't turrible, considering the QB shuffle.

I'd like to see healthy and mobile QB1 and QB2 next year, with more of what we saw against, Wisky, Minny, NW, etc.

With that said, I'm not sure Iowa will be really good next year, but it will be good to have the last vestiges of Brian out the door. Maybe they should burn some sage or something.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Never.

Even during the worst of times, I spend the off-season missing college football and especially of course the Hawkeyes.

Now, do I enjoy the frustrations and all the negative emotions that go with being a sports fan, and in particular the offensive mess that we've been experiencing the last few years? Not at all, but that's part and parcel of what it means to be a fan.

Even if we go out there and shit the bed at the bowl game, I'll still be impatient come August excitedly waiting for the season to start....

 

[Zstatman]

I also never get tired of Iowa football. I plan my Saturdays around the Hawk games and go to great extremes to not miss a game. My family understands this. It's been this way my entire life. My dad started taking me to one Hawkeye game a year from SW Iowa before the interstates were in existence.

I will say the four losses got old but, hey, what are you going to do?

I don't consider the season over yet, either. We will have the bowl game and a month's worth of news before we get there. If we don't go bowling, I would be bummed.

I suspect we'll always have trouble traveling to the west coast.

I worry about the impact of NIL, not so much the portal. Can we compete when it comes to big money? I'm not sure we can.

I've already got my headstone in the Diagonal cemetery with my family all around. I have a tige hawk proudly displayed on it!

 

[InGoodCo]

Iowa was a lot more fun to watch this season. It resulted in 2 more losses but the games were more fun to watch. I was told that being fun to watch is more of a priority then to win by fans on this site for close to a decade, so I imagine everyone really enjoyed this year. The best running attack and ground game in school history, a truly remarkable and rememberable season of football. I wish there was more.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I will also add, life is too short to try and force yourself into being interested in something (the Hawkeyes) because you used to like what it is. I used to be a rabid Viking and NFL fan and even though I still root for them, the league doesn't interest me in the slightest anymore. Find something more fun to do with your time that you're passionate about. That's not sarcasm. It ain't worth your effort to spend time on something you're blah about...

I keep up with the NFL still cause I'm in a fantasy football league with cousins of mine and it's a good way for us to all stay in touch and talk shit. We all live in different corners of the country and have a group text going. I draft Iowa guys as much as I can I have Kittle & TJH. If not for that I'd have drifted away from the NFL yrs ago easy. This is probably yr 7 or 8 we've been doing it now I'm not even sure.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Never.

Even during the worst of times, I spend the off-season missing college football and especially of course the Hawkeyes.

Now, do I enjoy the frustrations and all the negative emotions that go with being a sports fan, and in particular the offensive mess that we've been experiencing the last few years? Not at all, but that's part and parcel of what it means to be a fan.

Even if we go out there and shit the bed at the bowl game, I'll still be impatient come August excitedly waiting for the season to start....

Yes Indeed

 

[thedukeofearl]

I also never get tired of Iowa football. I plan my Saturdays around the Hawk games and go to great extremes to not miss a game. My family understands this. It's been this way my entire life. My dad started taking me to one Hawkeye game a year from SW Iowa before the interstates were in existence.

I will say the four losses got old but, hey, what are you going to do?

I don't consider the season over yet, either. We will have the bowl game and a month's worth of news before we get there. If we don't go bowling, I would be bummed.

I suspect we'll always have trouble traveling to the west coast.

I worry about the impact of NIL, not so much the portal. Can we compete when it comes to big money? I'm not sure we can.

I've already got my headstone in the Diagonal cemetery with my family all around. I have a tige hawk proudly displayed on it!

My dad was transferred to Meredith publishing from Philadelphia to Des Moines

The family moved 2 years later, and he was a Rabid Hawkeye Fan

I followed in his footsteps

And am a devout Fan

 

[Fryowa]

I keep up with the NFL still cause I'm in a fantasy football league with cousins of mine and it's a good way for us to all stay in touch and talk shit. We all live in different corners of the country and have a group text going. I draft Iowa guys as much as I can I have Kittle & TJH. If not for that I'd have drifted away from the NFL yrs ago easy. This is probably yr 7 or 8 we've been doing it now I'm not even sure.

I was in a league for years at work but then it go to be too much to remember every week, lol. All of a sudden it's Sunday morning and I haven't paid attention to who's playing and who isn't, who's hurt/healthy/starting, etc...and then I just bowed out once I found someone to replace me.

In fairness I used to be in a bunch of college pick 'ems but I quit that too.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I enjoyed the season and do not want college or pro football to end. The day after the Super Bowl sucks every year.

As much as KF frustrates the hell out of us all, it is sort of fun to be a fan of a team that wins in the ways that Iowa wins. It defies explanation that we are 8-4, and honestly Iowa should probably be 10-2 if we got even approaching marginal QB play in a couple games.

I love bragging about our punter and how we regularly win with less than 200 yards of offense.

KF football is both boring and incredibly interesting all at once.

 

[Hawkboys]

Iowa was a lot more fun to watch this season. It resulted in 2 more losses but the games were more fun to watch. I was told that being fun to watch is more of a priority then to win by fans on this site for close to a decade, so I imagine everyone really enjoyed this year. The best running attack and ground game in school history, a truly remarkable and rememberable season of football. I wish there was more.

The losses against MSU & UCLA were not more fun. But only because they looked completely outcoached in each game and not ready to compete.

 

[NCHawker]

I'm glad that it is. I think this season has been a continuation of the Brian Ferentz era as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. While Tim Lester made some noticeable improvements Iowa is or was still hung with his recruitment choices at the QB position. I was optimistic that C McNamara would be a big positive. It was obvious after the ISU debacle that it wasn't going to be much better. With the end of this regular season Iowa still does not have any clarity about the QB position. After reading about the freshmen recruits it doesn't portend well into the future.

Another reason I'm glad it is over is the impact of adding 4 west coast teams. Iowa just seem to have all kinds of start times and game dates. Iowa had two Friday games and two dates where they had no game. In addition, most of their games started at 2:30 or 6:30. I had to miss watching some games or only seeing part of them. That schedule while not overly difficult sure impacted the performance versus Michigan State and UCLA. Both were road games for Iowa. MSU had a bye week during the weekend Iowa played Washington. Iowa had to travel to UCLA for a Friday night game after playing Wisconsin on Saturday. Bye weeks and Friday night games ended up in two losses.

How would you describe your sentiments at this point?

very similar. By the time the UCLA game was over, my anticipation and excitement was gone. I'd had a good hard look at the ceiling.

I agree with your take .... a continuation of the Brian Ferentz.... Yes... years of coaching incompetence and neglect at the QB position left a smoldering hole. Not something that gets fixed over night. Now you have to sell QB recruits that the future is different than the reuputation. Kirk probably never considered the reputational risk of having a shitty offense.

AT THE SAME TIME - It was a season with more fun and more to cheer about than any in 4 years.

 

[CP87]

I switched over to women's BB mode after the UCLA game. There is nothing better than a college FB Saturday when your team is relevant and playing well. But there is little more frustrating than investing in the time required to watch a FB game (or Heaven forbid, attend a game) and then coming away with a bad mood that lingers throughout the weekend.

We do it to ourselves because the highs are so intoxicating that they make the risk of the low worth it. But after losses like ISU, MSU, and UCLA (Iowa favored in each), the potential highs just won't be that high anymore for the rest of the season. The cost:benefit shifts, and I no longer plan my weekends around watching the game. I still pay attention, but it becomes a side thing. I was hanging with my sick 7-year old, and she wanted to watch Mary Poppins, so that was on TV through the first 3 quarters of the game.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I'm ready for my Saturdays to be free again. It's been a long season to me. As fast as it went it seemed to take awhile. I'm sure with the portal opening soon and players are already announcing jumping into it things are gonna be nuts for awhile. I'm good with taking a mental break and just relax watching hoops for awhile.

There's no expectations for the hoops teams anymore. Just apathetic/hope I suppose for the men. The women are awesome and yet with this new team they don't have the weight of the world on them. They are off to a great start so they'll be fun to keep up with.

 

[haydensly]

There are some really good perspectives in this thread. I enjoy watching college FB every Saturday, all day, each and every opportunity that I have. I retired a couple of years ago but took a retirement job that has me working some Saturdays. But I managed to attend every home game this year and at the very least, I record games that I can't catch live. If I'm home on a Saturday, it is college FB from 11:00 a.m. until I can't stay awake any longer, LOL.

Like NorthKC said above, I'm always a little bummed after the Super Bowl is over. I don't really watch NFL until the playoffs but I enjoy that portion of the season.