I don’t like losses at the time, but usually I’m pretty level headed later that night or the following day. For instance, I expected Iowa to be able to at least split NW and MSU. They lost both and it was frustrating to watch as Iowa struggled to move the ball for large chunks of the game against both teams. But the results were at least something that shouldn’t be unexpected. I didn’t think MSU would be very good this year, but Dantonio whether you like him or not is a damn good coach and they turned out to be a top 25 type of team. Iowa lost to them on the road by 7 in a game where a freak occurrance cost them 6 points. In hindsight, it’s not shocking. I figured NW would be a pretty good team coming into the year, particularly on defense, so losing a close game on the road wasn’t a surprise. Once NW got through the early meat of their schedule, they started looking like the team a lot of people expected and are now a top 25 caliber team. And even though Iowa displayed historical inepetitude in Madison, they were playing one of the nations top defenses on the road. Although a terrible offensive output shouldn’t be expected, I wasn’t exactly expecting them to get to 30 either. So once again, taking an L in Madison shouldn’t be too surprising. All three of those games have logical explanations as to why they resulted in losses.
The Purdue game defies explanation. It was at home on Senior Day. The Boilermakers may be improved compared to recent years, but this is not a good team. What makes this game troubling is that it shows that nothing about this team has made progress. The QB hasn’t made progress. The OL hasn’t made progress. Our WR’s haven’t made progress. Our CB’s not named Jackson haven’t made progress. The special teams haven’t made progress. Our new OC hasn’t made progress. Actually pointing out that they haven’t made progress would be inaccurate. The team has actually regressed. A loss to this team that might not make a bowl this late in the year isn't explainable. It’s fair to point out that the Ferentz Hawkeyes haven’t been very high end when it comes to strategy, but the Ferentz Hawkeyes are usually well coached in the fundamentals. The 2017 offense lacks both of these things.
The entire team will have a lengthy to do list before the 2018 season starts. For the players, work on fundamentals and physical development. For the coaches (Brian Ferentz), get a better understanding of your personnel and what suits them. Get a better understanding of how to counter punch on offense. Brian isn’t a dumb guy and calling plays in the moment is more challenging than most people think it is, but he’s learning the hard way that it’s not just developing game plans and calling plays. It’s developing game plans and calling plays with a purpose.
The Purdue game defies explanation. It was at home on Senior Day. The Boilermakers may be improved compared to recent years, but this is not a good team. What makes this game troubling is that it shows that nothing about this team has made progress. The QB hasn’t made progress. The OL hasn’t made progress. Our WR’s haven’t made progress. Our CB’s not named Jackson haven’t made progress. The special teams haven’t made progress. Our new OC hasn’t made progress. Actually pointing out that they haven’t made progress would be inaccurate. The team has actually regressed. A loss to this team that might not make a bowl this late in the year isn't explainable. It’s fair to point out that the Ferentz Hawkeyes haven’t been very high end when it comes to strategy, but the Ferentz Hawkeyes are usually well coached in the fundamentals. The 2017 offense lacks both of these things.
The entire team will have a lengthy to do list before the 2018 season starts. For the players, work on fundamentals and physical development. For the coaches (Brian Ferentz), get a better understanding of your personnel and what suits them. Get a better understanding of how to counter punch on offense. Brian isn’t a dumb guy and calling plays in the moment is more challenging than most people think it is, but he’s learning the hard way that it’s not just developing game plans and calling plays. It’s developing game plans and calling plays with a purpose.
