Ferentz deserves to get ripped

[bcl20]

Iowa has mostly been good at defense but they have had problems getting offenses off the field, especially spread type offense who have killed them with short passes. While, the defense is good and there hasn't been much to complain about during Ferentz's tenure when it comes to that side of the ball, it's frustrating that we want to limit possession on our side of the ball.

We hold onto the ball, make the other team work hard to score, but at the same time keeping the ball from us, we put a lot of pressure on our team to score. The ball possession strategy was one that worked for years in football, but it's not how it's done anymore. Today it's all about getting as many possessions as you can because the more chances you have the score, the more likely you score. We try to do the opposite and what it does is creates way too many close games and you're relying on luck far too often at that point. Why do that?

 

[clicheusername3]

The only thing we would need to be rolling this B1G is a solid run threat QB. Fail in recruiting.

 

[DDThompson]

Iowa has mostly been good at defense but they have had problems getting offenses off the field, especially spread type offense who have killed them with short passes. While, the defense is good and there hasn't been much to complain about during Ferentz's tenure when it comes to that side of the ball, it's frustrating that we want to limit possession on our side of the ball.

We hold onto the ball, make the other team work hard to score, but at the same time keeping the ball from us, we put a lot of pressure on our team to score. The ball possession strategy was one that worked for years in football, but it's not how it's done anymore. Today it's all about getting as many possessions as you can because the more chances you have the score, the more likely you score. We try to do the opposite and what it does is creates way too many close games and you're relying on luck far too often at that point. Why do that?

Again. Good point. If the point is to get as many possessions as possible then you're right. Kirk's philosophy of taking the ball when winning the coin toss backs up your point as well.

I have no problem limiting possessions with a ball-control offense. It's okay to zag when everyone else is zigging.
But you got to have the right personnel to do zag (obviously). And Iowa doesn't (obviously).

As far as close games in Ferentz's limited possession philosophy: the evidence may not demonstrate that. Hayden Fry opened up the Big Ten conference with an "open" offensive scheme. There were more close games (one possession) games during Fry's first 13 seasons than under Ferentz's first 13 seasons. Irregardless, if everyone runs the spread, there can be just as many one possession 50 point games and 20 point games.

 

[seepig]

He doesn't get it..he's not Saban and his recruits aren't Alabama's so how ON EARTH can he justify an objectively disgusting offense. If you look up the definition of insanity you'd see Commander Kirk's face there. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Hey Kurt did you see O'Brien was ready for your jacked up onside kick...that's how you prepare. This staff looks like they are still in high school coaching.

 

[seepig]

Again. Good point. If the point is to get as many possessions as possible then you're right. Kirk's philosophy of taking the ball when winning the coin toss backs up your point as well.

I have no problem limiting possessions with a ball-control offense. It's okay to zag when everyone else is zigging.
But you got to have the right personnel to do zag (obviously). And Iowa doesn't (obviously).

As far as close games in Ferentz's limited possession philosophy: the evidence may not demonstrate that. Hayden Fry opened up the Big Ten conference with an "open" offensive scheme. There were more close games (one possession) games during Fry's first 13 seasons than under Ferentz's first 13 seasons. Irregardless, if everyone runs the spread, there can be just as many one possession 50 point games and 20 point games.

We've seen it JVB can't run those type of high powered offenses he's too busy checking passes into runs so he doesn't look bad. He was 9/23 at one point and again he missed 6 or 7 throws that I can remember off the top.

 

[bcl20]

Again. Good point. If the point is to get as many possessions as possible then you're right. Kirk's philosophy of taking the ball when winning the coin toss backs up your point as well.

I have no problem limiting possessions with a ball-control offense. It's okay to zag when everyone else is zigging.
But you got to have the right personnel to do zag (obviously). And Iowa doesn't (obviously).

As far as close games in Ferentz's limited possession philosophy: the evidence may not demonstrate that. Hayden Fry opened up the Big Ten conference with an "open" offensive scheme. There were more close games (one possession) games during Fry's first 13 seasons than under Ferentz's first 13 seasons. Irregardless, if everyone runs the spread, there can be just as many one possession 50 point games and 20 point games.

I honestly don't know what the evidence says. It's harder to find Fry data than it is Ferentz data. I do feel like Iowa plays more close games against teams they are better than, than Fry did. There seems to be some evidence that Iowa plays the same when they are better than a team as they do when they lack talent. I'm ok with limiting possessions when we're worse than the other team but there have been times when it doesn't feel like Iowa is doing what they need to do to knock a bad team out of a game, especially in recent years. Seasons, like 2010, I would have liked to see them do more to limit the oppositions possessions and get as many as you can, solely because we should have been better than a lot of teams on the schedule.

Obviously, though, none of that really pertains to games like tonight. Tonight we just got whooped.

 

[pezhawk2]

And no one will rip him. He blacklists reporters that do that.

Is there one example of this happening ever under Ferentz?

 

[MoseSchrute]

The only thing we would need to be rolling this B1G is a solid run threat QB. Fail in recruiting.

Iowa's not sexy enough to get one.

 

[DDThompson]

I do feel like Iowa plays more close games against teams they are better than, than Fry did. There seems to be some evidence that Iowa plays the same when they are better than a team as they do when they lack talent. I'm ok with limiting possessions when we're worse than the other team but there have been times when it doesn't feel like Iowa is doing what they need to do to knock a bad team out of a game, especially in recent years. Seasons, like 2010, I would have liked to see them do more to limit the oppositions possessions and get as many as you can, solely because we should have been better than a lot of teams on the schedule.

You're observations are dead on. Ferentz's teams play more tighter ballgames against better teams than Fry's teams. Fry's teams beat lower level teams more than Ferentz's teams have. That's what has been so frustrating. Ferentz's Iowa teams have turned 7-1 or 6-2 seasons into 5-3 and especially 4-4 seasons because of screwing up against teams they clearly should have defeated.

Ferentz's record against ISU, NW, and Minnesota over recent years has drained his good-will account of a good record against the top-tier B1G teams. I mean, what good is it to "own" Penn State or have a winning record vs. Michigan and then turn over those successes by losses to crappy teams like Minny and Indiana and lower-tier team like NW and ISU.

 

[tm3308]

Is there one example of this happening ever under Ferentz?

I don't think there's actually an example. But I do think it's at the forefront of the mind for many reporters who cover the team.

 

[DDThompson]

I don't think there's actually an example. But I do think it's at the forefront of the mind for many reporters who cover the team.

That leads to some obvious questions then doesn't it.
1. Is this purely a figment of their imagination? If it is, then they're not doing their job. If it isn't, then they're not doing their job. See question 2.

2. Does Kirk display characterisics of vindictiveness off-camera?

3. Is he really a nice guy and they don't want to "go after" a nice guy?

Actually, it seems to me the media in this state just doesn't do it's job of investigative journalism unless it a news item just becomes so blatant that it has to be covered. I'm talking about news not sports. In sports, the athlete's name appears in the papers within a day or two. It can be months before some politician or state employee can have their name inserted into a paper for bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

[tm3308]

That leads to some obvious questions then doesn't it.
1. Is this purely a figment of their imagination? If it is, then they're not doing their job. If it isn't, then they're not doing their job. See question 2.

2. Does Kirk display characterisics of vindictiveness off-camera?

3. Is he really a nice guy and they don't want to "go after" a nice guy?

Actually, it seems to me the media in this state just doesn't do it's job of investigative journalism unless it a news item just becomes so blatant that it has to be covered. I'm talking about news not sports. In sports, the athlete's name appears in the papers within a day or two. It can be months before some politician or state employee can have their name inserted into a paper for bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I think it's a combination. I think it's largely a figment of their imagination, although it wouldn't surprise me if Ferentz would do it. He just hasn't because he's not really been challenged like that.

Basically, it's a chicken vs. the egg argument.

 

[LakesideGators]

We just have to realize we have a coaching staff who have all drank their glass of Kirk Kool Aid and are willing to ride out the rest of the year on the B10 short bus.

 

[BlackGold57]

Absolutely correct. Vandenburg is doing what he can, he just isn't good. If the backup is worse, then the coaching staff has failed big time.

I watched several of Rudock's games in high school and thought he was a really good prospect. Apparently so did Ferentz since he gave him a scholarship. Now the kid sucks so badly that you can't put him in at the end a blowout? I've seen Iowa quarterbacks regress towards the end of their career before, but if the coaching staff ruined him after 1 1/2 years that's a record.

Exactly correct. Failure either way. Some are focused on JVB, but really how good is recruiting? No depth means you have a IAA team.

 

[seepig]

What I don't understand is that we've fallen so far, and I've said this before in many posts. Basically it's this folks we are on the same trajectory with this program that Fry was on when he left. A losing program, do true D1 recruits, raises the program gets to a BCS bowl or two, can't sustain it, mediocre recruits, mediocre records, followed by BAD losses to teams like CMU, followed by an embarrassing season that will be the final straw where Barta goes "Kirk I think this has run its course why don't you consider stepping down for the good of the program".

 

[Cover3]

Someone in here said it would be nice to see Iowa limit the opponent's possessions AND get more of our own. The only way you can do that is via onside kicks. What I think that person may have been getting at, and this is my idea as well, is that you want to shorten the game as the underdog (or if you have the lead) and limit total possessions, and lengthen the game if you're the better team (or behind) and raise the number of total possessions.

The timeliness of this complaint is a little awry. Neither would have remotely helped last night, but the problem with some of these upset losses Kirk tends to suffer is that we don't have a behemoth, blow-the-other-guys-off-the-LOS type of line like Wisconsin often has, and we also don't have any consistent big-play threats. The really good upset-dodging teams (top 15-25, which is where I think Iowa should be and would be if not for losses like CMU) that don't have the Alabama-type roster that Iowa will NEVER have, at least have a guy or two at RB or WR that constantly put stress on the defense and will pop that one long game-changing TD ... OR ... they have enough size in the trenches that they can reliably pick up 3rd and 2. Iowa has neither of these this year. Having both really helps, and having a 2009-esque defense REALLY helps.

 

[koralakers]

u r rite. backups NEVER see the field unless death or graduation. Just ask Shonn Greene or Damian Sims. Nico Law flies around out there, but will transfer after the year (like Cato), b/c backups only get about 5-10 plays per season. That's also how we can be last in the Big (12) in rushing last year, but have the leagues #1 rusher. LOL. KF runs all the players into the ground by the late 3rd qtr b/c he hates to rotate his players (like any other normal smart coach). Other teams are always fresher than we are in 4th qtr. No wonder we USUALLY lose games in 4th qtr.

 

[tm3308]

u r rite. backups NEVER see the field unless death or graduation. Just ask Shonn Greene or Damian Sims. Nico Law flies around out there, but will transfer after the year (like Cato), b/c backups only get about 5-10 plays per season. That's also how we can be last in the Big (12) in rushing last year, but have the leagues #1 rusher. LOL. KF runs all the players into the ground by the late 3rd qtr b/c he hates to rotate his players (like any other normal smart coach). Other teams are always fresher than we are in 4th qtr. No wonder we USUALLY lose games in 4th qtr.

While in general, I don't disagree with your line of thinking, Greene and Sims aren't good examples. Sims got a fair amount of time as more of a two-headed monster with Albert Young (who was a good back). Greene spent his first two years running with too high of a pad level and behind Young/Sims.

 

[pezhawk2]

I don't think there's actually an example. But I do think it's at the forefront of the mind for many reporters who cover the team.

So as a result it is a straw man used to justify reporters not asking tougher questions when the situation arises.

Rob Howe wasn't blacklisted over a unpopular DJK question, and the mere fact they let Chris Hassel still in the football complex after some of his productions would leave me to believe they have thicker skins in the football complex than we all like to believe.

In the event they blacklisted a reporter for a legit tough question, that media outlet could make enough hay out of the situation that they would likely come out ahead.