OUTofTOWNHAWK
Well-Known Member
It insults me when people say Iowa football is what it is because we are just Iowa.
Ferentz, O'Keefe and Parker and expectations
- Thread starter UP6936
- Start date
It insults me when people say Iowa football is what it is because we are just Iowa.
OUTofTOWNHAWK
Well-Known Member
This is the best 1st post Ive ever seen. Well done Sir.
UP, I did read your post (seriously, anyone who whines about reading has already lost my respect for anything the post) and it was well though out. I think the root of most fan's anger right now is the coach staff's repeated mistakes and refusal to recognize them or learn from them. With a few small tweaks, we could have had significantly different records the past few years. I think most fans are willing to forgive players for making mistakes in execution, no one is perfect. It becomes the coach's responsibility to design a system that won't fold with anything other than > 95% execution from players. Its naive to think that will work.
While I agree with you on the whole, you can trace the fan outrage to a few select instances (at least in my mind).
Ohio State '09: This has been hotly debated for years now. However, most felt that at least an attempt at setting up for a FG would've yielded better results. Anger stems from the "play not to lose" mantra of taking a knee into overtime. We'll never know if things would've been different.
Wisconsin '10: This was a winnable game. Several failures of execution on player's part (missed fg, etc). But you can point to critical coaching failures, missing the fake punt, utter failure to run a 2 min drill (which showed up previously at arizona). This loss seemed to begin the downward spiral
NW '10: Another very winnable game. Stanzi really screwed the team with his interception, but offense looked terrible and questionable playcalling. I think the staff's stubbornness and predictability are most on display during the NW games, as Fitz has clearly figured us out. Another failed 2 min drill shows up.
Ohio State '10: No completely critical errors I can remember, but its another game that was ours for the taking and given away in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota '10: Just an abomination all around. Never should have happened. Completely on the staff, who seemed surprised and aloof at the lack of desire by players.
ISU '11: Repeat of OSU '09. Wasted a possession to end the game (playing not to lose) which cost us the game in OT. Also chose to kick FG on 4th and 1 and rely on a terrible defense to win the game.
Minnesota '11: See Minn '10. Another failure to recognize trick play, as in Wisc '10.
Remove these gaffs and last/this season would have been MONUMENTALLY different. Its fairly hypocritical of the staff to constantly harp on near perfect player execution when the coaches are hanging them out to dry with lazy and flawed play calling.
If you take all that into account and then add in Ferentz unapologetic and dismissive attitude to media and fans, you have the current mess. At this point, I will admit that Ferentz did try to shake things up a bit this year, but still fell prey to too many of the same flawed ideas from past years.
While I agree with you on the whole, you can trace the fan outrage to a few select instances (at least in my mind).
Ohio State '09: This has been hotly debated for years now. However, most felt that at least an attempt at setting up for a FG would've yielded better results. Anger stems from the "play not to lose" mantra of taking a knee into overtime. We'll never know if things would've been different.
Wisconsin '10: This was a winnable game. Several failures of execution on player's part (missed fg, etc). But you can point to critical coaching failures, missing the fake punt, utter failure to run a 2 min drill (which showed up previously at arizona). This loss seemed to begin the downward spiral
NW '10: Another very winnable game. Stanzi really screwed the team with his interception, but offense looked terrible and questionable playcalling. I think the staff's stubbornness and predictability are most on display during the NW games, as Fitz has clearly figured us out. Another failed 2 min drill shows up.
Ohio State '10: No completely critical errors I can remember, but its another game that was ours for the taking and given away in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota '10: Just an abomination all around. Never should have happened. Completely on the staff, who seemed surprised and aloof at the lack of desire by players.
ISU '11: Repeat of OSU '09. Wasted a possession to end the game (playing not to lose) which cost us the game in OT. Also chose to kick FG on 4th and 1 and rely on a terrible defense to win the game.
Minnesota '11: See Minn '10. Another failure to recognize trick play, as in Wisc '10.
Remove these gaffs and last/this season would have been MONUMENTALLY different. Its fairly hypocritical of the staff to constantly harp on near perfect player execution when the coaches are hanging them out to dry with lazy and flawed play calling.
If you take all that into account and then add in Ferentz unapologetic and dismissive attitude to media and fans, you have the current mess. At this point, I will admit that Ferentz did try to shake things up a bit this year, but still fell prey to too many of the same flawed ideas from past years.
I also forgot to mention that Iowa hasn't won a rivalry game since ISU '10, losing to Wisc '10, Minn '10, ISU '11, Minn '11 and Neb '11. That's a pretty terrible losing streak and something else to add to the pile. I don't think any one thing the coaching staff has done is all that damnable, but they appear hell-bent on a mission to erode as much goodwill as possible. And much worse, they appear complacent or in complete denial of the path they're on.
bcl20
Well-Known Member
I'm ok with 6-7 wins being a floor for Iowa football. There are years when I think that is acceptable. I do get frustrated though when there are years like last year in which we produce a bunch of NFL talent yet don't beat teams like Minnesota (I can live with close losses against good teams to an extent, though not on a consistent basis.)
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
The fatal coaching flaw in the NU game in 2010 was giving Persa the wind in the 4th quarter. No one did anything going into the wind (maybe NU got a cheap FG on a turnover or something in the 1st) but that was a game with terrible weather (precipitation and heavy winds) but it was also one that I knew was over when the teams changed sides and Iowa had a slim lead. Can't blame the coaching for the bad offense, though, as we saw against Indiana in 2009, the offensive gameplan is to heave it deep into a stout wind, the defense will never see it coming and unless they are 10 yards behind the receiver, they will be out of position for the INT.
What your assessment fails to acknowledge (not unlike that of other people) is that it is assumed in a loss that we gave the game away. Apparently no one we have ever lost to played even close to our level…..let alone better. The thing is those OSU games and the Wisconsin game were against teams did a good job in their own right. I’ll give you that we never should have lost to Minnesota or Northwestern. However, I think the philosophy of leaving 3 LBs on the field against Northwestern’s offense was more to blame than anything else. I don’t blame Kirk for playing for OT vs ISU either. To me, that game would not have needed OT if Hyde had been playing CB instead of Castillo. No way Hyde gets burned like Castillo did. Play to win in regulation is all fine and good…..until JVB throws a pick or something else bad happens to lose it in regulation. There would still be plenty of finger pointing going on then too.
It’s kind of hard to say they failed to recognize a trick play though. That’s why it’s called a trick play. The players were warned in this year’s Minnesota game to be prepared for an onside kick.
I'm not concerned as much with a loss to OSU as how much as the fact we needed a dropped pass to beat Indiana last year.
NewMexHawk
Well-Known Member
Kirk Ferentz owns Barta and the University of Iowa with his present contract. Iowa has no ability to buy out Ferentz's contract EVEN IF they wanted to. Ferentz will do with the Iowa football program whatever he wants and there is nothing anyone can do about it. He can take the program to the lowest depths Iowa has ever seen and there is nothing Iowa can do about it. They simply cannot buy out the contract that Barta gave him...
The other coaches are Kirk's best friends and no way will he ever replace his best friends regardless of their job performance...They are here regardless of how they do for as long as they want.
simple as that...
The other coaches are Kirk's best friends and no way will he ever replace his best friends regardless of their job performance...They are here regardless of how they do for as long as they want.
simple as that...
MoseSchrute
Well-Known Member
One of the more frustrating things about KF and crew is that they are largely unable to build on success, other than '03 and '04. It's just a rollercoaster ride; up, down, down, up. This affects recruiting in the same up/down fashion, and it just produces a vicious cycle.
Golfer
Well-Known Member
I've found trying to be business like about Iowa athletics is futile. Search my other posts. I have some insight into the business of Iowa football and donors.
There is a workable solution for the assistants, and we do have th resources to execute this solution.
It won't happen however, and I'm frustrated and disappointed.
I never said that "we will never be good like other schools." Nor did I say that we should not yearn for more or pursue greatness.
What I did say was that we are not an elite program right now. Of course our goals should be conference and national championships, just don't act like someone stole your lollipop when they don't happen.
Winning conference and national championships is very hard for ANY school to do, even ones without the intrinsic difficulties that Iowa has. Certainly we have fewer than most teams, but we just simply are not yet at the level of the elite schools where we can realistically expect to be in the hunt for championships every year.
That doesn't mean that we still don't strive for those goals every year. We absolutely should be shooting for championships. I'm just tired of the people who think those championships and 9-10 wins are owed to them every year and then have a hissy fit when their unrealistic goals are not met.
Ambitious goals are a good thing for Iowa. Go ahead and shoot for the moon. Just don't be so surprised and disappointed when we don't achieve them. As much as you want to think we are on par with the Ohio States of the world, we just simply are not. I don't like that fact any more than anyone else at Iowa does, but its just the cold, hard truth. That doesn't men that we can't compete with them. though. We certainly do, but our row is a lot tougher to hoe that theirs is.
I guess I wasn't totally clear in some of those examples. What I meant by bringing up the Wisc and OSU games was that they were close enough games that could have been won. I totally understand that sometimes, the other team just takes the victory. Yes, the players can always execute better and give you the margin to win. But its the job of the coaches, much like in any profession, to put you in the best position to achieve success, to call an efficient game and make those critical calls that set you up to win in close games.
Perhaps at this point I'm being too hard or setting too high of expectations for the coaches. I don't hold it against them for losing those games. However, like I eluded to earlier, so many similar mistakes have been made over the past 2+ years that people are beginning to lose faith and hold things against them in any situation. I would accept if they simply played to win and then lost some close games.
FTR, my post wasn't directed solely at you. More toward other posters who have said those things.
OUTofTOWNHAWK
Well-Known Member
No I understand, blah blah blah you just dont see it happening. Also next time I want my fries hot.
bcl20
Well-Known Member
Well, you're getting closer at least. And that analogy doesn't make much sense.
OUTofTOWNHAWK
Well-Known Member
Ill take a mediocre mcdouble. Dont spit on my burger.
Why cant we, neb does, what does neb have that we dont? How about kansas st. now there is a story, bill synder damn good coach from haydens tree he does a damn good job out of nothing in kansas st. come on guys this is iowa football, we put more players in the nfl than anybody except for 2 schools in recent years, tell that to the recruits see what that will get you. time to put up or shut up 13 years we should be stacked with players.
