Q. Gary talked about 7-5 being unacceptable. What are your thoughts on that now?
Just to be fair, this is the reporter's question, summarizing what Barta said, or more specifically, what the reporter understood him to say. However, if Barta did not correct or qualify the reporter's characterization of his comment, then it is reasonable to assume it accurately portrayed his sentiments.
I believe it is a healthy sign that there is a difference in how each describes the overall season, thus far. KF is not ready to make a final assessment, based on his previous remarks he won't answer that question until the season is over (after the bowl game). I think that is understandable, he's trying to get his team ready to play their next game and any comments assessing the overall season now may not provide the right motivation, or worse, drive a wedge between the coaching staff and the team. But on the other hand, Barta's message to KF is that there will be accountability for this 2014 season (hopefully). I have no illusions that KF won't be the coach next year but I believe Barta has more to talk to Kirk about than what he has done in previous years.
The bottom line for me is this: Iowa football is in the entertainment industry; student/athlete education is not the primary reason why Iowa participates in the Big Ten conference. The product is entertainment for the fans, thus the fan/customer is ultimately in the driver's seat as to how much of the product is consumed. Barta and KF have a joint responsibility to see that the product they bring to the consumer is one that is worthy of the Iowa brand.