Great win yesterday for the Hawkeyes.

M

Mesaclone

Banned
Iowa was dominant and clearly the better team yesterday. I have high hopes this could be "the year" for the Hawks...Arizona will be a good test but I think Iowa is up to the challenge.

Definitely feeling a little bummed about the Cyclones right now, but I'm still 100% confident that Coach Rhoads has the right formula for turning the program back to where it was in the late 70's...not elite, but highly competitive. Gonna take some time and obviously we have quite a ways to go yet. I honestly think he has a lot of similarities to Coach Ferentz with regards to his integrity, loyalty, and professionalism...and that's a very good thing.

Anyway, the Hawks looked like a BCS championship caliber team to me. The key is to be focused and ready every week...which is very tough in a good conference like the Big Ten...but Iowa's a veteran club and that helps quite a bit. How awesome would it be to have the Hawks out here in Phoenix for the National Championship game...it would almost be like a home-away-from-home game with all the Iowans out here. Anyway, nice game and I hope both teams win the rest of their games this season...though in ISU's case, I'm hoping/praying for the magical 6 wins!
 








Classy post Mesa. I have to say that I was completely impressed with Iowa yesterday. I felt going into the game that ISU was a better team this year than last year. Right now I hope thats true and Iowa is really the genuine article. Next week will tell us a lot more about our teams.

I also agree with what you said about coach Rhodes and his simularities to KF. Rhodes seems to be the best hire at ISu in a long time and that may include D Mac. ISU is going in the right direction but you may not necessarily feel the results this season based soley on your brutal schedule.

It would be nice to see ISU get their 6 games and compete in ther rest of their games.

It would also obviously be nice to see this Iowa team turn out to be the real deal. \

Good luck
 


ISU is in a deeper hole than Iowa was back in 1998, as Iowa had a good bit of prior success to build on. That said, I like to think back to KF's first two years as an example of how to build a program. Things were very tough...especially remember losing to Northwestern in a real gut-punch fashion...but KF stayed steady and built things slowly and surely...the right way. I see Rhoads trying to emulate that...though its going to take him a few more seasons to achieve that kind of progress. I choose to remain optimistic...and patient.

Anyway, great win for the Hawks and best of luck in AZ.
 


Mesaclone said:
ISU is in a deeper hole than Iowa was back in 1998, as Iowa had a good bit of prior success to build on. That said, I like to think back to KF's first two years as an example of how to build a program. Things were very tough...especially remember losing to Northwestern in a real gut-punch fashion...but KF stayed steady and built things slowly and surely...the right way. I see Rhoads trying to emulate that...though its going to take him a few more seasons to achieve that kind of progress. I choose to remain optimistic...and patient.

Anyway, great win for the Hawks and best of luck in AZ.
Click to expand...

Living in Arizona Mesa, have any insight into our future opponent?
 


Thanks mesa.

I knew there was something I liked about ya. Your definitely not like a good portion of posters on fanatic.
 


No real insight...Iowa's a better team and if they play well they will win without too much difficult. That said, a letdown or a few critical turnovers, and AZ is good enough to rise up and pull an upset. Not that that's particularly insightful...sometimes football is anything but complicated. If Iowa plays Iowa football...they are simply too good for Arizona.
 


I don't think Rhoads is the issue. I think he just has too much faith in Arnuad and is making the same mistake that Iowa did with Jake, not benching a qb that simply does not learn from his mistakes. I know he was getting incredible pressure most the time, but I just don't think he has enough touch even when he does have time in the pocket. Though receivers dropping passes never helps either.

But the defense does need work. But I think improving defense takes longer to turn around in a program then offense does.
 


good post and nice way to handle a brutal loss, all programs have them. Rhodes is the right guy. He wants to be there, he's from the state, and isn't using the team as a stepping stone. All things you want in a coach. He'll get them better, but not this season unless that defense improves BIG TIME.
 


I have no doubt ISU is on the right track, just going to take a few recruiting classes to get what he wants to do, wish the clones the best.
 


One specific difference with ISU in the late 70's and ISU now. Their league. Unless they step down, things won't change much. CUSA, MWC, or Big East would be a better fit.
 


The Big 8 was a juggernaut back in the 70's. I remember one season where team #1, #2, and #3 were all from the Big 8. Today's conference offers more opportunity for a team to rise into the upper half of the league...UT and OU are something of a Big 2, but its far more open after that than many people think. TT and OSU are good, but far from unbeatable...with NU leaving, the path to being one of the top 6 teams in the conference is as open as its ever been. Not that its an easy thing...but it IS achievable.
 


CAARHawk said:
One specific difference with ISU in the late 70's and ISU now. Their league. Unless they step down, things won't change much. CUSA, MWC, or Big East would be a better fit.
Click to expand...

They used to say that Iowa could never compete in the Big 10 when Hayden was hired, and they said the same thing about Northwestern.
 


Good points, Cospringshawk...those who say "never" and/or "always" with relation to college football are inevitably wrong.
 


The Big 12 > The Big Eight. Losing Nebby will help next year, but going to a round robin will hurt.

Take a look at ISU's banner 1978 season. They lost to OU, Nebby, Missouri and Texas Tech. But they were able to get wins over weakened Kansas teams. Those programs are both stronger than ISU and you add the Texas teams. Sure the top of the Big Eight was strong. But the Big 12/10 is more of a juggernaut from top to bottom.
 


The same formula applies, beat the weakened Kansas teams, Colorado, Baylor, Mizzou and one or two of the other teams...along with 3 non-conference wins...and you have a great season going with 7 or 8 victories. ISU under Rhoads is more than capable of rising to that level, if not every year, in many years. That's the goal, and it is no more difficult than it was in the 70's...likely a bit easier with the round robin.
 


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