How do the next 4 games go?

[Hawkfnntn]

Win the B1G and the rest takes care of itself, I know, weird concept. Getting blown out is not embarrassing. Losing to good teams is not emberassing. Not getting there when you are expected to, is embarassing. If you think winning the west and getting beat by a good team is emberassing, then you're the loser. Winning the B1G West was always the ultimate goal for this Iowa football program this season. We all knew that TOSU, UM and PSU lived in the East right? That didn't change this week. Iowa still has it's ultimate goal in front of them and also they have shitty fans cheering for them to lose.

And pretty much every other and that's the problem and my point.... Winning the West is a stepping stone goal. It can't be the ultimate goal.

Getting blown out can absolutely be embarrassing. It's circumstantial. If you look at yourself as the way overmatched underdog and just happy to be there then ok. But if you're actually a competitive person and give a shit then losing itself can be embarrassing let alone getting blown out. Put yourself in the box that fits you

 

[okeefe4prez]

Getting blown out can absolutely be embarrassing. It's circumstantial. If you look at yourself as the way overmatched underdog and just happy to be there then ok. But if you're actually a competitive person and give a shit then losing itself can be embarrassing let alone getting blown out. Put yourself in the box that fits you

If this team had Rick Stanzi or Drew Tate under center, a decent o-line and one of our two stud TEs, I would want every piece of a shot at the crown. We would be 13.5 point dogs and I'd be fine with that because we would have a puncher's chance of winning. The current offense has at best a puncher's chance of scoring a TD. In four straight games against what I would deem elite teams, we have scored one offensive TD that wasn't in garbage time. One. In four games. The problem with our offense isn't necessarily the lack of scoring, that was a common refrain in the golden days of Ken O'Keefe, the problem with our offense is that we are incapable of playing complimentary football to take advantage of our strengths because this offense is so bad that it routinely will go three or more consecutive series without a first down. It's tolerable to watch that against the shitbag teams that we play from the West, the cellar dwellers from the East or against G5 opponents because it actually makes every play somewhat exciting, but it is absolutely brutal to watch against a balanced and stacked team because you can watch in slow motion as they break the will of our defense the way that Iowa used to do it when we had good o-lines and Ken O'Keefe calling plays.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

Hayden wrote in his book that the team got a standing ovation first play from scrimmage in the first game when they came out in a spread formation.

When they completed the pass they got another one.

True!

 

[InGoodCo]

You are inferring arguments that no one is making. Iowa had the second to worst offense in the country last year. We have the worst offense in the country this year. We have managed at best two sustained drives per game against any team that has even a middling P5 defense and that streak has been ongoing since the beginning of last season, when we put up a whopping 3 offensive points against South Dakota State, so it's not just a fluke, bad luck or just a cold spell. This is an historically bad offense and comparisons to the teams you listed above is preposterous. We already know the drill. Iowa comes out, puts up one sustained drive with the plays that are scripted and repeated a hundred times in practice. We get 3 or a punt that pins the opponent deep. Then, the offense has 6 straight 3 and outs, or maybe turnovers, but we don't see a first down for maybe 30 minutes of gametime. Time of possession ends somewhere at 40-20 and the poor kids playing defense get hung out there for 85 plays doing nothing but creating highlight reel film for NFL draft shows for receivers, TEs or RBs.

Some men are masochists. You probably are. I am not.

I am definitely a grinder right? I work in a field that you have to have about 20 failures to every one success, so you are likely right a little there. I enjoy watching the Defense. I enjoy watching the Special Teams. And most of all, I like winning. Winning is the thing that I like the most. Iowa wins a lot, so I am pretty happy with the results over all. That makes me a lot of things I guess, but I'm mostly thankful (at least for football) for having a winning program that is competitive and good every year, year in year out that I can be proud of. The offense sucks, but I know changing that means we change everything else because that means no more Kirk. I'm ready for it, I just hate no one else really respects how good he's been and are pushing him out the door. I feel like we'll look back at these 20+ years as the "golden era" of Hawkeye football. We'll see, I do enjoy our debates though and I love HN.

 

[InGoodCo]

And pretty much every other and that's the problem and my point.... Winning the West is a stepping stone goal. It can't be the ultimate goal.

Getting blown out can absolutely be embarrassing. It's circumstantial. If you look at yourself as the way overmatched underdog and just happy to be there then ok. But if you're actually a competitive person and give a shit then losing itself can be embarrassing let alone getting blown out. Put yourself in the box that fits you

Not even trying or putting an effort is more embarassing me. Hoping that we don't make it because of fear of losing is more embarassing to me. That's my box personally. I look at it as a way overmatched underdog because that is what IOWA FOOTBALL is. lol right? Not trying to be a dick here, but Iowa has no business being this good at College Football over such a sustained long period. That's where my takes come from.

 

[InGoodCo]

No, my goal was to win the conference and get to the playoff and I think that was the goal of the team going into August as well. If we didn't lose the TEs and if Cade was 100% and stayed upright there was a very real chance of that happening, likely the last of the Ferentz era. Your goal, because you grew up in the era of "self-esteem" is to "win" what is in essence a participation trophy. The main goal, the one that fans actually care about, is off the table and watching a totally gassed Cooper DeJean get teabagged by Marvin Harrison in the 4th quarter while OSU is trying to score style points with a 41 point lead is utterly embarrassing.

Lol, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I am older than you are so not really following any kind of "era" I grew up in.

Football is a bottom line business. Iowa has no business winning 70% of their games ever. Maybe some outlier seasons. We've never won more than right now. That's not a participation trophy, that's looking at the winning percentage and drawing an easy conclusion.

I think it's even more impressive that Iowa is 6-2 at this point losing two top 50 NFL TE's and our starting QB we put all our stock in the offseason. If they can find a way to win the West and get to Indy, that's just another bonus game for the Iowa Hawkeyes, the team we all cheer for.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I feel like we'll look back at these 20+ years as the "golden era" of Hawkeye football.

You'll get no objection from me on this point. I said as much in the nightmare thread. It's just that I think there's a better than coin toss chance that this is the end of the road for Kirk and I really don't want his penultimate game to be a 63-3 drubbing. I would like it to wind up with a win over Nebraska and then a middling bowl game against a team that sounds good on paper where he quietly tells the legends of yesteryear to drop by and he gets carried off the field in tears surrounded by guys like Rick Stanzi, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Greenway, etc. 10-3 coach, congratulations on everything you did and have fun in retirement! My Way from Sinatra playing in the background. There won't be a dry eye in any Iowa fan's house.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

You'll get no objection from me on this point. I said as much in the nightmare thread. It's just that I think there's a better than coin toss chance that this is the end of the road for Kirk and I really don't want his penultimate game to be a 63-3 drubbing. I would like it to wind up with a win over Nebraska and then a middling bowl game against a team that sounds good on paper where he quietly tells the legends of yesteryear to drop by and he gets carried off the field in tears surrounded by guys like Rick Stanzi, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Greenway, etc. 10-3 coach, congratulations on everything you did and have fun in retirement! My Way from Sinatra playing in the background. There won't be a dry eye in any Iowa fan's house.

Could easily be the Las Vegas Bowl against a Pac-12 team, maybe even likely that it is. What's crazy is that one is on Dec. 23. Maybe Kirk and family fly home on Christmas Eve, everyone gathers together and reflects...and an announcement comes soon after. Also crazy how Christmas is two months from today.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

Despite the modest success with the 'punting is winning' offensive strategy we have employed thus far....
If our defense continues to play 65% of the snaps in the game, I'm concerned the defensive personnel will wear down and injuries will set in down the stretch. In which case, it would not go well.

 

[Gibsonian]

Hawks figure out a way to go 4-0 and we'll see an entirely different "attitude" around these parts. Bank on it. I'll be watching come NW game for sure.

 

[hawkinstl]

4-0
3-1
2-2
1-3
0-4


I'm torn between 3-1 and 2-2. If our offense stays what it is.....I think Nebraska has more in the tank offensively to win at their place. As much as they suck ass. Jabba the Bret seems to own us when he is coaching on the sidelines.

I would like to think in 2 weeks they will have something dialed up for Northwestern. Not confident as I would like though.
Rutgers likely a rock fight...giving us the edge @home.

At best watching teams the past 2 or 3 weeks, it feels like the Hawks will go 2-2.

1-3 or 0-4 is entirely possible because of the ineptitude on offense.

 

[thedukeofearl]

I am definitely a grinder right? I work in a field that you have to have about 20 failures to every one success, so you are likely right a little there. I enjoy watching the Defense. I enjoy watching the Special Teams. And most of all, I like winning. Winning is the thing that I like the most. Iowa wins a lot, so I am pretty happy with the results over all. That makes me a lot of things I guess, but I'm mostly thankful (at least for football) for having a winning program that is competitive and good every year, year in year out that I can be proud of. The offense sucks, but I know changing that means we change everything else because that means no more Kirk. I'm ready for it, I just hate no one else really respects how good he's been and are pushing him out the door. I feel like we'll look back at these 20+ years as the "golden era" of Hawkeye football. We'll see, I do enjoy our debates though and I love HN.

YES

 

[Teddy]

4W-0L

 

[HawkeyeGunner]

I'm torn.. I just hope we don't go to Indy. I don't want to have to watch all that build up and have us get smashed there. I don't want to lose every game or even most of em. But I don't want to win every game 10-6 just to go to Indy and get our doors blown off and embarrassed. This has been a crazy long season already to me these games are just tough to watch.

right now wisky is giving one hell of a game to tosu. Dont know if you could really count the west out...as long as it isnt Iowa. Sorry d and punting wouldnt be enough in the title game.

 

[Teddy]

Well, the title game is the title game, and getting there is always better than not.

 

[Will C]

After Wisky the pundits said Iowa controls its' own destiny. After Minny some other team controls its' own destiny. After this week that team may be Nebby. What a rollercoaster. I sure would like to see us take control again. But now even the wild kits look like a challange. Time for a new QB. Reward Labas for a great bowl game!

 

[Northside Hawk]

We do control our destiny. We just have to keep winning. Nebby does too because winning out would include beating us.

Not sure about Minnesota. And they have a tall task upcoming in Columbus.

 

[HuckFinn]

Sadly, Nebbie’s new coach seems to have given them more of an “edge” in the attitude department. MN will lose to the Buckeyes. We can’t count on beating Rutgers or Illinois. Both of them are mysterious. Problem #1? Nebr, Illinois, Rutgers all have some semblance of offense. We don’t.

I think the only shot we have on O the rest of the way is to start our freshman QB. Deacon can’t do it. I think Joe is injured.

 

[Teddy]

I am not rooting for the Hawks to lose.
That said, I believe it is imperative for the future of the program that the Iowa offense needs a makeover - talent, coaching, scheme, strategy, culture.
If Kirk said tomorrow this was his last year, or Brian resigns, then I will continue to root for the Hawks as I have for over 50 years.
On the other hand, if losing is the only way to force the needed changes in the program, then I'm sorry to say I would be willing to endure losing out - if that's the only way to implement changes to the offense we need to be competitive in the future.

So, you are rooting for the Hawks to lose because that result would benefit Iowa long run.

How do you know you hypothetical coach can do better at Iowa than KF. I mean, Alford was a can't miss hire, hottest of the year. He drug the program into the gutter. Then we hired the CoY coming off his second Sweet 16 at a small midlevel, another can't miss hire. He was digging into a sewer grate when he got fired.

Most coaching changes fail. I'd rather win ugly than lose entertainingly. Since you claim to be an Iowa fan, who wants Iowa to lose so we can change coaches, just curious who are the available coaches that will improve a team in Iowa's situation? We know what we have now so your thoughts only if there is somebody you can guaranty will win more at Iowa. I know that's a tall order because most coaching changes at non-BB schools usually fail.

 

[trj]

So, you are rooting for the Hawks to lose because that result would benefit Iowa long run.

How do you know you hypothetical coach can do better at Iowa than KF. I mean, Alford was a can't miss hire, hottest of the year. He drug the program into the gutter. Then we hired the CoY coming off his second Sweet 16 at a small midlevel, another can't miss hire. He was digging into a sewer grate when he got fired.

Most coaching changes fail. I'd rather win ugly than lose entertainingly. Since you claim to be an Iowa fan, who wants Iowa to lose so we can change coaches, just curious who are the available coaches that will improve a team in Iowa's situation? We know what we have now so your thoughts only if there is somebody you can guaranty will win more at Iowa. I know that's a tall order because most coaching changes at non-BB schools usually fail.

He’s not the only one. I‘ve heard plenty of people that rather be entertained at 7-5, than win ugly at 9-3…including Jon Miller. I’m not one of these guys…give me winning ugly all day.