Howe: Bison Beat Up Bullies of the Big Ten

[RobHowe]

A Minnesota night game and Nebraska are easy to get up for. Games like yesterday are the hard ones. When you hear all weak you can't take a team lightly, there is a reason for it, they aren't very good.

I also disagree that they were comparable in ability. They played great and we played terrible and they needed a last second field goal to win. I get the argument that we played terrible because of them but I disagree with that mostly too. We played terrible because they came out giving 100% and we came out "trying not to take them lightly". That can even a playing field against an inferior opponents.

Also you're not a 15 point favorite or whatever it was against a comparable team. I think we cover that spread 5 out of 10 times, which is what you should do with an accurate spread.

While Iowa gets up for Minnesota and Nebraska, those teams were jacked up to knock off undefeated, Top 10, rival Iowa and couldn't. Especially Nebraska in Lincoln.

And I think we just disagree on them being comparable teams. I shot photos from the field in the first half and that team was as strong and physical as us. They ran the ball down our throats. They executed. They didn't just win because they tried harder. That was not a fluke. They wore us down. It's wasn't just because we made mistakes. And, yes, they helped create some of those miscues. Being disciplined is part of being a good team.

Not sure how much you following gambling lines, but those numbers are set to get equal action on both sides of the bet so the house keeps the juice. It's not a straight reflection of how much the oddsmakers think one team is better than other, rather how the public will wager.

We should have won yesterday but we're not good enough to beat programs capable of beating us when we don't play well. We could have played poorly and beat out first two opponents. The same could be said of Illinois and Purdue.

NDSU has the stigma of being from the FCS but that team would beat quite a few FBS teams.

 

[Joshbrown]

. I shot photos from the field in the first half and that team was as strong and physical as us. They ran the ball down our throats. They executed. They didn't just win because they tried harder. That was not a fluke. They wore us down. It's wasn't just because we made mistakes. And, yes, they helped create some of those miscues. Being disciplined is part of being a good team.

Not sure how much you following gambling lines, but those numbers are set to get equal action on both sides of the bet so the house keeps the juice. It's not a straight reflection of how much the oddsmakers think one team is better than other, rather how the public will wager.

We should have won yesterday but we're not good enough to beat programs capable of beating us when we don't play well. We could have played poorly and beat out first two opponents. The same could be said of Illinois and Purdue.

NDSU has the stigma of being from the FCS but that team would beat quite a few FBS teams.

After watching the game, I don't question that analysis. But I want to know when we are going to see our strategic advantage for 600k conditioning dude and 4.5 mil coach.

My point (feel free to abuse me, cuz I know it's comin), their coach and conditioning guy makes a tenth of our guy. So the notion to get wins you have to pay elite salaries - well the Bison proved that to be a lie.

 

[PCHawk]

While Iowa gets up for Minnesota and Nebraska, those teams were jacked up to knock off undefeated, Top 10, rival Iowa and couldn't. Especially Nebraska in Lincoln.

And I think we just disagree on them being comparable teams. I shot photos from the field in the first half and that team was as strong and physical as us. They ran the ball down our throats. They executed. They didn't just win because they tried harder. That was not a fluke. They wore us down. It's wasn't just because we made mistakes. And, yes, they helped create some of those miscues. Being disciplined is part of being a good team.

Not sure how much you following gambling lines, but those numbers are set to get equal action on both sides of the bet so the house keeps the juice. It's not a straight reflection of how much the oddsmakers think one team is better than other, rather how the public will wager.

We should have won yesterday but we're not good enough to beat programs capable of beating us when we don't play well. We could have played poorly and beat out first two opponents. The same could be said of Illinois and Purdue.

NDSU has the stigma of being from the FCS but that team would beat quite a few FBS teams.

I get the gambling thing but for the most part, the spread would be pretty much the same exact thing if it was set by what the oddsmakers actually thought the difference would be. We are talking maybe a point here and a point there difference.

As far as them being a comparable team goes, I'm not sure if we even think much differently on the subject. At first you sounded like you think they are on the exact same level as us but you must not since you said we should have beat them. I'm guessing you would say they would be around 10th-12th in the Big 10? That's my guess anyway. A team we should for sure beat (which in my mind means they aren't comparable but that's kinda scamatics) but we can't beat if we play like crap.

 

[PCHawk]

After watching the game, I don't question that analysis. But I want to know when we are going to see our strategic advantage for 600k conditioning dude and 4.5 mil coach.

My point (feel free to abuse me, cuz I know it's comin), their coach and conditioning guy makes a tenth of our guy. So the notion to get wins you have to pay elite salaries - well the Bison proved that to be a lie.

The Bison being way better than they should be has nothing to do with where Iowa is compared to where they should be. Kudos to them, and their coach should be moving up to better things soon, but them being that good with limited resources is an outlier. This is an extreme example to prove my point, but if they were better than Alabama, would that mean Iowa and every other team in the nation wasn't doing good enough? Or does that mean one team somehow defined the odds and became way better than they ever realistically should have?

 

[RobHowe]

I get the gambling thing but for the most part, the spread would be pretty much the same exact thing if it was set by what the oddsmakers actually thought the difference would be. We are talking maybe a point here and a point there difference.

As far as them being a comparable team goes, I'm not sure if we even think much differently on the subject. At first you sounded like you think they are on the exact same level as us but you must not since you said we should have beat them. I'm guessing you would say they would be around 10th-12th in the Big 10? That's my guess anyway. A team we should for sure beat (which in my mind means they aren't comparable but that's kinda scamatics) but we can't beat if we play like crap.

We're probably not that far off. I think the Big Ten as a few high-end teams (this year), some real bad teams, and others in he middle. I do think NDSU could win against those in the middle on a given day if it plays well and the other team does not. That includes Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, etc. I'm not saying all those teams are equal, but rather similar. Time will tell how things shake out in that group. I do think the Bison is better than Purdue and Illinois, as I wrote. Are they better Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland on a neutral field? I think they might be.

The gambling thing is tricky. Much of that is based on perception.

 

[Joshbrown]

The Bison being way better than they should be has nothing to do with where Iowa is compared to where they should be. Kudos to them, and their coach should be moving up to better things soon, but them being that good with limited resources is an outlier. This is an extreme example to prove my point, but if they were better than Alabama, would that mean Iowa and every other team in the nation wasn't doing good enough? Or does that mean one team somehow defined the odds and became way better than they ever realistically should have?

I didn't read your reply cuz I sensed the dismissiveness factor. But I want to repeat what I said.

We've been told we have the best conditioning guy college football. Well RH said they were our physical equal. So apparently their conditioning guy is equal to ours. I'm tired of being told our guys are irreplaceable. And that's why it's okay they have all the power in negotiations.

There is NO ONE in Iowa athletics that is irreplaceable. Not saying they aren't good. But if you're paid like you're the best, ya better win against guys paid like they are a tenth as good as you. Especially guys who also don't have super-jesus facilities like Doyle

 

[PCHawk]

We're probably not that far off. I think the Big Ten as a few high-end teams (this year), some real bad teams, and others in he middle. I do think NDSU could win against those in the middle on a given day if it plays well and the other team does not. That includes Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, etc. I'm not saying all those teams are equal, but rather similar. Time will tell how things shake out in that group. I do think the Bison is better than Purdue and Illinois, as I wrote. Are they better Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland on a neutral field? I think they might be.

The gambling thing is tricky. Much of that is based on perception.

Yep I took "comparable" as "even" but you meant in the same ball park. We're on the same page. I would say we are 10-15 points better than them at home, which probably means they're comparable or in the same ball park. We really needed Daniels and Welsh.

 

[PCHawk]

I didn't read your reply cuz I sensed the dismissiveness factor. But I want to repeat what I said.

We've been told we have the best conditioning guy college football. Well RH said they were our physical equal. So apparently their conditioning guy is equal to ours. I'm tired of being told our guys are irreplaceable. And that's why it's okay they have all the power in negotiations.

There is NO ONE in Iowa athletics that is irreplaceable. Not saying they aren't good. But if you're paid like you're the best, ya better win against guys paid like they are a tenth as good as you. Especially guys who also don't have super-jesus facilities like Doyle

Doyle maybe gets more credit than deserved because he is working with midwest hard working kids. Those are the kids that can make a strength and conditioning coach look good. Those are also the kids NDSU has.

 

[atomicblue224]

This is how we got a black eyes from playing with biscuits.

 

[Locker67]

You think that team would beat us 6 out of 10 times? I think we would win 8 or 9 out of 10.

I said the best team won on "Saturday" and they were on that day.And really what happened Saturday is all that matters
I agree we would probably win 8-9 out of 10.

 

[Joshbrown]

What is the point in using "if" after a loss? There is no NCAA "if" category. "If" is a word the Cyclones own.

ISU: "If we played Iowa 18 times we would be 9-9 when it was over."

Me: "Yep, that's the current record. But THIS year you got stomped 42-3 by a team that LOST to an FCS school. Swallow that!!"

 

[PCHawk]

What is the point in using "if" after a loss? There is no NCAA "if" category. "If" is a word underachievers use a lot.

Not being able to use the word if sure would eliminate a lot of topics on a message board.

 

[Hawknigh]

I said the best team won on "Saturday" and they were on that day.And really what happened Saturday is all that matters
I agree we would probably win 8-9 out of 10.

What do you think would have been different about the other 8 or 9 games? It seems that NDSU won through fundamentals and conditioning, not on flukes or lucky plays.

 

[Sparky]

Not to beat a dead horse, but Iowa hasn't been a physical team since rhabdo. They neutred Doyle after that incident and he's fallen behind while every other team has caught up. Saturday Iowa was 4 plays into the game and guys had their hands on their hips gasping for air like they're about ready to pass out. That says something about this team and overpaid Doyle.

 

[PCHawk]

What do you think would have been different about the other 8 or 9 games? It seems that NDSU won through fundamentals and conditioning, not on flukes or lucky plays.

Bad throws, drops, different play calls, no pick 6, no penalty bringing back a big play. People act like we got destroyed by a team that needed a last second field goal.