I have to vent too.
I love the Hawkeyes to death.
It really breaks my heart when we lose now. To the people that say "it is just a game" you are right. It is just a football game in the grand scheme of things.
However, to some people, including myself... Iowa games are more than that. When things aren't going the way you want them to in life and there isn't much you can do to change your luck... you look forward to saturday when Iowa plays, because it really is a chance to make your week a good one. When Iowa wins... I feel like it was a good week, even if monday-friday was a pain in the ***. I go to college in Wisconsin and I am openly a Hawkeye fan and I get tons of crap for it as it it... After today's game I have already received texts and messages from people trying to rub it in... which is expected, but I am not looking forward to my return to school on monday.
The most frustrating part about today's game is that we SHOULD have won it. We left 4 points out on the field off of what should have been routine special team plays.
I am also disappointed in Ferentz for saying that the timeout had no factor in the loss... I love Ferentz and I would not want ANY other coach, but I feel like he should take responsibility for that mistake. Great players and captains are expected to take responsibility for their mistakes and they often do... I am proud of Stanzi because he does a good job of taking responsibility... I am sad that Ferentz didn't do the same. I don't know how he could honestly believe he(as well as the rest of the coaching staff) did a good job today in their decision making.
One thing you cannot do is let the players believe they are the ones completely at fault in this game. That will only bring down their confidence for games in the future.
What Ferentz should have done is just acknowledged the fact that the coaching staff made mistakes that cost the game.
On the fake punt... There was NO need to be concerned about blocking for the kick return. The most important thing at that time was to get the ball back. Hell... If it were me I wouldn't have even put a returner back there. Let them switch the field on us... at least we could have had possession and kept the game in our hands, wasted time off the clock, and at worst punt the ball away making the comeback much more difficult.
The loss is extremely frustrating. The game was ours to lose and we were the better team... and our coaches did a damn good job of handing the game to them. The clock management and play calling at the end of the game was horrific and I just wish that Ferentz would take some responsibility... and maybe he has since the end of the game (I have not even looked at a TV since then.)
I'm still really upset about the loss, but am finally calming down. I am just tired of the badger fans coming on here and trolling... when they could be celebrating their victory like teams that are used to/expecting to win do.
Losing to classless teams is that much more upsetting.
P.S. It really sucks losing to a coach that is a total tool and to a team that was taking cheap shots at our best player... that could have ended his career.
