If the Badgers and Wildcats lose tomorrow . . .
- Thread starter karras
- Start date
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately that doesn't get us to Indy.
Iowa lost all the games it needed to win against those it was competing against for the west title.
8-4 feels pretty hollow this year.
Iowa lost all the games it needed to win against those it was competing against for the west title.
8-4 feels pretty hollow this year.
Certainly does, though a top 25 finish is not out of the question. We'll likely get a solid opponent in Oregon, Washington, or Stanford if it is indeed the Holiday Bowl. I'd call it progress, but not an overall success.
Wow you fooled me, I thought you thoguht we still had a shot this year at Indy.
We will have the players to get to indy but I do not hold out for KF making all the game day decisions and tough coaching decisions etc that will get us the West title, he will have to prove it to me by practicing the dumb mental mistakes out of the players. today we really only had one big mental error and that was Moss offside but again you have to talk up and practice situations like dont be offside on a 51 yard fg.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
1 game over .500 or 1 game under .500 is pretty much KFz's Big Ten model. This year it was 1 over.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
A bowl win and Top 25 finish would help but for me, this will always be one of those "what could have been" type of seasons.
This team really should have been 10-2/11-1.. Possibly 12-0. Stings because those types of seasons don't happen too often for Hawk fans and this year was a missed opportunity.
I can handle being beaten by better opponents but just didn't feel like that was the case this year. Most of our losses, felt like we beat ourselves.
I absolutely feel the same way. I just hope the players realize there's something to play for still.
I'd say all but Purdue were dead giveaways. Purdue caught us not ready to play defensively....but still we almost pulled it off. I agree I could have easily seen 10-2 and a div title.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Again, raise your hand if it makes you sick north-freaking-western is your West Champion. Zero, zip, no non-conference wins for them. Northwestern is like a sneak thief that hides in the bushes and steals the treasure while the other gladiators are slugging it out. But I wouldn't exactly call the traditionally better teams in the West gladiators this year anyway.
Sadly, the most talented team in the West is not going to the title game. Yep, Iowa was that team, but, like our saying says in our own weight room, "Hard work beats talent, when talent does not work hard."
Again, Northwestern has no business being in the title game, but that is where they are because they finished the games that counted towards it. Wisconsin, Iowa, and I guess Purdue were just to happy to help them out.
Sadly, the most talented team in the West is not going to the title game. Yep, Iowa was that team, but, like our saying says in our own weight room, "Hard work beats talent, when talent does not work hard."
Again, Northwestern has no business being in the title game, but that is where they are because they finished the games that counted towards it. Wisconsin, Iowa, and I guess Purdue were just to happy to help them out.
From an Omaha World Herald columnist........
"I don't care if Iowa wants to give Kirk Ferentz a bonus for putting on his headset. This Iowa team should be playing in Indianapolis next weekend. With quarterback Nate Stanley, his fleet of tight ends, that O-line and that defense, Iowa was the best team in the West this season. But the Hawkeyes underachieved this year, and that falls on Ferentz and his staff. That's the issue with giving bonuses for meeting a specific win total, especially one like eight wins. Ferentz got $500,000 for winning his eighth game Friday. It was not earned this year."
"I don't care if Iowa wants to give Kirk Ferentz a bonus for putting on his headset. This Iowa team should be playing in Indianapolis next weekend. With quarterback Nate Stanley, his fleet of tight ends, that O-line and that defense, Iowa was the best team in the West this season. But the Hawkeyes underachieved this year, and that falls on Ferentz and his staff. That's the issue with giving bonuses for meeting a specific win total, especially one like eight wins. Ferentz got $500,000 for winning his eighth game Friday. It was not earned this year."
I know youth is considered an "excuse" by some, but boy did it bite us in the ass this season.
Costly turnovers against Wisconsin, NW, and Penn State, along with being forced to play young guys early in positions that make or break a game (Moss and Brents at CB).
I will still contend that this was easily the sloppiest and most undisciplined Iowa team I've ever watched, which is equal parts youth and coaching. Hopefully experience for both groups helps fix that next season.
Stanford is a similar stylistic matchup to us, though their defense is nowhere near what it used to be, and while Love is very good and has been hampered this year, he's not Christian McCaffery (ouch, that hurt just to type out).
Oregon is the most interesting to me, considering they're not they blazing fast team they were under Frost.
Costly turnovers against Wisconsin, NW, and Penn State, along with being forced to play young guys early in positions that make or break a game (Moss and Brents at CB).
I will still contend that this was easily the sloppiest and most undisciplined Iowa team I've ever watched, which is equal parts youth and coaching. Hopefully experience for both groups helps fix that next season.
Browning doesn't scare me, his receivers do. Though I'll admit, I'm not very familiar with them this year. Just stat wise they look eerily similar to us.
Stanford is a similar stylistic matchup to us, though their defense is nowhere near what it used to be, and while Love is very good and has been hampered this year, he's not Christian McCaffery (ouch, that hurt just to type out).
Oregon is the most interesting to me, considering they're not they blazing fast team they were under Frost.
karras
Well-Known Member
You do realize every off-season we lose on avg 10+ scholarship players to injuries/transfers/etc. The youth "reason" feels like a self-inflicted wound most years.
You're obviously knowledgeable and intelligent, let me ask you an honest question.
Kirk owns most of the programs in the B1G.
But, would Frost/Chryst/Fitz/Franklin/Brohm value . . .
Vandeberg over Willies?
Moss over Hankins?
Groeneweg over Daffney?
Weiting over Fant?
Weisman over Canzeri?
Hesse over Epenesa?
McCann over Banks?
Last edited:
JoeyLabasForPresident
Well-Known Member
Hey now, don’t you dare diss Weisman.
We have the best overall record in the west division
That would be icing on the cake.
tksirius
HN's Love Doctor
I wouldn't expect anything better than 8-4 next year. I'll say 8 wins is possible just because our defense should be even a little bit better than it was this year. Losing Reynolds, Render, Hockenson, and Fant is gonna have a decent effect on the offense. If Stanley regresses as most Iowa QBs have done, we might be lucky to win 6 games.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
Now I'm in favor of the bonus.
dahlhawk
Well-Known Member
Ditto this team's record is as hollow as Jim Harbaugh's humility.
