Indiana destroying Alabama

[Seth53]

Honestly it may have been, but also that season where nothing could go our way at times. Flip scripts and get this team and one of those seasons where every break seems to go our way and we're a playoff team. Close so many times but just couldn't cut it.

That Stanzi team as you remember was firing on all cylinders until he got hurt at home vs Northwestern after we were leading 10-0. I saw it in person right before my eyes.

I ponied up and got tickets for the (away) OSU game the next week.
We had rallied, everybody in the stadium knew Iowa had the momentum.
We had the ball, 50 seconds left, with a TO remaining, only neeeding 30 or so yards for a game winning FG.
KF sat on it. We lost in OT. Man, was I pissed.
After the game, KF offered some tripe about not wanting to put Vandenberg in a difficult position at the end. Uh huh.

 

[HawkPowerlifter]

Honestly it may have been, but also that season where nothing could go our way at times. Flip scripts and get this team and one of those seasons where every break seems to go our way and we're a playoff team. Close so many times but just couldn't cut it.

I agree. 2009 was where we got all the breaks. But KF has stated several times during this season this was a very special group. I think he may have even compared it to the that team. So close in our losses and we were in every game. I would definitely agree that it was a special team and fun to watch.

 

[ssckelley]

That's part of the problem. A lot of people still ignore the fact they beat the Sooners and feel they didn't belong there anyway. That mixed with an ass kicking is an absolutely perfect recipe for them getting absolutely destroyed on social media.

No, the Sooners didn't belong either. The problem is the $EC gets so many teams ranked in the preseason polls that when they beat each other it looks impressive. On September 8th 6 of the top 7 teams in the AP poll were from the $EC. The $EC has 16 members and only 3 of them were not ranked at one point in the season and Miss St came dang close when they started the season 4-0, Arkansas and Kentucky being the other 2.



It's the same recipe over and over for the $EC. They get a crapload of teams ranked, play each other to look like they have a brutal schedule while sprinkling in cupcakes for non conference games. I won't deny that the $EC has had some very good teams over the years but this year they got exposed. This new NIL system has leveled the recruiting playing field a tad as paying players was not anything new for the $EC just now everyone can do it legally.

 

[kicker22]

I agree. 2009 was where we got all the breaks. But KF has stated several times during this season this was a very special group. I think he may have even compared it to the that team. So close in our losses and we were in every game. I would definitely agree that it was a special team and fun to watch.

I totally agree that team was special and loved every second of them. Didn't mean to sound like that team got all the breaks and were better off being lucky then good. Simply meant if we could have caught lightning in a bottle it might have been one of those very special years as well, but we simply couldn't catch a break when we needed one.

 

[kicker22]

No, the Sooners didn't belong either. The problem is the $EC gets so many teams ranked in the preseason polls that when they beat each other it looks impressive. On September 8th 6 of the top 7 teams in the AP poll were from the $EC. The $EC has 16 members and only 3 of them were not ranked at one point in the season and Miss St came dang close when they started the season 4-0, Arkansas and Kentucky being the other 2.

View attachment 11895

It's the same recipe over and over for the $EC. They get a crapload of teams ranked, play each other to look like they have a brutal schedule while sprinkling in cupcakes for non conference games. I won't deny that the $EC has had some very good teams over the years but this year they got exposed. This new NIL system has leveled the recruiting playing field a tad as paying players was not anything new for the $EC just now everyone can do it legally.

For got to mention how they benefit as well from scheduling cupcakes in November. Impossible to drop out of the rankings when your playing directional schools, and cupcakes other teams are playing in week 1 simply to rest up for rivalry games.

 

[CP87]

No, the Sooners didn't belong either. The problem is the $EC gets so many teams ranked in the preseason polls that when they beat each other it looks impressive. On September 8th 6 of the top 7 teams in the AP poll were from the $EC. The $EC has 16 members and only 3 of them were not ranked at one point in the season and Miss St came dang close when they started the season 4-0, Arkansas and Kentucky being the other 2.

View attachment 11895

It's the same recipe over and over for the $EC. They get a crapload of teams ranked, play each other to look like they have a brutal schedule while sprinkling in cupcakes for non conference games. I won't deny that the $EC has had some very good teams over the years but this year they got exposed. This new NIL system has leveled the recruiting playing field a tad as paying players was not anything new for the $EC just now everyone can do it legally.

The Athletic has a story about the SEC's bowl struggles over the past 2 years, and how the playing field seemed to change with NIL.

The SEC’s dismal bowl record this season points to a fundamental truth: money matters

The SEC is 4-9 in bowl games this season. Does that point to an even playing field?

www.nytimes.com

Some choice quotes:

“The reality is this, there were some very famous, very successful coaches that were having a lot of success when the NIL was illegal,” said the Power 4 offensive coordinator. “Well, now NIL is legal. I saw what (former LSU head coach Ed) Orgeron said about how now you can walk through the front door with the money. Well, now the players are going everywhere.”

Said one Big Ten assistant coach this weekend: “Hard to ignore the fact that when everyone got to pay players, it leveled the playing field immediately. They can deny all they want, but that’s a fact.”

 

[ssckelley]

The Athletic has a story about the SEC's bowl struggles over the past 2 years, and how the playing field seemed to change with NIL.

The SEC’s dismal bowl record this season points to a fundamental truth: money matters

The SEC is 4-9 in bowl games this season. Does that point to an even playing field?

www.nytimes.com

Some choice quotes:

“The reality is this, there were some very famous, very successful coaches that were having a lot of success when the NIL was illegal,” said the Power 4 offensive coordinator. “Well, now NIL is legal. I saw what (former LSU head coach Ed) Orgeron said about how now you can walk through the front door with the money. Well, now the players are going everywhere.”

Said one Big Ten assistant coach this weekend: “Hard to ignore the fact that when everyone got to pay players, it leveled the playing field immediately. They can deny all they want, but that’s a fact.”

Nick Saban, who ESPN treats like a saint, was adamantly against NIL and I don't think it's a coincidence that he retired from coaching shortly after paying players became legal. He followed the money from Michigan State, to LSU, and landed at Alabama there is no way to convince me he didn't know what was going on. The NCAA was powerless to do anything about it.

 

[CP87]

I should have added this quote form the article:

“That ain’t an Alabama defense,” said a Power 4 offensive coordinator, who used one of the most damning words a coach can evoke about another football team: soft.

“Ultimately,” the coach continued, “and this is y’all’s job, not my job, but there needs to be an evaluation of this narrative of the SEC is these big, bad m————, because they’re getting their asses whipped in these games.”