Iowa fans need to start being realistic.

[KCTrainer]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

 

[phdsvp]

Iowa isn't consistently good when you get to schedule two easy wins a year at home and beat nobody of consequence. Iowa is, in reality, a .500 team. If you think Iowa can't be any better than that, that's on you.

 

[Xerxes]

This is the 4th season in a row in which Iowa has been a non-factor in the West division race over the last month of the season.

I don't think its unrealistic to expect Iowa to be more competitive in a division. It would be one thing if Iowa was in the running until the last week or 2 and then bowed out. But there's still a quarter of the season left and the division is lost to Iowa and they already have their sights on the Outhouse bowl.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Shrug.

The OP mentioned Clemson in his list of teams that "we are not".. And what was Clemson football before earlier this decade? Just another mediocre ACC team that had no business winning big, either. Yet here they are - 2 titles in 3 years. 10+ wins every single year since 2011. Not that national titles are my expectation, but just saying...

Let's start by being able to beat a ranked team when there's actually something on the line, for starters. Iowa is putrid in these situations. It's not unrealistic to expect to beat Wisconsin more than once in 8 years.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Shrug.

The OP mentioned Clemson in his list of teams that "we are not".. And what was Clemson football before earlier this decade? Just another mediocre ACC team that had no business winning big, either. Yet here they are - 2 titles in 3 years. 10+ wins every single year since 2011. Not that national titles are my expectation, but just saying...

Let's start by being able to beat a ranked team when there's actually something on the line, for starters. Iowa is putrid in these situations. It's not unrealistic to expect to beat Wisconsin more than once in 8 years.

Clemson had a title in '81, also. Even before they got really dominant of late, they were better than Iowa, but they had some tough competition. Clemson just got really lucky because FSU, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech all fell off the face of the earth at the same time and they stayed right where they were. Now, they get a handful of really good recruits and have gone up a level, but their success is in large part of a function of the utter collapse of the ACC. I just don't see the entire Big Ten having that level of collapse.

 

[Caddy]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

Really? How do you know someone else can't do better. Your outlook is exactly the mediocre, bullshit, we are only Iowa and can't expect any better attitude that has this football program stuck in mediocrity and falling. You're happy with going .500 in conference? You don't think another coach could come in here and do better than 1-12 against teams in the conference that finish .500 or better the last 3 years? I guess if you set the bar low enough you will never be disappointed. You must be related to the Ferentz clan in some way.

 

[KCTrainer]

Shrug.

The OP mentioned Clemson in his list of teams that "we are not".. And what was Clemson football before earlier this decade? Just another mediocre ACC team that had no business winning big, either. Yet here they are - 2 titles in 3 years. 10+ wins every single year since 2011. Not that national titles are my expectation, but just saying...

Let's start by being able to beat a ranked team when there's actually something on the line, for starters. Iowa is putrid in these situations. It's not unrealistic to expect to beat Wisconsin more than once in 8 years.

I will tell you why Clemson has moved up to be at the top of the ACC and it has less to do with Clemson and more to do with Bobby Bowden being forced out of Tallahassee and the downfall of Miami. Someone was going to rise up and take the torch.

 

[KCTrainer]

Really? How do you know someone else can't do better. Your outlook is exactly the mediocre, bullshit, we are only Iowa and can't expect any better attitude that has this football program stuck in mediocrity and falling. You're happy with going .500 in conference? You don't think another coach could come in here and do better than 1-12 against teams in the conference that finish .500 or better the last 3 years? I guess if you set the bar low enough you will never be disappointed. You must be related to the Ferentz clan in some way.

LOL, no I’m not saying someone can’t do better. What I’m saying is it’s also just as likely they would do worse.

 

[KCTrainer]

Clemson had a title in '81, also. Even before they got really dominant of late, they were better than Iowa, but they had some tough competition. Clemson just got really lucky because FSU, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech all fell off the face of the earth at the same time and they stayed right where they were. Now, they get a handful of really good recruits and have gone up a level, but their success is in large part of a function of the utter collapse of the ACC. I just don't see the entire Big Ten having that level of collapse.

You are 100% right on the money!

 

[Caddy]

LOL, no I’m not saying someone can’t do better. What I’m saying is it’s also just as likely they would do worse.

How so? You think a quality coach wouldn't want to come here? Top notch facilities, excellent pay, fans fill the stadium, and really the only expectation is that everyone makes it out of the tunnel with their full uniform on correctly, and they all make it without tripping. We are completely irrelevant now, and fading more. Lets not try for something better though.

 

[Hawk90]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

This defeatist attitude drives me nuts. We're just little ole' Iowa. BS, this school won national championships, Big 10 titles going back a hundred years. Look what Flick has done at Minnesota already, Campbell at Moo U. has that program on par with Iowa in four years. We schedule Sisters of the Poor for 3 games and are happy when we get to 7 wins. Even in the 60s' when Iowa was going 4-6 and 5-5 they were playing real teams. Ferentz inability to hire a competent OC is beyond me. Except for 2002 when he had a good OC and a running QB the offense has been a dismal failure. All this, "this is a developmental program" and we just don't have the talent is garbage. We have the talent this year, what we lack is an OC who knows how to use it.

 

[smitharooney]

How so? You think a quality coach wouldn't want to come here? Top notch facilities, excellent pay, fans fill the stadium, and really the only expectation is that everyone makes it out of the tunnel with their full uniform on correctly, and they all make it without tripping. We are completely irrelevant now, and fading more. Lets not try for something better though.

. Lute brought blue chip kids to Iowa City . There is no doubt in my mind there are other coaches who could do the same . This notion that you can’t get those players to IC is ridiculous

 

[KCTrainer]

How so? You think a quality coach wouldn't want to come here? Top notch facilities, excellent pay, fans fill the stadium, and really the only expectation is that everyone makes it out of the tunnel with their full uniform on correctly, and they all make it without tripping. We are completely irrelevant now, and fading more. Lets not try for something better though.

Yea we could get a top coach. But they aren’t going to do any better. Harbaugh is a top coach. Has he even won his division yet? Michigan gets top talent every year and they haven’t won a big ten title in 15 years. It’s not about mediocrity, it’s about understanding the landscape and setting realistic expectations. 8-9 wins annually with a 11+ win season every 5 years is where our program is at. I have heard people say things like Bob Stoops would have been better, but that is really hard to say. He was hired at a school that had a national title just 15 years prior and is in that Texas recruiting region.

 

[KCTrainer]

This defeatist attitude drives me nuts. We're just little ole' Iowa. BS, this school won national championships, Big 10 titles going back a hundred years. Look what Flick has done at Minnesota already, Campbell at Moo U. has that program on par with Iowa in four years. We schedule Sisters of the Poor for 3 games and are happy when we get to 7 wins. Even in the 60s' when Iowa was going 4-6 and 5-5 they were playing real teams. Ferentz inability to hire a competent OC is beyond me. Except for 2002 when he had a good OC and a running QB the offense has been a dismal failure. All this, "this is a developmental program" and we just don't have the talent is garbage. We have the talent this year, what we lack is an OC who knows how to use it.

Campbell does not have Iowa state on the same level as Iowa. Have they been to a big 12 title game? You do realize Kirk Ferentz has 3 National Coach of the year award right? I agree 100% that Brian Ferentz has a long way to go and may not ever get there as an OC, but no we don’t have the talent.the 3 teams that have beaten us have higher rated players across the board than we do.

 

[homes]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

They keep coming this close, and not closing the deal. Last year, all of the losses were winnable games, but they were ALL LOSSES. This year, same thing. And there have been prior years that have ended the same way.
I guess the question is, does Iowa overachieve every game, every year and but for that overachieving effort, they'd otherwise be roundly beaten in these game, or do they have a fundamental tick, whatever that may be (fill in the blank), that prevents them for not winning games that are winnable?

If it's the former, then we should all be glad to support a team that puts forth that effort, but recognize that is as good as they can do, and live with it, knowing that it could be a lot worse. If it's the latter, then being frustrated they aren't winning championships is a very reasonable place to be. I think many assume it's the latter, but maybe it isn't.

 

[HuckFinn]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

Well done.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I will tell you why Clemson has moved up to be at the top of the ACC and it has less to do with Clemson and more to do with Bobby Bowden being forced out of Tallahassee and the downfall of Miami. Someone was going to rise up and take the torch.

The only consistently competitive team in the Big Ten West is Wisconsin. There is no reason Iowa shouldn’t be averaging 4.5-5 wins in the west per year, as a floor.

 

[ohhawk]

I need to see some changes on the offensive side of the ball going into next season. That might include players, coaches, recruiting, philosophy, etc. Our illness is localized and fortunately still allows us to be very competitive even against quality opponents. It's easy to see if we had an offense that was even average we likely might be singing a different tune.

Don't see need for a regime change at this point but do see a need for the HC to make some changes on the offensive side besides "we'll work harder going into next year". If we're sitting here next year with similar problems and little change was made to address our illness then I'll bang the drums with some of the others.

P.S. So far the Brian Ferentz promotion looks much closer to a failure than a success.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I need to see some changes on the offensive side of the ball going into next season. That might include players, coaches, recruiting, philosophy, etc. Our illness is localized and fortunately still allows us to be very competitive even against quality opponents. It's easy to see if we had an offense that was even average we likely might be singing a different tune.

Don't see need for a regime change at this point but do see a need for the HC to make some changes on the offensive side besides "we'll work harder going into next year". If we're sitting here next year with similar problems and little change was made to address our illness then I'll bang the drums with some of the others.

P.S. So far the Brian Ferentz promotion looks much closer to a failure than a success.

Look a5 the way the offense moved the ball in the fourth quarter yesterday. The Hawks could be doing that all game every Saturday if Kirk would let Brian run the offense he wants to before the hawks are down and there’s little time left to comeback. Instead we have the antiquated phone box football that you need to have top-level athletes to have success with.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I just want to address the Hawkeye faithful that are once again ready fire Kirk Ferentz as they are every year until we get to 9 wins and then they are reminded that’s what we are. Iowa in both football and basketball is developmental program that is in that second to higher third tier every year. Then every 5th year or so we have a breakout season and get to 11 or 12 wins. Outside of that we are a 8 and 9 win team nearly every season. No matter who coaches at Iowa that is where they will be. We are not Bama, Clemson or Ohio St. We reserve the right to be critical, but also need to be careful what we wish for. Florida St is a blue blood program who is seriously considering hiring Neon Dion Sanders (who has zero coaching experience) to be their new head coach after 2 back to back losing seasons. Notre Dame (another blue blood) has 1 top 5 win since 2000. Michigan, well they have had 4 coaches since Ferentz was hired and they have the same number of big ten championships as we do in that time frame. Iowa fired Mr. Davis Davis after 13 seasons in which he won 13 NCAA tourney games. Seemed like a great move at the time right? Well in the 20 years since, Iowa has won 4.... yep that’s right we have won 4 NCAA tourney games in 20 years! Iowa is not a power house and they never will be. We may not be great, but we are consistently good which is more than what can be said for a lot of teams in states with much higher populations and multicultural metro areas.

Go away, Kirk. This is our safe space.