Iowa Fans: Relax and Enjoy the Ride!

ChosenChildren

ChosenChildren

Well-Known Member
I have never seen Iowa fans so uptight prior to a season, with mention of SI jinxes, player defections (Wegher), etc. etc. Here is the bottom line:

1. We have a great coaching staff and they have prepared well.
2. By and large, we have great kids who have worked their butts off to prepare for this season. We have quality depth at most positions.
3. There will be injuries, players ineligible or defecting, etc. etc. It happens every year (remember last year when we lost Jewell Hampton before the season even started?). Heck, we almost defeated Ohio St. without Stanzi!!
4. The margin between winning and losing is very small anyway -- the difference between 12-0 and 7-5 is paper thin.

This team is hungry and wants to win. My goal for this team is a quality bowl game (New Year's Day game of some sort). Anything beyond that is gravy. Enjoy the season and quit stressing about things that the fans cannot control. Lower your expectations and enjoy the ride. It should be a fun season.
 
ChosenChildren said:
I have never seen Iowa fans so uptight prior to a season, with mention of SI jinxes, player defections (Wegher), etc. etc. Here is the bottom line:

1. We have a great coaching staff and they have prepared well.
2. By and large, we have great kids who have worked their butts off to prepare for this season. We have quality depth at most positions.
3. There will be injuries, players ineligible or defecting, etc. etc. It happens every year (remember last year when we lost Jewell Hampton before the season even started?). Heck, we almost defeated Ohio St. without Stanzi!!
4. The margin between winning and losing is very small anyway -- the difference between 12-0 and 7-5 is paper thin.

This team is hungry and wants to win. My goal for this team is a quality bowl game (New Year's Day game of some sort). Anything beyond that is gravy. Enjoy the season and quit stressing about things that the fans cannot control. Lower your expectations and enjoy the ride. It should be a fun season.
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I try to tell myself this every day, but my Black and Gold blood just burns too hot. I swear I play the season out in my head 20 times a day. It's not often that Iowa has this much talent on it's roster, and I'm scared to death that they're not going to play at the level that they could for whatever reasons may crop up.
 
i think its just cause were not used to being the big dog, and the bulls-eye makes some people nervous (it does me).
 
Being picked No. 2 in the conference and having a pre-season No. 10 in the coaches' poll does make one pause. The times the Hawks are picked to be world beaters, they collapse, but the years they are not expected to do anything, they shock the world.
 
VanMan1 said:
Being picked No. 2 in the conference and having a pre-season No. 10 in the coaches' poll does make one pause. The times the Hawks are picked to be world beaters, they collapse, but the years they are not expected to do anything, they shock the world.
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Am i nervous as a husker fan, no. Should you be nervous as hawkeye fans, no. Why are you guys freaking out so bad. Its like i said in previous threads. Live it up guys, you are ranked high. People are predicting good things about you. If your guys can put forth the same product on the field like last year you should do great. Even if you didnt you still can be 2 or 3 best in the big 10 and still make it to a bcs bowl or even a really good bowl. I think you are definate contenders for the big 10 title. Why is it so hard for you to accept that good things are coming. Its not like your ISU. You are in the Hawkeye state friggin named after you. Have some confidence in your players and coaches. Stop with the baby letdown stuff. You nor i have any control over what happens in college football. We can only hold on and enjoy the ride so really guys. Just enjoy the ride.
 
BigRedPowrWagon said:
Am i nervous as a husker fan, no. Should you be nervous as hawkeye fans, no. Why are you guys freaking out so bad. Its like i said in previous threads. Live it up guys, you are ranked high. People are predicting good things about you. If your guys can put forth the same product on the field like last year you should do great. Even if you didnt you still can be 2 or 3 best in the big 10 and still make it to a bcs bowl or even a really good bowl. I think you are definate contenders for the big 10 title. Why is it so hard for you to accept that good things are coming. Its not like your ISU. You are in the Hawkeye state friggin named after you. Have some confidence in your players and coaches. Stop with the baby letdown stuff. You nor i have any control over what happens in college football. We can only hold on and enjoy the ride so really guys. Just enjoy the ride.
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Technically, the Hawks are named after the state, but it makes no real difference.

But as far as the nerves go, I don't think it's so much that we refuse to enjoy it, but rather that we WANT to enjoy it. And things like Wegher possibly taking the year off puts a potential damper on the team living up to the expectations. Nebraska is not facing the loss of Niles Paul or Helu Jr. If they were, you Husker fans might see things from the same perspective as we do right now.
 
tm3308 said:
Technically, the Hawks are named after the state, but it makes no real difference.

But as far as the nerves go, I don't think it's so much that we refuse to enjoy it, but rather that we WANT to enjoy it. And things like Wegher possibly taking the year off puts a potential damper on the team living up to the expectations. Nebraska is not facing the loss of Niles Paul or Helu Jr. If they were, you Husker fans might see things from the same perspective as we do right now.
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Huskers' Castille kicked off team for violating team rules - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

That was a big hole to fill but it was filled in. Have some faith in your secondarys and the ability in your coaches to make playmakers. All i am saying is either way we are unable to change the course of things so just try to enjoy the position you are in and stop worrying about things you - we cant control.
 
I think everyone is on edge because of the high expectations, which is a different perspective for a lot of the hawk fans. I am pumped and excited for the season to get started.
 
like i said in another thread, its always fun to start the season unranked and see the weeks go by and they get votes, then crack the 20's, then slowly work their way up the rankings.

we dont' have to do that this year. #10 in the country! everyone talks about playing in glendale or pasadena in january, well starting this higly ranked we have a shot at it! i'm proud of the spot the guys have earned and eager for the season to start so they can show they deserved to be ranked this highly and can lay the lumber to 13 teams
 
Husker, a lot of us remember 2004 when the Hawks could have had a NC type season if they didn't end up playing a walk-on at running back because their top 5 backs went down to injuries.
 
CAARHawk said:
Husker, a lot of us remember 2004 when the Hawks could have had a NC type season if they didn't end up playing a walk-on at running back because their top 5 backs went down to injuries.
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Huh?

No way would we have been a NC caliber team in 2004, even if the RBs hadn't gone down. Tate was still a newb and our OL was pretty mediocre. It's possible that we could have been only a 1-loss team during the regular season though ....

Anyhow, I still think that Iowa fans are reading into their "tea-leaves" WAY TOO MUCH right now.
 
Wake me up when rumors start circulating about the health of Stanzi, Clayborn, or Reiff. Until then .... *yawn* ... I'm not going to worry.
 
homerHAWKeye777 said:
Huh?

No way would we have been a NC caliber team in 2004, even if the RBs hadn't gone down. Tate was still a newb and our OL was pretty mediocre. It's possible that we could have been only a 1-loss team during the regular season though ....

Anyhow, I still think that Iowa fans are reading into their "tea-leaves" WAY TOO MUCH right now.
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Um, didn't we still have a decent stable of RBs when we got pantsed at ASU and lost at UM? I seem to recall Jermelle rumbling one of run of 40+ against MSU before he got hurt in that game. 10-2 was a miracle that year and should have been enough to buy O'Keefe a lifetime extension, especially after the play he drew up to beat LSU.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Um, didn't we still have a decent stable of RBs when we got pantsed at ASU and lost at UM? I seem to recall Jermelle rumbling one of run of 40+ against MSU before he got hurt in that game. 10-2 was a miracle that year and should have been enough to buy O'Keefe a lifetime extension, especially after the play he drew up to beat LSU.
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Yeah. You think that the adjustments made on O in 2004 would have won over more fans into KOK's camp. It won me over, at the very least.
 
Just a little food for thought and a pause for the cause.... I totally agree with your post, CC. As for the rest of you, be thankful for KF and staff and the great competitive team you get to watch and cheer for each weekend. I lived, worked and studied at the U of I awhile back. I always enjoyed cheering on the Hawks even in times of great gloom and doom....Read these stats and weep! Count your blessings and be thankful for what you've got.

The record while I was in town......
1975 Big Ten T–7th 3 8 0 — — —
1976 Big Ten T–7th 5 6 0 — — —
1977 Big Ten T–6th 5 6 0 — — —
1978 Big Ten -8th 2 9 0 — — —
1979 Big Ten -5th 5 6 0 — — —
1980 Big Ten - 4th 4 7 0


[FONT=&quot]All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine. Rock on, HawkeyeNation!!!!!
[/FONT]
 
I started going to Iowa home games in 1962. We had 19 consecutive losing seasons! It was brutal (but still fun, somehow).

A winning season and a bowl game is still thrilling to me --- and I think we will do better than that this year.

Enjoy those golden autumn saturdays in Kinnick this fall!!! Nothing else comes close, IMO
 
CC....Thank you for your response and your perspective....A true fan you are! It takes time and experience to gain appreciation and to recognize the ups and the downs and the patience to count our blessings. You and I are on the same page. My best to you and yours and to all Hawkeye fans. Let's all stay focused on the good things! Looking forward to a great season.......Albieahawk4ever
 
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