Men his age are dying overseas so he or the other players are hardly kids. Many men his same age are married and working to support a family while he plays football. And college football is hardly "just a game anymore." Coaches are paid a great amount of money to win...bottom line, win. Players are recruited to win football games, not hang out in bars. We all know that most of the players take as easy a major and schedule of courses as they possibly can. We also know that the degree, if they get one, is not going to help them much in their future in most cases. These "kids" are recruited to play football and win games, academics are second hand and a nuisance for many of the players. They are there to play football to get a chance to play in the NFL. Coaches even encourage players to take as easy a major a possible so they can spend more time with football. A tough major cuts into football time.
The criticism goes with the position. It is all great and sassy when a player does great things but he is only a kid and should not be criticized when he doesn't produce. Like I said, "kids" the same age are in the heat of battle dying and people get upset if a QB or any other kid playing football gets criticized. If he can't handle the heat, he needs to get out of the fire...just like our coaches.
Iowa fans are no different (although many would like to think they are) than fans of any other college football team. If a player does well he is idolized by grownup men; if he doesn't play well, he is criticized. If the players and coaches don't like the criticism, then they need to change don't they.
What happens when you are criticized at work...do you continue to do the same thing over and over or do you change. What happens if you do not change? Does the boss say, "oh, you are only 20 or 21, I dare not criticize you because you are only a kid." No, you change. If you do not you are replaced or fired...there are no guarantees in life.
Just because you play football at Iowa and fans put you on a pedestal doesn't mean much because they can and do tear that pedestal down just as quickly. That simply is how the sports world works.