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NCHawker

NCHawker

Well-Known Member
First week in october and podcasters are already explaining why Iowa gets to Indy. #tooearly.

This team isn't that much better than we expected. Early consensus was that nearly every game is winnable and just as easily they could lose. Given the close games so far, I am not prepared to pencil a W on any game left on the schedule. ISU - tied until late in the game. PITT - close, Wisc - close.

I'm not there yet, but I am enjoying it.
 
I don't get the one game at a time mentality for fans, to be honest. I get where the sentiment is coming from that the players/coaches shouldn't overlook opponents, but let fans and reporters conjecture all they want.
 
I'll admit, although not without holes, this team is much better than I expected. I have a feeling the coaches knew this going into the season to.
 
I agree it's way to early to be talking Indy. I would probably feel better if we were healthy but I'm not sold until I see our passing game work without smith. Despite us being better then I expected several teams left on our schedule seem to be better then I expected by about the same amount if not more.
 
There's a good chance there will be plenty of time later in the year to not be talking about Indy. We just as well talk while we still can.
 
We could either be talking about chances to go to Indy or have a dumpster fire every week on these boards like the past 3 yrs. I'll take Indy talk, even though may be premature, at least being in the conversation is enjoyable.
 
This season just proves what most have always said about Iowa under Ferentz: The margin for error is razor thin.

No better example than Iowa's last 7 regular season games. Two close losses to Wisconsin & Nebraska were the difference between an exciting 9-3 finish or a very frustrating 7-5 as it was.

Two blowouts this year but the ISU, Pitt, & Wiscosin games could have gone either way and Iowa could easily be 3-2 or even 2-3 and Ferentz would be getting killed on social and traditional media. But instead Iowa is ranked and sitting a 5-0 with a winnable game on Saturday. Everyone is calling Iowa the surprise team and look how Ferentz has brought the program back. A couple bounces go the other way (Canzeri fumble) and its a very different story.
 
I think the other 7 teams on Iowa's schedule would love to kill Iowa's dreams of Indy. If Hawkeye history has taught us anything, it's that buying tickets to any championship isn't a sure thing until the last game is played.

Illinois isn't coming to Iowa expecting to lose. They are very close to Iowa statistically. I think Iowa will win but I also believe that Iowa can't overlook anyone.
 
I'll talk about indy all I want thank you. Whats funny is think back to last year:

Lost to ISU by 3 (blew a lead)
Lost to Maryland by 7 (blew an early lead)
Lost to Wisconsin by 2 (came up just short)
Lost to Nebraska by 3 in double OT (blew a lead)
Crushed by Minnesota

So most fans were calling for Ferentz to be fired, when the reality is he was a few close plays from possibly being 10-2 or 11-1. This year he's winning those close games (so far) and people are loving the supposed reinvented Kirk Ferentz.

Amazing how things can change when you win close games
 
PCHawk said:
There's a good chance there will be plenty of time later in the year to not be talking about Indy. We just as well talk while we still can.
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Yeah, there's plenty of time in December, after the B1G Championship game is over to no longer talk about Indy. By then, we'll be talking about football in January hopefully.
 
Xerxes said:
This season just proves what most have always said about Iowa under Ferentz: The margin for error is razor thin.

No better example than Iowa's last 7 regular season games. Two close losses to Wisconsin & Nebraska were the difference between an exciting 9-3 finish or a very frustrating 7-5 as it was.

Two blowouts this year but the ISU, Pitt, & Wiscosin games could have gone either way and Iowa could easily be 3-2 or even 2-3 and Ferentz would be getting killed on social and traditional media. But instead Iowa is ranked and sitting a 5-0 with a winnable game on Saturday. Everyone is calling Iowa the surprise team and look how Ferentz has brought the program back. A couple bounces go the other way (Canzeri fumble) and its a very different story.
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This is a great post and oh so true. I feel sorry for these coaches, in a way, because a random bounce of the ball can make the difference in the close games. Ferentz has done a great job this year of putting Iowa in a POSITION to win the 3 close games. Against Iowa St. and Pittsburgh, 4th quarter drives put us in a POSITION to win the games. Against Wisconsin, the defense made 4th quarter stops to allow the win. Could it have gone the other way? Absolutely. We have seven games left. I don't think Maryland can beat us under any scenario (I'm chalking that one up as a win). So we have 6 games against teams that are fully capable of defeating Iowa, but are also teams that we CAN defeat. The whole key in my mind is whether CJ can continue to make plays in the 4th quarter. I just hope we have enough weapons at receiver and tight end to make those plays. I really hope we get T. Smith back for the last 5 games, because he makes a difference.
 
mopkins said:
I'll talk about indy all I want thank you. Whats funny is think back to last year:

Lost to ISU by 3 (blew a lead)
Lost to Maryland by 7 (blew an early lead)
Lost to Wisconsin by 2 (came up just short)
Lost to Nebraska by 3 in double OT (blew a lead)
Crushed by Minnesota

So most fans were calling for Ferentz to be fired, when the reality is he was a few close plays from possibly being 10-2 or 11-1. This year he's winning those close games (so far) and people are loving the supposed reinvented Kirk Ferentz.

Amazing how things can change when you win close games
Click to expand...

Again, so true. The last 7 games will feature a bunch of close games. Can we make the plays in the 4th quarter, on offense and defense? Last year we needed stops in the 4th quarter on defense against Iowa State, Wisconsin and Nebraska and instead allowed late scores to lose those games. This year, we stop Iowa State late in the 4th quarter when it is 17-17 and then score late to win. Against Wisconsin, we stop them late in the game when they are inside the red zone twice (and once inside the 3 yard line). Against Pitt, we drive for the winning score inside one minute after the game is tied. The difference is the ability to make the 4th quarter stops or the 4th quarter late scoring drives. These close games are going to continue! Make sure you are wearing your pacemaker!
 
Xerxes said:
This season just proves what most have always said about Iowa under Ferentz: The margin for error is razor thin. ...
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2% according to the article Jon has posted on here. 50:1 - Maybe a dull razor, hurts more when it cuts you. Things will be a little clearer after Saturday.
 
pmchawk said:
I agree it's way to early to be talking Indy. I would probably feel better if we were healthy but I'm not sold until I see our passing game work without smith. Despite us being better then I expected several teams left on our schedule seem to be better then I expected by about the same amount if not more.
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Excellent point.
 
ChosenChildren said:
Again, so true. The last 7 games will feature a bunch of close games. Can we make the plays in the 4th quarter, on offense and defense? Last year we needed stops in the 4th quarter on defense against Iowa State, Wisconsin and Nebraska and instead allowed late scores to lose those games. This year, we stop Iowa State late in the 4th quarter when it is 17-17 and then score late to win. Against Wisconsin, we stop them late in the game when they are inside the red zone twice (and once inside the 3 yard line). Against Pitt, we drive for the winning score inside one minute after the game is tied. The difference is the ability to make the 4th quarter stops or the 4th quarter late scoring drives. These close games are going to continue! Make sure you are wearing your pacemaker!
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I'm stocking up on batteries right now. Thing is OSU & MSU have had close games as well. As high as they are ranked teams are playing them close. As for Iowa's Indy talk I'm enjoying it. Cautiously optimistic is my outlook.
 
mopkins said:
I'll talk about indy all I want thank you. Whats funny is think back to last year:

Lost to ISU by 3 (blew a lead)
Lost to Maryland by 7 (blew an early lead)
Lost to Wisconsin by 2 (came up just short)
Lost to Nebraska by 3 in double OT (blew a lead)
Crushed by Minnesota

So most fans were calling for Ferentz to be fired, when the reality is he was a few close plays from possibly being 10-2 or 11-1. This year he's winning those close games (so far) and people are loving the supposed reinvented Kirk Ferentz.

Amazing how things can change when you win close games
Click to expand...


But how many close plays were we from being 44-20, instead of 34-30, or even 24-40? The being that we went through 5 seasons of losing those "close" games" Kirk is reinvented, to a degree. He deserves credit for that. But he isn't all the way there, yet. I still believe he made personnel mistakes this non con by not playing J. Smith with the 1's against Ill St and UNT, instead of waiting until the WUs game. And I think he's made some strategy mistake: ISU (end of half), not clocking the ball with .24 left against Pitt and not kicking 20 yard fg to tie WUs at 3-3. Do folks realize that if Stave hadn't fumbled, WUs probably scores to go up 13-10? And we didn't even attempt fg in 1st qtr on the road. Don't get that at all.
 
If you can't talk about Indy right now as a fan, then when? Fan is short for fanatic which means that you are not going to be rational in your thoughts of that team. It's okay to dream big and if they come up short well, at least you didn't limit the possibilities or your enjoyment of the team and where it is now.
 
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