Perspective

[SCHawkeye2]

The issue, xir, is that you have a limited number of scholarships, guys go other places, guys get hurt, guys don't make the team due to academics/trouble with the law, whatever, guys come in and just suck, or guys just don't develop. And on o-line, if you have one guy who sucks, the whole thing sucks. They'll shore it up. We shirted some good players this year. I ain't a fan of Polacek, so hopefully they move him this off season.

The skill guys we have right now that are freshmen look pretty good. If we have a QB who can get them the rock and competent line play, we'll have a pretty good team the next few years.

Iowa is ranked 101st in rushing offense. 2 yds per game better than Rutgers BTW.
Are you suggesting the above issues are a one off for Iowa? Are you suggesting that these things did not happen to any of the other 100 teams who have a better rushing attack?

 

[revkev73]

Mic drop. Where da haterz now????

What is Iowa's record vs Wisconsin, their #1 rival, over this same time-frame?

There's your answer.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Iowa is ranked 101st in rushing offense. 2 yds per game better than Rutgers BTW.
Are you suggesting the above issues are a one off for Iowa? Are you suggesting that these things did not happen to any of the other 100 teams who have a better rushing attack?

Yeah, everyone has busts and injuries and guys not qualifying or whatever. But Iowa has a system built around ball control and pocket passers, so our rushing stats are skewed by sacks, the immobile QB and our desire to shorten the game. If you look at the list, there's a bunch of teams that run options, RPOs or have running QBs that can run the defense down the field and then run the QB. That ain't Iowa's game plan. I am going to give the Cap'n the benefit of the doubt that we just had a couple of empty classes and I presume he'll shore it up. Like I said, I think we need a new line coach. But the ball club is sitting at 8-3 and we've played some teams with some damned good run defenses that have loaded the box and forced Stanley to try to beat them up top. It's not like we're freaking App State playing LA Tech week in and week out.

 

[okeefe4prez]

What is Iowa's record vs Wisconsin, their #1 rival, over this same time-frame?

There's your answer.

Our rival is Iowa State. Then Nebraska. Wisconsin isn't even a rival, bud.

 

[deanvogs]

Perhaps now. But the trend of those recruiting rankings ought to scare you. Those rankings are done a year before the athlete gets on campus. Then assume a player redshirts his freshman year and really doesn’t make an impact in the program until two or three years later.

The reality is Franklin is beating the hell out of Ferentz on the recruiting trail. He’s in on athletes Iowa might have once gotten out of NJ and the DC area. We might begin to see that impact in another year or two. Going forward, I doubt Iowa will ever defeat Penn State, at least based on talent.

This year Penn St barely beat Iowa this year with players from ‘15-19 which ranked 15,21,12, and 5. Iowa’s rankings were 42, 40, 40, and 42.

 

[DDThompson]

Iowa is ranked 101st in rushing offense. 2 yds per game better than Rutgers BTW.
Are you suggesting the above issues are a one off for Iowa? Are you suggesting that these things did not happen to any of the other 100 teams who have a better rushing attack?

How many of those other 100 teams have 8+ wins

 

[revkev73]

Our rival is Iowa State. Then Nebraska. Wisconsin isn't even a rival, bud.

Well, that's your opinion...the West runs through Madison...the last decade and Iowa is coming up zeros, Bud.

Nebraska and Iowa State are stocking stuffers...

 

[okeefe4prez]

Well, that's your opinion...the West runs through Madison...the last decade and Iowa is coming up zeros, Bud.

Nebraska and Iowa State are stocking stuffers...

Nebraska has the most hardware of anyone in the West. And Iowa State won a bowl game in Boise that one year, so they are formidable.

 

[revkev73]

Yeah, everyone has busts and injuries and guys not qualifying or whatever. But Iowa has a system built around ball control and pocket passers, so our rushing stats are skewed by sacks, the immobile QB and our desire to shorten the game. If you look at the list, there's a bunch of teams that run options, RPOs or have running QBs that can run the defense down the field and then run the QB. That ain't Iowa's game plan. I am going to give the Cap'n the benefit of the doubt that we just had a couple of empty classes and I presume he'll shore it up. Like I said, I think we need a new line coach. But the ball club is sitting at 8-3 and we've played some teams with some damned good run defenses that have loaded the box and forced Stanley to try to beat them up top. It's not like we're freaking App State playing LA Tech week in and week out.

Kirkball works best vs inferior teams...wear them out, shorten the game. But vs Wisconsin, PSU, Michigan, Stanford...come up short with that "hide in the hole" game plan. Middle Tennessee, etc....works like a charm, career enhancing "wins"

 

[okeefe4prez]

Kirkball works best vs inferior teams...wear them out, shorten the game. But vs Wisconsin, PSU, Michigan, Stanford...come up short with that "hide in the hole" game plan. Middle Tennessee, etc....works like a charm, career enhancing "wins"

So do you know of an alternative strategy that would yield say a 75% win percentage against Wisconsin, PSU and Michigan? If you do, you should apply for the Rutgers job.

 

[revkev73]

So do you know of an alternative strategy that would yield say a 75% win percentage against Wisconsin, PSU and Michigan? If you do, you should apply for the Rutgers job.

"Opposite Kirkball" might work. But let's start with (A) win vs Wisconsin, the team we have to beat to win the championship we plan our season around.

 

[ModebaSan]

Dantonio is likely dead man walking now. Will have that heavily used against him in recruiting.

With Dantonio being part of that dumpster fire and Harbaugh not able to win the big game vs. tOSU, we should be raiding the hell outta the State of Michigan the next few years while we can.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Yeah, Iowa is a mediocre program.........Along with Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State.

 

[Seth53]

Our rival is Iowa State. Then Nebraska. Wisconsin isn't even a rival, bud.

Maybe not a rival, but....similarly to ISU clandestinely looking at Iowa and wishing they were us, you *know* the Iowa program does the same with Bucky. If it doesn't, it should.

 

[eyekwah]

The whole issue with the offense is having to accept field goals rather than score touchdowns. A 2pt loss to @Wisconsin, a five point loss to PSU and a 7 point loss @Michigan has us frowning. Iowa is near the bottom in the conference in scoring points (155) going into Friday's game with NE. The Wisconsin game was lost by Iowa's inability to convert a Wisconsin turnover into a TD and an Iowa turnover fumble that Wisconsin was able to. Just adding 3 TD's in exchange for three field goals would change the season to 10 & 1.

Here's is point, we would still be bitching about the offense regardless of the record.

 

[deanvogs]

If you listen to Deace, he thinks it is Kirk Ferentz best coaching job to date at Iowa.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

It is clear that Coach deploys a game strategy that he feels utilizes our talent where he has recruited and grown the talent. Play conservative, shorten the game, create an opportunity to win in the 4th quarter. I feel that it is impossible to argue that fact. It is frustrating to some. It has created opportunities for losses against NW, Iowa State, North Dakota, UNI, MAC schools, Purdue, etc. There are times where we create extra turnovers or simply overpower certain teams in certain years and win by 30+. Otherwise the goal is to simply have an opportunity to win every game.

We have defeated Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin in the past 5 years. Not consistently enough, but we are in those games with opportunities to win against much better paper and probably actual talent overall. I think his success in recognizing Iowa program talent and the relative success we have had is the thing that he is most harshly criticized for in the end. There is no reason that the state of Iowa has a manifest destiny or divine right to athletic success. Are you kidding me? Thank you Lute Olson! Thank you Tom Davis! Thank you Hayden Fry! Thank you Kirk Ferentz! If anything, I'd hope that we try to compete for the 4* and 5* players a little more. The 4* Sullivan kid we just picked up recognized that he can play in the NFL and Iowa's developmental program won out. I'd like to go after more 4+* players on a flier here and there. We did it once, got burned and have never gone back to the well. Otherwise, thankful of winning football, competitive against the best teams, hopeful for a magical season at times.

 

[revkev73]

This year Penn St barely beat Iowa this year with players from ‘15-19 which ranked 15,21,12, and 5. Iowa’s rankings were 42, 40, 40, and 42.

How many consecutive years has PSU beaten Iowa?

 

[revkev73]

It is clear that Coach deploys a game strategy that he feels utilizes our talent where he has recruited and grown the talent. Play conservative, shorten the game, create an opportunity to win in the 4th quarter. I feel that it is impossible to argue that fact. It is frustrating to some. It has created opportunities for losses against NW, Iowa State, North Dakota, UNI, MAC schools, Purdue, etc. There are times where we create extra turnovers or simply overpower certain teams in certain years and win by 30+. Otherwise the goal is to simply have an opportunity to win every game.

We have defeated Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin in the past 5 years. Not consistently enough, but we are in those games with opportunities to win against much better paper and probably actual talent overall. I think his success in recognizing Iowa program talent and the relative success we have had is the thing that he is most harshly criticized for in the end. There is no reason that the state of Iowa has a manifest destiny or divine right to athletic success. Are you kidding me? Thank you Lute Olson! Thank you Tom Davis! Thank you Hayden Fry! Thank you Kirk Ferentz! If anything, I'd hope that we try to compete for the 4* and 5* players a little more. The 4* Sullivan kid we just picked up recognized that he can play in the NFL and Iowa's developmental program won out. I'd like to go after more 4+* players on a flier here and there. We did it once, got burned and have never gone back to the well. Otherwise, thankful of winning football, competitive against the best teams, hopeful for a magical season at times.

Agree with what you say, for the most part, but has Iowa beaten Wisconsin and PSU in the last 5 years?

 

[deanvogs]

How many consecutive years has PSU beaten Iowa?

Several, and all but 2016 were close. The gap between Iowa and Penn St. isn't very large, and it isn't close to as large as their recruiting advantage says it should be.