Preview, Prediction: Iowa-Troy Football

There are certain things that can be blamed on rust: inconsistent mechanics, poor timing, poor decisions, etc.

To me it seems that McNamara is physically incapable of making the plays he needs to make for this offense to be successful. I am no expert, and I am not at every practice, but I do not have much confidence that McNamara can lead this team to being any thing more than mediocre.
 
It will be interesting to see if Sullivan plays any meaningful reps this week. There’s certainly a strong case to be made that he should get some game experience in this offense.
KF usually let's the season get away before switching QBs. So, we will need 5-6 more poor performances by CM, half of which are losses, to try out a new QB to finish out a 7-5 campaign.......
 
Getting the backup work in this game isn't a lack of loyalty to CM, if that's what KF is worried about. And if it upsets CM, that's on him. He should be a better teammate.

Give Sullivan a series or two. The argument that CM needs those reps in his process of knocking off the rust leads to poor roster management, IMO. The competition was close in camp, CM is struggling, get a look at the other kid at game speed. He's won B1G games, for christ sake.

It shouldn't be this hard.
 
KF is so scared of anything that smells of a QB controversy, but if he is the leader of men he is always purported to be (and I think he is), he should be able to guide a team through some instability at QB.
 
Getting the backup work in this game isn't a lack of loyalty to CM, if that's what KF is worried about. And if it upsets CM, that's on him. He should be a better teammate.

Give Sullivan a series or two. The argument that CM needs those reps in his process of knocking off the rust leads to poor roster management, IMO. The competition was close in camp, CM is struggling, get a look at the other kid at game speed. He's won B1G games, for christ sake.

It shouldn't be this hard.
That makes waaaaay too much sense for KF to implement.

CM will play most of the game, and Sullivan gets mop up duty late in the 4th Quarter.
 
Same as it ever was. No way to get him to change, I think asst coaches must be scared to speak up on things like this. Would think the OC would have a huge input.

I can easily see the legs are still not right in the way he runs and the way he throws off those legs. Real or a fear of injury, no idea but nothing like the way he threw the ball at Michigan. Strong natural and not dependent upon how his is positioned so much.
 
I know the Hawks could easily regress whenever Kirk finally leaves, but he is also holding back the program from potential greatness because of his stubbornness on the offensive side. How many seasons have we wasted great defenses because of the offense? Cade is obviously not the answer and quite possibly costed us the game last week. Make the move now before it gets worse.
 
I have mixed emotions on this. Based on what I have seen from Sullivan, from his Northwestern days, replacing McNamara with Sullivan isn’t much of an upgrade. Getting Sullivan reps in the middle of the 3rd quarter, when you are up by 20…does nothing. If Kirk is going to do this, then give Sullivan meaningful reps with the first team, in the first half.

If Sullivan is handing the ball off to Max White in the 4th quarter, then I have no interest. If it is 7-3, with 4 minutes left in the 1st quarter and Sullivan is getting those 2nd series reps…now I am interested.
 
If im Troy I play base and play the run every single play, even 3rd and long I don’t go nickel.

Cade can’t make throws, he won’t make throws.
 
Just to go on record I think KF should make a switch right away, as in start Sullivan. That said, messing with the QB can be finicky...

1. If you really want to see Sullivan you have to do it to start the game and give him the entire first half no matter what, good or bad. You can't start CM and pull him after a bad drive or two. Too many variables and even a great QB can have a couple bad drives, and pulling him right away makes things look like an out of control shit show. It doesn't really tell you anything meaningful and it's just going to add to the controversy if you do that. You also can't just throw him in there at the end. That doesn't show you anything meaningful either unless the game is tight. If the game is tight in the 2nd half against Troy, there are a whole lot more things going wrong than the QB.

2. Musical quarterbacks is one of the worst things that can happen to a football program. It's a big gamble and if you then find out you have two guys who struggle to play the position it immediately sends a message to players and fans that you don't know what you're doing and don't have an answer...in the most public way possible. Remember that making a QB change at the P5 level is always going to be a gamble and the number one rule in all of life is never make a bad situation worse.

I know KF doesn't ooperate this way, but if I was the head coach I'd just quash it right now during the week and tell media the plan is to start Sullivan and roll with him the first half and then evaluate it at halftime. Troy only has old film on him, there's no real harm in saying it now. It will at least calm the fan/media storm for a little bit because even if they don't agree with it they at least know what's going to happen. That way CM gets a gentle wake up call without getting pulled for a B1G game, you get a 30 minute audition from Sullivan in a real situation without being on the road at Minnesota or OSU, and then at least you have two known quantities before going on road trips to very unhospitable locations twice in a row.

Let's say CM flops again against Troy and goes 7/29 for 89 YDS with a couple picks. Now you're hosed. You have no choice because you're not going to throw Sullivan to the wolves right away against Minnesota or especially OSU. Things get dicey.

The ISU game pretty much busted the season. Let's be honest, no one's making a 12 team playoff getting beat by ISU unless they win the B1G which isn't happening. So to salvage what's left of it I think this is going to be the game to either steer the bus in the right direction or drive it into the ditch. It might still go into the ditch with Sullivan because no one knows what he's got in him yet, but you at least have to find out. And the timing of how we find out is paramount.

I'm also realistic and I know that the 5 minutes I just wasted typing all that out is 100% for nothing, because a guy who lost one hand in a table saw accident and 3 fingers and half his thumb to a fireworks mishap can count every time KF has done what fans wanted in 25 years.

So let's all be real and stop screaming from the roof tops. CM is starting, and CM will play this entire game unless he gets injured.
 
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Damn, that showing last weekend really seemed to kill the enthusiasm on this board. Not exactly a compelling opponent this week, but even so, such a small amount of participation.

I am right there with you, my default setting is no longer excitement. They are going to have to show some stuff to bring me back.
 
Damn, that showing last weekend really seemed to kill the enthusiasm on this board. Not exactly a compelling opponent this week, but even so, such a small amount of participation.

I am right there with you, my default setting is no longer excitement. They are going to have to show some stuff to bring me back.
The rinse and repeat wears people out. Folks get hopes up for things and then KF throws water on the campfire.

It was a new-fangled shiny QB from a blue blood with hopes of a new offense, and nope...

Then Brian getting fired and hopes of a new offense, and nope...

Then a new OC and hopes of a new offense, and nope...

Hope that KF would see CM is basically just Scott Mullen all over again and see what Sullivan's all about, and nope...

That's just the past two seasons. Add the Stanley/Petras dynasty years in there too for added effect and you can see what I mean.
 
That makes waaaaay too much sense for KF to implement.

CM will play most of the game, and Sullivan gets mop up duty late in the 4th Quarter.
No bust on you, but do you really think after watching last week that they'll be a mop up duties opportunity? From here on out I'm stating it. The rest of the season Iowa will either be in a close game ( 1 score ) or behind in the closing minutes of each game.
You always have to take in the expected weak link of the team, ( KF )!!
 

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