Ross P to Alabama - For Real

tm3308 said:
See, arguments like this blow my mind.

You really think the guys we've pulled in from Florida, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania over the years were all Iowa fans?

Maybe you can't see how a kid would play for a school other than the one he grew up loving, but you (and everyone else here) had better be damn grateful that they find a way to do it.
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Read the 2nd line of my post again. It's a combination of how important playing for your favorite team is and how important it is to jump on a team that's already a winner.

There are allot of factors when choosing a school to play ball. I just don't understand how,playing for your dream school isn't at the top of the list.

And all those kids we get from Ohio and Florida, they didn't get offered from their dream school.
 
I'm just surprised that Saban was slumming around trying to bring in 4* recruits. Easy pickins' for him. And, it's a lot easier for this kid to go to Alabama than Iowa. In Bama, he'll be one of many. In Iowa City, he'd be the next Big Thing - maybe he didn't want that kind of pressure. I hope he does well down there. He's made his decision (again), turn the page.
 
HawkMD2007 said:
Ross is a Hawk fan...he will cheer for the Hawks until we beat 'Bama" in the Championship game. :cool:
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He turned his back on Iowa. He can save his cheers. Maybe we'll run into him in 5 years after he "voluntarily" leaves the program with a "severe" knee injury, and is stuck playing his senior season at Middle Tennessee St. He's not a true Iowan. He turned his back on his people, and instead followed a silver-tongued devil with a black heart and empty promises. The only one who is going to suffer for this decision is Ross.
 
tm3308 said:
See, arguments like this blow my mind.

You really think the guys we've pulled in from Florida, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania over the years were all Iowa fans?

Maybe you can't see how a kid would play for a school other than the one he grew up loving, but you (and everyone else here) had better be damn grateful that they find a way to do it.
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I agree. I grew up an Iowa hoops fan in the biggest kind of way (this was during the Tom Davis years), and if I had ever had the talent to play D1 hoops and had gotten an offer from the Hawks, I would have been 100% an Iowa commit.

But during the Lickliter years, when things were horrible, I don't think I would've wanted to play for those losing teams if I had better offers. Winning absolutely does matter, and I agree with Jon that this may not have happened if the program hadn't gone downhill so fast in recent years.
 
OLWPAORWWM said:
He turned his back on Iowa. He can save his cheers. Maybe we'll run into him in 5 years after he "voluntarily" leaves the program with a "severe" knee injury, and is stuck playing his senior season at Middle Tennessee St. He's not a true Iowan. He turned his back on his people, and instead followed a silver-tongued devil with a black heart and empty promises. The only one who is going to suffer for this decision is Ross.
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Or maybe he will be a starting offensive lineman on a national championship team in a few years. I know one thing, that is not going to happen at Iowa. Guess it's hard to blame him too much.
 
deanvogs said:
While I would have loved to have RP at Iowa, I'm not gonna rip on the kid for not coming to Iowa. Good luck to the young man, hopefully he will reconsider once again and become a Hawkeye
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I will rip him only because he was all about coming to Iowa first and gave the Iowa coaches his commitment first....then backed out like a sissy....
 
This wouldn't have happened 5 years ago, but after below average seasons, this is the reality. I'm over RP, but this is very concerning to me that we have now lost the lusted for a in-state OL to come to Iowa. That worries me and so does the future of Iowa football under KF.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Or maybe he will be a starting offensive lineman on a national championship team in a few years. I know one thing, that is not going to happen at Iowa. Guess it's hard to blame him too much.
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No, I am sure a guy who couldn't handle the recruiting process (Committed and decommitted from Iowa three times? Really?!?) is more than strong enough mentally to handle the pressure and expectations of playing at Alabama. Alabama is a place where not only the fans, but even the coaches see you as a piece of meat; A cog in the machine that can be replaced and disposed of the second you're no longer needed.

I don't blame him for what he did, I thank him. We stepped around a HUGE landmine here.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
I agree. I grew up an Iowa hoops fan in the biggest kind of way (this was during the Tom Davis years), and if I had ever had the talent to play D1 hoops and had gotten an offer from the Hawks, I would have been 100% an Iowa commit.

But during the Lickliter years, when things were horrible, I don't think I would've wanted to play for those losing teams if I had better offers. Winning absolutely does matter, and I agree with Jon that this may not have happened if the program hadn't gone downhill so fast in recent years.
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This is understandable. I still wouldn't be able to turn them down but when its that bad I can understand it.
 
eveningnewsteam said:
Sucks to lose an instate kid, but Iowa is loaded on the offensive line.
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This couldnt be more wrong.

As somebody in a different Ross P thread pointed out, Iowa loses 2 offensive linemen in a matter of 3 minutes last year against PSU and goes winless the rest of the season.

Iowa's starting 5 on the OL is often very good. The depth is what kills them though if somebody goes down. You arent ever comfortable with losing highly rated kids, especially those that grew up an hour and 15 minutes from Iowa City and is supposedly a big Hawk fan.
 
Is what it is. It would sting a lot more if it were a skill position recruit with his notoriety. KF has produced some incredible left tackles. Robert Gallery, Bryan Bulaga, Riley Reiff, and now Brandon Scherff are all pretty damn good examples. Basically if you become Iowa's left tackle you are going to the NFL. Now I understand Bama is an NFL factory so this decision won't hurt Ross's chances, but Ferentz won't have trouble finding someone who wants it to step in and fill this void.

Two things:

1. Ultimately I'm not gonna badmouth the kid even though it's a tough pill to swallow. I hope he went where his heart told him to. He has to understand he's just a number at Alabama. I hope for his sake he doesn't get injured, and become the next guy who is magically "replaced".

2. I'm afraid Iowa is in desperate need of a momentum swing or this train is going to fly off the tracks in the near future. I don't think it can wait until 2014. This team better come out of the gates with their hair on fire.
 
This is just college football. You have to be relentless on the recruiting trail. That is who Saban is. Committed players only matter to the top 10 programs in the country. Meaning, most committed players aren't switching from a top 10 program...unless its to another top 10 program. Everybody else's committed list is up for grabs. It's just another reason I dislike college football more every year. And it's not poor Iowa. KF has done the same thing. It's just a complete free-for-all.

I'm not a big fan of his or Alabama, but as for Saban, he IS at the top of the mountain. Yes he gets the best players, but that is because he is the best recruiter. He's the best motivator in the game. Psychologically, his team is on a different level than anybody else in the country. Google Kevin Elko. Saban's teams are a step ahead mentally. And his team executes at the highest level in college football. His game plans are second to none. Now, are all these things easier to do with the talent he has? Sure. But Saban is unmatched in college football right now.

Add to Saban one of the best traditions in college football, and that is why Ross P is heading to Tuscaloosa.
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why are you assuming Ross P would have played tackle?

He is listed at a guard and has a guard's size, was there any mention at all of Iowa having plans of shifting him to LT?
 
Section136 said:
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Why are you assuming Ross P would have played tackle?

He is listed at a guard and has a guard's size, was there any mention at all of Iowa having plans of shifting him to LT?
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I've seen him listed at 6'5 though I don't know exactly how tall he is. I simply imagine if he was as good as his hype then he would have ended up at LT.
 
As I stated in another thread. Losing Ross on a position level isn't a huge deal. It stings but it isn't going to be the downfall of the team. Losing Ross hurts so much more on a perception level. This was an in-state kid, a supposed Hawk fan, playing the one position that Iowa does extremely well at sending guys on to the next level, yet Iowa still could not keep him. Granted, he left Iowa for one of the best teams in the country the last four years so at least we didn't lose him to a ****** program like Illinois or ISU, that would have stung more.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
Sure, we want him, but... If there is a position that takes time to grow into, it's the OL. We are always going to be fine there as long as we continue to recruit the way we have the past few years. Alabama is a tough thing to turn down. IMO, the only problem with Alabama is that it's in Alabama. Best wishes Ross on a great career...there is a ton of tradition in the SEC...and you are going to test your metal against other 4-5 star guys. Hope it goes well.

I do have one wish though...please flip back in February and stick one in Nick's arse for me. I'd like that.
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Disagree. His offer should be "gone" under any/all circumstances. Injury, transfer, etc. He made his choice. We need to move on and find someone willing to work from Day One.

Only saving grace is RP made his choice now rather than later.
 
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