Schwartz: An Iowa Season That Defies Explanation
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
The season truly does NOT defy explanation. The head coach is Kirk Ferentz. That's the explanation.
He let the genie out of the bottle for one game and that was Ohio State. The results were shocking. It scared his risk adverse butt to the core. He put the genie back in the bottle the past two games and the results were horrible. But at least the games were close. That's his MO.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
http://thetailgatesociety.com/2017/11/nice-guys-finish-7-5/
The ship is circling the drain.
Read through the Schwartz article. Seems to be covering a bit for the coaching staff. The problems this year are both personal/talent and xs and os. That is taking a potentially undefeated or 1 loss Iowa and making them 6-5. And, yes, I thought Iowa would be a 5 to 7 win team to start the year. But, the OSU and ISU games show this team was capable of much more. Right now they are a worse team than what they were to start the year. That is very concerning. Iowa has zero business losing to Purdue on senior day. They have zero business putting up on only 66 yards of total offense in a game coming off an offensive explosion against likely the Big Ten Champion.
The biggest problem is we are just to stubborn in scheme on the offensive side of the ball. They have a couple of stud tight ends and a guy in Wadley who can house it in space and they are content running into 9 man fronts most of the game on 1st down. You would think the coaches could come together and find some schemes that could exploit 9 man fronts. But, they are content on going back to winning and losing Ferentz's typical way.
The Ohio St game was a thing of beauty. Saw it in person. The shifting of players, the different looks, passing schemes, the blocking, getting the ball to the tight ends......was brilliant. Iowa was not a 1 dimensional team. Yes, it helped OSU was not stacking the box, but these things I think would work and apply to other games. But, that is not the Ferentz way.
If you can impose your will (Michigan game last year) and they can't stop you, well then fine. But the data is in and Iowa can't win this way this year. They do better when they attack and open it up.
The ship is circling the drain.
Read through the Schwartz article. Seems to be covering a bit for the coaching staff. The problems this year are both personal/talent and xs and os. That is taking a potentially undefeated or 1 loss Iowa and making them 6-5. And, yes, I thought Iowa would be a 5 to 7 win team to start the year. But, the OSU and ISU games show this team was capable of much more. Right now they are a worse team than what they were to start the year. That is very concerning. Iowa has zero business losing to Purdue on senior day. They have zero business putting up on only 66 yards of total offense in a game coming off an offensive explosion against likely the Big Ten Champion.
The biggest problem is we are just to stubborn in scheme on the offensive side of the ball. They have a couple of stud tight ends and a guy in Wadley who can house it in space and they are content running into 9 man fronts most of the game on 1st down. You would think the coaches could come together and find some schemes that could exploit 9 man fronts. But, they are content on going back to winning and losing Ferentz's typical way.
The Ohio St game was a thing of beauty. Saw it in person. The shifting of players, the different looks, passing schemes, the blocking, getting the ball to the tight ends......was brilliant. Iowa was not a 1 dimensional team. Yes, it helped OSU was not stacking the box, but these things I think would work and apply to other games. But, that is not the Ferentz way.
If you can impose your will (Michigan game last year) and they can't stop you, well then fine. But the data is in and Iowa can't win this way this year. They do better when they attack and open it up.
lightning1
Well-Known Member
This is the KF way. Good defense keeps us in most games. Weak OOC schedule and a weak division, allows us to land somewhere in the 6-8 win area. If Iowa was in the East, we'd be cellar dwellers.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
dude, I was going to say this same sentiment. This season is symbolic of so many and is why so many fans are and have been done with kirk for a long, long time.
