AlwaysbeaHawk
Banned
it was great to be in the "talk" ...unfortunately...that's all out in the window now......having to go undefeated to have a shot at the natl title is such crap...mann I loathe the BCS.....
Shattered dreams of a Natl Championship...
- Thread starter AlwaysbeaHawk
- Start date
cibula11
Well-Known Member
Starting in the top 10 and having a schedule that favored us made us a contender. One of the ESPN bloggers predicted Iowa vs. Alabama in the NC game before last night. It wasn't just crazy Hawkeye fans.
johnashawk
Well-Known Member
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
That's prolly the biggest disappointment for me after this loss ... realizing that, with this schedule and the amount of talent, experience & depth on both sides of the ball, if this team didn't make it to the NC game, Iowa will NEVER ... EVER ... make it. (And if you really doubt Iowa was a national title contender you haven't been paying attention to what several other "realists" / professional analysts have been saying.) Teams like this come around at Iowa once every 20 - 30 years. The last one being 1985.
On that note, I also realized that, not only do you have to have the schedule and skills, you also have to have an incredibly high ratio of "bounces" go your way and you have to be capable of maximizing opportunities. The reality is, every year, two teams have to put together that "perfect storm" of a season just to get a shot. You have to be within 0.83% (1 of 120 teams) of perfection.
Even if Iowa were to have gone undefeated, it is still very possible they would not be #1 or #2. And, if you're not #1 or #2, it doesn't matter if your #3 or #10.
The Hawks can still have a spectacular season. They are still a front-runner for the B11 title. They can still go 11-1 and play in the Rose Bowl or they can go 10-2 and, maybe still play in a BCS bowl. At this point, they must refocus their sights on playing for the 1A tier that exists between #3 and #10. This goal is still highly realistic and obtainable.
On that note, I also realized that, not only do you have to have the schedule and skills, you also have to have an incredibly high ratio of "bounces" go your way and you have to be capable of maximizing opportunities. The reality is, every year, two teams have to put together that "perfect storm" of a season just to get a shot. You have to be within 0.83% (1 of 120 teams) of perfection.
Even if Iowa were to have gone undefeated, it is still very possible they would not be #1 or #2. And, if you're not #1 or #2, it doesn't matter if your #3 or #10.
The Hawks can still have a spectacular season. They are still a front-runner for the B11 title. They can still go 11-1 and play in the Rose Bowl or they can go 10-2 and, maybe still play in a BCS bowl. At this point, they must refocus their sights on playing for the 1A tier that exists between #3 and #10. This goal is still highly realistic and obtainable.
jameskalina
Well-Known Member
Iowa still has a chance, but it's an up hill battle. Also the Hawks will need help from other teams along the way.
An early loss is not as damaging to a natioanal title contending team as a loss would be later in the season.
This said, I would not look for Iowa to be playing in the NC game this coming January. But on the other hand, I would not totally rule it out.
We all need to root for Arizona to go undefeated (unlikely) and that will help our cause.
An early loss is not as damaging to a natioanal title contending team as a loss would be later in the season.
This said, I would not look for Iowa to be playing in the NC game this coming January. But on the other hand, I would not totally rule it out.
We all need to root for Arizona to go undefeated (unlikely) and that will help our cause.
+1. That's what hurts the most. Like STILL said, this team had a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the championship game. Iowa hasn't been seriously in the national championship talk at the end of a season since the 1950's. That's 60+ years. To put it in perspective, going by past history, the next time Iowa will have this kind of team the year will be 2070, man will have walked on Mars, two asteroids the size of football fields or bigger will pass inside the orbits of our communication satellites, and (hopefully) I will be 79 years old.
bcl20
Well-Known Member
The 2002 team was talented enough to be in discussion (if it weren't for some fluke fumbles they may have been in the game) and nobody thought that team was that good. Last years team was there until the last couple of weeks as well. Iowa has some great coaches now and they will have a great team again.
This year isn't over either. We're 18 in the country with 9 to play. That's a lot of football.
clicheusername3
Banned
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRHLkLFJxaw]YouTube - Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dream (USA Version)[/ame]
this is for real shattered dreams.
this is for real shattered dreams.
HawkeyesWin
Well-Known Member
We are still a great team. There are going to be 3-4 undefeated teams by the end of the season so a NC is out of the picture now but we can still win the Big Ten. All is not lost Hawk fans.
B
briankaldenberg
Guest
Pretty steep prediction with a full-slate of conference games looming. Both of Florida's national championships were 1-loss teams.
Look at our schedule. We play 4 ranked teams in the next 5 games. There is a good chance 2-3 of them will be top 15 ranked teams when we play them.
Michigan plays Michigan State the week before we do. If they win that they could be a top 15 team when we enter Ann Arbor. We win that game, which would have been preceeded by Ball State and Penn State victories and we are right back knocking on the top 10 door.
Hopefully OSU beats Wisconsin, and then we play another top 15 team likely in Wisconsin. Then Michigan St. We win those and we're probably in the top 8. Maybe higher depending on what has happened in other conferences.
Then the main thing.... our only hope is that OSU comes into Iowa City undefeated and we beat them. If this situation plays out, you'd be hard pressed to find another 1-loss BCS school who would deserve a shot more than we do.
bandgrocks
Well-Known Member
That games really could be interesting, especially if Sparty is playing with a lot of emotion for their head coach. The play last night against Notre Dame showed major intestinal fortitude. They could be a dangerous team.
GoHawks24
Well-Known Member
Even more deserving than a one loss SEC or B12 team? If it were to play out that we win out it would depend on a lot of things. Mainly how well Arizona does. I hope they win the Pac 10, but I'd put my money on Oregon.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I love the fact that the world just ended. Why can't we just enjoy the ride and have fun watching our favorite team instead of labeling them "national championship contenders" or loathing the BCS because "now we'll never make the championship". Why can't we just have fun with where this season takes us, we're not even in conference play and some are talking like its the end of the world. Can't we just enjoy September, October, and November instead of jumping directly to January.
