This Season Was a HUGE Miss

ssckelley

ssckelley

Well-Known Member
Going into the season and looking at the schedule I figured Iowa would do well just to have a winning record, especially with a first year starter at quarterback. But now that I'm looking back on it this season was a HUGE missed opportunity. Had Iowa took care of business in those first 2 games we would be talking about matching up with Ohio State and possibly the playoffs. Minnesota and Pedo State turned out to be nothing and, honestly, so was Wisconsin. If there was any year Iowa should have rolled through their schedule undefeated it was this one and they screwed it up.

GAWD DAMN...LOOK AT HOW CLOSE WE WERE!!!!


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Yes ... But Nebraska could have easily been an L. I think this year is closest to 2003, although it misses a marquee win like that squad had vs UM.

Truth is the talent has been there for three straight years and the Hawks have just been one game away from claiming the division.
 
The Purdue loss never should have happened...we gained 150 more yards, but committed 100 yards worth of penalties and fumbled the ball away twice. And we were missing 3 of our top 4 LBs (Colbert, Campbell, and Benson) and couldn't stop the run when we needed.

But it is hard for me to say we "should have" beat NW. They essentially spotted us 17 points, and then absolutely dominated our offense the rest of the way. And their offense did enough, with the help of some forced TOs. Sure, our offensive game-plan probably should have been more creative, but they forced those mistakes. They kind of kicked our asses for the last 3 quarters. If we were to match up this coming weekend, I bet it would still be a dogfight.
 
CP87 said:
The Purdue loss never should have happened...we gained 150 more yards, but committed 100 yards worth of penalties and fumbled the ball away twice. And we were missing 3 of our top 4 LBs (Colbert, Campbell, and Benson) and couldn't stop the run when we needed.

But it is hard for me to say we "should have" beat NW. They essentially spotted us 17 points, and then absolutely dominated our offense the rest of the way. And their offense did enough, with the help of some forced TOs. Sure, our offensive game-plan probably should have been more creative, but they forced those mistakes. They kind of kicked our asses for the last 3 quarters. If we were to match up this coming weekend, I bet it would still be a dogfight.
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Actually Northwestern tried to spot them 21 points but Iowa refused to put the ball in the end zone on 3rd and 2 at the 3 yard line.

RUN THE BALL!!!!
 
This whole season was just messed up, though. PSU had a bunch of high-caliber players opt out before it even started. We faced Wisky without their starting RB and top 2 WR. We got an MSU team early in the season with a new staff that had no spring ball and an abbreviated fall camp.

Iowa gave the Purdue game away to a vastly inferior team. They gave the NW game away to a good team that gifted us some turnovers early, and then we gifted them right back. Since then, Iowa has handled their business (on and off the field) as well as anyone in the B1G. It has been a fun ride, and I am just appreciating it for what it is. Not sure how often Iowa has won 6 straight conference games, but it is probably fairly rare.
 
It turned out fine, guys. I wouldn't want to play OSU in the dome. I don't want to draw Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl or Peach Bowl or whatever. Nope. Two close losses early while we were getting tightened up is fine by me, especially bince one of them wasn't to Clown U.
 
okeefe4prez said:
It turned out fine, guys. I wouldn't want to play OSU in the dome. I don't want to draw Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl or Peach Bowl or whatever. Nope. Two close losses early while we were getting tightened up is fine by me, especially bince one of them wasn't to Clown U.
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I know you can't be serious. An undefeated season with a game against Ohio State for a chance to get into the playoffs! Sign me up for that all day. Even if the season ended up 8-2 with 2 losses at the end to me is way better than starting off the year with 2 losses, win out, and then wonder what could have been. At 8-2 with losses to Ohio State and Texas A&M to end the season wouldn't be the worst scenario in the world. Instead our best case scenario is to beat Michigan and, possibly, an Auburn team in the Citrus Bowl. If that was to happen it would be a fun finish but we will all be wondering what could have been.

I would think being undefeated right now would help recruiting. If Iowa was 8-0 everyone would be talking about Iowa, granted not all would be positive (over rated, haven't beaten anyone, ect) but they would be talking. There would be a LOT of noise surrounding the Iowa football program, good noise.
 
ssckelley said:
I know you can't be serious. An undefeated season with a game against Ohio State for a chance to get into the playoffs! Sign me up for that all day. Even if the season ended up 8-2 with 2 losses at the end to me is way better than starting off the year with 2 losses, win out, and then wonder what could have been. At 8-2 with losses to Ohio State and Texas A&M to end the season wouldn't be the worst scenario in the world. Instead our best case scenario is to beat Michigan and, possibly, an Auburn team in the Citrus Bowl. If that was to happen it would be a fun finish but we will all be wondering what could have been.

I would think being undefeated right now would help recruiting. If Iowa was 8-0 everyone would be talking about Iowa, granted not all would be positive (over rated, haven't beaten anyone, ect) but they would be talking. There would be a LOT of noise surrounding the Iowa football program, good noise.
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Yeah, I'll take beating Michigan and Auburn to end the season. That's totally fine. I would hate to somehow get lucky in that OSU game (which I think would be a blood bath inside the dome) and then be the 1-4 matchup against Bama. We've got a good team, but most of the conference seems to have quit trying and I don't want to see us play OSU or a premier SEC team right now unless it is in the balls cold that mitigates the deep passing threat. Hopefully we get some key guys back next year and we have some momentum to start the season. Could be a lot like the 2008-09 run.
 
ssckelley said:
It make me wonder what if they had a regular non conference schedule to work out these kinks what could have happened.
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This. No way we lose to Purdue if Petras and team have 3 games under their belt. No way. Now, we may have lost to Iowa State...but a loss to Iowa State and if you run the B10 table and beat OSU in the championship...well...you in the playoff.

FU Covid.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
This. No way we lose to Purdue if Petras and team have 3 games under their belt. No way. Now, we may have lost to Iowa State...but a loss to Iowa State and if you run the B10 table and beat OSU in the championship...well...you in the playoff.

FU Covid.
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But the thought of this makes my stomach churn....
 
okeefe4prez said:
Yeah, I'll take beating Michigan and Auburn to end the season. That's totally fine. I would hate to somehow get lucky in that OSU game (which I think would be a blood bath inside the dome) and then be the 1-4 matchup against Bama. We've got a good team, but most of the conference seems to have quit trying and I don't want to see us play OSU or a premier SEC team right now unless it is in the balls cold that mitigates the deep passing threat. Hopefully we get some key guys back next year and we have some momentum to start the season. Could be a lot like the 2008-09 run.
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Yeah it'd be horrible to beat OSU and have to play in the playoffs. You're right, we'd probably get pasted but it's post season. I'd rather play the best teams in the country and get curbstomped then play an average or inferior team in a bowl game. At the end of the day it's about competition. In a season like this that is absolutely meaningless I think playing an elite would be the best thing that could happen to the program.
 
There seems to be a lot of folks playing the what-if game lately, but it can go both ways. The Hawks originally had Ohio State on the schedule. And had some raw meetings in June where guys like Alaric Jackson walked out and maybe weren't coming back in. Other schools had top notch guys opt out. The season could have broken a lot of different ways. All in all, I'm impressed with the resiliency of Kirk's program. Especially when you compare it to other programs in the conference.
 
SwirlinLingerie said:
There seems to be a lot of folks playing the what-if game lately, but it can go both ways. The Hawks originally had Ohio State on the schedule. And had some raw meetings in June where guys like Alaric Jackson walked out and maybe weren't coming back in. Other schools had top notch guys opt out. The season could have broken a lot of different ways. All in all, I'm impressed with the resiliency of Kirk's program. Especially when you compare it to other programs in the conference.
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Agreed. From a coaching perspective for anyone to get through this season, regardless of how their team performed, is an accomplishment. Coaches are creatures of habit and have specific routines and schedules that they follow throughout the course of the year and are generally in control of all aspects of what goes on. Simply look at how things are affected with Black Friday games or the rare Friday night game, now apply that mentality to an entire season in which anything can happen at the blink of an eye.

Based on how we've preformed, regardless of talent on the field, I've come away from this season so far about as impressed with the coaching staff as I've ever been.
 
CP87 said:
Not sure how often Iowa has won 6 straight conference games, but it is probably fairly rare.
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2004, which was actually 7 in a row. We lost the opener at Michigan, beat Michigan State at home right before a bye week. During the bye week, I opined that we could go anywhere from 6-0 to 0-6 in our final six games. Never would've guessed, especially with all the running back injuries, that we would indeed go 6-0.

And indeed, there wasn't a gimme in the bunch, except maybe Ohio State and Wisconsin (whoda thunk that??). But Penn State (6-4 final), Illinois (down 2 scores early, just like this year), Purdue (early lead, then held on for dear life), and Minnesota (gave up 338 yards rushing and barely, barely held on to an early lead) were tight, tense, tough games.

But it is winning games like that which brings you to a conference title - like in 2015 when our goal-line stand late at Wisconsin gave us the eventual title.
 
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