Went to the game. My feelings coming away from it was a typical Ferentz like win.....feeling like a typical Ferentz like year likely to happen (7-8 wins). I think he is a good coach, but not a great one. By all accounts a good man with a good family, but very stubborn. He is overpaid if we are going by results. However, I do think he deserve his own statue or name being put on some U of I building. I think the U of I Children's Hospital mentioned in this thread would be a great idea. He will go down as an all-time great out of Iowa coaches in sports at the U of I. His body of work will also be good enough probably to be a Hall of Fame coach someday.
But, again, I don't think he is a great coach. If he was a great coach, Iowa would be more like Wisconsin is now.....getting to far more Big Ten Title games and winning some of them.....winning more far more big time BCS like bowl games (Rose Bowls). Having a much higher winning percentage against inferior competition.
Ferentz is a good coach, but if you hang around a place long enough (and it helps if you are good and can keep your team competitive like he does and you have a boss like Barta that gives you lifetime contracts) you can become the all time winningest coach in your program's history. As noted above as well, he also holds the most losses in program history. So although he is now in the record books as having the most wins and it can feel good....it can certainly feel good, I would also liken it to feeling like more quantity over quality as well (not to say there is not quality wins in their because there certainly is). So, I don't think it is something we should party about no longer than using Ferentz's own 24 hour rule on wins and losses. The Iowa St game should be the next focus on the agenda.
Again, I see a team that can be a tough out, but also can be real rough around the edges. Offensively, this team is going to have its struggles again. When you are content with going up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, and not being a consistent deep threat down the field, you are not going to strike fear on the opposing side of the ball. That is going to cost Iowa in some games this year yet again.
Iowa's defense is going to have to bail out the offense again and that will likely hurt in games where the games are close going into the fourth quarter and Iowa's defense has been on the field for a long time.
I think the schedule is going to help them out some and all things considered, Iowa will make another bowl game provided they avoid major injuries to key players. I do think this team could knock off again somebody they should not, but will lose a game or two to somebody they have no business losing to.
Just another typical Ferentz team. Good, but not great. But, it has been more consistent than the basketball program and has had better post season success over the last 20 years or so.
i think it is wholly unfair to generalize all who have been critical of kirk and his coaching style and label them as "the anti-ferentz crowd." Unless you mean literally those who hate kirk, but you didn't start your post with that distinction or clarification. kirk ferentz is a good human being and that cannot be publicly refuted, but i would assume that there are good human beings among those who are critical of kirk, as well. being critical of kirk, with honest and forthright statements is still okay, i thought.
