What did you all expect?!!

M

mbpharmhawk

Member
I admit, I was thinking everything was aligning well for a possible Iowa UPSET of Nebraska. Until this last week, I felt we had little hope in this game on the road. It was disappointing the way Iowa played for the most part, but we lost 20-7. It's NOT the end of the world!

Reasons for optimism...

1. We are not graduating the entire team!!
2. We have had a couple solid recruiting classes now. We just haven't heard from much of this talent yet.
3. We made a bowl game! (better than I thought after Minnesota). This is big to get more practices and continue developing players.
4. We beat Michigan (a potential BCS team). It shows me that we can still compete and beat teams like this.
5. We have a classy coach who runs the program the right way. To me this is huge in this world of college athletics.
6. It's not like we had a LOSING season.

It could be and could get a lot worse...

I can't believe too many Iowa fans who honestly thought we had a better than 50-50 shot at beating a Neb team on the road who had Big Ten title aspirations to start the year.

Iowa will be fine!!

Go Hawks! Win the bowl game!
 
Word.

It's ok to be a little disappointed the last couple of years but we have to believe we can and will improve.

We have good coaches, yes I believe that. They have done it before and can do it again.
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
Word.

It's ok to be a little disappointed the last couple of years but we have to believe we can and will improve.

We have good coaches, yes I believe that. They have done it before and can do it again.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree, but the clock is ticking very loudly after these past two seasons.
 
Seriously, Nebraska got beat at home by Northwestern...and got hammered on the road at Michigan in the previous game. This was a very beatable Nebraska team...and injuries on their side only made them more vulnerable. They were seriously beat up in the d-line and we didn't focus our offensive gameplan to punish them where they were weak. No, we have to get the ball to McNutt and run our play action game. Guess what, the refs were allowing McNutt to be raped coming out of his break and he wasn't getting open. Change the gameplan guys.

I get what you are saying, but I sometimes wonder what the coaches in the press box are watching. You would think someone would say, hey, we are getting a good push in the o-line, let's put the onus on them to stop us. Instead, we get deep in their territory and throw on three consecutive plays.

It's frustrating. For once I would love someone at a press conference to say, gee, why didn't you decide to pound the ball when you realized you could run...why the three pass plays when you have gone the length of the field on the ground.
 
mbpharmhawk said:
I admit, I was thinking everything was aligning well for a possible Iowa UPSET of Nebraska. Until this last week, I felt we had little hope in this game on the road. It was disappointing the way Iowa played for the most part, but we lost 20-7. It's NOT the end of the world! Reasons for optimism...1. We are not graduating the entire team!! 2. We have had a couple solid recruiting classes now. We just haven't heard from much of this talent yet.3. We made a bowl game! (better than I thought after Minnesota). This is big to get more practices and continue developing players. 4. We beat Michigan (a potential BCS team). It shows me that we can still compete and beat teams like this.5. We have a classy coach who runs the program the right way. To me this is huge in this world of college athletics. 6. It's not like we had a LOSING season. It could be and could get a lot worse...I can't believe too many Iowa fans who honestly thought we had a better than 50-50 shot at beating a Neb team on the road who had Big Ten title aspirations to start the year.Iowa will be fine!!Go Hawks! Win the bowl game!
Click to expand...

I agree with everything you said. I also agree that we can/should expect a little more than from this team and coaches.
 
Something someone else posted sort of sums up my feelings- its not necassarily that we lose it is how. I expected Iowa to win 9 games before a bowl and they have met my statistical projections. In fact JVB far exceeded what I ecpected from him this season, but much like last season's defensive stats they are somewhat misleading.

Iowa's defense will likely be similar or even take a step back from this season's performance. But as soft as this season's schedule was next year is even softer. The defense will have time to get their bearings as they face a NIU team that suffers massive attrition on offense. ISU and UNI both lose key players on both lines.

Iowa has to lean on the offense next season. I figure Reiff is gone leaving Ferentz, Tobin, MacMillan and Sherff with lineman with significant PT. Iowa loses McNutt, but his production can be replaced with Keenan Davis and truthfully what McNutt did this season is likely an abberation as Iowa generally spreads the ball around in the passing game and rarely was anything designed to highlight him, he was just that good. Coker should improve at small things and may be a bit more explosive next year. TE play basically has to improve in the passing game and Iowa has solid options there.
Based on who we play when and where my baseline expectations for next season are 9-3. Iowa will have to make some adjustments on both sides of the ball to exceed these. Anything less than 9 regular season wins will be a disappointment to me personally.
 
I love how we as fans are...

Iowa's running the ball well, then they throw a couple passes that are incomplete. So, we should have kept running the ball. If we keep running the ball, then get stuffed a couple times, then we're "predictable." The reality is, Iowa can't just impose their will and run the ball all they way down the field. If you think we can, tell me one game against a good opponent where we have done that.

It boils down to the players making the plays!
 
actually Iowa could have run the ball at will yesterday. at times nebby was down to 5th and 6th string defensive tackles and Iowa was breaking off chunks of yards. O'Keefe had a bad day yesterday.
 
^totally agree. The time in the 2nd qtr when Iowa got to the ball to the nebby 33 yard line coker was popping for 5.8 yards per carry. the wind was at are back, did I just say 5.8 yards per carry. Iowa was down 3-0. The run was working. We should have been able to get 2 good runs out of 3 and maybe a first down but at least a 40-42 yd FG try. oh and did I say the wind was at our back.

KOK had a bad day compounded with JVB being a little off.
 
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