What do we agree on?

[InGoodCo]

2000 - 3-9

2007 - 6-6 Lost to Iowa Sate, Indiana by 18, Purdue by 25, Western Michigan to close out the season. 11 Players got arrested that year.

2012 - 4-8 overall, 2-6 B1G. Lost 6 in a row to finish the year, two of them to Purdue and Indiana who both finished well below .500

So there's 3 of them in 2 decades, and that's ignoring his first year, as well as 2006 when Iowa went 2-6 B1G and lost 6 of their last 7 to close out. I could include that one too. I never said he has them all the time.


It's math, yo. Why do so many teams exceed 7 to 8 wins on a regular basis then?

A normal distribution pretty much dictates that there will be a bunch of teams above and below 7-8 wins which although they're above .500, don't figure into any conference (let alone national) titles, and to me don't mean much. Competing for a spot at the Piggly Wiggly Bowl isn't exactly a success story in my book, hence the yawner. If you feel different about what makes a successful season, that's fine. Like Dave Mason said, "We just disagree."

As far as, "what about all the other teams..." that's diverting the argument away from the topic which is the Hawkeyes' long term mediocrity.


If you read my post I never lumped Iowa in with Alabama; quite the contrary. I specifically said that Iowa is not an Alabama type school which is why 7 wins is accepted with nary a whisper on campus.


Now we're getting somewhere. I understand your sarcasm, but you're also proving my point. No one expects us to win at that clip, and the rub is that if we chose to play musical coaches like Nebraska we'd be in an even worse spot. Which is why this team is the way it is, and won't be changing soon.

Kirk will be gone within 5 years, probably less, so I consider that soon. If he's a success over that time, Brian will get a lot of the love and will have a shot at taking over, if he's not successful over that time, Brian will get a lot of blame and then we'll see. But changes are coming sooner then later with this regime as we know it. Then everyone will get their wish for something different. I hate to wish away a proven and consistent winner of football games but I tend to believe that's what the majority of fans want. Just not me.

 

[Fryowa]

Kirk will be gone within 5 years, probably less, so I consider that soon. If he's a success over that time, Brian will get a lot of the love and will have a shot at taking over, if he's not successful over that time, Brian will get a lot of blame and then we'll see. But changes are coming sooner then later with this regime as we know it. Then everyone will get their wish for something different. I hate to wish away a proven and consistent winner of football games but I tend to believe that's what the majority of fans want. Just not me.

I don't want Ferentz gone.

I hate his coaching style (it's too early for me to say the same thing about Brian Ferentz), but there isn't a better realistic option out there. People here name-drop all the time but there isn't a prospect waiting in the wings other than Ferentz's kid. I've said it a million times already, but that guy is going to be the next 20 year Iowa coach.

The rubes who are Nebraska are the gold standard of what will happen to your program if you start firing semi-successful coaches every few years and I don't want that.

 

[Fryowa]

I don't want Ferentz gone.

I hate his coaching style (it's too early for me to say the same thing about Brian Ferentz), but there isn't a better realistic option out there. People here name-drop all the time but there isn't a prospect waiting in the wings other than Ferentz's kid. I've said it a million times already, but that guy is going to be the next 20 year Iowa coach.

The rubes who are Nebraska are the gold standard of what will happen to your program if you start firing semi-successful coaches every few years and I don't want that.

I think what people are overlooking here is that it's not success that's going to determine whether BF is the next coach. It's going to happen even if Kirk goes 3-9 from here on out. The people making the ultimate decision are Bruce and the donors. Bruce is going to do whatever the BOR wants because they saved his ass, and the donor base loves the image and longevity that the Ferentz name projects. That trumps wins/losses in their book which they've proven before. Barta has nothing to say about it.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

The offense is a work in progress

The offensive line blocking is especially an issue

The OLine coach may be at the heart of the OLine issue

The QB throwing accuracy on long balls has had huge implications

The D is doing everything you could reasonably expect

When a play does not work, its because they called the wrong play

I would add that there are issues with the defense. The defensive line is inconsistent. The are still some issues at corner back. However these issues are minor compared to the wreak that is the offense.

 

[hawkeyes87]

The people making the ultimate decision are Bruce and the donors. Bruce is going to do whatever the BOR wants because they saved his ass, and the donor base loves the image and longevity that the Ferentz name projects. That trumps wins/losses in their book which they've proven before. Barta has nothing to say about it.

What proof do you have that donors have so much pull? I would think donor money is a lot less than B1G / BTN money these days.

 

[Locker67]

The offense is a work in progress

The offensive line blocking is especially an issue

The OLine coach may be at the heart of the OLine issue

The QB throwing accuracy on long balls has had huge implications

The D is doing everything you could reasonably expect

When a play does not work, its because they called the wrong play

While I agree with most of this I think a play can also fail due to a missed block or assignment not necessarily of a play called.

 

[Motigerhawk]

I dont know, Wisconsin continues to plug along pretty successfully> and they have had 3 coaches in the last decade.

I dont want to be Alabama. I want to be Wisconsin.

 

[hawkeye23]

I will agree with you on our passing game. It is different and better.
BUT we are very predictable. And we cant afford to be. I think BF is still bending to the will of his Dad. I was hoping this would change.

I stand by my statement. Running that pitch against PsU was a terrible call. And that is just one that sticks out.
He is still learning. But I wish he had at a different school.

So I would agree that maybe it wasn't the best play call but what it does show is the ability to think outside the box a bit which is what everyone is calling for. Any of the fan base expect that call at that time? If you say you did, you are lying. If it would have worked, everyone would have sang his praises for a non-traditional Iowa call in that situation.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Win and everything is roses. (first 3 games)
Lose and it's a complete dumpster fire. (last 2 games)

Such is the nature of fan based message boards.

 

[Fryowa]

I dont know, Wisconsin continues to plug along pretty successfully> and they have had 3 coaches in the last decade.

I dont want to be Alabama. I want to be Wisconsin.

They also have an AD who knows what he's doing and has the support of boosters. That's huge.

He won the B1G 3 times as a football coach, I'd say that makes him qualified to hire a good one.

If you asked Barta what a 4-3 defense is he'd tilt like a pinball machine.

 

[Fryowa]

Win and everything is roses. (first 3 games)
Lose and it's a complete dumpster fire. (last 2 games)

Such is the nature of fan based message boards.

It's not a dumpster fire, it's just typical of the program. I think that's what frustrates people.

I'm content to listen to it in the background now and watch the recording later which I never thought I'd admit to. Maybe the fire will come back someday.

 

[Motigerhawk]

It hasnt been roses for me for years. I will cheer because I love Iowa football. I grew up watching the teams from the 70s after all.
But Im done with Ferentz football. It is not fun to watch. It is stale and it is boring.

Iowa has traveled back in time. Remember when Hayden brought the forward pass to the B1G? The conference was 3 yards and a cloud of dust. That is where we are. And it gets boring.

 

[Fryowa]

The reason everyone jumps ship so early is because of how short the season is, and how quickly things are shot down the tubes in football.

0-2 right now, add in OSU, and Wisconsin, likely dropping two of the other five games, and all of a sudden we're 3-6 B1G, 6-6 overall, and hoping to make the Zippity Doo Da Bowl. Everyone sees the writing on the wall because it's not hard to do the math. Especially when we've seen the same thing for 19 years running. Maybe I'm off by a game either way, but I'll bet anyone here that we're 6-6 when this thing is over.

 

[hawkeyemark]

I dont know, Wisconsin continues to plug along pretty successfully> and they have had 3 coaches in the last decade.

I dont want to be Alabama. I want to be Wisconsin.

I find it most interesting living in the Florida panhandle where people have such passion for college football you go to the grocery store and the young girl checking you out starts talking football with you. I love it but look at things from a slightly different perspective from the do whatever it takes to chase a national title mentality so prevalent here in the south. As I've grown older I've come to really appreciate what this program stands for under Kirk. At the same time I get tired of watching us tread water while other programs adapt to the modern game and pass us by.

No reason in the world with our resources, facilities, fan and donor base that we can't get to a Wisconsin type level maintaining our identity as a tough, hardnosed football program that graduates its players and does things right. The future of this program seems in the hands of Brian Ferentz and Tim Polasek. Both of those young men have bright football minds and will grow in their current roles during the transition to a new era. As InGoodCo pointed out earlier in the thread the status quo will change one way or another in the next few years. Whether we have the AD and the political culture to get us to where we would like to go seems an open question.