What is now considered a successful season?

[Mademyaccount4u]

Barring any more significant injuries what do you think? I remember many people were thinking that 9 wins was the ceiling this year, does that still work if we go 2-4 to finish the season?

For me I think I should still be happy with 10-2, as it does surpass my win total by one. However, I almost feel that anything less than 11-1 would be a disappointment, given the remainder of the schedule. A loss to Purdue, Minnesota or Maryland would also not sit well with me.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I predicted 6-6, so I'm already satisfied.

 

[franstheman]

Too hard to tell right now with all the injuries. I agree though, 11-1 would be alright but I reeeeaaaaalllyyyy want to go undefeated for the first time in like 80 years!!!

 

[TJHawkeye]

I only hoped for 7 wins, so I 'm already ecstatic.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Too hard to tell right now with all the injuries. I agree though, 11-1 would be alright but I reeeeaaaaalllyyyy want to go undefeated for the first time in like 80 years!!!

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It's fun to dream and 12-0 actually is expected barring injury as we will be favored the remainder of the season...but doesn't every hawkeye molecule in you know that one bad game is lurking? My guess is 11-1 because I'm a hawkeye fan.....but remember how Maryland physically dominated us last year? Indiana is a dangerous offense.....still...12-0 should be what is expected now.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

Barring any more significant injuries what do you think? I remember many people were thinking that 9 wins was the ceiling this year, does that still work if we go 2-4 to finish the season?

For me I think I should still be happy with 10-2, as it does surpass my win total by one. However, I almost feel that anything less than 11-1 would be a disappointment, given the remainder of the schedule. A loss to Purdue, Minnesota or Maryland would also not sit well with me.

After this start... 11-1 at the min...

 

[Jonrn]

At this point I put the happy/disappointment line at 10 wins. 10-2 is awesome considering I predicted 7-5

 

[Fryowa]

It's fun to dream and 12-0 actually is expected barring injury as we will be favored the remainder of the season...but doesn't every hawkeye molecule in you know that one bad game is lurking? My guess is 11-1 because I'm a hawkeye fan.....but remember how Maryland physically dominated us last year? Indiana is a dangerous offense.....still...12-0 should be what is expected now.

But none of my Hawkeye molecules ever thought we'd be undefeated right here either. Don't ruin it for yourself, just go with it.

 

[deanvogs]

10-2 is an awesome record. Really doesn't matter if you win 10 then lose 2 or if you lose 2 then win 10.

 

[trj]

At this point I put the happy/disappointment line at 10 wins. 10-2 is awesome considering I predicted 7-5

I'll cosign on this......The remaining schedule sets up d*mn near perfect.

 

[NCHawker]

I'll say no worse than 7-5

 

[lightning1]

I consider it a successful season already! 7 wins are not always equal. If we had lost to Connie, ISU, Nebraska and NW on the road and ended up 8-4, it would have been disappointing because we would have lost all of the tough games on our schedule. Or almost all of them anyway. 7 - 0 right now, with wins @ Connie, NW and ISU already feels like a great season. We're Iowa fans. We don't expect undefeated seasons. But we won't be happy beating 6 out of 7 of the Sisters of The Poor and losing to every ranked opponent on our schedule.
I am thoroughly enjoying this season. Good aggressive football.

 

[PCHawk]

I'll be extremely disappointed with 10-2...for awhile. Just like i was after 9-0 in '09. There is no way to not be disappointed with a 1-2 finish back then and there is no way to not be disappointed with 2 loses with this schedule now. If we do lose 2 games though, I will look back on this season with good memories after some time passes, just like I do the '09 season.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

This has already been a successful season in terms of things like playing to win for 60 minutes, strategy that matches personnel / attacks opponents weaknesses, aggressively going for it (telling your team you believe in them), letting play makers make plays (rather than penalizing them for minor flaws), the philosophical change that, in many cases, the reward outweighs the risk, and, even improved clock management.

The results are entertaining and refreshing. Hawks are finally beating teams they should beat. Barring a complete mental and physical implosion, there's every reason to expect this to continue.

I'm not saying undefeated or bust but, all things considered, it would be a bit disappointing if the Hawks lose to any of the remaining teams. I think 12 wins is now the expectation.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

Excellent question. I really thought prior to the season that 9 wins would be unbelievably good, 8 was the barometer that things were improving, but 7 was very likely, and 6 or less was possible...given everything we knew...or thought we knew.

Obviously, expectations change. With that, as things stand, how well we are playing, assuming we should be healthy-ish after the bye wee, and given the remaining opponents (although none are gimmes or should be overlooked), 11+ is my new "Dream Season", 10 is good, and God help me... 9 would now feel like a dissappointmnet, with 8 or 7 being brutal, and instantly throwing us back to how we all felt going into the year.

Win the Next one Hawks, stay salty, go from there. I'd really like a pummeling of nebby.

 

[ibahawkeye]

I'll be disappointed if we can't make it to Indy with how well we are positioned at this point so anything less than that I would say would not be a success.

 

[NCHawker]

It will be important to me to see Iowa win in Lincoln.

 

[HawksMN]

Excellent question. I really thought prior to the season that 9 wins would be unbelievably good, 8 was the barometer that things were improving, but 7 was very likely, and 6 or less was possible...given everything we knew...or thought we knew.

Obviously, expectations change. With that, as things stand, how well we are playing, assuming we should be healthy-ish after the bye wee, and given the remaining opponents (although none are gimmes or should be overlooked), 11+ is my new "Dream Season", 10 is good, and God help me... 9 would now feel like a dissappointmnet, with 8 or 7 being brutal, and instantly throwing us back to how we all felt going into the year.

Win the Next one Hawks, stay salty, go from there. I'd really like a pummeling of nebby.

i want Iowa to pummel, PUMMEL, Minnesota. Annihilate.

 

[hwks1]

Game in Indy... hopefully 12-0. 11-1 (loss to NU) would now be disappointing.

No doubt this season has outperformed all expectations - but we are where we are now. They way the Hawks are playing on both sides and given the remaining schedule.... 11-1 would be disappointing.

Unless of course we comeback in the BCG and win!~ That would make it all better.

 

[ColoradoHAWKEYE]

Game in Indy... hopefully 12-0. 11-1 (loss to NU) would now be disappointing.

No doubt this season has outperformed all expectations - but we are where we are now. They way the Hawks are playing on both sides and given the remaining schedule.... 11-1 would be disappointing.

Unless of course we comeback in the BCG and win!~ That would make it all better.

I'll cosign to this...and also what stillbuster said above.

The thing is we are now relevant to the football world...they have to talk about us and we will continue to climb in the polls as long as we're winning the games we are supposed to win. The minute we underachieve we will drop like an anchor. We are now expected to win....and the rest of our schedule sets up well for this...and I believe we deserve to be, and are at, our poll position because we are very capable of winning out.

Even in the BCG, we are capable of winning based on observations thus far...however once there, we will probably not be favored, so it will not feel sooo disappointing (after the initial emotions pass) if we lose. So at this point...based on where we're at, getting there would be considered successful.

All in all though, hwks1 and stillbuster nailed it.