What is the ceiling for Iowa FB?

B

BILLBUCKNER

Well-Known Member
None of us are very happy with the current state of Iowa FB.. Jon pointed out in another thread that KF lead Iowa to 4 straight top 10 finishes. So it has been done before. I beleive KFs contract was due to what he accomplished and not for what hoped to be accomplished. His record since that deal is about .500.. So what do you think is acceptable for Iowa FB? I think it is reasonable to consistly finish in the top third of the conference and to be rated in the top 25 with an occasional conference champ every 5 to 7 years. I don't see where it is any more difficult to recruit here vs Madison or Lincoln. The next coach I want here is young energetic hungry coach with a potent offense and decent defense. I don't care if he has Iowa ties. Iowa has alot to offer a coach. I am tired of we are just little ol Iowa attitude. I do realize that a coaching change isn't likely in the near future.
So what do you think this program is capable of achieving?
 






The ultimate goal is to work toward winning a national championship. But you need to win the Big 10 first and to win the big 10 you need to win your division.

I would like to see better athletes come to Iowa, I am not trying to put down the current players but it used to be we had a lot of safeties and corners making it to the pros. We have had a few corners lately but the safeties are not getting NFL looks. This is just an example.

I would like to see coaches and players work toward beating certain teams by 21+ points, and win the division every few years, win the Big 10 every 5-10 years. Even making the playoffs would be something hard to come by but it would be great to see.
 


Depends on who the coaches are, players/personal, luck factor, etc.

Early Ferentz Era after reestablishing itself (02-04 and 08-09 sprinkled in)
10-11

Now
8-9

Average
6-7

And I'm afraid the average could be heading downward....further tarnishing Ferentz's legacy he built up at Iowa.
 


I am like the OP. I don't expect conference championships every season but I do expect us to be in the top third of the conference. As for Top 25 I think we should make a pretty regular appearance. We are not Indiana, or Minnesota or Northwestern... But lately we have digressed to that level.
 


I think the better question is where is the basement for Iowa football? It is absolutely time to make a change at head coach, and here is how I would break down the odds of what the next guy could do:

National Championship winner, football powerhouse - 1%
Better than Hayden and KF, consistently winning the B1G West and challenging for playoff appearances - 5%
Same as Hayden and KF (2-3 BCS bowls over 15-20 years) 50%
Slightly worse than Hayden and KF (all the 7 win season without the occasional 10 win teams)- 35%
Become a Illinois or Purdue - 9%


I think the odds are much greater that we see results the same as or worse than Hayden and KF, than us becoming some great dominating program. Both KF and Hayden had chances to vault us into those categories and failed. I think this is the reality of football in Iowa City Iowa, it has too many recruiting deficiencies to become that great NC contending program year after year that we all want it to be.

As I said, it is time for a change, just think many on here are delusional as to what can be done at Iowa with college football landscape being what it is.
 
Last edited:


Iowa is going down the same path as Jim Grobe at Wake Forest.
Only difference is Kurt's team won the Orange Bowl.
 


1. Win all non-conference games (including isu)
2.win B1G west division
3. Win B1G conf championship
4. Be a "playoff team"
5. Win NCAA FBS National Championship

Start of Season Goals EVERY year.
 


ColoradoHAWKEYE said:
1. Win all non-conference games (including isu)
2.win B1G west division
3. Win B1G conf championship
4. Be a "playoff team"
5. Win NCAA FBS National Championship

Start of Season Goals EVERY year.
Click to expand...

Even #2 and #3 are still alive this year yet....doubtful, but still theoretically achievable.
 


The ceiling is potential National Championship. That's what every team should strive for and if you don't have the right personnel then get the right personnel.

I would also like to see the following.

#1. Never lose to Iowa State or any sub-conference team.
#2. Periodic conference championship, every 5-7 years.
#3. Being rated in the top 25, at least 2 out of every 5 years.
#4. No more players being run over on scooters.
 


Every year our goal should be to win the BIG, play for a national championship. Anything less than that opens the door for accepting defeat. I would like to see Iowa win the Rose Bowl game. I think it's pathetic that we haven't been to the Rose Bowl for about the same amount of time as we went through during the black years of the 60's and 70's. I know we've gone to great bowls and the Orange Bowls could have been Rose Bowl years. The actual Rose Bowl is the best college game by far. If any posters are to young to remember our last Rose Bowl team I guarantee you would love it.
 


BILLBUCKNER said:
None of us are very happy with the current state of Iowa FB.. Jon pointed out in another thread that KF lead Iowa to 4 straight top 10 finishes. So it has been done before. I beleive KFs contract was due to what he accomplished and not for what hoped to be accomplished. His record since that deal is about .500.. So what do you think is acceptable for Iowa FB? I think it is reasonable to consistly finish in the top third of the conference and to be rated in the top 25 with an occasional conference champ every 5 to 7 years. I don't see where it is any more difficult to recruit here vs Madison or Lincoln. The next coach I want here is young energetic hungry coach with a potent offense and decent defense. I don't care if he has Iowa ties. Iowa has alot to offer a coach. I am tired of we are just little ol Iowa attitude. I do realize that a coaching change isn't likely in the near future.
So what do you think this program is capable of achieving?
Click to expand...

When it comes to realistic expectations, I'm with you on this.

The way I see it, 8-9 wins in the regular season the majority of the time (8-4 or 9-3 plus a bowl game), the occasional 5, 6, 7 win season in down/rebuilding years, and 10+ win seasons on occasion with a shot at being in the national title picture once in a great while when the stars align (1985, 2002, 2009 come to mind).

Going 6-6 or 7-5 the majority of the time is below this program's ceiling. As you stated, this program has had stretches better than that before, so it's been proven it can be done at Iowa. Nobody is saying it would be easy, but "difficult" doesn't mean "impossible'.

Just my 2 cents.
 


Agree with others - this program should TRY to win national championships. No, it's not likely to happen, but shooting for anything less is a defeatist attitude IMO. if we end up winning 8-9 games, so be it, but at least we'd be trying. I don't want a coaching staff & athletic department that isn't doing everything in its power to win as many games as possible. Let's not settle.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.


Latest posts

Share this page






Top