What is your level of optimism right now?
- Thread starter MeatMan
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OUTofTOWNHAWK
Well-Known Member
There is no set number for your level of optimism. For me I could see 2 wins or 8 wins. Its hard to tell what kind of talent will be on the field as last year thing brokedown before the kids had a chance to play. I think it depends on the position that the team puts themselves in at the end of the game. I think the season could be a success at 6 wins....if at the end of the year you look back and there wasnt games that were given away. There has been years that I thought were bad at 8 wins because the team was better than that. That being said Iowa should never miss a bowl game imo.
Im optimistic that some of the same old mistakes will be made and that is what makes me pessimistic.
Im optimistic about the defense. They were better last yr than most thought including myself. Looking forward to watching Kirksey, Law and Draper.
Im hopeful that Wiesman will get the ball. If he does he will add yards. If the passing game has a pulse, then Wiesman could have a really good yr. Im pessimistic that coaches may lock on to one rb till he cant go anymore. When they do this they hide stars like Wiesman on the bench not knowing what they have. Not all players shine in practice.
Im optimistic that some of the same old mistakes will be made and that is what makes me pessimistic.
Im optimistic about the defense. They were better last yr than most thought including myself. Looking forward to watching Kirksey, Law and Draper.
Im hopeful that Wiesman will get the ball. If he does he will add yards. If the passing game has a pulse, then Wiesman could have a really good yr. Im pessimistic that coaches may lock on to one rb till he cant go anymore. When they do this they hide stars like Wiesman on the bench not knowing what they have. Not all players shine in practice.
DesMoinesHawki
Well-Known Member
I think this team needs to finish with at least 7 wins but I think that will be hard to foster. A 6-6 or 5-7 season will not bode well for Kirk or that state of the program. Who knows, maybe this team comes out and exceeds expectations when nobody expects much from us. I hope that is the case.
Hawkers86
Well-Known Member
Yeah they could lay a goose egg and Kurt wouldnt have to worry about a thing.
wundergrape
Well-Known Member
Let's compare notes in November.
Neutral.
I do think that the team will be better. Last years team had very little overall talent/maturity for a Bigten team. Small along the lines with guards at 270lbs and DT the same. The team will actually be normal sized at both lines this year and the LB have bulked up as well. I don't think we will get pushed around. RB depth looks ok as well. That said:
QB? Who knows at this point.
GDGD? Is he that bad? If so, we are hosed for years to come.
Skill position talent? I don't think we have a big time RB which is a pity. And WR recruiting has sucked for many years. Not just speed but the athleticism required to go up and grab a ball in traffic.
Depth: I don't know yet. It actually is likely to be better.
Pass rush: ugh... But if someone (Ott?) can step up....
I hope Iowa can finish middle of the conference. And someday , beat the guys out west who never should have been allowed to join in the first place.
I do think that the team will be better. Last years team had very little overall talent/maturity for a Bigten team. Small along the lines with guards at 270lbs and DT the same. The team will actually be normal sized at both lines this year and the LB have bulked up as well. I don't think we will get pushed around. RB depth looks ok as well. That said:
QB? Who knows at this point.
GDGD? Is he that bad? If so, we are hosed for years to come.
Skill position talent? I don't think we have a big time RB which is a pity. And WR recruiting has sucked for many years. Not just speed but the athleticism required to go up and grab a ball in traffic.
Depth: I don't know yet. It actually is likely to be better.
Pass rush: ugh... But if someone (Ott?) can step up....
I hope Iowa can finish middle of the conference. And someday , beat the guys out west who never should have been allowed to join in the first place.
deanvogs
Well-Known Member
Hopefully Optimistic. I feel that last year was the polar opposite of 2009, in that nearly every break went against us, rather than for us like in '09. I think the breaks even out, the defense will be better, and the offense cant be any worse than last year, and we win 7 this year.
Eda
Well-Known Member
You can put me in the camp #1, super confident and excited.
I look at the roster and see many names from last year and know there has been improvement in the offseason. Another year with Coach Doyle and in the system, IMO, will lead to better results on the field. I also think there is good depth at a lot of key positions.
I also look at some of the games from last year, and see how close we were to 8 wins. I don't think we needed a break here or there to get more wins, but just make the plays that were there.
I look at the changes made in the coaching staff, and feel there is a renewed fire from it. I am not one that says the staff needs to show me something before I can believe it'll happen.
The schedule gets harder from last year, but I think there are some games at home that'll help (No. Ill, MSU, Wiscy, NW, and Mich) push the team in those contests.
This program will surprise many this year. Mark it down, folks.
I look at the roster and see many names from last year and know there has been improvement in the offseason. Another year with Coach Doyle and in the system, IMO, will lead to better results on the field. I also think there is good depth at a lot of key positions.
I also look at some of the games from last year, and see how close we were to 8 wins. I don't think we needed a break here or there to get more wins, but just make the plays that were there.
I look at the changes made in the coaching staff, and feel there is a renewed fire from it. I am not one that says the staff needs to show me something before I can believe it'll happen.
The schedule gets harder from last year, but I think there are some games at home that'll help (No. Ill, MSU, Wiscy, NW, and Mich) push the team in those contests.
This program will surprise many this year. Mark it down, folks.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
Last year should have been expected, but a lot of us pinned our hopes on a very young team. And when they played like a young team, there was great disappointment in Hawkland. This year's squad is much more experienced and from all the reports coming out of the camps, interviews etc. The team is highly motivated and ready for the new season. However, this season there is new optimism. But the optimism should be tempered with reality.
The reality is that the WR situation is option limited. The talent isn't there. So unless some unknown, like a JC transfer steps up the WR's will once again be a liability. The QB situation isn't a Leach/Tebow debate. These guys weren't top prospects coming out of high school. They are level two talent guys until they prove different. Iowa can not afford a QB debate in September. This problem needs to be fixed by mid August or the season suffers.
There's potential with this team, this is one of the larger offensive/defensive lines I have seen at Iowa in a long time. There is a lot of experience on the offensive line but again having a new, (though larger) center tends to temper some optimism. But that should be solidified by October. The defensive line has some size and for a change enough backups to have a decent rotation. Again there is tempered optimism; Iowa needs a solid pass rush to have a solid defense. The TE's are among the best but will they be utilized to their abilities? One big surprise from last year was Wiesman. Now he heads up a solid group of running backs. There is potential for Iowa to have more than one running back over a thousand yards this year. Don't know if or when that has happened, but it should be fun to watch.
The reality is that the WR situation is option limited. The talent isn't there. So unless some unknown, like a JC transfer steps up the WR's will once again be a liability. The QB situation isn't a Leach/Tebow debate. These guys weren't top prospects coming out of high school. They are level two talent guys until they prove different. Iowa can not afford a QB debate in September. This problem needs to be fixed by mid August or the season suffers.
There's potential with this team, this is one of the larger offensive/defensive lines I have seen at Iowa in a long time. There is a lot of experience on the offensive line but again having a new, (though larger) center tends to temper some optimism. But that should be solidified by October. The defensive line has some size and for a change enough backups to have a decent rotation. Again there is tempered optimism; Iowa needs a solid pass rush to have a solid defense. The TE's are among the best but will they be utilized to their abilities? One big surprise from last year was Wiesman. Now he heads up a solid group of running backs. There is potential for Iowa to have more than one running back over a thousand yards this year. Don't know if or when that has happened, but it should be fun to watch.
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Section136
Well-Known Member
What were JVB's numbers in 2011 on the road?
Also, what were JVB's numbers against teams not named Pitt, LA Monroe, Northwestern or Indiana?
atxhawk
Well-Known Member
There needs to be an option for indifferent. Unless something has changed in the attitude of the coaching staff I'm just meh about prospect for the upcoming season. I knew last year after Penn State went up 17-0 and the offense changed nothing, showed no sense of urgency, and quickly stalled again that the team would not win another game that season. If everything has remained the same then there's a good possibility that this is a 1 win team. Maybe then Kirk will take the high road, retire and some energy will be injected back into the program. Maybe he's realized that he needs to change things or his legacy will not be what it was 3 years ago. Maybe Barta has realized that he is on the hot seat for giving KF a ridiculous contract and that his career prospects have been hurt unless Kirk turns it around again. I doubt any of those things have/will happen though.
So, I'll still look forward to football Saturday's, but I won't the emotion tied to it of years past. If the Hawks win, great. If they don't, no biggie. I'll still watch the games and cheer on the players from down here, but that's about it. I won't be going up for a game this year like I did last year. I'd much rather make a trip to watch the basketball team and plan on doing so.
So, I'll still look forward to football Saturday's, but I won't the emotion tied to it of years past. If the Hawks win, great. If they don't, no biggie. I'll still watch the games and cheer on the players from down here, but that's about it. I won't be going up for a game this year like I did last year. I'd much rather make a trip to watch the basketball team and plan on doing so.
nationalchamps
Well-Known Member
I'm neutral. I know they won't win 9 games, but I don't think they will be bringing up the rear in their division either. Less than 6 wins and a bowl and I'll be disappointed and expect the heat to turn up on Kurt's seat. The buyout will look cheap compared to the amount of money that won't be flowing in to the athletic department's coffers.
I'm slightly optimistic. The talent is there, thanks to the coaching staff, but I'm skeptical they will figure out the best way to use it.
That's the KF paradox, he's been able to develop and recruit more talent than Iowa has ever had, but he typically underachieves relative to the talent level. If KF could figure out how to be more like someone like Fitz, for example, and overachieve with the given talent, we'd be in business.
That's the KF paradox, he's been able to develop and recruit more talent than Iowa has ever had, but he typically underachieves relative to the talent level. If KF could figure out how to be more like someone like Fitz, for example, and overachieve with the given talent, we'd be in business.
FreedComanche
Banned
Pessimistic. The coaching is defeinitely there. Just look at how many bowl games the staff has won in the last 14 years. The player talent is ok, but if you don't execute on the field you can't expect to have a good season.
FreedComanche
FreedComanche
It might be fiar to say that this coaching staff hasn't won anything since it (as a whole) is so new.
FreedComanche
Banned
Yeah, but ferentz was still the head guy. If he can put together a staff and be very successful, odds are he can and will again. Most teams in the country would be absolutely dumb not to want the coach we got!
FreedComanche
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Iowa could well have a better team this year, but with a more difficult schedule this year, the record will probably not show it IMO. That, and could the Big Ten be as bad a s a whole as it was a year ago?
I don't expect more than 4-5 wins again this year. So yeah, I'm pretty pessimistic. Or let me put it this way - I'll be pleasantly surprised if this year's team is good enough to even be bowl eligible.
