What's the ceiling for Iowa football?

[Xerxes]

We've seen the ceiling for a regular season. 12-0 in 2015. It is attainable because of the division Iowa plays in is pretty weak overall. However with the level of Ohio St, Penn St, Michigan, & MSU right now Iowa will always have at least one brutal crossover game and Wisconsin has owned them for the past decade so while the schedule overall should be easy on a yearly basis, for Iowa is pretty tough.

Year in, year out over a long period of time, I would say 9-3 regular seasons are the ceiling. Purdue, Iowa St, Nebraska, and Minnesota are all probably going to be better in the coming years. But if they do make a jump all are in serious danger of losing their coach except for Nebraska. Plus Iowa just hasn't shown the ability to put in 5 quality seasons in the row since 2001-2005 which was their best stretch. They average record during that stretch was 8.4-3.

 

[ChosenChildren]

Wow, you guys never seem to get tired of this topic.

I'd say for the regular season, the ceiling is 12-0 and a Big Ten title, because we almost did that in 2015.

If you win the Big Ten, you are probably in the playoffs. Anything can happen in a playoff when there are only 4 teams and they are playing on neutral fields.

So, I'm going to say that the ceiling is a national championship.

 

[taffaej]

With the current coaching staff we have hit our heads on the ceiling so many times you should have a concussion.

 

[NCHawker]

 

[NCHawker]

1. Hire shorter people

 

[NCHawker]

2. Tiger Hawk at Midfield

 

[NCHawker]

3. Paint the Water Tower

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

2. Tiger Hawk at Midfield

3. Paint the Water Tower

 

[Hawkfnntn]

We've seen the ceiling for a regular season. 12-0 in 2015. It is attainable because of the division Iowa plays in is pretty weak overall. However with the level of Ohio St, Penn St, Michigan, & MSU right now Iowa will always have at least one brutal crossover game and Wisconsin has owned them for the past decade so while the schedule overall should be easy on a yearly basis, for Iowa is pretty tough.

Year in, year out over a long period of time, I would say 9-3 regular seasons are the ceiling. Purdue, Iowa St, Nebraska, and Minnesota are all probably going to be better in the coming years. But if they do make a jump all are in serious danger of losing their coach except for Nebraska. Plus Iowa just hasn't shown the ability to put in 5 quality seasons in the row since 2001-2005 which was their best stretch. They average record during that stretch was 8.4-3.

I would only add to along with being in the western division Iowa also schedules a pretty soft non conference schedule. If ISU is your toughest non con game your giving your self less excuses to lose. So that increases their ceiling win total wise anyway. Maybe not so much prestige wise but if Iowa runs the table and was able to get to the playoffs someday they'd have a fighting chance at bringing home the NC trophy. Might not be a high % of one but as we all know once you get on the field anything can happen.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I would only add to along with being in the western division Iowa also schedules a pretty soft non conference schedule. If ISU is your toughest non con game your giving your self less excuses to lose. So that increases their ceiling win total wise anyway. Maybe not so much prestige wise but if Iowa runs the table and was able to get to the playoffs someday they'd have a fighting chance at bringing home the NC trophy. Might not be a high % of one but as we all know once you get on the field anything can happen.

I’d really like to see us scheduling a team like Pitt every year. Or bring back Arizona State. Someone of that caliber, Iowa State, and a cupcake and I’d be happy.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I’d really like to see us scheduling a team like Pitt every year. Or bring back Arizona State. Someone of that caliber, Iowa State, and a cupcake and I’d be happy.

Yeah we don't need to go scheduling Clemson or Bama in the non con. But I think playing teams out west is problematic. KF has such a bad taste in his mouth from having done that years ago that I don't see him doing a home and home with any of them. So yeah schools similar to Pitt, BC, middle of the road teams east of the Missouri River is probably where we should be looking but for whatever reasons they haven't been recently. I think a big reason why that is that we do so well at home. When other schools see us smashing OSU and Michigan at home during night games it gives other schools pause to want to come to Iowa City. If we'd be willing to go places and not recriprocate with a home game as well we'd have much better luck. But KF isn't doing that no coach would

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

Yeah we don't need to go scheduling Clemson or Bama in the non con. But I think playing teams out west is problematic. KF has such a bad taste in his mouth from having done that years ago that I don't see him doing a home and home with any of them. So yeah schools similar to Pitt, BC, middle of the road teams east of the Missouri River is probably where we should be looking but for whatever reasons they haven't been recently

All one needs to do is look at those bonuses to understand why we’ve consistently scheduled 2-3 FCS teams a year. But I’d agree, Boston College would be a solid pick. Some of those big name schools that are in the dumps would be cool too (Texas, Tennessee, etc.) the reality though is that there’s zero chance we get anything like that under Kirk. Hopefully Brian’s contract isn’t quite so favorable for him. Wyoming was at least a step in the right direction, but give us some FBS opponents.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Yeah we don't need to go scheduling Clemson or Bama in the non con. But I think playing teams out west is problematic. KF has such a bad taste in his mouth from having done that years ago that I don't see him doing a home and home with any of them. So yeah schools similar to Pitt, BC, middle of the road teams east of the Missouri River is probably where we should be looking but for whatever reasons they haven't been recently. I think a big reason why that is that we do so well at home. When other schools see us smashing OSU and Michigan at home during night games it gives other schools pause to want to come to Iowa City. If we'd be willing to go places and not recriprocate with a home game as well we'd have much better luck. But KF isn't doing that no coach would

The home-and-home is constantly a sticking point for "better" non-con games. Bama will NEVER--repeat, NEVER--come to Iowa City for a game. Miami/FL fought like hell NOT come to Iowa City after 1) Bailing in 1985 and 2) Getting the Hawks to Miami in 1990, after which they tried, for a second time, to get out of it. They actually used the trip to get AWAY from the arrival and destruction of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Should Iowa offer Bama a home-and-neutral, they MIGHT bite, but the neutral site would have to be willing to pony up serious jack. And BTW, although we have had home-and-home games with Northern Illinois, note that their "home" has been Soldier Field. Just as Bama will never come to Iowa City, you will not see the Hawks go to Dekalb, or Denton/TX, or West Nowhere/Idaho. I could see the Hawks going to Orlando (UCF) or Tampa (USF), maybe Houston (U of Houston). Beyond that? What's in it for the Hawks to go TO a non-P5 to play?