With Fant and Hockensen the offense usually doesnt need 3 wide receivers in the game most plays. Hockensen is just great finding openings over the middle and Fant is a total mismatch, too tall and fast enough for a corner, too fast for backers and safeties. Rotate Easley, Marsette, and a couple of other receivers to keep them fresh
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With Fant and Hockensen the offense usually doesnt need 3 wide receivers in the game most plays. Hockensen is just great finding openings over the middle and Fant is a total mismatch, too tall and fast enough for a corner, too fast for backers and safeties. Rotate Easley, Marsette, and a couple of other receivers to keep them fresh
BigD
Well-Known Member
A 7th or 8th ranked class in the B1G is considered trending up from a coaching staff that has been paid in the top three for over twelve years?
Monsanto or led in the water supply?
There is no excuse for Iowa to EVER finish lower than second place in West division of the B1G. NONE!!!
Meow, meow, says the fat cat!
Monsanto or led in the water supply?
There is no excuse for Iowa to EVER finish lower than second place in West division of the B1G. NONE!!!
Meow, meow, says the fat cat!
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You want to end up like Nebraska? You sound like you'd fit in with a lot of their fanbase.
deanvogs
Well-Known Member
No kidding. So we finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the B1G west over the last 3 years. We have 28 total wins over the last 3 years, good for 12th best of all P5 teams. Yet people say we are trending downward, and it is unacceptable that 1 year we finished in 3rd in the B1G west.
True for the most part 2 WRs are what Iowa has out there. However having a 3rd that's capable of making plays is needed. Another guy to look out for is #42 Shaun Beyer. He's a bit of a hybrid at 6'5 220ish. I'm not sure if he's put on some weight or not but look for him to get in there more too be it at WR or a hybrid TE kind of role
PawkHawk1
Well-Known Member
Well said dean.
And last year was with a lot of new coaches, and a new system.
We are trending up. Period.
BigD
Well-Known Member
We will have to see how Nebraska’s new coach works out as if he becomes very successful it will change the dynamics of the division. However as things currently stand we are competting against Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Northwestern. Nebraska has been down for some time and I think we are better than them and Northwestern.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
Don't forget our ridiculous strength of schedule... Of our 13 games, 10 of them were against bowl teams and 8 of those teams won their bowl game.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Cherry picking are we? Where are we among p5 teams in the last ten years?
Also, when you go from first place, then to second place, and then to third place, that is not trending up, that is trending down. I wouldn’t recommend a career as a stock broker.
In “15” we only played one of the three best teams in the conference and lost to them. Stanford and Alabama defined our conference that year.
If Kirk wins the West this year then I will concede that I am wrong about him even though we have a favor schedule and that we are trending up. On the other hand if we finish third or less in our conference the apologist on this forum will be out in full force making up their excuses like all good Iowa State fans do.
Evidence that we are trending down
Evidence that we are trending up
Clearly you can make arguments in either direction with some ammo to support your position. I choose to look optimistically towards the future.
- Recent conference records: 2015 (8-0), 2016 (6-3), 2017 (4-5)
- Just lost to graduation or early entry 2 consensus AAs, 5 or 6 players who will be drafted (I personally think Niemann will be drafted, in addition to Daniels, Jackson, Jewell, Wadley, and Welsh), and a few more 3-year starters (MVB, Bazata, Bower)
- We just lost to MSU, NW, and Purdue last year
- Iowa vs. Wisc scores the last 3 years: 10-6, 9-17, 14-38 (with historic offensive ineptitude in that last shellacking)
Evidence that we are trending up
- 8 different '16 or '17 recruits on the offensive 2-deeps last year by the end of the season (Fant, Hockenson, B. Smith, Smith-Marsette, Stanley, Wirf, Jackson, Banwart); add in promising young RBs Kelly-Martin and T. Young who spent some time on 2-deep throughout the year
- 7 different '16 or '17 recruits on the defensive 2-deeps last year by the end of the season (Lattimore, Epenesa, Welch, Hankins, Hooker, Stone, Rugumba)
- Iowa just assembled its best recruiting class in 7 years, and just completed the 4th best 3-year recruiting run of the KF tenure
- Last season, Iowa played a scheduled generally ranked among the top-10 hardest in the nation (I checked 3 different sources, RPI, Sagarin, and teamrankings.com, with SOS rankings of 6th, 5th, and 10th, respectively); by the way, MSU, NW, and Purdue finished last year with a cumulative record of 27-12 (69% winning %)
- By computerized rankings, Iowa was roughly a top-25 team last year (33rd RPI, 18th Sagarin, 15th teamrankings.com, 23rd ESPN FPI)
- Iowa had an entirely new offensive staff last year, including a new play caller; you can blame the CEO (KF) for that fact and how it contributed to offensive ineptitude in '17; but you should also acknowledge that many people with great potential for performing a difficult task at an elite level will struggle at first (see Kyle Shanahan with Washington, Bill Belichick in Cleveland)
Clearly you can make arguments in either direction with some ammo to support your position. I choose to look optimistically towards the future.
SCHawkeye2
Well-Known Member
2015 #1 B10 West B10 record 8-0
2016 #2 B10 West B10 record 6-3
2017 #3 B10 West B10 record 4-5
Seems downhill to me.
To be fair the B1G West is pretty weak, probably the weakest division in the P5. And really it was a 4th place finish last year which is pretty rough considering who resides in the West division. Purdue and Northwestern both lost to some bad football teams last year and manage to finish ahead of Iowa in the standings. Also Iowa spent another season outside of the top 25 which has become common since 2010.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
Perfectly said.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
One must take more than just W/L records into account to determine if the team is getting better or worse... There's a variable or two that change every year that must be accounted for...
I wouldn't bet the farm on that... He's not been invited to the combine. I can't see him getting drafted. But he'll be in a camp next yr as a FA for sure.
deanvogs
Well-Known Member
How am I cherry picking? The thread is about TRENDING DOWN. That would be talking about the last 3 years, not the last 10.
If you want to be a Iowa hater, that is your right. You aren't an apologist if you say that a 3 year run with 28 wins is very good. That is just a fact. That puts Iowa tied for 12th best of all P5 teams over the last 3 years. It is what it is.
I love the "even though it is an easy schedule" next year remark. Did you cut Iowa a break this year for having an extremely difficult schedule? Certainly doesn't seem like it. Did you rip on Wisconsin for have "an extremely easy schedule" this year? I doubt it.
I am not 100% confident, but I think there is a strong market for LBs that can cover. Niemann projects as a MLB, and we know he has great cover skills for that position (PFF graded him as a slot corner in their evaluation because that is how they view Iowa's LEO position, and he graded out very favorably). We also know he will be fundamentally and tactically sound.
As you said, if he is not drafted, he will get his shot somewhere as a FA.
It's all about finding the right fit anyway. I'd rather a guy land somewhere they have the best shot at sticking. Being a 6th or 7th rounder doesn't get you much more $ or enough prestige for that to be worth it.
It's why I wondered why Daniels went to NE last yr. He had no shot with all the RBs they had. Tampa had like nobody with their starter hurt/suspended most of the year. I still think he should go there.
SCHawkeye2
Well-Known Member
Such as "alternative facts"?
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I disagree. Wisconsin is obviously consistently pretty good. No harm in finishing second behind them. Nebraska is a traditional power and there are plenty of years once they stabilize that we will finish behind them. And for all the talk about Ferentz finding diamonds in the rough during recruiting, Fitz is honestly a million times better at it than Ferentz and he is dealing with much higher academic standards. If we're being objective, Fitz is seriously the best coach in the Big Ten and he will have Ferentz's number close to half the time and will likely beat Ferentz 8 times out of 10 when the teams are relatively equal. I'm not saying NU is a better program by any stretch and their down years are really, really bad, but when they have up years with a good QB, they almost always seem to find the top 25. When we have an average or down year, we just aren't a top 25 team so some years they are going to be ahead of Iowa as well. Furthermore, when we draw a murderers row schedule out of the east, we're gonna be at least 2 games down to some of the teams in the west and that is not an easy hurdle to overcome.
