WTF BTN and FS1 Analysts!!?

[mopkins]

It’s also pretend football because against the upper echelon, of college football, it doesn’t compete and that’s the real reason kirk/gary don’t play those games in September. The other reasons are hogwash

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

Do we get the same FS1 announcers in Ames. I thought I heard one of them say they have never been to Ames. The other mentioned you're in for a treat. Really?? Ames, Iowa? Was I hammered?? I didn't think was

Iowa State is on that shit channel all the time. The announcers were saying that they were in for a treat because they were confused when they showed up and realized that neither team on the field was Iowa State. If you watched the Northern Iowa game you’d know how huge of homers the FS1 crew is for the Clowns. They were talking about how they hoped the clowns would come out of half and pound the Panthers. Far from impartial.

 

[ChosenChildren]

I think Iowa is trying to change the narrative a little bit. They may now have the receivers and other skill position players to do so.

But there is an identity to Iowa under Kirk. I hope it doesn't change. Iowa fans should not take this coaching staff for granted, or the results. Is anyone watching Tennessee right now? What a train wreck.

Urban Meyer had an interesting analysis on Iowa. He basically said "Do not sleep on Iowa. They are tough and will give you all you want for 60 minutes." I respect him the most on those Fox panels. He didn't say Iowa would necessarily win the West, but he certainly thinks Iowa will contend.

I also think Iowa will compete for the West title this year. We will be right in the mix. That is enough for me. The ball has to bounce the right way and you have to stay free of major injuries. Northwestern lost their best QB for the season on Saturday, a kid they were grooming to lead them once the Big Ten starts (Green). That cannot happen to Iowa.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Anyone who thinks the Iowa offense is vanilla isn't paying attention. Brian F. is changing our tendencies and this offense is much more diverse and hard to prepare for than it used to be. He also now, with Martin, ISM, Smith, and Tracy has a WR core that can get separation on their own. Now...we have to play a great opponent to see if they can do it against the likes of better competition...but that will come.

BF is starting to get his sea legs. I like where he's going...he's prepping us to play with the big boys...running game, short passing game, scheming to get a playmaker on a linebacker, and taking shots when the defense is in press. You have to do that...and more than once...and he did that the other night...they ran go routes 5-6 times...and got a few interference calls. Good stuff...and something other teams need to prepare for.

 

[NCHawker]

12 personnel or 21 personnel, I can't figure out whether the team is going left to right or right to left, which one is 2 TE and which one is 1 TE and which one is 2 RB and which one is 1 RB. Every year I go through this. I need therapy. In podcasts I have to hit pause and thing for a few seconds, then his play..otherwise I'm still thinking about 12 or 21 or whatever.

 

[cincyhawk]

I did see some audibles and checks but it wasn't the same old same old. I will have to re-watch to pick up specifics but I did see Stanley reading the D and making corrections. That is one thing I do like about Iowa Football is they allow the QB to read the D and I think it shows when the last few QBs in our system have been on NFL rosters. I am hoping they give Stanley some more flexibility in what he is checking into. I think in the past it has been one maybe two choices based off the numbers in the box which teams have used against us.

I don't know about you but I cannot stand to watch the teams that have the QB back in shotgun clapping his hands and then turning to look at the sidelines for the call.

The check with me system is fine if

• The initial play gets into the huddle early
• The offense uses few shifts and formations
• Or the team runs no-huddle
• And the OC is decisive and creative with his audibles
• And the signallers on the sideline are on point with their communication
• And the players on the field all know the signals by heart

It can be overly complex to execute otherwise. When everything above is working, it allows younger QBs to perform above their ability to read defenses, and takes some of the risks associated with audibles out of the equation.

Let's be real here, though. Audibles need to really be one of three options or less depending on the read, with only one protection or formation swap. If the whole playbook is open on every play, all you'll get is a confused mess.

I'm a big fan of Mike Leach's 10 plays with infinite execution details offense. It is flexible, yet simple enough that you can run it with pretty much anybody. The flaw is that it tends to rely too much on short passes instead of runs, so it doesn't chew enough clock or isn't reliable for cold weather teams in October/November. You could do something similar with more runs (Oregon's offense from the mid 2000's), too. Or you can do it pro style. If you have Brady or Manning as a QB, you might be able to do it with any play without the check with me, but those guys are super rare. One or two options, a formation flip, and a hot route are the limits for a system like Iowa's in college, I think.

 

[BigD]

They’re not wrong, though. It can be good football but it’s still completely vanilla.

Actually they used the phrase “same ole, same ole” and your right they are not wrong. You see the rest of football nation that are true sports enthusiasts are not going to be excited about 8-4 or 7-5 Iowa. Kirk and son are going to have to prove to football nation and a few Hawkeye fans that they can compete for and win their division on a regular basis. Until they do that they don’t deserve any accolades or recognition. I mean for what???

Did I hear them right that Michigan State has won THREE big ten titles in the last TEN years. I think that is what was said. It kind of surprised me especially since I don’t generally think of MSU that superior to us in football. Basketball? Yes. Football no. Or at least it shouldn’t be that way. Three in the last ten years. I may have heard that wrong as I was trying to listen to the TV while preparing dinner for my family. You have to go back to 2004 and if I am remembering correctly I think that was a shared title.

I suffered a long time being a cub fan and a bears fan since seven years old back in 1967. In 1985 the bears finally rewarded my patience and loyalty with a championship. Recently the cubs have done it. I wonder if Iowa will ever crack the playoffs in my lifetime. I stayed loyal to them thru the comings era (extremely painful). When Bob was fired a rose bowl bid seemed like pure fantasy. Hayden changed that and finally put us back on the map from the deep black hole we were in when he was hired. It was a God send at the time.

In fairness to Kirk the last couple of years have shown an uptick but he really needs to “knock that damn door down.” Some of you older guys will remember Bump Phillips using that phrase when his Houston Oilers fell just short of making the Super Bowl. Even though we have a tough row to hoe this year it also gives Kirk and staff a chance to prove they don’t need a weak and favorable schedule to get to B1G championship game. As hard as I have been on Kirk I think it’s POSSIBLE this year, but Brian is really going to have to open the playbook or replace the old one if it’s going to happen. The offense has been the anchor dragging this program down and Brian has the opportunity with the players his has to break through the damn door. Let’s hope he is successful in B1G way. After all, 52 years of fan loyalty to this team dictates that some of us deserve it.

 

[cincyhawk]

The other word you'll hear is "tempo". Not tempo in the sense that we run no huddle, quick snap offense....but our tempo is harder and more tenacious than most college teams. Even Wisconsin says that one of the most difficult things for them during Iowa week is getting their scout team to play at the tempo that Iowa plays at. When it's rolling, it just tears the shit out of teams. Even go back to Nebby's former DC who said after we kicked the shit out of them again that, "Their practices must be blood baths!".

I agree. If you watch an old 80's Mich or OSU game, they ran vanilla offenses, like Iowa's, but Iowa's offense nowadays is more intense. Everything is faster and harder, and has a little more motion or nuance to it. Other teams line up and run just as much as Iowa, but Iowa, when it's working, looks like a wood chipper compared to a weed eater. Only Wisconsin and Alabama offenses look more violent at the line. Even when they get beat, Iowa beats on people.

 

[DDThompson]

You do know we play 4 road games this year against teams ranked in the pre-season top 25? That's more than Alabama and Clemson combined.

Try again.

But is it more than IOWA STATE and Alabama combined?

 

[homes]

Iowa is not exciting begs the question, then what is considered'defined to be exciting football?

I thought it was exciting, good football on Saturday.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

It’s also pretend football because against the upper echelon, of college football, it doesn’t compete and that’s the real reason kirk/gary don’t play those games in September. The other reasons are hogwash

 

[LicThawk]

The simple fact we didn't run the zone run each direction 40 times is enough for me to get excited. We forced their defense to commit to a spot/lane and allowed the running back to use their vision to find a hole. AMAZING to watch. It worked.

 

[kameltoez102]

Anyone who thinks the Iowa offense is vanilla isn't paying attention. Brian F. is changing our tendencies and this offense is much more diverse and hard to prepare for than it used to be. He also now, with Martin, ISM, Smith, and Tracy has a WR core that can get separation on their own. Now...we have to play a great opponent to see if they can do it against the likes of better competition...but that will come.

BF is starting to get his sea legs. I like where he's going...he's prepping us to play with the big boys...running game, short passing game, scheming to get a playmaker on a linebacker, and taking shots when the defense is in press. You have to do that...and more than once...and he did that the other night...they ran go routes 5-6 times...and got a few interference calls. Good stuff...and something other teams need to prepare for.

Don't think it is vanilla at all. I actually think it is more complex than a lot of the spread offense running today. It really stresses the defense because they have to really stay focused. There are so many looks that can be run that are almost identical. Then you throw in the play action and that is where you can really gash them if they bite hard on the run. If you are capable of running the ball then it really becomes difficult both physically and mentally to stay sharp and keep a good technique.

What I really liked the last game is BF threw in some plays out of some formations that we have not run before so you have to prepare even more as to what personnel are in. In my eyes a running QB in a pro style offense is that much more dangerous because you add that extra dimension. Put that against a spread team that goes empty backfield. There are really only a few options that the defense needs to read because there isn't the "true" play action threat. It focuses more on the mismatches in space rather than beating you with fundamentals I guess is what I am trying to say.

Now take a team like Oklahoma with a dynamic runner and passer it is a little different because they did give that run all the way look and then popped up for a pass that hit Houston pretty hard once or twice. That is an exception as most schools don't have that talent and the ones that do are the same few we keep seeing year in and year out because as long as they don't make killer mistakes their talent is just that much better at most positions

 

[DMLadyhawk]

We was actually the only really complimentary analyst and actually watched and commented what Iowa did "in the 2nd half". So, he actually watched it. He commented on how tough Iowa is and said a couple times "I've lived it".

Also on BTN I thought Joshua Perry was really good with his comments about all the games this week. He appears to have done his homework. And he has credibility as a recent Ohio State player who said the Hawkeyes are tough and wear you out.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I disagree with last Saturday though. They had WR's that were effective and spread the ball around to 10 different receivers. In years past, they were down an entire unit for the most part.

I think analysts just assume Iowa will be the same Iowa. They may be in their game plan or approach but the game won't be as boring, IMO.

Funny thing. When ISM got held--multiple times--it was "Iowa WRs need to get separation". When it happens to a WR at Texas, U$C, Michigan, Alabama, O$U, PSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, L$U, blah blah blah, it's, "Thats a penalty! How do the officials miss that?!"

Two different times ISM got grabbed by the arm &/or jersey. It reminded of the 2009 NW game, where McNutt got grabbed by the jersey and the officials totally missed it, as badly as they "saw" the Eubanks "hold" on Wegher's nullified TD run.

Sure, everybody gets "bad" calls. Some just more "bad" than others, though.

 

[The Big LeHAWKski]

Funny thing. When ISM got held--multiple times--it was "Iowa WRs need to get separation". When it happens to a WR at Texas, U$C, Michigan, Alabama, O$U, PSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, L$U, blah blah blah, it's, "Thats a penalty! How do the officials miss that?!"

Two different times ISM got grabbed by the arm &/or jersey. It reminded of the 2009 NW game, where McNutt got grabbed by the jersey and the officials totally missed it, as badly as they "saw" the Eubanks "hold" on Wegher's nullified TD run.

Sure, everybody gets "bad" calls. Some just more "bad" than others, though.

Ah, Brandon Wehger...what could of been!


Of course if, if and if.

 

[dahlhawk]

Oh and you will probably never hear Urban (arguably one of the best college coaches ever) say we play boring.

Urban was actually quite candid about the butt-kicking, he was quite positive about Iowa's program.

 

[dahlhawk]

Iowa State is on that shit channel all the time. The announcers were saying that they were in for a treat because they were confused when they showed up and realized that neither team on the field was Iowa State. If you watched the Northern Iowa game you’d know how huge of homers the FS1 crew is for the Clowns. They were talking about how they hoped the clowns would come out of half and pound the Panthers. Far from impartial.

I heard that too, thought they were the Universities announcers.

 

[Caddy]

Why, because they didn't launch it 40 yrds? The coaches and Stanley spread the ball around which may end up being the best strategy for a team like Iowa so the defense can't key on just a few players. Iowa last Saturday didn't look any different than many good football teams. If f'ing Alabama did it (which they are quite similar actually), they'd be salivating on how good Alabama got everybody involved and spread the ball around. But, Iowa is just this plodding boring team. Screw it.

The score was 10-7 at half against an awful MAC team. The first half was not good football. Iowa plays boring football, period. That is the style of football that KF plays. Iowa and Alabama are nothing alike other than the style of offense they play. Completely different level of athlete at Alabama, which makes it much more exciting to watch. Iowa has very few big plays, and takes a long time to drive the length of the field and score more often than not because they have very few plays over 20 yards. As far as the receivers and spreading the ball around. It will be interesting to see who gets open against a decent defense. They struggled getting open in the first half, but did better in the second. I'm not quite as optimistic as to what we have at receiver. Martin looks promising, but we really don't have a guy that can stretch the defense, and Stanley's long ball doesn't look any better than last year so far. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Caddy]

I noticed that as well. They didn't audible a lot on Saturday but went with the called play. They were willing to try to exploit blitzes instead of run from them. Stanley actually took the pressure and completed passes against the blitz.

I like that teams won't be able to force Iowa into an audible and down to a few plays to defend. Iowa may not always be successful against the blitz but at least they can keep the defense guessing a bit on what they are going to do. In the past, when Iowa checked out of a play, it extensively narrowed down the possibilities of plays they would run, many times a running play that was defended. Not anymore.

We were playing an inferior opponent that we should have been able to do whatever we wanted to do. Lets see what we do when we play a solid defense. Anyone can look like a great play caller against an inferior opponent like we faced. Let's see what happens against a decent team. I have a feeling we are going to see what we have in the past. Hopefully I'm wrong, but with the loss of those 2 tight ends I see us struggling against conference teams.