What are your ISU Football W-L Expectations now?

Once upon a time (1994?), my son and I witnessed Iowa State play Rice on a dreary October day. Rice was having a bad year (as usual) and they still thumped us in front of probably 20,000 fans (or so) at Cyclone Stadium.

I decided right there, that if we ever became competitive to the degree that I thought we could win any game we played, I would never complain about coaching decisions, player mistakes, outcomes, wins/losses, etc.

We are there and I am happy.

edited to add: ... and knowing that the hawks are wringing their collective hands in obvious anxiety is the icing on the cake. I'm sorry I feel that way, but I can't help it. I've dealt with too much verbal crap from them for far too long.

I was at that game. 20,000 is generous. The 400-500 students there had shirts that said, "Ames Iowa: a drinking town with a football problem."
 
win 1 per year, our superbowl, against any top 10 team, then the other 6 to 7 wins per year against lesser competition including all non conference tune ups should put us in a nice bowl each year. Upsets will happen and when they do I hope the hawks sign kirk to an extension each time to mark your programs achievement welcome to the new cyclone state of mind
 
As a part of the program since I first started back in 1984..I feel I have some thing to say about this.I usually try to stay out of this stuff but I feel like I need to say something.
I agree that W-L is a bad way to determine the state of the program..or how the coach is doing.
I remember making a post last summer stating that this program was at the best I've ever seen since 1984.Its all about athletic ability-speed and depth.It just keeps getting better ever year under CPR.Until that changes, I'll be behind CPR no matter what the record.
After everything this program has been through...I'm estastic about a coach that wants to improve the program every year.Thats how you become somebody.

And yes,JMiller,If you are trying to find out if the 'fanbases' are different...I think they are.Cyclone fans relish in what they have 'won' and look at the bright side while hawk fans look at what they 'deserve' and what could be.
Will that change?
I highly doubt it.
 
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According to your ever-popular Sagarin rankings, you were not.

Sagarin ratings for last 5 yrs
ISU 2011- 2nd Iowa-48th
ISU 2010- 24th Iowa-49th
ISU 2009- 71st Iowa-41st
ISU 2008- 51st Iowa-63rd
ISU 2007- 20th Iowa-75th
Avg..........33.6...........55.2

Not top 20 year to year, but with the new Big 12 schedule it sure seems like that will be the case. 3 out of the last 5 yrs are top 25 schedules though.

Take out this year even, and ISU is still an AVG of 15 spots tougher in the schedule. The reality is, year to year, the Big ten is a weaker conference than the Big 12. It is much easier to get bowl eligible and occasionally have a great season in the Big 10 because the competition is worse and Iowa normally plays teams like Southeastern Louisiana Poly Tech A&M State.

I have respect for the way Kirk has been able to keep his coaches around for so long, because he is loyal to them and they are loyal to him. I do think he is WAY over-payed for the results on the field. Anytime he wins more than 7 games he gets an extension and a raise. That is why there is no chance in hell he leaves Iowa for the Chiefs or anywhere else. Nobody gets rewarded more for doing less in this profession.
 
John, with our current schedule difficulty I am happy as hell with six or seven wins and a bowl game, overjoyed w anything more than that.
 
Glad to see them pull the trigger on CPR's contract. Once I saw the Colorado State Rams pay their new coach 1.35 million per year, I knew we needed to pony up some cash for keeping our coaches around. Pitt was just lurking out there...

As for expectations, I'm still realistic. I've seen the highs of Sage, Seneca, the wins over Nebraska in 92, 02 and 09, a few good beatdowns of Iowa over the last 12 years or so. I've seen the lows of 03, Chizik seasons, 15 in a row losing to Iowa, and the ugly times where we once tore down the goalposts for beating Ohio. I think the best thing they did before Rhoads was commiting to Mac for a longer time to get continuity in the program. Now we're committing again. I expect at least as good as the early 2000's were with Mac. Bowl games most years, some years 8-9 wins, others not so much. I expect a team that gets better as the year goes on. I expect fans to show up for November games. I expect bowl wins most of the times we go. Is that too much to ask?
 
A bowl game every year for the next three, then you can talk about a certain number of wins. We are still in building mode.
 
Steady Improvement.

I hate to say 6 wins, or 7 wins, or 8 wins, but would think that with next years schedule, we should get to a bowl. It will be hard to say how much the offense is effected by losing Herman.

I would love to see us win in Iowa City.
 
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Steady Improvement is the answer.

If you really force me to choose a win total I'll go with one more win than KF each year in the short term. That's partly to jab the Hawks, but mostly because I expect KF to pretty consistently squeak into a bowl each year over the short term so one more win puts us consistently at 7-8 wins.

Long term I'd like to see 10 before the 10 year contract is up.
 
Each year: win almost all the games we "should", some that are toss-ups, a few that we should not, and compete in all (2011 MU and Utah/OU in 2010 in the rear-view). Of course, as the program improves, the number of match-ups by type changes.
 
I expect gradual improvement through the years. Although, it would be awesome if he built this program up like Mike Gundy has done at OSU.

Mike Gundy records through 7 years at OSU:
2005 - 4-7
2006 - 7-6
2007 - 7-6
2008 - 9-4
2009 - 9-4
2010 - 11-2
2011 - 11-1

Paul Rhoads through 3 years at ISU:
2009 - 7-6
2010 - 5-7
2011 - 6-6

This might be a pipe dream but if anyone can do this at Iowa State it is Paul RHOADS. (Spelled it right that time!)

That's the type of gradual progress I would like. That's essentially all I ask at this stage. Other coaches have done similar things to that Gundy pattern (someone with better knowledge of that could give some examples).

Many times, a rebuild like that ends after five years when the coach might bolt for greener pastures. This contract suggests we could see a big rise, then not lose the coach. (The possibility is still there, as contracts go, it just becomes less likely).

As long as ISU is moving up the ladder, I can be patient before expecting conference title contention, 10-win seasons and BCS bowl appearances.

Something that would add perspective, as far as winning percentage. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Earle Bruce have the best W-L percentage at ISU (for coaches who spent more than, say, 5 years with the program)? His record was 36-32 over 6 seasons.

Rhoads is 18-19 (let's hope he gets to 19-19 after the bowl). Within 3 regular seasons (ignore bowl games for the moment) he would equal Bruce's %, by winning an average of only 6.3 games each year. Certainly within reach. He has to avoid plateauing, or having some big seasons followed by a serious backslide.
 
Earle Bruce also only averaged 5 losses per year during that 6 year stretch. (Iirc: 7,7,7,3,3,3)

Add another cupcake to the schedule to get that 6th win on a 12 game schedule vs 11.

Obviously Rhoads is in y3 vs y6.
 
Earle Bruce also only averaged 5 losses per year during that 6 year stretch. (Iirc: 7,7,7,3,3,3)

Add another cupcake to the schedule to get that 6th win on a 12 game schedule vs 11.

Obviously Rhoads is in y3 vs y6.

You're correct on the losses — although that doesn't count the bowl games (last two seasons would be 4 & 4). Or, alternately, those were 11-game regular seasons instead of 12.

It could be interesting to compare the two coaches after six seasons — Bruce had three 4-7 years, then three 8-3's. Rhoads' first three hovered around .500. Even staying at that level, Rhoads would be doing no worse. Getting 7-8 wins two of the next three years certainly looks attainable. At that point, he'd be achieving at a level higher than ISU did in the most respected period in the modern era.
 
A bowl game every year for the next three, then you can talk about a certain number of wins. We are still in building mode.

I agree, ZJohnson. And by the way, you're a stud. miss u

But in seriousness, I was so pumped to hear this news today. This program hasn't had this much positive momentum at least in a decade, and probably since before I was born in 85. Really excited about ISU athletics in general right now. I'd love to see a few 7-8 win seasons in the next 5 years and continued football stadium upgrades including new, larger press box and, of course, SEZ.
 
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We were favored in 2 games this year.

The end.

Part of the goal should be 'be favored in more games'.

When we're consistenly pulling at least one big upset a year as we have the last 3, i bet those lines get a bit smaller, especially on games that are supposed to be lopsided.
 
Great to see CPR get this deal. I think its a good move for all involved.

I pose this question to you: What are your W-L expectations for ISU football, given this contract?

I am not one of those people that feels a coaches worth to a program is all about Wins. ISU had a .500 season this year and had the best attendance year in school history, seeing 50k or more people in the stands for every home game for the first time ever.

There is a GREAT deal of value in that for the athletic department, so I think this sort of contract is certainly in line.

However, one thing I have noticed with Kirk's increased salary, is that certain win totals which have in the past been acceptable, are no longer acceptable to a certain segment of the fanbase.

With these types of dollars, a certain segment of the fanbase will have a quicker trigger to be more critical...can't say how large that segment will be.

What are your thoughts?
Time to expect to go bowling on a consistent, regular basis.
 
Great to see CPR get this deal. I think its a good move for all involved.

I pose this question to you: What are your W-L expectations for ISU football, given this contract?

I am not one of those people that feels a coaches worth to a program is all about Wins. ISU had a .500 season this year and had the best attendance year in school history, seeing 50k or more people in the stands for every home game for the first time ever.

There is a GREAT deal of value in that for the athletic department, so I think this sort of contract is certainly in line.

However, one thing I have noticed with Kirk's increased salary, is that certain win totals which have in the past been acceptable, are no longer acceptable to a certain segment of the fanbase.

With these types of dollars, a certain segment of the fanbase will have a quicker trigger to be more critical...can't say how large that segment will be.

What are your thoughts?

I'd be happy with 6 again next year.
 

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