If everyone is being truly honest...... this thread is a really bad look from the ISU side of things.
If we want to talk trash to Iowa fans, then first of all we better start beating them head to head some day.... then we should start winning more games than they do (don't give me the SOS BS either, the schedules are basically even IMO), and finally we should win our bowl games when we get to them as well. And finally, on top of that, we should probably actually have a better recruiting class than them..... just ONCE.... if we want to brag about recruiting. Oh, and Iowa also puts like 10x the amount of guys in the NFL as we do.
The truth hurts fellow ISU fans. Iowa is still ahead of us in about every single category you can point to.
With that being said, I do believe we've been closing the gap on them since CMC arrived. But we still have a ways to go yet IMO.
I think ISU is as talented or more talented at every position group right now besides OL and probably DL too. But that's a huge issue because that's where games are won and lost. ISU MUST develop a decent OL, and it all starts this season. This entire OL beginning this season will all be CMC guys. Although they will be young and pretty inexperienced.... CMC is saying they will be better as a group than last year's senior laden OL. We shall see.... the success of the season will basically depend on that being the case.
The next thing that must improve IMO is the offensive scheme and play calling. I'm no expert, but when I watch us play, I feel like if I were the opposing DC, it would be pretty easy to defend against us. We run very little misdirection, and consistenly show we have no idea how to beat a blitz. The offense is not dynamic or creative at all.
And what REALLY scares me is that watching Iowa's bowl game last year.... they in fact do seem like they're finally opening things up offensively and being dynamic. It always seemed like teams had a chance against Iowa because their offense was 3 yds and a cloud of dust and they didn't usually score that many points. It was SO boring to watch. But not in that bowl game it surely wasn't.
As I watched them play, I just kept thinking to myself..... "why don't we run something like that?". They were mixing it up big time on offense, running misdirection, using the entire field, mixing in a trick play or two.... USC had no idea what was coming. If that is a sign of things to come under Brian Ferentz's offense... we might be in big trouble. Especially if we don't start getting more creative on offense.
My point is, us ISU fans have no room to talk any trash to Iowa at all. KF has always known what wins football games.... being big and strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball. ISU hasn't. We're getting closer though, but CMC is going to have to develop an OL quick.... and get a lot more creative scheme on offense IMO.
We could have easily beat Iowa the last two years IMO with just being more aggressive offensively. We lose by one stinkin' point last year, and statistically were the better team on the field, but couldn't close the deal. Two years ago in IC, we march right down the field and were actually blowing Iowa off the ball, and the drive stalls on the 2 yd line and we kick a FG, and then don't score again the rest of the game and lose 13-3. After that initial drive we basically never even tried to score the rest of the game. Total vanilla on offense and never threw a pass over 10 yds all day.
Okay, sorry for the long rant. Don't blame anyone if they didn't feel like reading all that, but it's the truth. We have nothing to stand on in talking trash to Iowa. I'm just hoping CMC will do the things needed to turn that corner!
