Bowl or Bust

42 bowl games?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12587930/tucson-little-rock-want-host-bowl-games

Simply making a bowl game this day in age doesn't mean much. Yes, I realize not all invitations are created equal. Teams have more difficult paths for post season play than others, yada yada.

MAC teams get destroyed by the worst of the Power 5 Conference teams and then play the terrible teams in their conference and boost themselves to a winning record against inferior competition to qualify for a bowl game.
 
So we can hear from all of the "I've had season tickets since 1982 and Paul Rhoads is the greatest coach we've ever had, I never once doubted him!" idiots instead? It's a lose-lose situation...either way, we'll be hearing from idiots.

^^^^^^^^^
Something only an idiot would say.
 
It should go without saying, but for some reason needs to be stated here... Anyone, in any field, that makes $1M+ a year, is held to a much greater level of results. If CPR made only $50K, then yeah, just getting a team on the field and winning a game or 2 would suffice. But if you are a CEO level person, making CEO level money, and lead a major program anywhere (sports or otherwise) you must produce results, or you get canned. Happens all the time. CPR simply has not produced to what most ISU fans expect - and as stated on this thread, our expectations are not that much.

Food for thought, we fired Mac, who had built us up into a respectable program where we won all the games that we should have, and we were competitive across the board in the ones we lost. In his last 7 years, he got us to 0.500 or better in CONFERENCE, 4 times. And he got us to 0.500 or better for the season 5 of those 7 years. And yet we FIRED him. Why? Because once we got used to being competitive, we wanted more.

We now have had CPR for 6 years, and his only winning season was his first (with Chizik's players). And, he has had ZERO winning seasons in conference play. Clearly, under CPR we have dropped well below competitive standards. As an ISU fan, I believe we should be able to get 4-5 CONFERENCE wins every year. Mac had us there, and we need to find a coach that can do the same. Heck, perhaps we should bring Mac back here. After all his time in Texas, he should have a wealth of recruiting contacts built up.

I am surprised that folks are willing to say that 4-5 wins makes CPR successful (this coming season, or any season). Think how cool it would be if we had won 7 games two of the last 3 seasons. That is what Mac did when we fired him...

The difference between CPR and Mac is that Mac never won games he wasn't supposed to win...and inevitably was blown out in a vast majority of them. Rhoads has won several and been competitive in several games we weren't supposed to win. Also, Coach Mac had a 2 win season in his 8th season. Any coach at ISU in this current landscape is going to have a 2 or 3 win season or two. It's just not realistic to expect it to never happen.

As some others have said, it's a bit disingenuous to directly compare the conference or overall records. The landscape of the Big12 has changed pretty dramatically. We had a pretty cupcake schedule in the Big12 north in the years we missed OU and UT, compared to the conference now. Baylor now is not Baylor then, CU was not that good, MU was not the same MU before they left, OSU wasn't as strong. While OU and UT may not be at the level they were when Mac was here, they are still, and always will be, head and shoulders above ISU in pure talent.

Clearly, he's had a bad couple of years, but he deserves this year to see if he can turn it around. His first four years demonstrate that he is not completely inept, as some on here seem to suggest.
 
Did. Not. Say. Always.

But it happens very frequently. Like Iowa State beating Toledo last year. Toledo has 9-4 record and 7-1 MAC record and loses to Iowa State. And plays in the Go Daddy Bowl.

Stormin - click the links and then get back to us. :smile:
 
Stormin - click the links and then get back to us. :smile:

I did. And as I pointed out, it does not always happen that way. But it happens more often that MAC teams get beat by Power 5 Conference teams. And generally the poor Power 5 Conference teams end up beating MAC teams that can end up being Bowl eligible.
 
It should go without saying, but for some reason needs to be stated here... Anyone, in any field, that makes $1M+ a year, is held to a much greater level of results. If CPR made only $50K, then yeah, just getting a team on the field and winning a game or 2 would suffice. But if you are a CEO level person, making CEO level money, and lead a major program anywhere (sports or otherwise) you must produce results, or you get canned. Happens all the time. CPR simply has not produced to what most ISU fans expect - and as stated on this thread, our expectations are not that much.

Food for thought, we fired Mac, who had built us up into a respectable program where we won all the games that we should have, and we were competitive across the board in the ones we lost. In his last 7 years, he got us to 0.500 or better in CONFERENCE, 4 times. And he got us to 0.500 or better for the season 5 of those 7 years. And yet we FIRED him. Why? Because once we got used to being competitive, we wanted more.

We now have had CPR for 6 years, and his only winning season was his first (with Chizik's players). And, he has had ZERO winning seasons in conference play. Clearly, under CPR we have dropped well below competitive standards. As an ISU fan, I believe we should be able to get 4-5 CONFERENCE wins every year. Mac had us there, and we need to find a coach that can do the same. Heck, perhaps we should bring Mac back here. After all his time in Texas, he should have a wealth of recruiting contacts built up.

I am surprised that folks are willing to say that 4-5 wins makes CPR successful (this coming season, or any season). Think how cool it would be if we had won 7 games two of the last 3 seasons. That is what Mac did when we fired him...

Welcome to Cyclone Fanatic. I see that it's your 6th post ever. I don't want to be a downer too much. I remember when I first came on I felt like all people ever did was rip on each other (OK, and that's kind of still true... :rolleyes: )

Having said that ....
You just re-hashed a group of arguments that has been given over... and over... and over... again. And it caused old arguments about DMac and the old Big XII to come up again. Might I suggest going back and reading through some of the not-so-old football threads first, before posting a bold brash opinion? Food for thought.

:smile:
 
Honestly I beleive our DL will finally be something. Best we have had in a long long time is Tucker is anything close to the hype. I think Cousin, Pierson, and Taylor will all take a nice step forward and be a very formidable starting front four. I also beleive Harris will be Wallys next All-Big12 LB.

Richardson finally has some continuety with the OC and QB coach, along with great talent at WR in Lazard, Montgomery, and Bundrage.

Iowa State had a lot of players who showed flashes, and now that they have some experience and continety in the system they are poised to bring it all together and hopefully stay healthy. We aren't a deep program that can persevere through all the injurys that we've had the previous two years.
 
I am also in the camp that believes we will have a much better defensive and possibly one of the better defensive lines we have had at Iowa State. Demond Tucker is undoubtedly making an impact. He is here for spring which is huge. Add in all the other guys we have coming back and we should be much better in the middle. We also have potential at DE and have good size there for a change, along with some depth. Secondary looks to be okay, as long as Cotton-Moya is okay. Linebackers would be the biggest question mark. Kane Seeley looked better at the end of last season and Jordan Harris sounds like the light has come on. Perhaps that is the underlying reason for the transfer of Alton Meeks.

On offense, I don't see how a person can not get excited about the return of Bundrage from injury and pairing him on the field with Lazard and Montgomery. Our RB's are young but IMO they have much more potential than in the past. We have lots of bodies for the Offensive Line to choose from that have experience. Sam is more than capable at QB. If we can just not have all the injuries, the pieces are there to have a decent season. If we get early season success, then the confidence will build. The positive mental attitude we would have would give us momentum.
 
Richardson finally has some continuety with the OC and QB coach, along with great talent at WR in Lazard, Montgomery, and Bundrage.

Iowa State had a lot of players who showed flashes, and now that they have some experience and continety in the system they are poised to bring it all together and hopefully stay healthy. We aren't a deep program that can persevere through all the injurys that we've had the previous two years.

It doesn't matter how good our WRs are if we can't get the ball to them. QBSR can't complete a pass from flat on his back or worse, jacknifed between two marauding defensive ends. Everyone's favorite excuse for losing, "Tom Farniok's <insert injury here>," is long gone, because Tom graduated. What will be the excuse this year?
 
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Welcome to Cyclone Fanatic. I see that it's your 6th post ever. I don't want to be a downer too much. I remember when I first came on I felt like all people ever did was rip on each other

Umm.. Gee.. Thanks Gladys. FYI, I have been an active reader on this site for many, many years. Just because I do not post on *this* site much, does not really mean anything, other than I choose not to. Your 1700 posts in 30 months is impressive. I think at 2000 posts you get a free mug and t-shirt. Keep at it, you should hit that in a few months at your current rate.

You just re-hashed a group of arguments that has been given over... and over... and over... again. And it caused old arguments about DMac and the old Big XII to come up again. Might I suggest going back and reading through some of the not-so-old football threads first, before posting a bold brash opinion? Food for thought.

Thanks for the food. Do you feel better now after your little speech? Of course I brought it up again - it was pertinent to this specific thread. That is why they calls this a forum. Brash responses like yours tirelessly come up in *EVERY* forum in the world - usually from someone who spends way too much time on the forum, and who feels it is a waste of their forum time to rekindle the same discussions. Heck, we should take this entire forum offline now since just about every day the same topics come up: coaching, recruiting, game play. Are there other topics? Sure, I could have just posted links to old threads, and told folks to quit discussing coaching results, but then what is the point of this forum? Plus, it gave you another opportunity to add one more post to your totals.
 
It doesn't matter how good our WRs are if we can't get the ball to them. QBSR can't complete a pass from flat on his back or worse, jacknifed between two marauding defensive ends. Everyone's favorite excuse for losing, "Tom Farniok's <insert injury here>," is long gone, because Tom graduated. What will be the excuse this year?

Cutting the injurys in half would go a long way in having a better line, most teams don't get hurt a quarter of what we have the last few years. there's some talent and experience there. It's crazy how many people expect players to reach full potential their first time on the field or while they are on the sidelines hurt and don't understand the chemistry and repetition needed in football.
 
There is very little chance ISU will go to a bowl game this year. So,.......BUST.
 
I am also in the camp that believes we will have a much better defensive and possibly one of the better defensive lines we have had at Iowa State. Demond Tucker is undoubtedly making an impact. He is here for spring which is huge. Add in all the other guys we have coming back and we should be much better in the middle. We also have potential at DE and have good size there for a change, along with some depth. Secondary looks to be okay, as long as Cotton-Moya is okay. Linebackers would be the biggest question mark. Kane Seeley looked better at the end of last season and Jordan Harris sounds like the light has come on. Perhaps that is the underlying reason for the transfer of Alton Meeks.

On offense, I don't see how a person can not get excited about the return of Bundrage from injury and pairing him on the field with Lazard and Montgomery. Our RB's are young but IMO they have much more potential than in the past. We have lots of bodies for the Offensive Line to choose from that have experience. Sam is more than capable at QB. If we can just not have all the injuries, the pieces are there to have a decent season. If we get early season success, then the confidence will build. The positive mental attitude we would have would give us momentum.

I agree, just as long as our QB can get them the ball...
 
There is very little chance ISU will go to a bowl game this year. So,.......BUST.

At least you are admitting that there is a chance we go to a bowl. So you do admit that the talent level is not at the lowest it has ever been.
 
At least you are admitting that there is a chance we go to a bowl. So you do admit that the talent level is not at the lowest it has ever been.

Lol what a high bar you've set. You are the kind of guy with a whole drawer filled with 6th place ribbons from your third grade track and field day aren't you...
 
I have to admit, I'm pretty intrigued about Demond Tucker. Of course, I'll believe it when I see it though because coaches have talked up numerous guys over the years, only to find out in the first game that they aren't very good.

But Demond really has the potential IMO. And I still believe, as does Rhoads, that Trent Taylor has the most potential of anyone on our defense. He's the most talented guy we have, if he can learn how to use it, and use it on every play.

With that being said, this defense still scares me to death. LB's are very questionable, and our secondary is as well IMO. I still don't get all the hype with Tribune? He's ok I guess, but still like most of our d-backs in that he doesn't ever hardly play the ball, and therefore doesn't make a play on the ball.

And I really don't blame our players as much for their pass coverage abilities as much as I do the coaching. I'm so sick of our guys NEVER turning around to see the ball and knock it down or intercept it. If I'm the offensive coordinator going against ISU, I just throw it deep a majority of the time because I know that we can't defend it.
 

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