Epic meltdown: Iowa city

[CylentButDeadly]

Just one man's opinion, but I wouldn't be coming on a message board poking fun at our rivals and their reaction to a loss and how you saw it first hand, especially when the team you root for could have used your support and attendance tonight in our 2/3rds full stadium.

If you're going to choose to go to that game and not our's, that might be something I would keep to myself. And we as Cyclone fans wonder why hawk fans say we're "obsessed" with them. Well, it's people like the OP that give them this amunition.

We had a **** fan turnout tonight, despite the fact that we had a lot riding on our game. I realize there are plenty of excuses for why fans didn't go, but if you had the means to do so and still chose not to, or just chose to watch at home, etc, I would think long and hard before announcing to the rest of the Cyclone world what kept me from going to our game.

Kudos to the fans that did go and stuck with it. I know the team appreciated your support. There are reasons, however, that we're in the position we're in facility wise and success wise as an athletics department, and the OP, among many other's is partly to blame for that.

I don't mean to come down so hard on the OP, but you completely opened yourself up to it.

 

[LindenCy]

Isn't this an in-state rivals thread anyways?

Good point. I'm moving it.

 

[Omaha Cy]

Hawk fans have my sympathy actually. Its been a rough season for what seems to be the most talented Iowa squad in my lifetime. My friend gave me a stat that Iowa has only turned the ball over about 5 times this year. FIVE. Protecting the ball that well, and nearly(Indiana game) being a 6-5 team right now. That's a tough pill to swallow. They are enduring their own version of the 05 Cyclones season I guess.

Back on to the original topic, while ISU doesn't seem to have outright fan revolt in the stands during games, have you read this message board all season? This place has been meltdown central.

 

[Rural]

Something tells me the Ohio State game wouldn't have been near as "meaningless" if the final score was reversed.

 

[Clark]

Something tells me the Ohio State game wouldn't have been near as "meaningless" if the final score was reversed.

Meaningless is a bit strong. Is ISU's win @ Texas meaningless since they didn't make a bowl? No probably not. When a team owns you for as long as OSU has owned Iowa it's not a meaningless game. That being said, in terms of what bowl game they are going to, it is practically meaningless.

 

[hawkeyescott]

Something tells me the Ohio State game wouldn't have been near as "meaningless" if the final score was reversed.

It wasn't for Ohio St but it was for Iowa, what would have changed if Iowa would have won? They still weren't going to the Rose Bowl with a win, they still weren't going to be a BCS at large team if they won, they still weren't going to the Cap One Bowl if they would have won, with the loss they are looking at the Outback/Gator/Insight Bowls, with a win they were looking at the Outback/Gator/Insight Bowls, so how wasn't it meaningless even with an Iowa win?

 

[AllIowaTeams]

Iowa was never as good as anyone thought they were this year. Their Defense is great, but their offense is sub par for rated teams, imo. And it shows when they have to score in teh 4th to win a game. For some reason we just can't do anything against them.

This quote shows that you don't have a clue what you're talking about. Iowa's offense has been the reason Iowa should have won most of those games. It's the defense that has parted like the red sea in crunch time 5 times this year. Please re-watch the Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana, Northwestern, and Ohio State games. Iowa had the lead in 4 of them (tied with Arizona) with under 5 minutes remaining, and only needing a defensive stop to give themselves a very high percentage chance of winning. 5 times the defense failed to make a key stop (lucked out with the drop in the Indiana game). This is due to the Cover 2. Teams throw little passes all the way down the field, and Norm has not tried to make any adjustments. It is most certainly not the offense that is the reason we lost those games. It is all on the defense.

 

[Al_4_State]

It wasn't for Ohio St but it was for Iowa, what would have changed if Iowa would have won? They still weren't going to the Rose Bowl with a win, they still weren't going to be a BCS at large team if they won, they still weren't going to the Cap One Bowl if they would have won, with the loss they are looking at the Outback/Gator/Insight Bowls, with a win they were looking at the Outback/Gator/Insight Bowls, so how wasn't it meaningless even with an Iowa win?

Pride? At the end of the year 9-3 w/a win over a ranked Ohio State would probably feel better than 8-4.

I know out doesn't change the outcome of anything but I'd think it still has some meaning.

 

[Rural]

The game circled all pre-season as thee game, titantic showdown, etc. etc. was meaningless when it actually happened. Ok, I guess I can see that.:v_SPIN:

 

[Clark]

The game circled all pre-season as thee game, titantic showdown, etc. etc. was meaningless when it actually happened. Ok, I guess I can see that.:v_SPIN:

Yeah well when you lose three games before that game, it tends to take a little thunder out of it. I mean, Gameday chose to go to Illinois-Northwestern.

I think Al has it right. As far as standings or bowl destination the game didn't mean anything. But beating OSU does mean something regardless of the record.

 

[Stormin]

Yeah well when you lose three games before that game, it tends to take a little thunder out of it. I mean, Gameday chose to go to Illinois-Northwestern.

I think Al has it right. As far as standings or bowl destination the game didn't mean anything. But beating OSU does mean something regardless of the record.

I think a combination of the rivalry game between NW and Illini, plus the fact that the football game was being played at Wrigley Field had a lot to do with Gameday going there.

OSU versus Iowa was a big game. But definitely not as big as it might have been otherwise, had Iowa not lost so many games.

 

[hawkeyescott]

The game circled all pre-season as thee game, titantic showdown, etc. etc. was meaningless when it actually happened. Ok, I guess I can see that.:v_SPIN:

So answer my question on why it wasn't meaningless for Iowa? What did they lose by losing the game and what would they have gained by winning?

I'm not talking it was meaningless in terms of emotions, I agree with Al that 9-3 with a win over OSU is better than 8-4, but in terms of bowl position or winning a conference title or going to a BCS game it was meaningless.

 

[Frak]

Seriously that is the best reply?

It isn't a hard concept to understand. Either you are for ISU or you are not. If you are for ISU you don't choose to go to a squak game when we are a home. Records don't matter -- you represent or you don't.

This. I don't care if my GD dead great-grandma climbed out of the dirt and was attending #1 tOSU at #2 iowa, I still wouldn't be going there on a day when ISU plays at JTS.

 

[Frak]

This quote shows that you don't have a clue what you're talking about. Iowa's offense has been the reason Iowa should have won most of those games. It's the defense that has parted like the red sea in crunch time 5 times this year. Please re-watch the Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana, Northwestern, and Ohio State games. Iowa had the lead in 4 of them (tied with Arizona) with under 5 minutes remaining, and only needing a defensive stop to give themselves a very high percentage chance of winning. 5 times the defense failed to make a key stop (lucked out with the drop in the Indiana game). This is due to the Cover 2. Teams throw little passes all the way down the field, and Norm has not tried to make any adjustments. It is most certainly not the offense that is the reason we lost those games. It is all on the defense.

Honestly, it's the LBs. I said all offseason that they would miss Edds and Angerer. Both were excellent cover LBs that could stay on the field all four downs and didn't get burnt covering WRs. Edds did that for 3+ years. But iowa fans (like homerhawk) continued to say that iowa just reloads at LB. Nielson, Tarpinian and Davis will be just as good. Turns out they're not. And as good as Morris may be down the line, he should have probably redshirted if there weren't the injury issues. I'm sorry, you just don't lose guys like that and not take a step back. Same thing with Bulaga and Calloway on the OL.

 

[CYphyllis]

So answer my question on why it wasn't meaningless for Iowa? What did they lose by losing the game and what would they have gained by winning?

I'm not talking it was meaningless in terms of emotions, I agree with Al that 9-3 with a win over OSU is better than 8-4, but in terms of bowl position or winning a conference title or going to a BCS game it was meaningless.

I see that you have managed to convince yourself that beating OSU would have been pointless for Iowa, I for one find it cute.

On a side note I had predicted that Iowa would lose 5 games this year (including a bowl loss) and finish 8-5, holds no real purpose on the conversation, but I'm starting to really like my chances on winning the office pool.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

This quote shows that you don't have a clue what you're talking about. Iowa's offense has been the reason Iowa should have won most of those games. It's the defense that has parted like the red sea in crunch time 5 times this year. Please re-watch the Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana, Northwestern, and Ohio State games. Iowa had the lead in 4 of them (tied with Arizona) with under 5 minutes remaining, and only needing a defensive stop to give themselves a very high percentage chance of winning. 5 times the defense failed to make a key stop (lucked out with the drop in the Indiana game). This is due to the Cover 2. Teams throw little passes all the way down the field, and Norm has not tried to make any adjustments. It is most certainly not the offense that is the reason we lost those games. It is all on the defense.

Exactly the point. QFT

 

[Rural]

So answer my question on why it wasn't meaningless for Iowa? What did they lose by losing the game and what would they have gained by winning?

I'm not talking it was meaningless in terms of emotions, I agree with Al that 9-3 with a win over OSU is better than 8-4, but in terms of bowl position or winning a conference title or going to a BCS game it was meaningless.

You only play 12 games a year. You are taking a fan perpective and tranfering it to the team.
I'm sure all the talk around the football complex was about how meaningless life had become.

 

[Clark]

Honestly, it's the LBs. I said all offseason that they would miss Edds and Angerer. Both were excellent cover LBs that could stay on the field all four downs and didn't get burnt covering WRs. Edds did that for 3+ years. But iowa fans (like homerhawk) continued to say that iowa just reloads at LB. Nielson, Tarpinian and Davis will be just as good. Turns out they're not. And as good as Morris may be down the line, he should have probably redshirted if there weren't the injury issues. I'm sorry, you just don't lose guys like that and not take a step back. Same thing with Bulaga and Calloway on the OL.

I think it was a combination of underrating the importance of Angerer and Edds and the incredible amount of injuries to the linebacking corps this year. Tarpinian, Davis, Johnson, Nielson, Hunter have all missed games this year. I think Morris was 4th on the depth chart when the season started.

Edit: Also I think the o-line has actually played better this year than last year. With all the injuries that group took last year, they never really performed well as a unit. I'd still rather have Bulaga on the team obviosuly but this o-line has done pretty well.

 

[AmesHawk]

Honestly, it's the LBs. I said all offseason that they would miss Edds and Angerer. Both were excellent cover LBs that could stay on the field all four downs and didn't get burnt covering WRs. Edds did that for 3+ years. But iowa fans (like homerhawk) continued to say that iowa just reloads at LB. Nielson, Tarpinian and Davis will be just as good. Turns out they're not. And as good as Morris may be down the line, he should have probably redshirted if there weren't the injury issues. I'm sorry, you just don't lose guys like that and not take a step back. Same thing with Bulaga and Calloway on the OL.

Could you find where someone posted that Tarp would be better than Angerer? I don't remember seeing that. I do remember people saying that he would be a solid LB and they were absolutely correct before he got hurt. And Nielson was having a great year before he went down, and still has plenty of time to get the the level Edds was at. Hell, Edds even commented earlier this year how good he was doing in pass coverage. I think if those two guys could have stayed healthy this defense would be pretty darn stout.

Another thing, if you were a coach you would have redshirted Morris? Things must be different at ISU, because Iowa's roster is not deep enough to keep athletically gifted freshman off the field for special teams.