One season, 3rd recruiting class - kinda weird

[NickTheGreat]

What were you expecting? With the amount of attrition that team had last year I thought 3 was about right.

Agreed, but I'm not expecting him to get poached in mean time.

 

[NickTheGreat]

From my seat, the team in August was a shell of what it was in November. What we saw last season hasn't been seen in Ames since...? People are excited because of the potential this staff has.

Sure, it improved. I guess I'm just wary of the term "potential."

Hell, a few years into Paul Rhoads I told my buddy that we'll have a stadium named after the guy eventually . . .

 

[Omaha Cy]

He really needs to shake that "ISU loses close games" rust off.

Once he does that, it will be a different program.

Agreed.
In the first 3 or so years, Rhoads was doing really well in 1 score games, with the exception of playing KSU. ISU had a lot of issues in Rhoads latter years that were hard to overlook, but his record in close games really took a major step backwards.

Really paramount to win those, and ISU failed quite often last year. CMC unlike Rhoads didnt have the planets align so perfectly in his 1st year.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Agreed.
In the first 3 or so years, Rhoads was doing really well in 1 score games, with the exception of playing KSU. ISU had a lot of issues in Rhoads latter years that were hard to overlook, but his record in close games really took a major step backwards.

Really paramount to win those, and ISU failed quite often last year. CMC unlike Rhoads didnt have the planets align so perfectly in his 1st year.

Agreed. Rhoads walked into three positive trends...

(1.) easier schedule in the Big 12 north and with only 8 conference games

(2.) Chizik could not coach, but he could recruit, and left some nice pieces behind

(3.) teams that, early on in his tenure, had a knack for winning close games

Once the schedule stiffened up, the Chizik guys (KO, Leonard Johnson, etc.) aged out, and the team lost its magic in close games, well, curtains for Paul.

2012 hurt the worse. We went 6-7 that year with wins over...

Tulsa, Iowa, Western Illinois, TCU, Baylor, Kansas

We were so close on...

Kansas State
West Virginia

Against KSU... "Iowa State still had a chance for the game-winning drive from its own 3-yard line with 2:17 left. But the Wildcats' defense -- no doubt as fresh as it could be in such a late spot -- stopped the Cyclones on downs."

"Iowa State (6-6, 4-5) then drove to the West Virginia 7, but Jeff Woody fumbled into the end zone and Karl Joseph recovered for the Mountaineers, which ran out the clock."

Argh -- 8-4 would have felt so good that year then going to San Diego.

We were a good team that year -- we just had awful luck. Rhoads never got a team together that was both good and had good luck to get to 8-9 wins.

After that, the wheels fell off.

 

[TheJackWePack5]

Sure, it improved. I guess I'm just wary of the term "potential."

Hell, a few years into Paul Rhoads I told my buddy that we'll have a stadium named after the guy eventually . . .

I am guilty too, as I think we all were a little too optimistic after those first few Rhoads years.

I think one thing that is a positive is Campbell had several true freshman contribute at a good level and I don't recall in the past having that many youngsters immediately look that talented.

If they continue to litter the field with talent like those guys, I'm confident they'll get ISU to winning ways.

 

[TheJackWePack5]

Agreed. Rhoads walked into three positive trends...

(1.) easier schedule in the Big 12 north and with only 8 conference games

(2.) Chizik could not coach, but he could recruit, and left some nice pieces behind

(3.) teams that, early on in his tenure, had a knack for winning close games

Once the schedule stiffened up, the Chizik guys (KO, Leonard Johnson, etc.) aged out, and the team lost its magic in close games, well, curtains for Paul.

2012 hurt the worse. We went 6-7 that year with wins over...

Tulsa, Iowa, Western Illinois, TCU, Baylor, Kansas

We were so close on...

Kansas State
West Virginia

Against KSU... "Iowa State still had a chance for the game-winning drive from its own 3-yard line with 2:17 left. But the Wildcats' defense -- no doubt as fresh as it could be in such a late spot -- stopped the Cyclones on downs."

"Iowa State (6-6, 4-5) then drove to the West Virginia 7, but Jeff Woody fumbled into the end zone and Karl Joseph recovered for the Mountaineers, which ran out the clock."

Argh -- 8-4 would have felt so good that year then going to San Diego.

We were a good team that year -- we just had awful luck. Rhoads never got a team together that was both good and had good luck to get to 8-9 wins.

After that, the wheels fell off.

Not to mention the Jake Knott injury at the end of the year. The defense wasn't quite the same without him on the field.

 

[CyValley]

CMC was signed to a 5 year deal, right?

Six years, I think. I remember that I was a bit surprised by the 'odd' number.

 

[Bryce7]

No more than an odd thought running through my petrified pea brain today some minutes after the Carson Schleker commitment.

We've only got one season of the CMC iSu era in the books, yet we're neck deep already into the third recruiting season with our new staff. And what a whale of a job they're doing.

It seems the 2018 class, even though smaller than the staff's first two, can take a step up with just a couple or three more commitments.

Offensively, how about OT Joey Ramos to round out the OL recruiting? Only one more WR to go, and he's got to be a big one (over 6 foot) but we're in great shape with several.

Defensively, grab one more outstanding LB? One more excellent interior DL prospect along with a top notch DE?

That's 16 commits. With those kids we're 80 percent to the finish line with this class. The trend is upward bound.

How far over shall we go since so many pull out? Just asking.

 

[tolfbfan]

If Campbell is successful here, I don't think he is going to jump for just the next big check that is offered to him. He probably has a pretty short list of schools that he would go to (tOSU or better).

Better than THE OSU........are you nutty!