They make it so easy...

[Dandy]

The schedule was just as lame last year and we went 7-5, including a 14-51 throat kick from Minnesota. And it's business as usual.

Do you wish Iowa had a tougher schedule?

 

[khawk4]

Do you wish Iowa had a tougher schedule?

Not Dandy, but I would absolutely love Iowa to have a tougher schedule. If Iowa were to even go 12-0 this year, they should absolutely not be in the conversation of the playoff, regardless of what would happen in the B1G playoff. Now, I wouldnt want a Bama schedule (wowzers), but it just gets so. freaking. old playing meaningless B1G games at 11am, and having Beth MOwins call your games.

 

[khawk4]

Doesn't your fan base use this excuse often?

Maybe some, but ive never bought into it (every fan base has their idiots). However, its still comparing apples to oranges. An Iowa, ISU game in early September between two unranked teams is completely different than two top ten teams going at it in a BCS bowl.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

Taking only the top 42 kind of demonstrates a desire to cherry pick the stats. Even if you take it to an even top 50 the Big 12 had 70% of their league in while the Big 10 only had 50% of their league. That leaves a lot of teams outside of the top 50 for top half Big 10 teams to pick up wins against - and that is before you consider the one additional patsy OOC game the Big 10 teams are able to play with only an 8 game conference schedule. That 8 game schedule means those teams can pick up one more cheap win while lessening the chances of injuries as starters rest on the sidelines for most of the second half.

I cherry picked because he cherry picked, and even then the conferences were equal.

 

[Gonzo]

Do you wish Iowa had a tougher schedule?

Yes. There's nothing you can do about the conference schedule with two divisions and 14 teams. Just like when the Big 12 had 12 teams, every few years ISU's schedule was a joke. Iowa's will be a joke for slightly longer cycles. But I wish we played a better OOC slate, absolutely.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Seeing how we're their 3rd hardest opponent and they're maybe our 2nd or 3rd easiest . . . :twitcy:

 

[clairvoyantdan]

Seeing how we're their 3rd hardest opponent and they're maybe our 2nd or 3rd easiest . . . :twitcy:

This is a joke right? This is when we remind you, you won 2 games last year.

 

[cyhiphopp]

B1G - 1, 5, 17, 28, 32, 39, 45, 56, 64, 72, 78, 84, 86, 87

Big 12 - 2, 3, 18, 31, 40, 41, 42, 75, 100, 114

Even with four more teams, how is the bottom of the B1G that much worse than the bottom of the Big 12? 30% of Big 12 teams are ranked 75th or lower. 29% of the B1G teams are ranked 75th or lower.

Is that this years rankings or at the end of last year?

Because the bottom of the Big12 had to play 9 conference games, didn't get to duck the best teams in the conference, and didn't get to play 4 non-con games. You have Purdue, Indiana, and NW play a Big12 schedule and they finish lower at the end of the year.

 

[NickTheGreat]

This is a joke right? This is when we remind you, you won 2 games last year.

That's my point :twitcy:

 

[Bret44]

Does any opposing fan ever thing they are going to turn the home team to their point when they argue on a message board?

 

[Gonzo]

Is that this years rankings or at the end of last year?

Because the bottom of the Big12 had to play 9 conference games, didn't get to duck the best teams in the conference, and didn't get to play 4 non-con games. You have Purdue, Indiana, and NW play a Big12 schedule and they finish lower at the end of the year.

Those were preseason, which are shaky I know. My point was that the bottom of the Big 12 (ISU, KU, TTU) isn't much different from the bottom of the B1G (NW, Indiana, Purdue). The B1G has more crappy teams at the bottom, which is to be expected in a conference with four more teams.

 

[Rural]

Definitely see what you are saying. The only thing Im taking comfort in is A. We have a QB who isnt afraid try for the big play and push the ball. Granted, he will make mistakes and throw pics, but so many of our losses last year would have been different if our QB would have just tried longer throws more consistently. And Im not talking 50 yard bombs, im talking the 10, 15 yarders that keep the chains moving, and keeps the D honest. And B. Ferentz is getting into the gray area of coaching for his job. In the past, 7 wins were acceptable bc he would do it "the right way" (which is a bit bs IMO). Now though, people (we) are tired of it. New staff, beautiful new facilites, constantly asking us for money... time to put up or shut up. So I think Ferentz coaches with his back against the wall, and has a new fire in him. Now, its KIrk Ferentz, so will it happen? Who in the hell knows, but I do know this, one more 7 win season with this joke of a schedule, and it might be lights out for him. It would be really sad to see it go down like that, but we are out of excuses.

Is there going to be any way to know he has a "new fire"?

 

[VeloClone]

Those were preseason, which are shaky I know. My point was that the bottom of the Big 12 (ISU, KU, TTU) isn't much different from the bottom of the B1G (NW, Indiana, Purdue). The B1G has more crappy teams at the bottom, which is to be expected in a conference with four more teams.

The problem is when all of the extra teams you have are crappy teams. It just dilutes your conference and every team's schedule.

 

[khawk4]

Is there going to be any way to know he has a "new fire"?

Nope. Just like how none of the ISU fans will know if there is actually a new attitude with the team, like tons of people are claiming on the football board. You can never know, you just have to hope.

 

[khawk4]

Does any opposing fan ever thing they are going to turn the home team to their point when they argue on a message board?

Hahaha touche. However, without that, message boards wouldnt exist.

 

[Gonzo]

The problem is when all of the extra teams you have are crappy teams. It just dilutes your conference and every team's schedule.

Agreed. If the Big 12 expands odds are good most if not all would be crappy. Unless the ACC collapses, there are no programs out there as targets that are much better than crappy. The SEC did well making Mizzou and A&M their 13th and 14th. B1G missed the boat with Rutgers and Maryland. Now there's nobody left. Would you rather stay at 10 and hold onto the SOS thing or expand, dilute, and give ISU a better chance at more wins?

 

[isu81]

Link?? I'm sure you can find a couple posts I suppose but I haven't talked to ANYONE expecting a 4-0 start or even expecting a win over UNI until we see it happen. I'd say most of our fan base is in "I'm pumped to go tailgate and look at our pretty upgraded stadium" mode right now.

OK, here's your link, where most predictions have us as a pretty strong favorite to win each of our first four games. As for this thread, I would say that most Iowa fans I know are closer to expecting 5-6 wins than anything close to the OP anecdote.

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206491

 

[Clonefan94]

This is a joke right? This is when we remind you, you won 2 games last year.

This is when we remind you who one of those wins came against.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Definitely see what you are saying. The only thing Im taking comfort in is A. We have a QB who isnt afraid try for the big play and push the ball. Granted, he will make mistakes and throw pics, but so many of our losses last year would have been different if our QB would have just tried longer throws more consistently. And Im not talking 50 yard bombs, im talking the 10, 15 yarders that keep the chains moving, and keeps the D honest. And B. Ferentz is getting into the gray area of coaching for his job. In the past, 7 wins were acceptable bc he would do it "the right way" (which is a bit bs IMO). Now though, people (we) are tired of it. New staff, beautiful new facilites, constantly asking us for money... time to put up or shut up. So I think Ferentz coaches with his back against the wall, and has a new fire in him. Now, its KIrk Ferentz, so will it happen? Who in the hell knows, but I do know this, one more 7 win season with this joke of a schedule, and it might be lights out for him. It would be really sad to see it go down like that, but we are out of excuses.

If you think there's any chance in hell Ferentz fires his own kid, you're fooling yourself.

 

[Tailg8er]

This is when we remind you who one of those wins came against.

Yeah, I didn't think that post required explanation, guess I was wrong...