Predictions - Football

[NU Follower]

Airwalke, that was me and you weren't alone. I enjoy talking about college football. Living here in Des Moines, I follow ISU and Iowa since that's what everyone focuses on.

There's definitely a chance to beat KSU and CU at home, but after losing 5 in a row against some very physical teams, I can see ISU being beat up again (similar to last year). Chizik may be good for an upset win, like 'the Prince' did last year against Texas. We'll see, but it is fun to discuss.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Re: Predictions

I'll chime in again this year. I predicted a 5-7 year for the Clones last year and got blasted by you guys. (This is an ISU fan site, so I understand the hostility).

This year I see a 3-9 season. I don't see you winning a big XII game. ISUFan22 has it right, ISU doesn't have any depth at any position on the entire team. Players WILL get hurt and dinged up throughout the season, and quality depth is impairative.

I wouldn't put too much hope into the JUCOs arriving this summer. I have seen Nebraska use many, many JUCOs (very highly regarded JUCOs) the last two seasons, and even the best of them haven't made much of an impact until mid to late season. One half of them won't make any impact at all. The spring OL juco's have a chance to make an impact, but I would only count on one of them being a truly solid contributor. JUCO OL recruiting is very difficult.

Chizek is an unknown quantity as a head coach. He has done a great job at Auburn and Texas, but thats with Auburn and Texas talent, which you don't have. Even last year at Texas, Chizek's secondary allowed the most passing yards in school history.

Congrats on your season ticket sales and good luck this year!

Yeah, well, your mom and Bill Callahan wear combat boots...

 

[AirWalke]

Airwalke, that was me and you weren't alone. I enjoy talking about college football. Living here in Des Moines, I follow ISU and Iowa since that's what everyone focuses on.

There's definitely a chance to beat KSU and CU at home, but after losing 5 in a row against some very physical teams, I can see ISU being beat up again (similar to last year). Chizik may be good for an upset win, like 'the Prince' did last year against Texas. We'll see, but it is fun to discuss.

I understand, every time I look at that 5 game stretch, I die a little inside.

However, I feel that coaching had a lot to do with it in regards to last year's debacle. There were people saying about mid-season last year that the players were starting to have locker room feuds, and some had felt the coaches let them down, limited them, etc. With revelations such as Cotton limiting passing plays to a third of the field, it's now apparent that these claims had some basis in truth.

Not to say that this year couldn't possibly end up the same way, but with a new coaching mentality that's significantly different from D-Mac's good natured, father figure coaching style, I feel that this could account for a few extra wins.

The problem for anybody predicting ISU's wins and losses this year is that no one has a clue of what to expect of the new coaching staff. If McCarney and his staff were around, the road games versus Toledo and Kansas were things to be feared, and yes, an even worse season would be almost expected.

 

[CYdTracked]

Re: Predictions

I don't like the last year or in the past excuses, this is a new team, a new coach, a new era, I don't want to compare any part of this team to last year or any past teams. Chizik is introducing these guys to what it takes to win, trust me talent is nothing compared to hard work and Chizik knows that and is installing that like none other at a place where that isn't pounded into their heads from day one.

I think someone already said this once about your post but you can't just say "new team" because this is not a new team. It's mostly the same guys from last year's 4-8 team with some stop gap jucos on the o-line to hold us over till we can bring in some more long-term solutions via recruiting. This was not a stellar recruiting class brought in on short time. There may be a few gems uncovered but overall it wasn't a bumper crop that was going to fill all our needs.

I'll give you the new era and new coach thinking but this is still basically the same team from last year. The talent hasn't changed just the philosophy. Just look at our basketball team. We basically had all new players there and changing coaches alone didn't lead to a big improvement. It was about building for the future which is what the FB team will go through as well. Plus with basketball it's much easier to turn a program around in one year because all you really need are a couple really good players and some good role players around them where in football you need good players at many positions not just a few. For instance you can have a good QB and RB but if the parts around them are not that good you aren't going to win many games because there is more to the game than just running and passing. You can have a good PG and Center in Bball and average players around them and as long as those 2 guys are amongst the best in the conference you'll probably do well.

 

[BryceC]

Re: Predictions

Well said. I recall the '05 Mizzu game all too well. Horrible start, spotted them 14 points. Then a great comeback. Only to let the lead slip away late and a loss in OT (This is the song that never ends and it goes on and on my friends...).

KU just embarrassed us last year. I mean bad. One of my most embarrassing moments at Jack Trice.

I left that Kansas game early, and I never leave early.

 

[hiwhatis]

travman23, I understand what you're saying but I would argue that this years schedule is easier than last years with Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma at home. Also the whole work ethic thing and the barney cotton debacle would account for a couple wins against low tier teams in the big twelve maybe an upset or two and we're in a bowl game. I totally understand what you're saying though. I think our defense and offensive line are really holding us back from a special year. Todd Blythe and Brett Meyer have a lot of records at ISU and for them to end their careers without getting to a bowl game their senior seasons would be really sad.

 

[RedStorm]

Kent State - W
Northern Iowa - W
Iowa - W
at Toledo - W
at Nebraska - L
at Texas Tech - L
Texas - L
Oklahoma - W
at Missouri - L
Kansas State - W
Colorado - W
at Kasas - W


I think we win one of these games:

at Nebraska
at Texas Tech
Texas
Oklahoma

I like our chances agianst OU at JTS. Toledo scares me...on the road, they should be good, and it is sandwiched between Iowa and NU. Not sure why everyone thinks KU is going to beat us. I think we beat KU, and I like our chances agianst CU and KSU in Ames. I think we need to at least, the very least, be 3 - 1 going into the NU game anything worse and we are in trouble. But I am hopeing we are 4 - 0 then win the last 3 of the season. But I think we will get one or 2 nice upsets this year. Toledo is the "trap" game, so I am going to go to that game and dnce around the field with chicken bones before the game to ward off evil spirits...

Optimistic - 8 - 4
Likeley - 7 - 5

 

[flander1649]

I really think that ISU will go 7-5 probably win the first 4 games and the last three. Iowa might beat ISU and ISU might beat Tech or Missouri. Too many people are giving KSU, CU, and KU way too much credit. They beat ISU last year when the team looked like they gave up at the end of the year. Being down in the KC area I get to see more of KU and KSU and they have no more or less talent then ISU. I think that UT and OU will beat ISU easliy the other loses will be close as will most of the games but I think that ISU will pull out wins this year.

 

[CYdTracked]

Someone be sure to bookmark this thread. There are going to be a lot of people that are going to look really smart or really dumb on both sides once this season plays out.

If we honestly think we are going to get 7 or 8 wins out of this team I don't want to hear complaints about Iowa fans predicting 9 or 10 wins for them because they have a much easier schedule than us and probably a better team on paper as well.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Someone be sure to bookmark this thread. There are going to be a lot of people that are going to look really smart or really dumb on both sides once this season plays out.

If we honestly think we are going to get 7 or 8 wins out of this team I don't want to hear complaints about Iowa fans predicting 9 or 10 wins for them because they have a much easier schedule than us and probably a better team on paper as well.

The difference is a lot of us KNOW we're being optimistic, as opposed to the Sqwaks actually THINKING they're going to win the Big 10 and go to the Rose Bowl...

 

[BryceC]

I love how this thread goes on the predictions for wins keep getting higher and higher. The fact is that our offensive and defensive lines are probably going to be bad, with the exception of Bowen there really isn't a good linebacker on this team (face it, banks is an extremely undersized LB and we have nobody for the middle this year) while I'm excited about Bell, we had a very subpar defensive secondary as well.

The fact is that the defense is probably going to be bad, and the offense will still have our usual problem, a bad offensive line. I usually don't respond to football threads but we just don't have the talent to go 7-5 or higher, and I know I'm going to get sick of the Chizik bashing threads when we struggle if that is what people are expecting.

I'm expecting to see some hard working players, Chizik to do a good job keeping the team together when things get rough, and about 3 or 4 wins.

 

[BvK1126]

Re: Predictions

It's Chizik.

Can we post this on the CF front page? There seems to be a lot of Fanatics who need to read this post. :baffled5wh:

 

[ISUFan22]

I subscribed to the thread. Nice thing about CF is you can always go in the archive and find old threads.

I hope to heck I'm one of those that are proved wrong - that the Cyclones make me look like a fool for what I posted in this thread. that will mean we went far above what most expected us to do and did something special in Chizik's first year. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong in this case.

Sadly, I just don't see it happening. So go ahead Chizik and friends, make me a fool. I beg you.

 

[BvK1126]

I'm not going to predict wins and losses because there are just too many variables with a first-year coach like Chizik. I want the Cyclones to win every game they play, but I suspect they'll win less than half this year. My prediction for the season is that Chizik's Cyclones will:

1) play hard
2) play with a lot of character
3) keep games competitive, even when they lose
4) hold on to leads in the 4th quarter when they do have a chance to win
5) make Iowa State fans proud of their effort, regardless of their final record.

If Chizik can accomplish those things with his first Cyclone team, I will consider the season a huge success. This is a foundation-laying season, and I'm excited to see what Chizik winds up building in Ames.

 

[HandSanitizer]

Re: Predictions

Along with the W or L prediction is my personal feeling on chance of win in a percentage.


Kent State (80%)- W
Northern Iowa (80%)- W
Iowa (33%)- L
at Toledo (60%)- W
at Nebraska (15%)- L
at Texas Tech (30%)- L
Texas (15%)- L
Oklahoma (15%)- L
at Missouri (25%)- L
Kansas State (40%)- L
Colorado (50.1%)- W
at Kansas (40%)- L

I have 4-8 with best case at 6-6 and worst case 2-10.

This is right on the money in my opinion.....

 

[Rogue52]

I love how this thread goes on the predictions for wins keep getting higher and higher. The fact is that our offensive and defensive lines are probably going to be bad, with the exception of Bowen there really isn't a good linebacker on this team (face it, banks is an extremely undersized LB and we have nobody for the middle this year) while I'm excited about Bell, we had a very subpar defensive secondary as well.

The fact is that the defense is probably going to be bad, and the offense will still have our usual problem, a bad offensive line. I usually don't respond to football threads but we just don't have the talent to go 7-5 or higher, and I know I'm going to get sick of the Chizik bashing threads when we struggle if that is what people are expecting.

I'm expecting to see some hard working players, Chizik to do a good job keeping the team together when things get rough, and about 3 or 4 wins.

I think I made it pretty clear in my post that my predictions weren't really based on anything substantial. They were just for fun. I will be happy with 6-6. Anything less and there will be some level of disappointment.

 

[wyckoff9]

The problem for anybody predicting ISU's wins and losses this year is that no one has a clue of what to expect of the new coaching staff.

Why isn't there a clue about the new coaching staff? They all have track records: McFarland, Bolt, Petersen, etc. More has changed than just the head coach. Chizik has assembled a quality staff, with a history of winning games.

Why be happy with playing hard, with character, keeping games close, taking leads into the 4th quarter? Those are things that characterize losers.

Why not be satisfied with only winning?

 

[BvK1126]

Why be happy with playing hard, with character, keeping games close, taking leads into the 4th quarter? Those are things that characterize losers.

Why not be satisfied with only winning?

I DO want wins. We hired Chizik for that specific purpose, and I won't be satisfied, in the long run, with just "baby steps." But building a program takes time. It's not going to happen overnight, and I'm not going to start bashing on Chizik and his staff if they don't come out of the gates with a dominating performance against a fairly challenging schedule in their first year. The way I will measure the success of Chizik's rebuilding efforts will not necessarily be strictly on wins and losses in his first year or two. If I see progress -- competitiveness, determination, effort, improvement, etc. -- then I will believe the program is headed in the right direction. Should we run Chizik out of town if he doesn't post a winning record in Year One? :baffled5wh:

 

[CyCy]

Of the 15 people who have predicted each game on this thread, here are the results. The first number is the people who predicted we will win, the second is the people who predicted we will lose.

Kent State 15-0
UNI 15-0
Iowa 7-8
Toledo 11-4
Nebraska 1-14
Texas Tech 1-14
Texas 1-14
Oklahoma 2-13
Missouri 1-14
Kansas State 9-6
Colorado 14-1
Kansas 9-6

 

[BigM]

Re: Predictions

ISU pulls off some magic 7-5 and one big upset gets them into the Alamo bowl.

and iowa at 6-6 gets a gift andmakes it to the alamo bowl where we whup up on them..again