I think that we are still upgrading talent at the QB and WR positions and that will have a huge impact on how successful the passing offense is. But if we get the upgrades at QB and WR and still aren't producing then something needs to be done.
I'm sorry to say it, but there needs to be some questions on Herman as OC
- Thread starter sdcyfan
- Start date
Yeah, Im on the side that thinks there was more to what was going on than what we saw. I have a hard time believing Herman choked a bunch. He opened the book up on some teams and closed it a bit on others. It was a very uneven season that way. There could have been all sorts of limitations that were never announced (injuries, sickness, not getting certain plays locked up in practice, attitude, etc.) I know that happens on every team, but our depth isnt great to make up for it. The next couple seasons should be very telling on the direction.
Unfortunately with a first year starter replacing a 5th year senior, multi-year starter my gut tells me that we are going to see this more (if possible) rather than less. I would love to see them catch the D off guard more often. So many times they could have gotten the penalty as a 300 lb. D lineman was lumbering off the field if they had just snapped the ball. Why not make 3rd and 8 into 3rd and 3 or 3rd and 4 into 1st and 10? In addition you have a free shot down the field.
I really did like it when they went with the quick snap when they went for it on 4th and short. I swear there were only 2 D linemen and 2 linebackers in position on one play.
If Rhoads and Hermann are NOT gonna beat the squawks then just drop them from the fricking schedule!
I went thru 15- count'em 15 straight losses to those idiots and its never fun to see the squawks roll into and out of Ames with a W.....
I'm willing to give Hermann a pass until he finally gets a quarterback who can actually run his offense...
btw the biggest game of the year for the Iowa Hawkeyes is the Iowa State Cyclones thats how they keep recruiting the best players in the State of Iowa...by beating the Clones every year like a dirty dog!!!!
I went thru 15- count'em 15 straight losses to those idiots and its never fun to see the squawks roll into and out of Ames with a W.....
I'm willing to give Hermann a pass until he finally gets a quarterback who can actually run his offense...
btw the biggest game of the year for the Iowa Hawkeyes is the Iowa State Cyclones thats how they keep recruiting the best players in the State of Iowa...by beating the Clones every year like a dirty dog!!!!
I think you're missing the point which is it's absurd to discuss the aforementioned streak when it includes an Iowa LOSS.
Your right, how dare I not stay "classy" on an internet forum talking about a rival in-state school. Remember, we did score a touchdown last year and hok fans already were making excuses for that. I bet that some "classy" hok fan will say exactly what I wrote when we beat them next year.
I could care less about the touchdown. It was more fun beating them on feild goals alone.
BTW, thanks for being the etiquette police
oliceman: and keeping me in line
When did this become another obsess over Iowa thread? I know it's in many of your blood streams - but seriously...let it go...
Your right, how dare I not stay "classy" on an internet forum talking about a rival in-state school. Remember, we did score a touchdown last year and hok fans already were making excuses for that. I bet that some "classy" hok fan will say exactly what I wrote when we beat them next year.
I could care less about the touchdown. It was more fun beating them on feild goals alone.
BTW, thanks for being the etiquette police
I side with the Hawk fans on this one. They beat our @$$ and that cheap touchdown against the backups does not change the fact that against their starters, our guys have been pathetic. Not admitting that is just burring your head in the sand. Herman better not curl up in the fetal position this year. Herman needs to have a sense of urgency in this game. He has got to instill some confidence in them. He has got to get our offensive players to come out and "play like their hair is on fire" as DMac used to say.
Amen to that!
I don't know how anyone in their right mind cannot be questioning Tom Herman's abilities as of right now. We've done next to nothing offensively since he's been here.
The Iowa game was a complete joke of a display. The entire offense was curled up in the fetal position from the opening snap. Looked completely scared to death. That is... until Iowa put in their 3rd string defense.
Herman HAS to show something one of these years. We've been the worst offense in the Big 12 for a while now. It's embarrassing. I don't know why we run this style of offense if it doesn't produce. But I'm always told it will click one of these years when Herman gets all the guys he wants in there to run it. Ok... whatever.
I'm not overly optimistic given the fact that going into year 3 we still don't have a QB yet.
This style of offense does work. I can name a bunch of teams who have revived a program with some sort of spread offense:
Texas Tech
Oregon
Auburn in the sense they went from great to NC
Baylor is doing it
WVU
Now, how many newly surfaced programs can you name that have done this with an under center attack. It takes less playmakers to be productive in a spread. One mismatch is worth a lot more because the next defender is likely further away from the ball. Alabama, USC, Wisconsin, etc. don't have to run this because they are simply more talented and can line up at any given time with mismatches across the field and know they will win the battle. The idea of the spread is to isolate the mismatches.
The last part isn't surprising.
An offense absolutely can't move the ball with inconsistent blocking up front. Last year was such a perfect example. We'd have rare drives with great activity up front that led to scores. Then we'd have drives or entire games (ISU @ CU) where the line completely went to sleep.
Games are won/lost in the trenches and it's no coincidence our trenches are lacking and we're struggling to win. I know the sexy thing to do is talk about play calling, styles - yada, yada - but it all goes back to the trenches first.
Games are won/lost in the trenches and it's no coincidence our trenches are lacking and we're struggling to win. I know the sexy thing to do is talk about play calling, styles - yada, yada - but it all goes back to the trenches first.
It helps to have guys like Mike Leach, Gus Mahlzahn and Chip Kelly running the offense for it to be effective. Hopefully this is the year Herman shows he can cut it in the Big 12
Yup, pretty much sums it all up.
I get that with all of the flash of the spread offense that people sometimes lose sight of what football really is. But, you win games up front. You have to block and tackle.
Most of mac the mediocre's teams were attrocious fundementally. Chizik's weren't any better. We have seen glimpses of it with this staff, but never consistently.
Until we square that part of the game up, and become stronger up front, we are never going to get anywhere other than Shreveport.
Exactly. Here's my concern: Bleil seems to be signing taller, skinnier OLs in the 6'6, 245 lb range. To me, that's a pretty big gamble that kids that size are going to get big and strong enough to move people out of the way. For example, look at this pic of Lichtenburg:
http://www.cyclones.com/pics32/640/FL/FLXFIHWNIABTCWW.20110513010146.jpg
No offense to Kyle, I'm sure he's a great kid and a great representative of ISU, but can you imagine him blocking a Phil Taylor from Baylor or Adrian Clayborn from iowa or Jared Crick from Nebraska? And Lichtenburg is very easily in our top 7 OLs. Almost all of ISU's upcoming OLs are of that body type. It's a huge gamble if you ask me.
Herman has two years max to get the offense turned around. He signs off on OLs as well as every other offensive position. If he can't get the offense to start scoring points, he won't be around much longer.
Yeah, I know and I'm not trying to say Herman is the next coming of them. Those guys were not who they are now when they got to their places. Hell, Malzahn is just a few years removed from high school coaching. It took Mike Leach awhile to get his team to the point they were a couple years ago.
Gol' dang, guys. This is Iowa State, and you want miracles in the first two seasons of the new staff? Absurd!
A Div. IA program is an edifice of a sort; to be strong and last for the ages, it must be built with a rock-solid foundation then one course at a time (imho, from a lifetime's observation of how this old world works).
The trenches are the key, as stated earlier here. You're not effective up front, you're dead. How many times has CPR said that the OLine is in transition? The other day, CW wrote that perhaps the 2011 class is the best one ever at Iowa State (is my memory correct?). It'll be a couple or three years before these guys dramatically impact the program.
If you're not patient in this game, if you go for the quick fix, the odds are great you'll fail. Patience. We have no other choice.
Judging Herman's abilities after just two seasons, with holdover guys, is unreasonable. The guy has a fine track record. So, if he's not getting it done yet at Iowa State, is the problem him, or is it the players he found here? The answer is obvious, at least to some of us.
A Div. IA program is an edifice of a sort; to be strong and last for the ages, it must be built with a rock-solid foundation then one course at a time (imho, from a lifetime's observation of how this old world works).
The trenches are the key, as stated earlier here. You're not effective up front, you're dead. How many times has CPR said that the OLine is in transition? The other day, CW wrote that perhaps the 2011 class is the best one ever at Iowa State (is my memory correct?). It'll be a couple or three years before these guys dramatically impact the program.
If you're not patient in this game, if you go for the quick fix, the odds are great you'll fail. Patience. We have no other choice.
Judging Herman's abilities after just two seasons, with holdover guys, is unreasonable. The guy has a fine track record. So, if he's not getting it done yet at Iowa State, is the problem him, or is it the players he found here? The answer is obvious, at least to some of us.
