The Formula to Win at Iowa State

[FootballinTexas]

How would you compare Jared Barnett to our two recent QB recruits from Texas: Darius Lee-Campbell and Dom Delira?

That's hard to do at this point because they havent played at this level. However, Jared was 4-4 in Big12 starts (all 4 losses were against top 25, 3 of 4 wins against top 25). Once they get some playing time in we can revisit your question.

Jared and Delira does have something in common though. Delira's OC/QB coach at LT last year was also Jared's OC at Garland HS. He also coached Baker Mayfield at LT and Colton Browning at Mabank HS (NFL free agent this year with the Cowboys).

 

[FootballinTexas]

Good points. I should have mentioned power football (with the exception of the Kansas schools) would be going against the grain in our conference. During Mac's tenure, Colorado, KSU, the OKs, Texas, & aTm were still running pro style power football. When Herman arrived, everyone else transitioned to no huddle zone read as well. They have the skill players to thrive in it.

When Rhoads took over, I remember him stating we don't need to be the best- we need to be unique. Well we're not. We're trying to do the same thing as Oklahoma, Baylor, WVU, TCU, and they're light years ahead of us. Mangino, Leach, & Pinkel opened some eyes in the league. Look what happened after their departures.

As far as the turdeyes are concerned: kirk's certainly not a coaching genius, but his O-line and interior D-line are always serviceable to exemplary at times. It's obvious to me their program has suffered most at the skill position level- as has most of their conference as they continually over-mine the great lakes area.

ISU's skill positions are actually what gave us the edge last fall, but it's still obviously not on par with the rest of the Big 12. That's why I believe a slowed grind tempo and improved fundamentals- ESPECIALLY in the trenches would give us a better shot from week to week.

The slowed tempo is great if you can stop people on defense.

 

[CyTwins]

That's hard to do at this point because they havent played at this level. However, Jared was 4-4 in Big12 starts (all 4 losses were against top 25, 3 of 4 wins against top 25). Once they get some playing time in we can revisit your question.

Jared and Delira does have something in common though. Delira's OC/QB coach at LT last year was also Jared's OC at Garland HS. He also coached Baker Mayfield at LT and Colton Browning at Mabank HS (NFL free agent this year with the Cowboys).

That is mind boggling to think the pieces we had, especially on defense, not that long ago if he won 4 games

 

[FootballinTexas]

That is mind boggling to think the pieces we had, especially on defense, not that long ago if he won 4 games

In my opinion, we had a HC that didn't want to be patient and let Jared develop. He was quick to switch him with a guy with a 2-10 Big12 record. The coach had some quick success so he bet all of his chips instead of letting the game come to him. There is no reason for this program to be in the mess it's in right now. It was headed in the right direction.

I'm glad he has been patient with Sam Richardson. It could prove helpful next season

 

[Wesley]

I agree with you. We don't have those guys anymore (Pope, Herman, Bray, Wells). BTW, who are our current players from Texas that are making an impact? Go back a few years when we had these coaches, we had some players who were. Not that those players made all the difference but, they helped make a difference. Something to think about.

Florida players are doing better than the Texas players?

 

[im4cyclones]

This. And I'll take it a step further. ISU needs to stop gambling the HC position on coordinators with no previous head coaching experience. Yes, that can and does work, but it's not working at ISU. For the better part of the the past 20 years, the ISU HCs have not had any previous HC experience, and ISU football has about a 0.380 winning % over that time. Apparently the job is too big for someone with no HC experience.

IMO, time is running out; more realignment is going to come, and sooner than later if this new playoff turns into a boondoggle. It's time for a Johnny-Orr-type-swing-for-the-fences move for the FB program. Rally the big donors and make a play for somebody. In 10-15 years, if ISU does end up in some AAC-like conference, I don't want to be looking back and having regrets that the AD didn't go for broke to turn the FB program around.

Give Rhoads until the end of the year. If the deer-in-the-headlights play continues without improvement, make the move and don't look back.

Secondly, as long as ISU in in the Big 12, get somebody on staff with TX ties, and recruit TX the right way.

To the first bolded part... Maybe you should check the thread that shows coaching salaries. When you pay the least, you probably aren't going to get someone with a lot of successful experience (unless there are also some flaws to overlook).

To the second bolded part... Yeah, easier said than done. People always seem to just throw that out there. Like there are some magical donors who would hand over the money but are just waiting to be asked. Who is to say we even have that many big donors?

 

[CYCLNST8]

The slowed tempo is great if you can stop people on defense.

I'm glad you brought that up. Sure wouldn't be easy.

You need a couple of "erasers" as Rhoads likes to call them. Two crucial pieces would be what I consider "hybrid" players. Because teams like Baylor & Oklahoma don't allow you time to rotate players once they get rolling, you need guys that can fill multiple roles.

Couple great examples: Clay Matthews & Troy Polamalu. Clay can be a pass rushing specialist or a run stopping linebacker. Troy can spy the quarterback in coverage, aid in run support, & even blitz in short field situations.

You'd need to invest quite a bit of recruiting & analysis into finding players to fill those roles.

I don't think bringing more blitzes is the answer for quarterback pressure in the Big 12. The rapid fire spread offenses are designed to exploit vacated areas of the field. You really need to invest heavily in mixing & disguising your zone and man coverages. Hybrid players allow you to flow freely from 3-4 to 4-2 nickel. Pass rush really needs to be generated by your players up front and solid coverage.

I fear Rhoads & Wally won't be able to find any answers. None of what I said is possible without the right players anyways. Every once in awhile someone like Buddy Ryan comes along and revolutionizes the defense; wish we were lucky enough to find an out-of-the-box thinker for our staff.

At any rate, you need to keep the plays in front of you; force a team to nickel & dime you down the field and hope they make a mistake. Don't give up the big plays. Really hard nowadays when pass interference is called almost every time your opponent goes deep.

Oh, yeah- good tackling helps too.

 

[weR138]

To the first bolded part... Maybe you should check the thread that shows coaching salaries. When you pay the least, you probably aren't going to get someone with a lot of successful experience (unless there are also some flaws to overlook).

Right, my strategy is be competitive with OC & DC (OL & DL) salary. Everything else takes a hit. If that means a revolving door of young guys at those other areas, so be it.

 

[FootballinTexas]

Florida players are doing better than the Texas players?

Name the Texas guys that are making a real impact.

Now, name the Florida guys.

 

[isufbcurt]

I'd like to hear your take Curt but I'm all in for Texas for two major reasons;

1. 4/10 conference foes are in Texas, factor in the strong ties OU & oSu have to the state of Texas and it's clear to me that this is a Texas conference

2. Shear numbers of prospective recruits. There are more in Texas and they're closer than Fla. Plus if we implement my plan of having at least one Texas school on the non con every year that's five games vs. Texas teams a year to sell to kids (families) from Texas.

I don't really have a take on this. I said it more as a joke from back in the 80's and 90's when there was a running debate between Florida speed vs Texas speed, and of course The U showed Texas in the famed Cotton Bowl what Florida speed looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0i9s1L4dxM 9:30 mark Randal Hill running out of the stadium is classic!!

I am a Miami fan so I like the Florida recruits but understand Texas has good players there too and since we play games in Texas we should be getting guys from there too.

 

[jbhtexas]

Right, my strategy is be competitive with OC & DC (OL & DL) salary. Everything else takes a hit. If that means a revolving door of young guys at those other areas, so be it.

It starts with the HC. If he isn't competent as a head coach, or isn't in control of the program, the coordinators and other resources really don't matter. See Texas at the end of Mac Brown's tenure.

 

[weR138]

Name the Texas guys that are making a real impact.

Now, name the Florida guys.

Zero and zero? This team is going 2-10.

 

[FootballinTexas]

Zero and zero? This team is going 2-10.

Exactly my point.

 

[CyTwins]

In my opinion, we had a HC that didn't want to be patient and let Jared develop. He was quick to switch him with a guy with a 2-10 Big12 record. The coach had some quick success so he bet all of his chips instead of letting the game come to him. There is no reason for this program to be in the mess it's in right now. It was headed in the right direction.

I'm glad he has been patient with Sam Richardson. It could prove helpful next season

JB didn't have the accuracy or arm strength to be a Big 12 QB. He had his moments and I'm glad he was a Cyclone but there is no way to say we wouldn't be in the mess we are now if Barnett was still here. Our defense used to be solid, now it's a huge liability and that's why we are where we are IMO

 

[CyinCo]

Not necessarily the same topic, but I think it would be interesting to pay a head coach on a per win basis. First 4 wins, 150K each. 5 and 6, 300K each. Win #7, 500K, Win # 8&9 750K, Win#10 1MM.

If you set this up right, a coach could be one of the highest paid in the country if successful.

Or, if a coach gets two wins, the university isn't out 2.5MM.

Interesting experiment.

 

[Skidoosh]

JB didn't have the accuracy or arm strength to be a Big 12 QB. He had his moments and I'm glad he was a Cyclone but there is no way to say we wouldn't be in the mess we are now if Barnett was still here. Our defense used to be solid, now it's a huge liability and that's why we are where we are IMO

Even in our wins, JB wasn't that hot. I re-watched the 4th quarter of the OSU game, and my god he did just about everything but hand the ball to them. Interception with 5 minutes left in the game. Tried to run up the middle and fumbled with 2 minutes left (recovered by o-lineman thank god). Threw it to the receivers ankles at least 3 times in the 4th quarter alone.

JB did some great stuff, but I agree with you, he was not a Big 12 QB. He just had some NFL talent to hid behind (Kelechi, AK47, JKnott, Leonard Johnson....)

 

[kingcy]

To the first bolded part... Maybe you should check the thread that shows coaching salaries. When you pay the least, you probably aren't going to get someone with a lot of successful experience (unless there are also some flaws to overlook).

To the second bolded part... Yeah, easier said than done. People always seem to just throw that out there. Like there are some magical donors who would hand over the money but are just waiting to be asked. Who is to say we even have that many big donors?

If you could hire a proven BCS elite coach away, then he should be paid well. That probably is not going to happen. ISU has to take chances on lower level coaches or BCS coordinators. When you take a chance on an unproven coach he should be given top dollar. If he wins and wants to stay at ISU his pay should go up. Paying a coach $1M more a year doesnt make him a better coach.

The problem in the past isn't getting the good unproven coaches interested in ISU, it is that ISU has made the wrong choices in their hires and not working hard enough to keep good coaches.

 

[heitclone]

JB didn't have the accuracy or arm strength to be a Big 12 QB. He had his moments and I'm glad he was a Cyclone but there is no way to say we wouldn't be in the mess we are now if Barnett was still here. Our defense used to be solid, now it's a huge liability and that's why we are where we are IMO

I agree for the most part, the biggest impact could have been resting Sammy a bit sooner last year after he was banged up. Last season took a huge toll on Sam mentally, you can still see him struggle due to taking off too early, rushing throws etc. IMO Sam has been mentally taken out of a couple games this year, maybe having a veteran guy could have spelled him and allowed him to keep some of his confidence. At the very least, JB would have pry been a better option than Rohach last year. Either way, like you said, we have bigger issues on the other side of the ball.

Under CPR, ISU has proven it can get to a bowl game with a horrendous offense. Having a bad defense is just too much to overcome.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Once you guys figure it out, could you pm me? Because I'm curious as hell what the answer might be.

 

[FootballinTexas]

JB didn't have the accuracy or arm strength to be a Big 12 QB. He had his moments and I'm glad he was a Cyclone but there is no way to say we wouldn't be in the mess we are now if Barnett was still here. Our defense used to be solid, now it's a huge liability and that's why we are where we are IMO

It's strange how my comments about the 4 coaches was left out of your response.