Grade the Season

Season Grade


  • Total voters
    294
They failed to meet expectations for over 90% of you. So when they do worse than almost everyone expected, I would say that's an F.

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/how-many-wins-next-year-in-football.212271/
Not everyone posts in those threads. My prediction was in the confidence picks thread and the result was right in line with my expectations so the C grade was justified.

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/iowa-state-confidence-picks-game.220156/page-2#post-5346796
 
I was expecting about 3 wins at the most. But I'm not grading based on what I expected. I'm grading on what happened in the W column for conference play. And to me, 2 wins is worth an F.

If we go by my expectations of 3 total wins and we got that, I have a hard time saying, YAY! Here's your A!

Based on the descriptions of the grades in the poll, meeting YOUR expectations would warrant a C grade.
 
I was expecting about 3 wins at the most. But I'm not grading based on what I expected. I'm grading on what happened in the W column for conference play. And to me, 2 wins is worth an F.

If we go by my expectations of 3 total wins and we got that, I have a hard time saying, YAY! Here's your A!

So it's more of a pass/fail grade to you? I get that, and for a program on solid ground it's totally fair to grade solely on record. A perennial losing team with a new coach, though? You have to look beyond wins and losses. Most expected 3-5 wins. They got that, they showed weekly improvement, and they put a solid foundation in place for the future. The no shows early in the season and the failure to close out Baylor and Okie State hurt, but that's why a C grade exists. They did some good and bad things, but they performed to reasonable expectations.
 
Sure, I hoped for better, but they performed how I thought they would. They get a C from me. The UNI debacle made me want to give a worse grade, but the improvement in the O-line somewhat counteracted that.

Grading on a curve is going out the window next year though. If CMC wants us to expect wins, I'm gonna expect wins. It's time for the Cyclones to go bowling again
 
  • Agree
Reactions: jbindm
So it's more of a pass/fail grade to you? I get that, and for a program on solid ground it's totally fair to grade solely on record. A perennial losing team with a new coach, though? You have to look beyond wins and losses. Most expected 3-5 wins. They got that, they showed weekly improvement, and they put a solid foundation in place for the future. The no shows early in the season and the failure to close out Baylor and Okie State hurt, but that's why a C grade exists. They did some good and bad things, but they performed to reasonable expectations.


These were almost my exact thoughts on my "C" grade. There's so much more to this season than Wins and Losses.

The recruiting so far has been well above expected. Even if they don't keep all their commits, just having high caliber guys committed at some point gets our name out there. They also did a good job of bringing in talent whatever way they could as soon as they got here. Park, Bobek, Everett Edwards, Payne... Instant contribution transfers and freshmen beating out upperclassmen are signs that the talent level should continue to rise.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: khardbored
C+ There were some truly awful moments (the first month) and some flashes of greatness. I guess I was guessing 3 or 4 wins, and that's what we got. I feel like more were on the table, but vast improvement and the future looks bright (ish)
 
I get that MC is a young coach who has planned his life out to be a successful P5 head coach. He is certainly leveraging his childhood upbringing as a coach's son, his embracing of social media to capture recruits from afar, and past success at Toledo to take that next step. From appearances it certainly seems he is attracting the attention of recruits! Yes, he works long hours.

At Toledo, home town boy Campbell inherited a team that was 7-1 in the MAC, where any player that couldn't make it at OSU probably hoped to be signed on for the Rockets. Within a 150 mile radius in northern Ohio, you could meet and greet all the HS players you would ever possibly need to fill out a roster. He did well at keeping the ball rollin'.

From the very first game sideline fiddling with his watch through to the last post game interview, I see a new ISU head coach that is flying at 40,000 feet and looking down at the stadium watching a game being played. IMO, his conversations with us or journalists lack any engagement with the audience. There seems to be very little play by play or game discussion. There seems to be little talk of where maybe a play call here, a missed tackle here, or a fumble there would have, maybe have turned the game. Maybe he could help explain to me the onsides kick to start the game. Or, the decision to hire/stay with an OF coach that has never called plays before. Maybe just a little witt/humor, animation, excitement, pounding of his fist on the table would help convince me, SELL ME, that as a 2-7 team we are going to be a first division team some day. Hey, maybe he saving all that excitement for the players. I hope so.
 
  • Dislike
Reactions: CyValley
. Maybe just a little witt/humor, animation, excitement, pounding of his fist on the table would help convince me, SELL ME, that as a 2-7 team we are going to be a first division team some day. Hey, maybe he saving all that excitement for the players. I hope so.

Ask Paul Rhoads what good it did to be animated and excited with the media and fans. It seems pretty obvious to me that the players are buying what he's selling, and that's good enough for me.
 
I get that MC is a young coach who has planned his life out to be a successful P5 head coach. He is certainly leveraging his childhood upbringing as a coach's son, his embracing of social media to capture recruits from afar, and past success at Toledo to take that next step. From appearances it certainly seems he is attracting the attention of recruits! Yes, he works long hours.

At Toledo, home town boy Campbell inherited a team that was 7-1 in the MAC, where any player that couldn't make it at OSU probably hoped to be signed on for the Rockets. Within a 150 mile radius in northern Ohio, you could meet and greet all the HS players you would ever possibly need to fill out a roster. He did well at keeping the ball rollin'.

From the very first game sideline fiddling with his watch through to the last post game interview, I see a new ISU head coach that is flying at 40,000 feet and looking down at the stadium watching a game being played. IMO, his conversations with us or journalists lack any engagement with the audience. There seems to be very little play by play or game discussion. There seems to be little talk of where maybe a play call here, a missed tackle here, or a fumble there would have, maybe have turned the game. Maybe he could help explain to me the onsides kick to start the game. Or, the decision to hire/stay with an OF coach that has never called plays before. Maybe just a little witt/humor, animation, excitement, pounding of his fist on the table would help convince me, SELL ME, that as a 2-7 team we are going to be a first division team some day. Hey, maybe he saving all that excitement for the players. I hope so.

Not really sure what you're trying to say here. You insinuate that Campbell is selling snake oil with his past, to promote his potential as a power 5 coach. Furthermore that he had an easy ride in Toledo, and probably is in over his head. Followed by a coach that is disengaged in your opinion. Then you procede to say that all you need is for him to cheer more to change this world view that is seemingly manifesting itself in your opinion? Did I get that right?
 
Not really sure what you're trying to say here. You insinuate that Campbell is selling snake oil with his past, to promote his potential as a power 5 coach. Furthermore that he had an easy ride in Toledo, and probably is in over his head. Followed by a coach that is disengaged in your opinion. Then you procede to say that all you need is for him to cheer more to change this world view that is seemingly manifesting itself in your opinion? Did I get that right?
:)Pretty close.
 
I get that MC is a young coach who has planned his life out to be a successful P5 head coach. He is certainly leveraging his childhood upbringing as a coach's son, his embracing of social media to capture recruits from afar, and past success at Toledo to take that next step. From appearances it certainly seems he is attracting the attention of recruits! Yes, he works long hours.

At Toledo, home town boy Campbell inherited a team that was 7-1 in the MAC, where any player that couldn't make it at OSU probably hoped to be signed on for the Rockets. Within a 150 mile radius in northern Ohio, you could meet and greet all the HS players you would ever possibly need to fill out a roster. He did well at keeping the ball rollin'.

From the very first game sideline fiddling with his watch through to the last post game interview, I see a new ISU head coach that is flying at 40,000 feet and looking down at the stadium watching a game being played. IMO, his conversations with us or journalists lack any engagement with the audience. There seems to be very little play by play or game discussion. There seems to be little talk of where maybe a play call here, a missed tackle here, or a fumble there would have, maybe have turned the game. Maybe he could help explain to me the onsides kick to start the game. Or, the decision to hire/stay with an OF coach that has never called plays before. Maybe just a little witt/humor, animation, excitement, pounding of his fist on the table would help convince me, SELL ME, that as a 2-7 team we are going to be a first division team some day. Hey, maybe he saving all that excitement for the players. I hope so.

"home town boy Campbell"-false
"he is attracting the attention of recruits!"-Duh
"flying at 40,000 feet"-don't even have a real airport, use another symbol
"any player that couldn't make it at OSU probably hoped to be signed on for the Rockets"-look at a map listing D 1 football programs in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Penn, and Kentucky, no competition at all
"Within a 150 mile radius in northern Ohio, you could meet and greet all the HS players you would ever possibly need to fill out a roster"-I could do that in my city, but the D 1 team would suck
"Maybe he could help explain to me"-I'll call him to see if I can get you a meeting, REALLY?
"just a little witt/humor, animation, excitement, pounding of his fist on the table would help convince me-see above
Don't get upset, go ahead if you desire, just poking fun!
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: khardbored
[QUOTE="From the very first game sideline fiddling with his watch through to the last post game interview, I see a new ISU head coach that is flying at 40,000 feet and looking down at the stadium watching a game being played. IMO, his conversations with us or journalists lack any engagement with the audience.[/QUOTE]

One of the great pleasures of the 2016 season was getting sideline shots of a coach who was 1) carrying his own headset and 2) was calmly keeping his head in the game instead of wildly running up and down the sidelines all lathered up about nothing in particular.

I never met Rhoads, but did meet Campbell. I tried to make idle chit chat thinking he was tired of the meet and greet routine. But, he seemed genuinely interested in a real conversation, not just superficial bs.

Just my observations and experience. Everyone else is welcome to theirs.
 
Last edited:
  • Winner
Reactions: tolfbfan