Has the Rot Started to Set In?

[LincolnSwinger]

I’ve been around for a few coaches and I’m definitely getting that feeling. McDermott, McCarney, Rhoads, Prohm. Not going to include guys like Morgan, Fred, or Chizik as those were different/very short term situations. Obviously Larry was a unique situation as well.

I’ve had this feeling before and while we’re not totally rotted out (there’s a chance CMC could bounce back a la Kirk Ferentz), I think the “rot” has definitely started to sneak in, if only just a little bit, especially with the gambling issue and it’s direct contradiction to the “5-Star Culture” mantra.

I didn't read the entire thread so maybe someone already made this point, but in all the (too many) other cases the programs were experiencing some awful losses. Campbell's teams have remained competitive in every game with only a few understandable exceptions. That makes me believe he/we can get back to >.500 conference records with the occasional special season.

We'll know a lot more in 8 weeks.

 

[Statefan10]

I don't think Rocco was all that bad outside the pick 6. Honestly I think he might end up being better for this team.

I like Rocco a lot and think he's going to be pretty good. He shows better poise and is more comfortable in the pocket than Hunter was last year. We'll never know how good Dekkers could've been or if he could've made the changes he needed to make because he decided to be a dumbass.

 

[Stormin]

Did he thought? He promoted an inexperienced OC within, without opening up to someone with experience and fresh new ideas. I don’t think it’s surprising we are seeing more of the same.

So you want experienced OC Mark Mangino to return?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Too early to go down this path. Yeah we had a disappointing season last year but it's not like we are getting our asses handed to in these losses like we were during the end of the previous coaching tenures. So we did get our ass kicked by TCU at the end of last year but they also were a playoff team. Outside of that our other losses:

Lost to #7 Baylor 31-24 (7 points)
Lost at Kansas 14-11 (3) when KU was on a hot streak
Lost 10-9 (1) to KSU
Lost 24-21 (3) at #22 Texas
Lost 20-14 (6) at OSU
Lost 14-10 (4) to TT

If we had a halfway competent offense last year those were all winnable games. 2021 our worst loss was by 10 to Iowa and the other 4 were all by 7 or less points. If you go back and look through Rhoads last 3 seasons we had several ugly losses in those seasons.

Campbell and his staff has put together a program where our defense has been really good the past few years and kept us in nearly every game but we can't get over the hump with the offense and had many special teams blunders too. Hoping the special teams issue are getting cleaned up now we actually hired a ST coordinator but gotta get something corrected with the stagnet offense. Doesn't help we lost some starters we were counting on coming into this season but at some point we need to start winning within the margins like CMC preaches instead of consistently losing in the margins. I don't think we are close to the point of seeing a downward spiral like we did when things went bad with Rhoads but we've been too talented to not be winning more games either. Hoping the staff keeps working on it and can get over that hump of losing winnable games but I've seen enough bad football over the years at ISU to know things aren't as bad as some may think they are.

So this is interesting…I’ve been thinking about our defense lately…what would people think about Heacock as the HC?

 

[awd4cy]

So you want experienced OC Mark Mangino to return?

No? Do you want Courtney Messingham to return?

 

[Statefan10]

So you want experienced OC Mark Mangino to return?

I think Matt is taking a chance on Nate and I'm fine with that because Nate was likely looking to get an OC job elsewhere, and losing him and him blowing up somewhere as well as taking his recruiting abilities with him would've been tough to swallow.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Man you are all over the place. Didnt you also start the ISU/Ohio thread and say you had 100% confidence in us to win @ Ohio? If you felt this "rot", why even say that? Or are you just so bored you want to create countless pointless CF threads?

I think we’re going to win that game easily. So what? That’s a transaction, the overall health of the program isn’t transactional.

 

[Stormin]

No? Do you want Courtney Messingham to return?

I am fine with Nate Scheelhaase and his inexperience. You are not.

 

[RagingCloner]

I think we’re going to win that game easily. So what? That’s a transaction, the overall health of the program isn’t transactional.

So where do you rate the health of the program?

 

[awd4cy]

Man you are all over the place. Didnt you also start the ISU/Ohio thread and say you had 100% confidence in us to win @ Ohio? If you felt this "rot", why even say that? Or are you just so bored you want to create countless pointless CF threads?

We beat Ohio 43-10 last year. Did that lead to a successful football season?

 

[awd4cy]

I am fine with Nate Scheelhaase and his inexperience. You are not.

Oh, you’re so smart. Way to catch up.

 

[Statefan10]

We beat Ohio 43-10 last year. Did that lead to a successful football season?

We beat Iowa last year, did that lead to a successful football season?

 

[Clark]

building a defense like this in college football is the hardest thing to do. I feel like we are wasting an opportunity. But, we have to give the changes Matt made in the offseason to work. If we were not so young I would be worried about having a bad season this year and it's long term effect on recruiting, program momentum. Plus we have a hard schedule this year. Next year, we better be ready to rock, we should have a lot of experience back and hopefully the staff can utilize the portal to shore up some areas.

Is it? I think I disagree. Much harder to build a consistent top 10 offense (unless you also consistently recruit the very best players)

 

[Gunnerclone]

JFC we lose to Iowa by 7 points and have a chance to tie the game and some are going nuclear. I really really hope TJ makes it far this year in the tournament because if we only make a Sweet 16 we may have some of these types of threads pop up.

I’m not going nuclear. This isn’t a one game transactional feeling. It’s been a feeling since 2021. Of you can honestly tell me you think we’re going in the right direction right now then good on you. I can’t honestly say that at this time.

 

[awd4cy]

We beat Iowa last year, did that lead to a successful football season?

Ok, way to prove my point. Try to follow the argument above made to Gunner about the Ohio game this weekend.

 

[Statefan10]

I’m not going nuclear. This isn’t a one game transactional feeling. It’s been a feeling since 2021. Of you can honestly tell me you think we’re going in the right direction right now then good on you. I can’t honestly say that at this time.

I can tell you that if we made zero changes from last year to this year, I'd feel very similar. But we didn't, and we lost our first game with this new staff by 7 to a solid team. I'll start getting worried if we see little to no improvement as the year continues, which I will be very shocked if that happens.

 

[Statefan10]

Ok, way to prove my point. Try to follow the argument above made to Gunner about the Ohio game this weekend.

Yeah I don't think the Ohio game this weekend means anything important other than we win the game and look solid doing it. My point on the Iowa game is that there are threads all over the place talking about Matt Campbell and whether he should be fired after this year and a lot of it has to do with the fact that we lost to Iowa imo.

 

[JM4CY]

Legit thought this thread was going to be something about gunner finally starting to consider rehab.

 

[Stormin]

So this is interesting…I’ve been thinking about our defense lately…what would people think about Heacock as the HC?

Heacock has not been a HC for years. He will be 63 in October. I am thinking he likes being DC under Campbell. So doubt he takes the job. When you fire Matt, you lose Heacock and the defense. You start with a new staff. The baby is thrown out with the bath water. Which is why the smart play is to quit being a whiny ass *****. Give the coaching changes some time.

 

[awd4cy]

I can tell you that if we made zero changes from last year to this year, I'd feel very similar. But we didn't, and we lost our first game with this new staff by 7 to a solid team. I'll start getting worried if we see little to no improvement as the year continues, which I will be very shocked if that happens.

I guess it’s how you view it. Really felt more like he pulled the back door cover after being down 20-3. Iowa turned it In conservative mode after dominating us for 3 quarters.