In defense of the question
Has the rot started to creep in?
(not that I'll convince anyone that concern was valid)
What Campbell and the team have done this season is literally and statistically unprecedented.
I'm here for it. For those close to the program, Blum et al, and others who can spot signs of young development, there was much reason for hope, particularly at the end of last season. But directly preceding Campbell and ISU's most unprecedented, historic, success, was his worst statistical stretch.
1. For me, it's not even the 4-8 (or 3-11 stretch) that was potentially most concerning, but some of the larger cultural signs.
We just lost our golden recruits, and we handed the reins and the captain duties over to captains that found themselves in the midst of a high profile, national news scandal (yes it was illegal and bs investigation), but it flew in the face of the culture. The QB1 and RB1 that were given the keys to the car were mixed up in a gambling scandal and now find themselves very much out of serious football.
No shade on either young man, but that is at least a bit concerning from a discernment and judgment standpoint for the staff.
2. NIL and do we have the stomach for this new reality? After the close of the 2021 season, it was well publicized that Campbell was coaching his girls 6th grade softball team. As a dad of 5 myself, and a small town kid, I love it. But I had to turn down coaching my sons flag football and soccer teams because I don't feel like I have the time for it.
That combined with some other things that had come from the staff in the last few years seemed like perhaps it was more important to develop character and winning was second or third in importance. Honor before victory yes, but you have to have sustained success to continue doing it well.
I went from thinking we would lose Matt to ND, OSU, or Mich to maybe he steps away, goes down a division where he can actually do the thing he loves, more time for family etc. I wouldn't be mad at him and I'm not cut out for DI coaching so no stones.
He wouldn't have been the first successful coach to say, "this climate, it's not what I'm here for."
3. Bulls**t programs care about 6-6. I didn't say it, he said it. He got us to believe it. I'm thankful for it. That rise in expectation cuts both ways though.
3-9, 8-5, 8-5, 7-6, 9-3, 7-6, 4-8, 1-2
If 6-6 is bulls**t, 7-6 can't be considered "great". So that's 4 of 7 years of BS and mid at best, and three historically good/great seasons. Add to that three games into season 8 looking like things are trending towards another season of potential BS.
4. Maybe I was wrong, and ISU will never reach that other side of the mountain. "was I wrong to believe?" "is this what a fool believes?" "Who is the wise man? Does he have the power to reason away?"
Have I been had. I've been presenting my loins proudly, knowing that I did not need to break the cup out of retirement. Were those still clutching their jocks right all along?
---
Mix that with change in change in college landscape with NIL and culture issues, I think it was fair to broach the topic, "is the rot starting to set in?"
I loved Mac, Rhoads, Prohm, others saw warning signs earlier than I did. Were they rotters because they saw warning signs? Were they wrong?
I never lost faith in Campbell, but there were things I wanted to see corrected. I love that all of the things I've felt have plagued the program have done a 180 this year.
Trying to draw a false start on 4th & 2, only to use a timeout, then running near side option to get a first...that hasn't been present in the years past. Crisp play calling and the HC and OC seeming like they're running a well-oiled machine...that hasn't been present in the years past.
We've had skill talent in years past, but something else had always been just a touch off, and to me, it didn't seem like responsibility mostly fell on player personnel errors or execution.
Then with this season, I can't say I've watched every minute of each game, but I don't recall any drive killing procedure penalties that have pushed us out of scoring or shot a drive in the foot.
There were things that needed to be corrected. They have been. There were also some legitimate things that looked like signs that maybe the program didn't have the same goals and vision heading into 2023 that it did in 2017. The looks into the program from videos this year, show that the staff seems more locked, focused and hungry than I recall seeing since that 2017-18 run.
IIRC the original post said it was possible that he has a bounce back like Kirk. Well, he has. I remember in that lull with Kirk it seemed like IC fanbase was divided between people who were settling with mediocrity, people who were negative, and people who were weighing the tension of firing a largely successful coach for the unknown.
ISU hadn't reached that point, but if 2023 didn't turn around, those conversations would've rightfully picked up even more.
I'm again, beyond thankful that 2023 did turn around. And I'd love to log onto CF and not see this largely negative, receipt keeping thread at the top of the forum, but maybe I'm alone.
TL;DR — I'm with @VeloClone , is it time to lock this thread?
