The national podcasts I listen to are basically dismissing ISU as a conference contender because we “lost too much “. Does anyone actually agree with that? I just don’t see us taking that big of a step back. Not over a couple players.
Did we lose too much?
- Thread starter Frak
- Start date
Sounds like lazy reporting.
That's all based on having two recievers drafted. They don't know anything beyond that.
It doesn't really matter. They have to prove it on the field either way. I have a good feeling about this team though.
Pretty much everyone loses a lot every year, but we certainly lost our only 2 productive receivers, and some key pieces on defense. We'll find out pretty soon if it was too much or not.
Return the RB's, OL might be better, won't be worse. TE our best group.
Oh and that guy Rocco comes back, "lost too much".
Lost two all timer WR's but they didn't get there without Rocco, and we brought in some replacements.
Lose some DB's but gain the first 20 LB's back from injuries.
I mean, its possible. We won't really know how much that set us back until we see what things look like in a couple weeks.
Certainly plenty of other reasons for someone pessimistic about ISU's fortunes to also cast doubt on ISU if they want to though. Between some pretty lucky bounces going our way last year and avoiding all 3 of the other 7-2 teams (until we got blasted by ASU in the championship game) could be (and likely is) making some national types think we're due for a fall back to earth.
As others have mentioned, we lost 2 NFL WRs and significant pieces on defense. Factor in that ISU won pretty much every close game we were in last year and it’s not crazy to think regression to the mean is possible
The podcasters are not Trusting The Process.
Last year felt like a fluke, especially after the drumming in the Big 12 Championship. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Besides Purdy's senior year, I'm probably more optimistic about this season than any other.
I feel our floor is pretty high and the ceiling is winning the Big12. Should be a very solid team if our CB group plays at a high level and our DL/LB group can be stout against the run and develop a consistent pass rush.
I feel our floor is pretty high and the ceiling is winning the Big12. Should be a very solid team if our CB group plays at a high level and our DL/LB group can be stout against the run and develop a consistent pass rush.
I think the common national takes like this usually centered on Noel and Higgins are crazy lazy. Obviously they are great but with what we added in portal, healthy returners, tight ends, and planned development I feel the group as a whole can replace production of 2 stars.
My worries would be more overrating forced experience and average play at linebacker with great depth( Bacon and natural development should help) and that we didn’t do enough at D-line On the outside to improve around Orange. Again this is if I was nitpicking.
Biggest concern is really big 12 balance and if close games don’t go our way again, could win 7 and still be very solid but obviously be disappointed.
My worries would be more overrating forced experience and average play at linebacker with great depth( Bacon and natural development should help) and that we didn’t do enough at D-line On the outside to improve around Orange. Again this is if I was nitpicking.
Biggest concern is really big 12 balance and if close games don’t go our way again, could win 7 and still be very solid but obviously be disappointed.
Saying that a team “lost too much” in the Portal era, without at least attempting to look closer, is just plain silly.
Higgins and Noel combined for 167 catches last year. The odds are large that any two guys are going to match that…but I wouldn’t be surprised if the top three WR’s do.
And we seem far more likely to go around five (or six) deep, rather than relying on two guys.
Way back in CMC’s first couple of years, there were people bemoaning the fact that we didn’t have the talent that UI did. I pointed out that Ferentz had been there twenty years, just wait until CMC has been here ten.
Well, we’re working on that ten now.
This isn’t the same skin-deep team we’ve had—at best—since Earle Bruce left.
Higgins and Noel combined for 167 catches last year. The odds are large that any two guys are going to match that…but I wouldn’t be surprised if the top three WR’s do.
And we seem far more likely to go around five (or six) deep, rather than relying on two guys.
Way back in CMC’s first couple of years, there were people bemoaning the fact that we didn’t have the talent that UI did. I pointed out that Ferentz had been there twenty years, just wait until CMC has been here ten.
Well, we’re working on that ten now.
This isn’t the same skin-deep team we’ve had—at best—since Earle Bruce left.
ISU football is ranked 5th nationally (power conf. teams) in # of returning starters for 2025 season:
College football teams with most returning starters in 2025, ranked
Which college football teams are primed for success with the most returning starters from last season?
247sports.com
We have a ton of returning starters as has been reported.
Two ways (good/ bad) to look at that in the NIL transfer era.
Two ways (good/ bad) to look at that in the NIL transfer era.
Cyclonepride
Thought Police
We definitely lost some important pieces, but I guess if anything, a question mark for me is whether they can pull out the close ones. Last year they were pretty clutch, so you could arguably have the same quality of team, and just not make as many of those plays to finish games. Either way, we have a good team and I'm excited to see what they can do.
Lazy reporting. At the receiver position we obviously lost a ton, but didn't lose much at all anywhere else. ISU gets no respect. I watched an ESPN live fantasy draft last night and they also said "I'll take the star running back out of Wisconsin and draft Breece Hall." Nobody corrected the guy afterwards.
I wonder how many of those close wins last year wouldn't have been so close with even semi-healthy LBs?
How much better our run D and our pass rush would have been at even 75% strength?
These "experts" don't have a clue what we dealt with last year.
How much better our run D and our pass rush would have been at even 75% strength?
These "experts" don't have a clue what we dealt with last year.
