No matter the sport, why does Iowa State always seem to fail the moment they reach a new height?

[TrailCy]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

 

[Drew0311]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

At least now we have new highs. I grew up and we basically sucked at every sport all the time. Minus some good basketball seasons. However, you are right. We always don't show up for the big stage it seems like.

 

[HFCS]

I think the first B12 CCG they didn't really fail. OU was a good team and they split a pair of games with them by a very close result. Statistical dead tie on aggrigate with the two games and predictably the team that lost first game barely won the rematch. Neither of them were NC caliber but both were probably around 6th-12th in nation and in hindsight ISU had truly elite NFL talent.

Last year B12 CCG definitely felt like what you are saying, last night did a little.

Our 2000 basketball team didn't wilt at all. They'd have possibly been National Champions if you drew up the bracket any any other way, even if you'd have put them as a 4 seed in a region they didn't have a road game agains MSU they'd have probably made the Final Four or title game and been a coin flip to win it all vs MSU. With Martin out, ISU and MSU were just way better than any other teams.

Seneca in a toga is the ULTIMATE example of this to me.

 

[3TrueFans]

And why do my stocks not just go up forever either? Everyone else's stocks never go down, only mine. Someone needs to look into this.

 

[aeroclone]

Home losses to Iowa in both of the College GameDay games. Inability to get past the Sweet 16 in hoops. It does seem like when the lights are the brightest and the opportunities the biggest the teams drop the ball, across sports and different coaches.

The baseline level of success is much higher than years past, but when it comes to breaking through and really accomplishing something great ISU is right back to Charlie Brown kicking the football.

 

[psycln11]

 

[brokenloginagain]

because when you're trying to do something that's never been done before...its really hard!

 

[Cyrocks]

All this reminds me of what Bum Phillips said after his Huston Oilers team faltered at achieving greater heights: "Last year we knocked on the door. This year we pounded on the door. Next year we're going to kick the son of a b***h in."

Hopefully one of these years an Iowa State team will just do that.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

The other issue is, it seems we don't just lose in those situations, it happens in some humiliating fashion.

 

[OscarBerkshire]

What you're essentially asking for is the Indiana football run they're having this year. That is still possible. We had a bad half in a place where you can NOT do that. Yes this loss hurts but its a long season and we have chances to get even more signature wins.

I guess what I am saying is, its way too early to be making a declaration like this. We'll be fine. No injuries last night is a big win! If we can stay healthy this team CAN win a national championship.

 

[MJ271]

Reversion to the mean always hits. Or, to put it a different way, it's usually not as good as it seems in the good times, and usually not as bad as it seems in the bad times.

And like others have alluded to, if Iowa State never failed when reaching a new height, then we would be dominant and never lose a game.

So then why does it feel like it "always" happens? Because when Iowa State reaches a new height and succeeds, then the new height is reset at a higher level, and people forget that the previous step was also a new height.

 

[Prone2Clone]

because when you're trying to do something that's never been done before...its really hard!

TWSS

 

[Letterkenny]

I don't think we always lose in 'big' situations. Off the top of my head:

-Beat Texas in 2020 to earn a spot in the Big 12 title game.
-Beat KSU in 2024 to earn a spot in the Big 12 title game.
- Won the Fiesta Bowl in 2021 in our first ever appearance in one of the major bowl games.
-Won many Big 12 basketball tournament championship games. Our record in the finals of those is 5-0.
-Countless big basketball wins, especially at home over KU, Houston, etc...
-Beating Wisconsin in Millwaukee to go the Sweet 16 was a massive spot.

Very few teams ever reach the pinnacle in college sports. Also, the #1-2 ranked teams in college basketball usually lose a few times every year. When was the last undefeated team?

 

[KnappShack]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

You are. The TrailCy Curse

 

[harimad]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

The fact of the matter is that unbeaten basketball seasons are extremely rare. Losing a single road game to a good blueblood opponent shouldn't equal failure in anyone's eyes.

 

[Al_4_State]

TJ's teams always hit a wall in the dead of winter, usually as a result of being worn out from playing so god damn hard.

I think if this team stays healthy they can mount the kind of March run that's the next step on the ladder for the program. They probably aren't going to win any Big 12 regular season titles with this kind of make up.

 

[Cyhig]

I'm going off of memory here, but I've the past decade it seems when any Iowa State team hits a new high, they always lose the next game.

Football vs Texas a few years back. Multiple Big12 football championship games. Basketball being ranked #2 two years in a row and immediately losing.

Am I only remembering the bad things or has anyone else noticed this pattern? What's the reason for this?

Let's see how the season plays out first.....

 

[ruxCYtable]

The fact of the matter is that unbeaten basketball seasons are extremely rare. Losing a single road game to a good blueblood opponent shouldn't equal failure in anyone's eyes.

True. But, the way it happened...

 

[TrailCy]

The fact of the matter is that unbeaten basketball seasons are extremely rare. Losing a single road game to a good blueblood opponent shouldn't equal failure in anyone's eyes.

I'm not talking about losing. I'm talking about how the loss occurs.

 

[gocy444]

Last year's national champ, Florida, got thumped at Tennessee midseason. KU got smacked at home vs Kentucky during their 2022 natty year. CBB is a long season and these things happen. Fix it and move on.