SUCKTEMBER: Matt Campbell Teams not ready to start the season.

[cy4life94]

 

[AuH2O]

I know this is a message board, but the idea that any of us have a better idea of how to address the slow starts than the coaching staff does is laughable. None of us are inside the program to know what causes it. “Fire Manning, hire a special teams coordinator…” surely that’s the ticket to the gravy train, and not just the coaching equivalent of the eternal itch for the backup quarterback. In fact, it’s even more dumb, since at least you can watch tape of the backup quarterback. There’s no quantifying what the effect of shaking up this coaching staff would be. Given that the strength of this program is, by Campbell’s own account, the cohesion of everyone—including the coaching staff—it seems like a bad idea on the face of it.

But this IS a message board, carry on.

I think pointing out a team that has been one of the best in the country in October over the past 5 years can barely beat a middle of the pack Missouri Valley team, gets smoked by a Sunbelt team and can't fall ass backwards into a win in six tries against an OK Big 10 team is kind of the stuff that message boards are made for. I don't really see anyone saying they know what the answer is.

It seems to be the last big hurdle that MC needs to clear to take his program to the level he wants. Probably some of the challenge is to be good in Nov. you have to have built depth. To build depth means you have to get 2s and even 3s some reps with the 1s in practice and in games. So there's probably a tradeoff between building depth and being sharp out of the gate.

 

[Saul_T]

We should NEVER be in a close game with UNI. The excuses are so played out for that game. Then that ******** bleeds over to the Iowa game, which bled over to the Baylor game.

But they give UNI fans like me so much life!

 

[isutrevman]

I mean yes, if the goal is to be so much better than an FCS team that the game is over before the ball Is kicked,not get rocked by Iowa every year, and not sleepwalk through 3 quarters of the opening conference game. There has to be some kind of accountability.

Accountability for being the best coach in school history? If you expect a flawless undefeated season every year, I suggest you start following another team.

 

[cygrads]

Part of being a good head coach is fixing big issues like this. I'm sure it will improve over time - CMC knows it's a problem so it will eventually get addressed.

 

[isutrevman]

We should NEVER be in a close game with UNI. The excuses are so played out for that game. Then that ******** bleeds over to the Iowa game, which bled over to the Baylor game.

We should also never beat Texas and OU, yet here we are.

 

[CycloneErik]

It's possible that the sudden change every October just indicates that the Big 12 just isn't that great.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Hey guys, things are going well now, but let's dwell on something that sucks and cannot be changed.

 

[intrepid27]

My potential read on it is Campbell and staff are very meticulous. He won’t put any new scheme or play out there until he’s confident at practice the team can run it in their sleep. We haven’t really seen the big changes from year to year – the 3-3-5 defense, the 3 TE sets—until October each season. They seem easy to scout in September.

Then they also are a bit stubborn in wanting to win games lined up head to head, offense vs. defense, with more yards per play. No reliance on trick plays, turnovers, or special teams. At times it seems like they almost prioritize player development over winning. This is great for raising the bar and getting players to reach their potential, but also can be costly.

And I’m not sure how much of it is fixable. The attitude feels like it is to trust the process over the long haul, not take shortcuts to win a specific game. Hard for me to judge that based on the results. I could be way off but this is what I see as a casual fan.

I agree with this and explain it this way. The staff is so concerned about putting players in a situation where they might fail, they don't put them in a position to be successful at times.

 

[JM4CY]

Hey guys, things are going well now, but let's dwell on something that sucks and cannot be changed.

******* gunner.....

 

[OnlyCyclones]

We should NEVER be in a close game with UNI. The excuses are so played out for that game. Then that ******** bleeds over to the Iowa game, which bled over to the Baylor game.

“Never” is the dumbest word in all of sports.

KSU fans last week were saying that they should “never” lose at home to Iowa State. It sounds ridiculous, but KSU has beaten us more regularly the past two decades than we’ve beaten UNI.

We all want better results in September, but there’s nuance to these things. We can and should play better against UNI, but if UNI ever becomes an easy out it will probably have as much to do with UNI as it does with Iowa State.

 

[AuH2O]

It's possible that the sudden change every October just indicates that the Big 12 just isn't that great.

MC is 1-5 in Big 12 openers, which are in September. It's a September problem.

 

[OnlyCyclones]

I don't really see anyone saying they know what the answer is.

It seems to be the last big hurdle that MC needs to clear to take his program to the level he wants. Probably some of the challenge is to be good in Nov. you have to have built depth. To build depth means you have to get 2s and even 3s some reps with the 1s in practice and in games. So there's probably a tradeoff between building depth and being sharp out of the gate.

Gunner prescribed what should happen if we start slow next season. I never said we shouldn’t be better in September or discuss it, merely saying that attempting to point out who should be fired and hired on the coaching staff to address it is dumb.

 

[Trice]

You almost can't have Brocktober without these awful Septembers; it's the contrast between our ineptitude each September and our near-invincibility each October that makes Brocktober Brocktober. And while it's definitely good to improve as the season goes on and be playing your best ball by the end of the schedule, it's absolutely maddening to concede the first quarter or third of our schedule every year like this. It's a pretty big black mark on an otherwise sterling job Campbell has done in building the program.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

It's possible that the sudden change every October just indicates that the Big 12 just isn't that great.

How many games do you think UNI would win in the Big 12?

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

It's a stupid month anyways, there, I said it. Go **** yourselves, Earth, Wind & Fire.

Come for the Cyclone Football content but stay for the Earth, Wind, and Fire discussions.

 

[CycloneVet]

I know this is a message board, but the idea that any of us have a better idea of how to address the slow starts than the coaching staff does is laughable. None of us are inside the program to know what causes it. “Fire Manning, hire a special teams coordinator…” surely that’s the ticket to the gravy train, and not just the coaching equivalent of the eternal itch for the backup quarterback. In fact, it’s even more dumb, since at least you can watch tape of the backup quarterback. There’s no quantifying what the effect of shaking up this coaching staff would be. Given that the strength of this program is, by Campbell’s own account, the cohesion of everyone—including the coaching staff—it seems like a bad idea on the face of it.

But this IS a message board, carry on.

This is the same message board that was excited that we hired the architect of the Pistol offense, he was gonna take us to the promise land.
This is the same message board that was ecstatic that we hired the Mangenius, he was gonna take us to the promise land and cure what ailed us.
Now we have a staff that is showing us the best football any of us have ever seen as Cyclone fans and we ***** about not having good September’s.
We also have posters on here that can’t wait for Brock Purdy to graduate. It blows my mind.

 

[AuH2O]

This is the same message board that was excited that we hired the architect of the Pistol offense, he was gonna take us to the promise land.
This is the same message board that was ecstatic that we hired the Mangenius, he was gonna take us to the promise land and cure what ailed us.
Now we have a staff that is showing us the best football any of us have ever seen as Cyclone fans and we ***** about not having good September’s.
We also have posters on here that can’t wait for Brock Purdy to graduate. It blows my mind.

Well, fans on a message board with unwarranted enthusiasm, overreactions, and expectations that change with the performance of the program. I've seen it all now.

I guess we're officially into the "I trust MC, and I can't believe ISU fans on a message board are acting like every other fanbase for every sport in America" portion of the discussion.

The one thing I will agree with is people being excited for the pistol "offense" when it never was an offense, but just a formation that you run the same the **** out of the shotgun or under center, but you can kind of do it from IN BETWEEN!. It's like being excited for the "shotgun offense" or "under center offense."

Even if you aren't a Cyclone fan, the drastic difference in September to October is interesting on it's own, just because it is so strange.

 

[Cydkar]

I think pointing out a team that has been one of the best in the country in October over the past 5 years can barely beat a middle of the pack Missouri Valley team, gets smoked by a Sunbelt team and can't fall ass backwards into a win in six tries against an OK Big 10 team is kind of the stuff that message boards are made for. I don't really see anyone saying they know what the answer is.

It seems to be the last big hurdle that MC needs to clear to take his program to the level he wants. Probably some of the challenge is to be good in Nov. you have to have built depth. To build depth means you have to get 2s and even 3s some reps with the 1s in practice and in games. So there's probably a tradeoff between building depth and being sharp out of the gate.

You don't think this was discussed, ad nauseam, a month ago?

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I need it to improve not only for my Iowa State fandom but so I don't get my hopes up that UNI isn't *******. C'mon Matt...