Did the high expectations kill this season?

[blizzisu]

ISU will go 4-0 in October.

 

[KnappShack]

Losses.

Losses are killing this season.

 

[GetAwesome]

Slow starts, panicked QB play in crunch time, lazy special teams.

Every other external factor matters not, a Campbell-era loss is always a loss for those simple reasons.

 

[Trice]

I am as frustrated as anybody and I want as all you and the team, coaches and players are definitely frustrated. But is it that the teams are better prepared because it is Iowa State, is it that we are shooting ourselves in the foot, combinations of both, we are so uptight with trying to force things that we are playing right into their hands. Would love a discussion in a more positive light instead of fire this person, get rid of that person and how we need to fix this. As of now I see this team losing to Ok State, Texas, and Oklahoma for sure with a record 7-5. Not what we expected we know but will still support this team. Again thoughts..

Can we not do this? This is not our fault for believing in this team. If we want to have a good program, expectations are part of the deal. Campbell himself said the team was embracing them.

 

[CyBobby]

I agree, but...

It isn't OK that "This team always plays poorly in September..."

That's a fail and it's on the coaches. Guess what? CFB is played in September.

I AGREE ..."This team always plays poorly in September".....Its not OK in my estimation to give up the Games In Sept and say ...Oh that's okay we will play better in October and the rest of the season

That is a Failure by both CMC and his staff that we always play terrible and lose to teams Like UNI and of course IOWA....That is a Total Failure IMHO!!

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Turnover margin. We are undefeated on the season if we break even.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I just simply don’t think we are as good as we thought. Last year was fun, but we judged this team too much on a pandemic year that wasn’t even close to normal. At times last year we faced a team like KSU who was barely able to field a team with how many guys sat out. Glad we beat Oregon to cap off the year, but they were 4-2 and lost to Cal and Oregon State. Currently this team is on track for this year to play out similar to 2019.

This has been a thought of mine as well. ISU managed the COVID year better than just about anyone. I wonder how much of an underrated advantage that was for us. Maybe made us look better than we were and shot expectations for this year through the roof.

 

[madguy30]

I agree, but...

It isn't OK that "This team always plays poorly in September..."

That's a fail and it's on the coaches. Guess what? CFB is played in September.

A young team taking time to gel is one thing but the lack of fundamentals for such a veteran group has been pretty bad.

If they come out and flail around next weekend we can really start to wonder what's going on.

 

[Cyclad]

Turnover margin. We are undefeated on the season if we break even.

Turnovers were 1:1 vs Baylor.
Not why we lost.
Iowa maybe.

 

[cytown]

Should win out? Oh boy.

You know the drill - we do this every year.

 

[madguy30]

It’s a top 4 team on paper. So yeah - it’s been tough. But we can and should win out. And the conference is wide open.

There's pieces there for a good team but they're not Top 4.

 

[Neptune78]

There's pieces there for a good team but they're not Top 4.

Not even close. Their offense is garbage.

 

[madguy30]

Not even close. Their offense is garbage.

I couldn't watch yesterday but it sounded like the offense moved the ball at least.

Sounds more like 2019 ISU with a better defense.

 

[CyCloned]

I think that for some reason, the team is just not in sync, especially on offense. Not having Hall or Kolar at full speed has hurt a lot. Special teams have been awful, and I have no idea why they are so bad. Clearly some changes need to be made.

 

[AlaCyclone]

What I cannot figure out is how Iowa State is such a heavy favorite (relatively speaking) each week? Before they played I thought both the 28 point UNI line (low hanging fruit) and the 30 point UNLV line (I was wrong about that) and even being favored over Iowa and Baylor were weird, let alone favored by 5 and 7 respectively. The people who set the lines are not fools, but Iowa State has been really out of whack in 3 out of their 4 games this season. Just wierd. I have no idea what the line is this week, but I would take Kansas and the points!

That being said,
Let's Go State!
Kansas must be destroyed.

 

[CySmurf]

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

I just simply don’t think we are as good as we thought. Last year was fun, but we judged this team too much on a pandemic year that wasn’t even close to normal. At times last year we faced a team like KSU who was barely able to field a team with how many guys sat out. Glad we beat Oregon to cap off the year, but they were 4-2 and lost to Cal and Oregon State. Currently this team is on track for this year to play out similar to 2019.

This x 100. Part of the key to last year was buying in to team over individual in terms of handling the pandemic. We just happened to do an amazing job at it. Look at some of the other teams that had better than normal years specifically Indiana.

 

[norcalcy]

I just simply don’t think we are as good as we thought. Last year was fun, but we judged this team too much on a pandemic year that wasn’t even close to normal. At times last year we faced a team like KSU who was barely able to field a team with how many guys sat out. Glad we beat Oregon to cap off the year, but they were 4-2 and lost to Cal and Oregon State. Currently this team is on track for this year to play out similar to 2019.

I agree. So many favorable bounces last year. Go back and watch TCU game. We were trading punches with them and managed to overcame Brock’s brain fart. Then Duggan came in and just about took over that game. Only an amazing int by Rose saved our bacon. Just think if we had started 0-1 last conference season after the ragin Cajun debacle. Similarly, Tom Herman gifted us field position with a fake punt and passed up a chance at a chip shot field goal in some of the most bizarre coaching I have seen. Not diminishing those great wins, but our margins are still razor thin. Nothing has changed. That’s why the special teams crap show has to stop.

 

[madguy30]

I agree. So many favorable bounces last year. Go back and watch TCU game. We were trading punches with them and managed to overcame Brock’s brain fart. Then Duggan came in and just about took over that game. Only an amazing int by Rose saved our bacon. Just think if we had started 0-1 last conference season after the ragin Cajun debacle. Similarly, Tom Herman gifted us field position with a fake punt and passed up a chance at a chip shot field goal in some of the most bizarre coaching I have seen. Not diminishing those great wins, but our margins are still razor thin. Nothing has changed. That’s why the special teams crap show has to stop.

Same thing happened against that horrible Baylor team in November.

They were on the ISU 14 ready to tie it up.

Iowa State 38-31 Baylor (Nov 7, 2020) Play-by-Play - ESPN

Play-by-play action for the Iowa State Cyclones vs. Baylor Bears NCAAF game from November 7, 2020 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

ISU will go 4-0 in October.

I will be happy if we can just go 2-2.