Hardest to watch next season.

[brokenloginagain]

Milan will be fascinating to me - can he handle all that pressure an attention as the $6m dollar man.

Three months ago he's thinking he's in Ames, then he's headed to the NBA, and now he has to move to Kentucky and sign up for classes, live in the South, and play for a soft coach with a bunch of teammates he doesn't even know??

The SEC has plenty of athletic 6'8" dudes to blanket Milan all game - can he find a way to be successful with all that mental and physical pressure? I don't think UK's roster is that great anyway - he'll be the #1 focus for every defense all season long.

I'll definitely be watching.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Rocco, but mostly because of the number of players that went with him. Odds are that we will hear about more names than just Rocco when PSU gets brought up. But, I'm ready to see what Rogers can do and am sorta excited for the underdog role again for a bit. Whether I care to admit it or not, underdog wins are more fun than expected wins.

In general, complacency with the NIL era has set in for me. The worst part about these three was they were all here three years, were good player and were all very likeable. My college sports mind loves that. Having them all go at the same time is just another domino falling for my declining college sports passion.

My curiosity will make me check in on them to see how they do. I know it will. If they succed while we struggle, it will suck, but I won't care about what a horribly biased media says regarding the results. They are all so predictable already.

 

[madguy30]

I had to go with Audi. She was the ultimate home-state kid—looked at the entire country and said, "Nah, I'll stay right here and drag ISU to relevance myself." She didn't just play for the program; she basically was the program.


The worst part? It's not enough that she left. The universe decided Iowa State fans should have to watch her suit up against us multiple times a year. It's like your ex moving out, immediately dating your neighbor, and then mowing their lawn shirtless every Saturday just to make sure you see it.

From the bits and pieces of how things were going, her 'being the program' was what kept things from going better for the....program.

And weird but at least interesting analogy haha.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'm angry in order that they happened. Not entirely if I got desensitized or what.

 

[CascadeClone]

As an Iowa State fan, I’ve reached the final stage of grief: acceptance.

Rocco Becht didn’t just transfer to Penn State. He packed up the moving truck, followed Matt Campbell to State College, and apparently left the door open so half the roster could follow him. Reports had Penn State adding more than a dozen former Cyclones, including Becht and a long list of Iowa State transfers.

The worst part? It’s not even hard to imagine. Becht enters the season as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football, and Penn State's schedule has already been described as favorable enough to put them in the playoff conversation.

Now we get the joy of watching Penn State roll through a schedule that looks like it was generated by a Make-A-Wish committee, finish 11-1, and have every national analyst say, "What an incredible turnaround by Matt Campbell." Meanwhile, Iowa State fans will be sitting in the corner screaming, "THAT'S OUR OFFENSE! THAT'S OUR QUARTERBACK! THAT'S OUR TIGHT END! THAT'S OUR SAFETY! THAT'S PROBABLY OUR BACKUP LONG SNAPPER TOO!"

So congratulations to Penn State. You didn't hire Matt Campbell. You purchased Iowa State's roster in the transfer portal DLC pack

They will drop an inexplicable CMC game and be 10-2. Then get boatraced in the playoff and all you will hear is how they should have never fired Franklin lol.

 

[cyclones500]

The worst part about these three was they were all here three years

This is an x-factor that makes it even more difficult for sure.

If any/all were 1st or 2nd year who showed lots of potential and had impact as part of good teams, but not as much of a focal point of success, maybe it's easier to shrug (something similar to Tyrese Hunter, in general sense).

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Tough question. I never thought Rocco was anything more than an average QB but he's tough as nails and was really good when the game is on the line. I chose Audi because she went to a Big 12 school. That will be hard to watch.

He has a really good arm, like you said he's really tough and he's a great leader from what we have heard. He's lacking in physical ways compared to other ideal quarterbacks but it will really comes down to his processing pre and post snap. I'm not sure we're going to really know how much of that he's doing until he gets into the league because other than Brock, Campbell has been pretty consistent on his short leash with quarterbacks.

 

[madguy30]

They will drop an inexplicable CMC game and be 10-2. Then get boatraced in the playoff and all you will hear is how they should have never fired Franklin lol.

Imo PSU's ceiling is lower than is expected and they'll continue to not quite end that 40 year natty drought no matter who the coach is.

 

[MeanDean]

Anything involving Penn State will be annoying next year. It'll largely include the core of a team we all expected to compete for a Big-12 title. Milan will be annoying, but our basketball team will still be very good so it's hard to get too frustrated about that one.

I agree with Penn State being the worst to deal with. But Rocco followed his coach, so I can give him a bit of grace for that. The coach, OTOH...

 

[Big Daddy Kang]

Murph and Andy posed a question about which former ISU athlete will be hardest for ISU Fans to watch in a different uniform next season. I thought I'd bring it to this group. Sorry if I missed it posted elsewhere.

two of the three probably face plant (versus expectations). and that's not a happy thing. or is it? hmmm.

 

[MeowingCows]

For me it’s Rocco. He straight up abandoned Iowa State. I get it’s the sign of the times blah blah blah. Going to dislike seeing him in blue and white.

Milan I understood why he had to leave. Timetable/money/NBA decision just wasn’t going to work for TJs plan for the portal.

I can't even be that mad at Rocco. Players don't typically commit to "a school", they commit to a coaching staff. The staff clearly liked him and got the chance to upgrade, thus so did he. I'd imagine he's probably better off monetarily also given that PSU surely has bigger pockets.

 

[MJ29]

I voted Rocco bc him leaving his my 5yo's first sports heartbreak.

 

[brokenloginagain]

They will drop an inexplicable CMC game and be 10-2. Then get boatraced in the playoff and all you will hear is how they should have never fired Franklin lol.

Penn State is the first game at the new northwestern stadium on a Friday night - could easily see PSU lose that one!

 

[DGC]

Audi because I will have to watch her 1-3 times next year when she plays Iowa State. I don't plan to watch the others.