Football future looks great, but the unknowns are in the last places you want them: offensive line, and the center of the defense.
ISU had a good season last year with an offensive line that couldn't run block. While there were hardly any returning players last year, this year we've got almost the entire line back. I do worry that the architect of that line is now gone, to the NFL.
But the strength of last year's team, the defense, lost some of it's best players, and they were the Mike linebacker and the safety. The middle of your defense is where you need to be stoutest. We've got unknowns filling those positions, and that scares me.
Finally, last year's team did very well in close games, coming out on top more often than not. This "luck" factor can easily turn the opposite way. A team that should be better than last year, could be worse when the dust settles, if those close games go the other way.
My trend is upward for football. I think they move to 8 regular season wins, maybe 9. I'm on record as saying a 10 win season is possible. But my expectations are close to the 6-8 win range. I think missing a bowl game would be a disappointing season. That's all I'm willing to put forth right now for expectations.
Not going to say much about basketball. We have some highly touted players coming in, but mostly a bunch of unknowns. Wait and see if all I can do there. I cheer just as hard for them whether its 20 wins or 20 losses.