Not as bad as it seems

[oldwiseman]

ISU is 2-9 with a chance to beat WVU to end the season 3-9. I don't think many people are excited about that best case scenario at this point. I'm not thrilled with it either. However, I choose to look at it this way.

Texas was a win and even Texas knows that. We should actually be 3-8 right now.
If the TCU game was 1 minute shorter or we made 1 first down when we needed it, 4-7.
(We are 1 play and a bad call from being 4-7)


If KU can beat WVU we have to have a decent chance to beat WVU which would be 5-7.
We don't lay an egg vs. UNI..... 6-6 - bowl game

I know, what ifs don't matter. The reality is we are 2-9. But this team that is so young was really not far from being in a bowl game despite our record showing otherwise. The only real stretch on that list is UNI as they kicked our butts all over the field. Do I think this team belongs in a bowl game, no. But it's not as bad as it seems.

I thought the offense was getting plays off quickly last night and our D was playing with heart. Carry that through to WVU and let's look forward to some of these young guys playing with a year of experience under their belt next year. Add some exciting recruits and I'm optimistic.

I know the preferred tone around here is negative so I'm sure people will not accept any kind of optimism.

 

[Wesley]

So, who played better game? Offense or defense?

 

[Drive4cy]

Nah, it's been pretty bad.

I'm on board for thinking next year we'll bounce back but this year was garbage.

 

[timdcy]

Fire Mess.

 

[Wesley]

The mess is history.

 

[jsb]

I've said it before, but this year was the perfect combination of bad luck and a bad season. If we had good luck, it still would have been a bad season, but more of a 'normal' one.

You'll never convince me that we didn't beat Texas. And one could say we were robbed of the TCU game too. So if you win those 2 and beat WVU, then you would have had 5 wins and not such a disaster.

The program isn't saved because we are better than Kansas, but the program isn't a disaster either.

 

[Cyclophile1]

I'm with you on being close to 4-7. But we all know it IS a game of inches and the margin for victory, particularly at an Iowa State, is razor thin. IFs and Buts and all that doesn't make moral victories into real Ws. Yes, we should have beaten Texas, and we're one first down play away from a win versus TCU. We didn't get them. We took our lumps and hopefully got some guys experience for next year. A win next week would be huge, because we can all look back and say we were legitimately very, very close to 5-7 on the year, and competitive in 2-3 more.

I'm someone who thinks that the Texas stolen game was kind of a back-breaker for such a banged up and young team. Huge defeat mentally. After UNI and Iowa debacles that game going the other way after the Tulsa win gives you a different trajectory on the season. But, it wasn't meant to be.

 

[ISU_phoria]

We'll definitely be better next year, but we need to find consistency on offense. We see it at times, but it's way too sporadic.

I don't know what the answer is, but finding it must be the off-season priority.

 

[Skidoosh]

I think if we had won that Texas game, the entire big 12 would be different. Mack Brown probably wouldve been canned, the morale of the team wouldve been completely different. There is an alternate universe out there where we got the right call, and I'd love to see how it turned out.

Just kidding we are Iowa State, we would never get that call in any universe.

 

[GWad]

ISU football is a train wreck. Yes, Kansas is that bad. In my opinion.

 

[Cyclophile1]

We'll definitely be better next year, but we need to find consistency on offense. We see it at times, but it's way too sporadic.

I don't know what the answer is, but finding it must be the off-season priority.

Oh, I still think we have big problems on offense. We're a LONG way from being a middle of the pack offensive team, capable of scoring 30 on teams in the top half of the conference. Last night didn't change my mind about the changes needed on the offensive side of the ball. Actually my big fear is that if we manage to win against WVU, Rhoads and Pollard will rationalize it away as all bad luck, and that we can stand pat. There's risk either way, and I'm at the point where I would be putting my chips down on the side of "new offensive coordinator" than "staying the course."

 

[CycloneVet]

I agree with the OP.

 

[HFCS]

ISU is 2-9 with a chance to beat WVU to end the season 3-9. I don't think many people are excited about that best case scenario at this point. I'm not thrilled with it either. However, I choose to look at it this way.

Texas was a win and even Texas knows that. We should actually be 3-8 right now.
If the TCU game was 1 minute shorter or we made 1 first down when we needed it, 4-7.
(We are 1 play and a bad call from being 4-7)


If KU can beat WVU we have to have a decent chance to beat WVU which would be 5-7.
We don't lay an egg vs. UNI..... 6-6 - bowl game

I know, what ifs don't matter. The reality is we are 2-9. But this team that is so young was really not far from being in a bowl game despite our record showing otherwise. The only real stretch on that list is UNI as they kicked our butts all over the field. Do I think this team belongs in a bowl game, no. But it's not as bad as it seems.

I thought the offense was getting plays off quickly last night and our D was playing with heart. Carry that through to WVU and let's look forward to some of these young guys playing with a year of experience under their belt next year. Add some exciting recruits and I'm optimistic.

I know the preferred tone around here is negative so I'm sure people will not accept any kind of optimism.

I had these same thoughts...but it's hard to be positive with how terrible the offense has looked in really all but two games and one was on ice against an even worse offense.

The biggest point in this kind of 'bright side' thinking is we did have a key victory stolen with questionable calls throughout an entire game, and two of our easiest opponents came last on the schedule. If this KU game was earlier in the season and the Texas game isn't fixed our fans aren't so negative in spite of the bad offense.

 

[HFCS]

ISU football is a train wreck. Yes, Kansas is that bad. In my opinion.

Kansas was running the ball with Sims for seven yards a clip and didn't score a point, that is off the charts horrible play calling and game management.

 

[norcalcy]

ISU is 2-9 with a chance to beat WVU to end the season 3-9. I don't think many people are excited about that best case scenario at this point. I'm not thrilled with it either. However, I choose to look at it this way.

Texas was a win and even Texas knows that. We should actually be 3-8 right now.
If the TCU game was 1 minute shorter or we made 1 first down when we needed it, 4-7.
(We are 1 play and a bad call from being 4-7)


If KU can beat WVU we have to have a decent chance to beat WVU which would be 5-7.
We don't lay an egg vs. UNI..... 6-6 - bowl game

I know, what ifs don't matter. The reality is we are 2-9. But this team that is so young was really not far from being in a bowl game despite our record showing otherwise. The only real stretch on that list is UNI as they kicked our butts all over the field. Do I think this team belongs in a bowl game, no. But it's not as bad as it seems.

I thought the offense was getting plays off quickly last night and our D was playing with heart. Carry that through to WVU and let's look forward to some of these young guys playing with a year of experience under their belt next year. Add some exciting recruits and I'm optimistic.

I know the preferred tone around here is negative so I'm sure people will not accept any kind of optimism.

I appreciate your optimism, but respectfully disagree. We were nowhere close to being a bowl team. We simply did not finish against Texas and TCU when the opportunity was there to do so. Northern Iowa and Iowa, 'nuff said. Getting blown off the field by K State? Who can forget the puntfest down in Lubbock against that bad defense. Won't even mention OK State, Oklahoma and Baylor. We just have to thank our lucky stars for Cody Green and Charlie Weis.

I heard Rhoads say on the post game last night that if we beat WVU and tie for 7th you, "could argue that we overachieved." I hope that was just some coachspeak. If not, this kind of thinking works against an honest assessment of all that went wrong this year. Yes there were injuries, but coaching, execution, preparation, adjustments etc. were way below average.

 

[oldwiseman]

ISU football is a train wreck. Yes, Kansas is that bad. In my opinion.

No negative Nancy's here... #reprimanded

 

[CycloneErik]

I'm torn on this.
We did beat Texas. That's real, even though it's not real in the standings.

As officially recognized wins, though, our only wins since Jake Knott's last game are two wins over Kansas and one over a really bad Tulsa team. That doesn't make me believe that there's a foundation for success, but it's possible.

 

[cstrunk]

I agree with the OP.

We had a lot of bad luck and injuries turn a few W's into L's. Still wouldn't deserve a bowl game, but the overall negativity wouldn't be as bad. We've had bad offenses the past few years but the W's kept the negative posters away overall.

Next year will be better. I still think a change at OC would help, but this year just wasn't meant to be.

A win next week will help this fan base immensely.

 

[ajk4st8]

We found ways to lose at home to really bad uni Texas and TCU teams. No sugar coating that at all. That is really bad. Look forward to next year and putting this season to rest

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

Still need to make changes on the offensive staff, but the pieces are there. And the offensive line next season will be legit. George is a loss, but this staff just reloads at linebacker.