I think this year is a necessary step for us to get better. We have a ton of sophomores playing. In reality, they are not all ready to play Big 12 football. Playing time this year should make our team as a whole much better the next two years. This should lead to a more stable program going forward where we only play underclassmen if they are studs, not because we need them.
Our record does not matter this year
- Thread starter demoncore1031
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I would start with 18 points a games in 2007. I am not calling this team good, but 07 was a bad team.
If you do not think our record matters, read this and guess who said it.
"That starts and probably ends with more victories in the league. I think we're recognized by most as a team that plays smart, a team that probably overachieves. But you've got to go beyond overachieving. You've got to start increasing your level of play, your talent base and so forth and win more games than you're losing in league play. When that happens, I think the vision of our program will change from a nation standpoint."
"That starts and probably ends with more victories in the league. I think we're recognized by most as a team that plays smart, a team that probably overachieves. But you've got to go beyond overachieving. You've got to start increasing your level of play, your talent base and so forth and win more games than you're losing in league play. When that happens, I think the vision of our program will change from a nation standpoint."
Exactly. We are going to be well below that this year no matter what. Next year the record matters again. Now this year is pretty much prepping to make our next year as successful record wise as possible.
It almost seems as though the coaching staff has been taking that stance all year.
I'd say that's a slight simplification. If that were the case I doubt 06 would've been such a bad year. We had the same QB as in 04 that led the turnaround as a freshman. Surely he didn't regress in 4 years. The defense made huge strides in 2004. In our losses in 03 we gave up 40 ppg. In conf. play in 04 we only gave up 25 ppg.
We've been god awful the last 7-8 years sprinkled in with very very mediocre 6-7, crappy bowl games. For Iowa state any bowl game is okay but for once in my life I wanna see ISU play a January 1st bowl game or make a BCS. It'll probably never happen and if/when it does it'll be a fluke and the following season will probably be mediocre
Unfortunately, I agree with that last bit. When Coach Rhoads was not all rah-rah like he has been the last 2 years, that should have been a dead giveaway that we should have very low expectations. In both 2011 and 2012 he came out of fall camp saying that we were fielding the most talented teams he had ever had. This year, he said we were young and inexperienced, and that this team will grow more than any other team he has coached. That is coachspeak for we will suck but should be moving in the right direction before the season is over.
The only Big 12 bowl on Jan 1 is the Fiesta. Big 10 has 5 bowl games counting the Rose Bowl. Jan 1 games don't happen to Big 12 teams.
Also should clarify my point. I'm not saying getting blown out helped, I'm more pointing out that young teams can get their teeth kicked in one year and get much better the next year.
I do not disagree, but I think most of that improvement has nothing to do with getting their teeth kicked in during the previous year. I think 99.9% of a team's improvement in how they play is completely independent of their record in the previous year.
Like we agreed upon yesterday. I don't think the OP is saying that we will be good next year because we suck this year. More to do with young players getting reps.
But I don't want to get involved in anything tonight, so in closing....
We love America, We love Ames, Iowa, and say it with me, WE LOVE THE CYCLONES!
Brett, if you keep bringing common sense to the conversations here, people will run you off and label you a moral victory fan.
Unless that record, and getting their teeth kicked in, is contributory to the team developing a chip on their shoulder. That can do wonders for a the way a team responds the following season.
The moral victory crowd would crow that, at #60, we're the highest (Sagarin) rated 1-4 in the land.
If ISU had beaten UNI, and all other details were the same, this thread probably wouldn't exist.
I agree with everything you said. Some fans are making it seem like we are heading back to being that 0 win team who gets blown out every week. The fact of the matter is that our biggest loss this year is 7 points. A more experienced team (having guys like Jake, Knott, AJ Klein etc.) and we are probably a 3-2 team right now, maybe 4-1 even. The youngens are missing some of the small things that they will get down as they get older.
