Upset Special Excitement...

[ISpyCy]

Early projections, predictions and prognostications say that ISU is going to be dominated and dismembered by Baylor; we get that.

But...the Paul Rhoads "upset special" has its chance of presenting itself this weekend as well.

Personally, an upset would be great, but just how excited will you be to take down Baylor? I was ecstatic when we beat Nebby, Texas, and Okie State...a little bit less when we beat a Pachall-less TCU team. Looking at our records after these upset games, we find this:

2009 (After Nebby) - 2-3 + Bowl Win.
2010 (After Texas) - 1-3 (No Bowl).
2011 (After Okie St.) - 0-3 + Bowl Loss.
2012 (After TCU) - 2-6 + Bowl Loss.

As we know, the upset creates excitement, but doesn't necessarily gauge the progress of our program. As I've said, this is a rebuilding year and a not-so-fantastic record is likely when both Okla schools remain on the schedule and we already sit at 1-4.

So, how excited will you be if we miraculously pull the upset this weekend? Will it be just flash-in-the-pan excitement, or will you wait to see how well we perform down the road?

I know this is a loaded question, so hopefully you're brains aren't mush right now.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

We have beaten Baylor a lot over the years, so cool that we won if we do but Baylor is still Baylor. Now winning in Norman this year, which I think we can do, umm ya.

 

[Clonefan32]

It would be more exciting than TCU, but less so than the other wins. Nebraska and Texas wasn't as much about beating a juggernaut of a team (as was the case in the OSU game), but more about getting a victory that was unthinkable a few years ago. Baylor is good, and they are as hot of team as there is right now. However, it's still just hard to accept Baylor as some powerhouse, huge upset given their history.

 

[WhatchaGonnaDo]

I think I'd be more shocked than excited. I would be extremely excited, don't get me wrong, but it would definitely be more shock.

That's part of what made the OSU game so special.

 

[GoSTATE71]

I'd be excited but if this season ends with no bowl game and a 3-9 record than these upset wins mean little for me personally. Its nice as a fan base and its exciting but in terms of program momentum what does it do to upset Texas at Texas and follow it up by going 1-3 with no bowl game? Upset Oklahoma state and follow it up by losing next 2-3 games and below average bowl game and lose in it. Not trying to be debbie downer but these types of wins consistently (each season) should be moving the program forward yet we are about to take a big step back this year and who knows what next year will hold. All it does is make Big 12 coaches respect Iowa State a tad more. I'd rather it result in 8-9 win seasons with awesome recruiting classes. This year is improved, but lets be honest we would never get a highly ranked WR if it wasnt for the legacy factor. Just saying

 

[CycloneNorth]

I'd be excited but if this season ends with no bowl game and a 3-9 record than these upset wins mean little for me personally. Its nice as a fan base and its exciting but in terms of program momentum what does it do to upset Texas at Texas and follow it up by going 1-3 with no bowl game? Upset Oklahoma state and follow it up by losing next 2-3 games and below average bowl game and lose in it. Not trying to be debbie downer but these types of wins consistently (each season) should be moving the program forward yet we are about to take a big step back this year and who knows what next year will hold. All it does is make Big 12 coaches respect Iowa State a tad more. I'd rather it result in 8-9 win seasons with awesome recruiting classes. This year is improved, but lets be honest we would never get a highly ranked WR if it wasnt for the legacy factor. Just saying

I disagree with this I think if you'd ask high school students what they remembered more, ISU beating Oklahoma State or someone like Virginia winning 8 games they'll say ISU. 8 wins is great for the fan base, but I don't think it means as much for recruits.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

If we beat Baylor I'm going to be ****** about the 4 games we lost.

 

[aeroclone]

I disagree with this I think if you'd ask high school students what they remembered more, ISU beating Oklahoma State or someone like Virginia winning 8 games they'll say ISU. 8 wins is great for the fan base, but I don't think it means as much for recruits.

I think the majority of the country still considers us a losing program, and they will continue to consider us a losing program until we can win more than 6 games consistently. We could pull off a crazy top 10 upset every season for a decade, but if it never leads to anything better than a 6-6 season and getting our heads kicked in playing a crappy bowl game, we won't change perceptions of our program outside of our own fan base. We will still struggle to recruit, we still won't get any respect from the media, and we will still be the school that gets projected without a home every time somebody wants to start kicking around conference realignment scenarios.

 

[djcubby]

I disagree with this I think if you'd ask high school students what they remembered more, ISU beating Oklahoma State or someone like Virginia winning 8 games they'll say ISU. 8 wins is great for the fan base, but I don't think it means as much for recruits.

I would agree with this. Even today, when I check the Top 25 scoreboard at the end of the day, I am looking for upsets. I really don't care if Alabama beats UK by 20 or 30, but when Utah beats Stanford, or Penn State takes down Michigan, that get's my attention.

Analysts and announcers still talk about us taking down OSU, but they never talk about OSU's bowl game that year. Only that they lost their place in the BCS title game.

 

[isu81]

I'll get excited when "upsets" are us beating the best team in the conference in a game we are 10 or less point underdogs in. Being a 33 point underdog to anyone is very telling for the state of the program. Sure, people (including recruits) would take notice due to the shock factor. But, from a recruit's standpoint, do you want to go play for a team that pulls off a shocker on the way to a 4-6 win season or one that can consistently compete with the better teams in the conference?

 

[Rabbuk]

I just hope they cover the 32 point spread.

 

[WhatchaGonnaDo]

I think the majority of the country still considers us a losing program, and they will continue to consider us a losing program until we can win more than 6 games consistently. We could pull off a crazy top 10 upset every season for a decade, but if it never leads to anything better than a 6-6 season and getting our heads kicked in playing a crappy bowl game, we won't change perceptions of our program outside of our own fan base. We will still struggle to recruit, we still won't get any respect from the media, and we will still be the school that gets projected without a home every time somebody wants to start kicking around conference realignment scenarios.

Hate to break it to ya, but we still are a losing program.

 

[aeroclone]

Hate to break it to ya, but we still are a losing program.

You aren't breaking crap to me, I totally agree. I don't want to derail this into another question of whether or not we are better off today than we were in the Mac era, but I think our national perception has changed very little. Sure, we now manage to beat top 25 teams every now and then, and road games aren't an automatic loss, and we don't get blown out as much. But we still aren't winning football games. So to the rest of the country, we are still the same old bottom feeder program trying to claw our way to 6 wins to play a bowl game in a baseball stadium.

Beating Baylor this weekend on our way to a 3-9 season doesn't really mean anything. We need to start winning more football games in general, and we need to start building on these upset specials instead of letting the rest of the season piddle down our leg.

 

[TruClone]

I'd be excited but if this season ends with no bowl game and a 3-9 record than these upset wins mean little for me personally. Its nice as a fan base and its exciting but in terms of program momentum what does it do to upset Texas at Texas and follow it up by going 1-3 with no bowl game? Upset Oklahoma state and follow it up by losing next 2-3 games and below average bowl game and lose in it. Not trying to be debbie downer but these types of wins consistently (each season) should be moving the program forward yet we are about to take a big step back this year and who knows what next year will hold. All it does is make Big 12 coaches respect Iowa State a tad more. I'd rather it result in 8-9 win seasons with awesome recruiting classes. This year is improved, but lets be honest we would never get a highly ranked WR if it wasnt for the legacy factor. Just saying

I don't think Montgomery is a legacy.

 

[GoSTATE71]

I disagree with this I think if you'd ask high school students what they remembered more, ISU beating Oklahoma State or someone like Virginia winning 8 games they'll say ISU. 8 wins is great for the fan base, but I don't think it means as much for recruits.

Fair point. I guess if I'm a recruit I'd look at a team who has won 7-8 games consistently instead of a team who has consistently had 6-7 seasons with an upset mixed in. The OSU game was great and I'll never forget that night as a fan, but I wish it would of led to more success win wise. After that night I thought, "Iowa State may finally take the next step in the Big 12 and in football" and here we sit at 1-4, two years later....

 

[awd4cy]

It would be pretty ******* sweet. This would probably be the 2nd best team Rhoads would beat in his career if it were to happen.

 

[awd4cy]

Fair point. I guess if I'm a recruit I'd look at a team who has won 7-8 games consistently instead of a team who has consistently had 6-7 seasons with an upset mixed in. The OSU game was great and I'll never forget that night as a fan, but I wish it would of led to more success win wise. After that night I thought, "Iowa State may finally take the next step in the Big 12 and in football" and here we sit at 1-4, two years later....

Agreed.

 

[AdamJGray]

If we beat Baylor I'm going to be ****** about the 4 games we lost.

I just hope they cover the 32 point spread.

Now that is the attitude guys!

 

[jbhtexas]

But, from a recruit's standpoint, do you want to go play for a team that pulls off a shocker on the way to a 4-6 win season or one that can consistently compete with the better teams in the conference?

As you imply, the better recruits want to play for teams that win. Competitive people hate to lose. That's why schools that win have highly ranked recruits willing to ride the bench and wait their turn for playing time when they could be starting elsewhere.

I think upset wins can be beneficial for recruiting when a coach in the early part of his tenure at school. However, for coach whose 5+ years in, upset wins aren't going to help attract the better recruits if that team continues to have losing seasons.

 

[dualthreat]

I disagree with this I think if you'd ask high school students what they remembered more, ISU beating Oklahoma State or someone like Virginia winning 8 games they'll say ISU. 8 wins is great for the fan base, but I don't think it means as much for recruits.

That's the same as people exaggerating the importance of the Iowa game. Yeah, sure, its a great win, but at the end of the day It's still just one win.