I think hiring Mess as OC was the beginning of the end. It also points to what is likely the biggest issue, personnel decisions. Imagine Sturdy as OC instead of Mess with Sturdy's pick for Oline coach instead of Klenakis.
What was the beginning of the end?
- Thread starter Wally86
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The inability for QB's to get better. Nearly every single one regressed under Rhoads' leadership. QB is the most important position in football.
I'd probably point to the Liberty Bowl, but in reality we played like **** in all 3 bowl games. Two 6-6 teams duked it out in Tempe to end 14-13, got slapped around and played flat against Rutgers, and then the Liberty Bowl...woof. Also lost a lot of great leaders in Leonard, Benton, KO, Knott, Klein, and Lenz after the '11 and '12 seasons as well that was never really recovered until this year.
You can say it as promoting Mess to OC, and you would be correct. But I think it is more accurately traces to Tom Herman's departure. I understand that Rice melted down over time similarly to ISU. We have yet to see if Ohio State will fully recover, but they too are clearly much worse than they were last year with basically the same players.
In retrospect, it was naïve to assume that we could promote from within to fill Herman's void. At the time, it seemed to make sense to continue the direction. But, as we learned, Herman packed up his genius and took it with him.
Viewed yet another way, when Mess fell on his face in his first year, it was a mistake not to just fire him. Instead, the mortal sin was to put good money after bad by hiring Klenakis, and installing the Pistol. In tandem with that, was the initiative to overtrain (recall the blocking sleds) the players that summer. The result was a disastrous rash of injuries from which we have only recently recovered. And with those injuries came chaos on the offensive line, and in turn, QB Sam Richardson got trampled. That destroyed his confidence over time, and he never recovered from that.
Mess year 2 (Klenakis/Pistol) is often overlooked when accounting for all the offensive changes endured by Sam. In reality, it was 5 offenses in 5 years. I can only hope that some elements of the Sturdy offense are retained in order for the younger players not to have to suffer a similar fate.
In retrospect, it was naïve to assume that we could promote from within to fill Herman's void. At the time, it seemed to make sense to continue the direction. But, as we learned, Herman packed up his genius and took it with him.
Viewed yet another way, when Mess fell on his face in his first year, it was a mistake not to just fire him. Instead, the mortal sin was to put good money after bad by hiring Klenakis, and installing the Pistol. In tandem with that, was the initiative to overtrain (recall the blocking sleds) the players that summer. The result was a disastrous rash of injuries from which we have only recently recovered. And with those injuries came chaos on the offensive line, and in turn, QB Sam Richardson got trampled. That destroyed his confidence over time, and he never recovered from that.
Mess year 2 (Klenakis/Pistol) is often overlooked when accounting for all the offensive changes endured by Sam. In reality, it was 5 offenses in 5 years. I can only hope that some elements of the Sturdy offense are retained in order for the younger players not to have to suffer a similar fate.
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This is actually a pretty easy answer. Jake Knott's shoulder injury.
Prior to the 2012 Baylor game, Rhoads was around 0.500 (23-23?). Since then, 9-31.
Prior to the 2012 Baylor game, Rhoads was around 0.500 (23-23?). Since then, 9-31.
The end of the hit tapes. 
They basically stopped doing them the year we lost to UNI. It's all fell to **** since then. The new coach better make sure there's money in the budget for a student intern to put those babies together.
They basically stopped doing them the year we lost to UNI. It's all fell to **** since then. The new coach better make sure there's money in the budget for a student intern to put those babies together.
No doubt this was the signpost that marked the End of the Beginning, if not the Beginning of the End.
I think there are a lot of things. But the thing I always think about is the damage the realignment drama made for two seasons and recruiting classes right when he had the program rolling. That rolled on top of the Mess mess. And this year I would say the first sign was the second half of the Iowa game. It was recoverable, but it was a sign of bad things that have come since then.
Just bad hires on the offensive side of the ball. There were good hires on paper but they just didn't work at ISU. It had to do with them not meshing as a staff. This team also need better QB development. The last thing is kicking Coe and Irving off the team before last season, really set the team back. I think part of the end of game problems this year can be due to the pressure put on the staff to win. Instead of playing not to win the CPR did early at ISU he started to play not to lose.
I think the changes made in season this year were for the best, but they just happened too late.
I think the changes made in season this year were for the best, but they just happened too late.
