With Nebraska imploding, we'll win the North, right?

[CLONE2THEBONE]

I know it's early and a lot can happen throughout a season, but I'll be very, very disappointed if we don't win the North. I won't settle for "almost" this year.

I've been very,very disappointed in the past, but I can't help but think this year will be different. Our offense should be explosive and as close to unstoppable as can happen at ISU. Our defense is going to surprise.

Is there a team in the North that is better than us? I don't think so. Anything short of an appearance in the Big 12 Championship game will be a kick in the nits.

If not this year, when?

KSU, Nebraska and Colorado aren't going to be down forever.

 

[MNclone]

Well, I would agree with you whole heartedly on this one except for one little detail. We have to play at Texas and at Oklahoma. So winning the north isn't as easy as being the best team in the north, or even beating all the teams in the north. If we give Nebraska their only conference loss of the year, but we fall to UT and OU, we are out of luck. I would think next year we have a bit better chance, with the real toughies coming at home, and a year of experience under the belt of our young defense.
That being said, I'm super excited to see us compete for the North title this year as well!

 

[AirWalke]

Even if we go 5-0 against North teams, we can still end up with a 5-3 conference record. Beating Texas, OU, and Texas Tech is not going to be a piece of cake. Winning one of those games will depend on a better than expected defense, and making it very likely to beat out Nebraska for the North title with a 6-2 conference record, seeing as they'd lose to us and presumably Texas.

 

[HiltonMagic]

With the loss of Bomar, OU moved from the probable loss to the probable win category in my book. I now see UT as our only probable loss.

 

[MNclone]

I like your optimism

 

[HiltonMagic]

I really hope we only end up with 0-1 loss but I realistically see us losing 2-3. Texas is the only one I really see us losing, but I realize there will be 1-2 more somewhere.

 

[CLONE2THEBONE]

I think our offense is good enough to score with Texas Tech.

Mac's been here for 12 years and although we all like to think we've made these huge strides (which we have), we won't get any national respect until we at least split with the likes of Texas Tech and other traditionally good teams when they're actually having at least a decent year.

We beat A&M and KSU last year, but in retrospect, neither team was good. They still had the name, but neither was even decent.

We need to kick the door down this year as Mac said. With NU, Colorado, KSU and Oklahoma apparently headed for less than stellar seasons, we shouldn't be complaining about our schedule. Texas Tech should always be a 50-50 proposition. Kansas is not going to be good at all. Missouri isn't going to do anything special.

If we're not to this point yet, then we're not nearly as far as most of us think. If the door is not kicked down this year, we might need to find a leader with heavier boots.

Anything less than 9 wins will be a disappointment for me.

Toledo, UNLV and UNI should be a given---3 wins
NU, KSU, Kansas, Mizzou---4 wins.
Texas Tech is at home---1 win
Beat either Iowa or Oklahoma--1 win
Colorado, Texas, OK or Iowa--3 losses

Keep in mind that Colorado is nothing special this year. We could realistically win 10 games. I think we're better than 9 teams on our schedule on paper. Am I crazy? Maybe I'm expecting too much, but isn't it about time that we don't choke and get some things to go our way?

 

[CrossCyed]

Nebraska is imploding? What'd I miss? I knew about Beck and that guy in the secondary, but I think they can weather those two.

 

[Wesley]

Bowman hurt his Achilles and now you have 5-10 Courtney Grixby leading the secondary against league having large receivers.

Nebraska will only implode if they lose Zac Taylor or they get mangled at USC and lose confidence. If Matt Herrion is truly back, their offense will be better. Their Swagger alone is worth three points. Clones this year better get serious at end of the games to really win them instead of playing not to lose.

For the Clone and Big red staff et al, it does not appear Nebraska or Clones or the other Big 12 North are good enough to just sit on the ball the fourth quarter and win.

Just ask the previous bball team at Oklahoma. The offense needs to go like there is no tomorrow.

 

[ISUFan22]

Nebraska is imploding? What'd I miss? I knew about Beck and that guy in the secondary, but I think they can weather those two.

I agree. Nebraska did lose something in Bowman for sure...yet they are far from imploding.

 

[l2alphmacchio]

Why does everybody think that Toledo is automatic? Did anybody watch their bowl game last year? They looked like a pretty stellar team. I have confidence that we will win, but it is no push-over game.

 

[CY ST8T]

The real catch in this whole equation is Kansas. They may not be much better than last, but look at there schedule. If we do happen to lose to Texas and Oklahoma we would not be able to lose to another Big XII team for the North title. Sure I think we have a shot at both teams and Oklahoma more than Texas, but Kansas plays a South helping of Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A & M.

 

[zdorr40]

What I don't understand is why everybody is considering OU a probable win. Sure they lost their starting QB, so the offense won't be as good, but that defense is astonishing. Speed everywhere.

 

[ISUFan22]

What I don't understand is why everybody is considering OU a probable win. Sure they lost their starting QB, so the offense won't be as good, but that defense is astonishing. Speed everywhere.

You're such a realist...can't you tell we don't want your kind 'round here? :angry6wn:

We're gonna win 'em all dammit! All of them I say!!!

Soon teams around the country will shudder at the simple mention of Iowa State. Say the word "Cycylones" and grown men will cry.

A team will notice ISU is on their schedule and sh*t themselves...literally.

 

[GM4ISU]

You're such a realist...can't you tell we don't want your kind 'round here? :angry6wn:

We're gonna win 'em all dammit! All of them I say!!!

Soon teams around the country will shudder at the simple mention of Iowa State. Say the word "Cycylones" and grown men will cry.

A team will notice ISU is on their schedule and sh*t themselves...literally.

WELL SAID .......GO CYCLONES ALL THE WAY

 

[AirWalke]

Why does everybody think that Toledo is automatic? Did anybody watch their bowl game last year? They looked like a pretty stellar team. I have confidence that we will win, but it is no push-over game.

I read somewhere that, even with a 9-3 record, they had one of the weakest schedules in 1A football. Nine wins came from Western Illinois, Western Michigan, at Temple, Eastern Michigan, at Ball State, Buffalo, at Ohio, Bowling Green, and UTEP. They lost big to Northern Illinois, Fresno State, and lost 21-17 at Central Michigan.

I do have respect for a few of these teams, but a lot of them seemed to be relative push overs themselves, but the three losses they garnered were all teams I think Iowa State could beat easily themselves. They haven't won a big non-conference division 1 game in several years. But, as Baylor showed last year, Jack Trice Stadium is always the place for firsts.

 

[Oldgeezer]

Dream on!

I love your optimism, but you are falling for the same hype we hear every year. You should be preparing for a disappointing season, and hoping for enough wins to secure a Bowl game. Has there ever been a autumn or a game that Mac didn't approach with blind enthusiasm? Toughest schedule in the country, rebuilt defense, NO running game and a coach that can't win the Big one, spells long season to me. I sincerely hope you save this message and throw it in my face after we go 12-0 but I'm not worried that that will happen.

 

[zdorr40]

I love your optimism, but you are falling for the same hype we hear every year. You should be preparing for a disappointing season, and hoping for enough wins to secure a Bowl game. Has there ever been a autumn or a game that Mac didn't approach with blind enthusiasm? Toughest schedule in the country, rebuilt defense, NO running game and a coach that can't win the Big one, spells long season to me. I sincerely hope you save this message and throw it in my face after we go 12-0 but I'm not worried that that will happen.

That's just it. We should have been 12-0 last year, but stuff happens. Leaders should have intercepted that pass in OT at Knebraska. ISU shouldn't have laid an egg at home vs Baylor. ISU had Misery beat in Columbia but it got away. We had an 11 point lead at KU.

Should we beat some of the teams mentioned? Yes. Could we beat them this year? Absolutely. Stuff happens, though.

Like Kenny Mayne always said, 'Games aren't played on paper, they're played inside television sets.'

 

[zdorr40]

I love your optimism, but you are falling for the same hype we hear every year. You should be preparing for a disappointing season, and hoping for enough wins to secure a Bowl game. Has there ever been a autumn or a game that Mac didn't approach with blind enthusiasm? Toughest schedule in the country, rebuilt defense, NO running game and a coach that can't win the Big one, spells long season to me. I sincerely hope you save this message and throw it in my face after we go 12-0 but I'm not worried that that will happen.

One more point. Although I agree with your statement, at least this isn't 1989 and we have no optimism going into the year. Besides, 1989 sucked. New Kids on the Block were popular and so were mullets. Now we just make fun of 1989 and the stupidity it wrought.

 

[AirWalke]

The way I see it, this team has a big ole chip back on their shoulder. A lot of people didn't predict the surprise that was Iowa State in 2004. A lot of the media placed ISU at the top of the Big 12 North last season, and statistically, that should've happened.

With lowered expectations, I expect the team to flourish under them and prove everyone wrong. The young '04 team certainly proved the critics wrong, and there shouldn't be any reason to think the same thing with this year's defense.

It may be hype, but D-Mac and the team have a lot of confidence going into the year. The injuries at RB and safety appeared to handicap our progress, but then in flows the reports of Josh Johnson stepping it up at RB, and Ryan Baum fitting in nicely at safety.

Regardless of what happens this year, we can always expect a few more wins next year than this year, simply because of the senior-led offense, a more mature defense, and a favorable schedule that brings Iowa, Texas, and OU into Ames.