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9 wins is my threshold…

cmhawks99

HR Legend
Jul 23, 2002
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For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!
 
For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!
So, winning 9 games is "meh"?

If winning 9 games includes ISU, I'll probably be pretty happy.
 
For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!
The Iowa offense is definitely heading in the right direction. Whoever is OC in 2023 has some nice pieces to work with.

I know the defense is losing a lot at LB, but if this Iowa offense can actually put together sustained drives, can you imagine how much that will help the defense not having to be on the field most of the game?

On paper, Iowa should be a force to be reckoned with. With the favorable schedule, Iowa should have a double-digit win season. Should.
 
For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!

You might be setting that bar about one win too many. Barring injuries and other strange occurrences Iowa always faces a brutal schedule because we play in a brutal conference that USC will make more brutal.

tOSU, Michigan, Pedo St., and USC have enormous inherent advantages that are nearly impossible to overcome. That's why its always a huge win when they beat them. MSU and Wisconsin have significant inherent advantages that are very difficult to overcome. UCLA, Minnesota and Illinois have the potential to exploit what should be inherent advantages, although they rarely do. Even Big Red still gets blue blood treatment and blue blood recruiting advantages, although they've generally sucked, there recent win over Iowa notwithstanding. All of those advantages are increasing with the changes in society and sports-almost all of the effects of the Portal and NIL-cut hard against Iowa.

 
For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.















I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.















I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!







So you've been disappointed 14 times in Kirk's 24 years? Better be quiet on that, you'll lose your sycophants cred.
 
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The rules are changing now. Before, I could handle the occasional 7 win season (well, after I've had time for perspective, it sucks when it is happening) if the team were young and building for the future. This year was a bit different though because there was such an obvious problem with the team, and a defense that was national championship quality if there would have been an offense to match up with it.

Now though, with the portal, there really isn't an excuse for a program like Iowa to have a year where they are just really young in all starting positions. If we have freshmen and sophomores playing, it needs to be because they don't play like your average freshmen or sophomore. More likely, those players would be leaving early anyway.
 
For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!
Everyone loves wins. But as others have said adding USC and UCLA makes our schedule more difficult. We have had a great run, our last 7-6 was 2014 8 years ago. If 7-6 makes you want to puke I hope you were not around for Hayden's years. Excluding his first two and last year he had 6 of 17 years puke worthy or over 1/3 of his years.
1988 6-4-3, 1989 5-6, 1992 5-7, 1993 6-6, 1994 5-5-1 and 1997 7-5.

Hayden was a great coach now in the HOF but it just goes to show winning when you have a small state with two power 5 programs is not easy.
 
Everyone loves wins. But as others have said adding USC and UCLA makes our schedule more difficult. We have had a great run, our last 7-6 was 2014 8 years ago. If 7-6 makes you want to puke I hope you were not around for Hayden's years. Excluding his first two and last year he had 6 of 17 years puke worthy or over 1/3 of his years.
1988 6-4-3, 1989 5-6, 1992 5-7, 1993 6-6, 1994 5-5-1 and 1997 7-5.

Hayden was a great coach now in the HOF but it just goes to show winning when you have a small state with two power 5 programs is not easy.

Agreed!
 
Everyone loves wins. But as others have said adding USC and UCLA makes our schedule more difficult. We have had a great run, our last 7-6 was 2014 8 years ago. If 7-6 makes you want to puke I hope you were not around for Hayden's years. Excluding his first two and last year he had 6 of 17 years puke worthy or over 1/3 of his years.
1988 6-4-3, 1989 5-6, 1992 5-7, 1993 6-6, 1994 5-5-1 and 1997 7-5.

Hayden was a great coach now in the HOF but it just goes to show winning when you have a small state with two power 5 programs is not easy.
Oh Lord. Don't go dragging out the facts again........ :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
The 1997 team made me want to puke, that team was stacked.
Oh my, was that so true….I was 27 and my first huge Iowa Fball disappointment…well honestly, 1996 when we lost to Tulsa early season, was rough…but I’d bought Phil steele’s 12 plus years in a row, I was a hardcore fan and by that time a professional with what became a 30 yr wife/GF. So not an adolescent per se but loving iowa was more important than chasing chicks ( I had one) and getting drunk, some of you get where I was and am coming from.

Point being, in my life… before kids and getting drunk/getting laid being paramount. I really fixated on Iowa football/basketball…

Those 2-seasons were both awesome and awful, and here we are….😊
 
You might be setting that bar about one win too many. Barring injuries and other strange occurrences Iowa always faces a brutal schedule because we play in a brutal conference that USC will make more brutal.

tOSU, Michigan, Pedo St., and USC have enormous inherent advantages that are nearly impossible to overcome. That's why its always a huge win when they beat them. MSU and Wisconsin have significant inherent advantages that are very difficult to overcome. UCLA, Minnesota and Illinois have the potential to exploit what should be inherent advantages, although they rarely do. Even Big Red still gets blue blood treatment and blue blood recruiting advantages, although they've generally sucked, there recent win over Iowa notwithstanding. All of those advantages are increasing with the changes in society and sports-almost all of the effects of the Portal and NIL-cut hard against Iowa.

I get it, and you & I track well, but, I expect to win 9 games. I’m not, as you know, going to yell, scream, call for heads, but point being…this is a good program, with talent and a hard but manageable schedule..

9 wins is a manageable do, but, things happen and I’m still here…😊
 
In the current B1G configuration, there are 5 teams on the schedule that we should beat nearly every time, plus the 3 nonconference cupcakes that we have. 8-4 regular seasons are a good minimum baseline until that changes.

Personally I don’t necessarily always judge wins and losses as the end-all be-all when judging coaches. Some years are going to set up better than others, especially if you have a bunch of new starters. Sometimes the schedule is tough. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way in certain games, and sometimes recruiting (especially the money game) doesn’t go the way it needs.

This year was especially grating to me because the same repetitive issues popped up on offense, resulting in one of the worst offenses in Iowa history among a string of historically bad offenses. It was also bad when there were avenues that were left unexplored by the coaching staff to rapidly improve the team’s weaknesses. And this is all while the defense and special teams the last few years has been some of the best and we’ve just wasted them by not even being just adequate in that dept.

The question then becomes - can the staff correct course on those issues?
 
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For the record. Meaning 8-5 is below what I expect. 7-6 makes me want to puke.

I do believe wins per season, meaning all seasons in totality is a big deal, with that said, this team has had a very good run, but we do need to escalate things next year.

I think surely we all can agree with that, even those of you that I think personally are really way over the top, but I think we all can agree we have to get this offense figured out and continue to play Iowa defense and win a lot of games!
No way essay - Natty or BUST @EvilMonkeyInTheCloset
 
In the current B1G configuration, there are 5 teams on the schedule that we should beat nearly every time, plus the 3 nonconference cupcakes that we have. 8-4 regular seasons are a good minimum baseline until that changes.

Personally I don’t necessarily always judge wins and losses as the end-all be-all when judging coaches. Some years are going to set up better than others, especially if you have a bunch of new starters. Sometimes the schedule is tough. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way in certain games, and sometimes recruiting (especially the money game) doesn’t go the way it needs.

This year was especially grating to me because the same repetitive issues popped up on offense, resulting in one of the worst offenses in Iowa history among a string of historically bad offenses. It was also bad when there were avenues that were left unexplored by the coaching staff to rapidly improve the team’s weaknesses. And this is all while the defense and special teams the last few years has been some of the best and we’ve just wasted them by not even being just adequate in that dept.

The question then becomes - can the staff correct course on those issues?
ISU is no cup cake, they had a winning record in the Big 12 5 years in a row before this year and went to a bowl game all five years.
 
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The Iowa offense is definitely heading in the right direction. Whoever is OC in 2023 has some nice pieces to work with.

I know the defense is losing a lot at LB, but if this Iowa offense can actually put together sustained drives, can you imagine how much that will help the defense not having to be on the field most of the game?

On paper, Iowa should be a force to be reckoned with. With the favorable schedule, Iowa should have a double-digit win season. Should.
Need to see proof with on-field performances before claiming such things.
 
You might be setting that bar about one win too many. Barring injuries and other strange occurrences Iowa always faces a brutal schedule because we play in a brutal conference that USC will make more brutal.

tOSU, Michigan, Pedo St., and USC have enormous inherent advantages that are nearly impossible to overcome. That's why its always a huge win when they beat them. MSU and Wisconsin have significant inherent advantages that are very difficult to overcome. UCLA, Minnesota and Illinois have the potential to exploit what should be inherent advantages, although they rarely do. Even Big Red still gets blue blood treatment and blue blood recruiting advantages, although they've generally sucked, there recent win over Iowa notwithstanding. All of those advantages are increasing with the changes in society and sports-almost all of the effects of the Portal and NIL-cut hard against Iowa.

LOL. We often have a cupcake schedule. Have you seen our ‘23 opponents? Far from brutal.
 
Next season looks promising. Going forward it all depends on how they split divisions/pods and who they want on TV to play UCLA and USC. I would guess Ohio St, Michigan and Nebraska will draw them early on. After the dust settles wins will be much harder with UCLA and USC coming on board. Adding Rhule at Nebraska (it may take a couple seasons) and it soon becomes a must to win all the out of conference games. I am not sold on Wisconsin and their new direction. Thinking they slip a bit. Fleck is searching for stop leak to keep his boat afloat.
 
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So, winning 9 games is "meh"?

If winning 9 games includes ISU, I'll probably be pretty happy.
I have actually always looked at it the other way in that I would take an extra upset win in the Big 10 and give up the win against ISU. Assuming the hawks win the other two non conf games that means they are 7-2 in the Big 10 which is annually pretty damn good. Big 10 wins are bigger than ISU wins

But in the end I also want we all want that win against ISU and a 10-2 record.
 
Eight of the 14 B1G teams this year had 8 or more wins. Nine of 14 had 7 or more wins. Setting a goal of at least 7-8 wins is not a high hurdle and is reasonable. Every B1G school has around 2 almost guaranteed wins at home vs directional schools, so it is not like it is hard to be over 0.500 for the season.

It's not so much the bottom end of the distribution that is important as is the top end.....would be nice to win the entire B1G once in awhile and I wouldn't mind a stinker season if it meant stars aligned for outperformance.
 
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LOL. We often have a cupcake schedule. Have you seen our ‘23 opponents? Far from brutal.
With the exception of maybe Maryland every Big Ten game is brutal. Very good athletes playing a very violent style of football. Like the SEC. The ACC or Pac #? is not like that. The Big 12 (?) is not that physical.

That isn't to say that some opponents are far more brutal than others. Getting the Ann Arbor Whores and tOSU in the same season is as brutal as it gets. But, there are no easy schedules in the Big Ten, only easier.
 
I'm expecting a 10 win season next year. 9 for me is what our goal should always be. I agree with cm on the amount of wins. It's certainly a change from when they announced kf as coach whey back when.
 
Next season looks promising. Going forward it all depends on how they split divisions/pods and who they want on TV to play UCLA and USC. I would guess Ohio St, Michigan and Nebraska will draw them early on. After the dust settles wins will be much harder with UCLA and USC coming on board. Adding Rhule at Nebraska (it may take a couple seasons) and it soon becomes a must to win all the out of conference games. I am not sold on Wisconsin and their new direction. Thinking they slip a bit. Fleck is searching for stop leak to keep his boat afloat.
The question about USC and UCLA is will they improve their defense ? If not , I wouldn't worry so much about them.
 
Next season looks promising. Going forward it all depends on how they split divisions/pods and who they want on TV to play UCLA and USC. I would guess Ohio St, Michigan and Nebraska will draw them early on. After the dust settles wins will be much harder with UCLA and USC coming on board. Adding Rhule at Nebraska (it may take a couple seasons) and it soon becomes a must to win all the out of conference games. I am not sold on Wisconsin and their new direction. Thinking they slip a bit. Fleck is searching for stop leak to keep his boat afloat.
USC and UCLA . Blah, Blah, Blah. We will see how they fare playing in Madison, Iowa City, Ann Arbor, Columbus in Late October/November. Should be fun. USC just gave up 46 points to Tulane. We all should be petrified. Lincoln Riley had the same kind of defenses at Oklahoma.
And Matt Ruhle? 47-43 college record. 11-27 Professional. Wow. Nebraska appears to be unbeatable for the foreseeable future.
 
USC and UCLA . Blah, Blah, Blah. We will see how they fare playing in Madison, Iowa City, Ann Arbor, Columbus in Late October/November. Should be fun. USC just gave up 46 points to Tulane. We all should be petrified. Lincoln Riley had the same kind of defenses at Oklahoma.
And Matt Ruhle? 47-43 college record. 11-27 Professional. Wow. Nebraska appears to be unbeatable for the foreseeable future.
I am not sold on Matt Rhule at all.
 
Utah State W

@ Iowa State W

Western Mich W

@ Penn State L

Mich State W

Purdue W

@ Wisconsin W (Cade baby)

Minnesota W

@ Northwestern W (Northwestern in multi year slump)

Rutgers W

Illinois W (because it is in Iowa City)

@ Nebraska L (just because I think we will go 10 -2)


Could swap Wisky and Nebbie result. But I think 10 - 2.
 
USC and UCLA . Blah, Blah, Blah. We will see how they fare playing in Madison, Iowa City, Ann Arbor, Columbus in Late October/November. Should be fun. USC just gave up 46 points to Tulane. We all should be petrified. Lincoln Riley had the same kind of defenses at Oklahoma.
And Matt Ruhle? 47-43 college record. 11-27 Professional. Wow. Nebraska appears to be unbeatable for the foreseeable future.
Riley does need to find a defense, for sure. Those games will not be games that we can expect to win a majority of the time. 50/50 or 60/40.
As far as Rhule (Temple and Baylor) do we see the 1st year Rhule 3-21 or last year Rhule? 21-6?
 
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In the current B1G configuration, there are 5 teams on the schedule that we should beat nearly every time, plus the 3 nonconference cupcakes that we have. 8-4 regular seasons are a good minimum baseline until that changes.

Personally I don’t necessarily always judge wins and losses as the end-all be-all when judging coaches. Some years are going to set up better than others, especially if you have a bunch of new starters. Sometimes the schedule is tough. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way in certain games, and sometimes recruiting (especially the money game) doesn’t go the way it needs.

This year was especially grating to me because the same repetitive issues popped up on offense, resulting in one of the worst offenses in Iowa history among a string of historically bad offenses. It was also bad when there were avenues that were left unexplored by the coaching staff to rapidly improve the team’s weaknesses. And this is all while the defense and special teams the last few years has been some of the best and we’ve just wasted them by not even being just adequate in that dept.

The question then becomes - can the staff correct course on those issues?
Exactly what "avenues that were left unexplored by the coaching staff to rapidly improve the team’s weaknesses." are you saying existed? The two that have been debated here have to do with changing coaches OR changing QB starters. Neither of these "avenues" offered any gaurantee of better out comes. Were their other avenues you were thinking of?
 
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