Its possible. But it takes a complete program dedicated to it, and even then it is iffy. Look at Notre Dame and Texas. These programs live and breathe football, have legacy, have unlimited resources and can't find the formula.
Can Iowa ever be elite?
- Thread starter CaptainCrunchies
- Start date
Its possible. But it takes a complete program dedicated to it, and even then it is iffy. Look at Notre Dame and Texas. These programs live and breathe football, have legacy, have unlimited resources and can't find the formula.
I'm talking about setting specifically. People talk about how Iowa isn't a glamorous location. Know anyone who longs to live in Alabama?
The relative lack of success at Texas is amazing. They have the most fertile recruiting, spend the most money and yet can't put it together.
B1G Conference Wins (last 5 years)
Ohio State - 34 wins
Michigan State - 32 wins
Wisconsin - 29 wins
Nebraska - 25 wins
Michigan - 24 wins
Iowa - 23 wins
Penn State - 22 wins
B1G Conference Wins (last 10 years)
Ohio State - 70 wins
Wisconsin - 56 wins
Michigan State - 53 wins
Penn State - 48 wins
Iowa - 44 wins
Michigan - 43 wins
*I did not include Nebraska since they have not been in the B1G 10 years
Summary:
Ohio State has been the 1 dominant team in the conference over the last decade. Michigan State is pretty darn close to elite last 5 years. Wisconsin has been very good. Blue Blood Michigan has been middle of the pack in conference the last decade.
If I had to guess win totals for the next 5 years, I would put Ohio State at the top. It will be very interesting to see what happens to Michigan and Michigan State. I believe Harbaugh will definitely get it done. The question I have is can Michigan and Michigan State both excel over the next 5 years or does Michigan's rise affect Michigan State? I think the West will be a battle between Iowa, Wisconsin, & Nebraska. I'm guessing each of them get in the B1G title game at least 1x over the next 5 years.
Ohio State - 34 wins
Michigan State - 32 wins
Wisconsin - 29 wins
Nebraska - 25 wins
Michigan - 24 wins
Iowa - 23 wins
Penn State - 22 wins
B1G Conference Wins (last 10 years)
Ohio State - 70 wins
Wisconsin - 56 wins
Michigan State - 53 wins
Penn State - 48 wins
Iowa - 44 wins
Michigan - 43 wins
*I did not include Nebraska since they have not been in the B1G 10 years
Summary:
Ohio State has been the 1 dominant team in the conference over the last decade. Michigan State is pretty darn close to elite last 5 years. Wisconsin has been very good. Blue Blood Michigan has been middle of the pack in conference the last decade.
If I had to guess win totals for the next 5 years, I would put Ohio State at the top. It will be very interesting to see what happens to Michigan and Michigan State. I believe Harbaugh will definitely get it done. The question I have is can Michigan and Michigan State both excel over the next 5 years or does Michigan's rise affect Michigan State? I think the West will be a battle between Iowa, Wisconsin, & Nebraska. I'm guessing each of them get in the B1G title game at least 1x over the next 5 years.
You use logic and sound reasoning to determine a prediction, how dare you! Kidding, I agree with everything you said but the dreamer in me yearns for that one logic defying season where a small populace state institution like Iowa makes a run generations of Iowa fans can remember.
That one shot where we beat Nebraska, Ohio State, USC, Florida, Texas, and Alabama to win an undisputed National Playoff Football Championship. No newspaper votes or discussion of this team or that team. Isnt that what sports is about? A time where you can just dream about attaching yourself to something great.
We all have more important concerns and plans, but for that one shining moment we all unite and root on our favorite team to do something we can all just scream like a maniac" Yeah!"
Can we ever hope to see that in our lifetimes? The odds are against us, but that is what will make it so much sweeter when it happens.
Hey I was praying for a Rose Bowl birth for the last 20 years so that dream came true! Now I'm just hoping IOWA can continue to have a magical season every 4 years and average 9 win seasons the other 3 years.
In this scenario we would have to finally have dropped the ISU series! Yippie! As well as upped our OOC schedule game, a lot...
People from Alabama that have no desire to leave. But when it comes to football recruits, it isn't living in Alabama they dream of, it's playing for Alabama. And they've kinda got some history on their side to support that.
Could Iowa develop a history that puts it on par with Alabama? Sure. Probably not likely, though, and would take 50-100 years of sustained success to accomplish. In the next 5 or 10 years there is probably zero chance Iowa could have the same recruiting pull as Alabama which is kinda what the thread was about.
Contrast that with a school like Nebraska. It's quite conceivable Iowa could pull right past them in the next 5, 10, 15 years or so.
Oh, you just mean scoring more than the other team. Maybe your handle should be "myteamcanscoremorethanyourteam"
Sweet! I'm glad I asked for your opinion. Thanks!
Holy crap. Just noticed the post count. Christ, go outside.
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Hey always glad to give some friendly advice. Unfortunately I have to set lots of lost souls straight. You're welcome!
The big time programs are so elite, they can suffer a down year, and people don't really even remember it. Alabama, USC, OSU, FSU, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, they have had down years, some even groups of years where they were down, but people still have the impression of them as national powers. Texas is in danger of falling out of that tier.
The next tier of schools can string together a few solid years, but most can't maintain it. Oregon is probably the one exception, and we all know what they have behind them.
Oklahoma State is on the threshold of what Oregon has done.
and Maryland could get $ behind them as well.
Baylor, Stanford, TCU, Auburn, MSU are still relatively new to the party. Clemson hasn't proven they can sustain a decade long run.
Tennessee, Nebraska, and Penn State have declined, I think due to a change in recruiting, roster limitations, and population shift.
I don't think Iowa can, primarily due to population, geography limitations. Even if ISU falls out of a P5 standing, I still think it will be difficult.
The next tier of schools can string together a few solid years, but most can't maintain it. Oregon is probably the one exception, and we all know what they have behind them.
Oklahoma State is on the threshold of what Oregon has done.
and Maryland could get $ behind them as well.
Baylor, Stanford, TCU, Auburn, MSU are still relatively new to the party. Clemson hasn't proven they can sustain a decade long run.
Tennessee, Nebraska, and Penn State have declined, I think due to a change in recruiting, roster limitations, and population shift.
I don't think Iowa can, primarily due to population, geography limitations. Even if ISU falls out of a P5 standing, I still think it will be difficult.
I think a lot of what you said is correct but the one thing that sounded fishy was Oklahoma being one of the teams up and down prior to Bob Stoops. Now I only tracked it back to 1955 but Oklahoma has been pretty darn elite most years since then. Interesting also, having looked into OU caused me to see Nebraska results and it was pretty amazing how quickly they became prominent upon hiring Bob Devaney and more so when Osborne came on as a coordinator and eventually head coach.
It's a different era of CFB. It's tough to be elite for multiple years unless you are cheating. I'd say Iowa was elite last year as they only lost two games against big time programs and was on the verge of a playoff berth. Depends on how you define elite. I doubt Iowa is going to pay players to the level of SEC players do, and so it is tough to contend with that. Before the SEC retards jump in, yes you pay players, and it is well known.
Not saying that they don't, but there's a hell of a lot of talent concentrated right in their backyard, even if they didn't they'd be tough.
For sure. That is definitely the truth, and it makes it for sure easier, just stating that a lot of those schools spend a ton of money on players against their own conference schools as well
I'm not sure I would call Iowa elite last year. I wouldn't call MSU elite last year either.
On the topic of calling a singular season elite I would say the term is different due to program expectations. Ohio State lost one close game last year and destroyed a very good Notre Dame team in the Fiesta Bowl, they view their season as a failure due to the expectations. Alabama lost last year in the Sugar to the eventual champs but had a very good year, alas they view it as a failure.
Iowa was considered a meddling team prior to last September, I didnt expect a Rose Bowl berth (did you?). It was a very fun season and gave us all hope for the future. I view it as a success regardless of the heartbreaking BIG Title loss and the Rose Bowl debacle. This year I expect alot more.
Iowa was considered a meddling team prior to last September, I didnt expect a Rose Bowl berth (did you?). It was a very fun season and gave us all hope for the future. I view it as a success regardless of the heartbreaking BIG Title loss and the Rose Bowl debacle. This year I expect alot more.
I was actually thinking about making a similar thread asking the same question a while ago, so thanks to CaptainCrunchies for making it.
Anyway, I honestly believe what's holding our program back at this point is our recruiting. And the reason our recruiting is bad is simply our location. Would kids rather be in a high population state or Iowa? Would they rather be on the sandy beaches of southern California or the frozen tundra that is Iowa in November?
I really do think we have one of the best programs in the nation, between the some of the best facilities out there and a coaching staff that can really transform players into NFL worthy prospects.
Anyway, I honestly believe what's holding our program back at this point is our recruiting. And the reason our recruiting is bad is simply our location. Would kids rather be in a high population state or Iowa? Would they rather be on the sandy beaches of southern California or the frozen tundra that is Iowa in November?
I really do think we have one of the best programs in the nation, between the some of the best facilities out there and a coaching staff that can really transform players into NFL worthy prospects.
What is the definition of elite in this instance? Serious question. I could be convinced of either, and I would lean towards Iowa not being elite last year.
The case could certainly be made for both, and I wouldn't speak in absolutes about either, but I could probably be swayed to lean towards elite.
I guess when I think of the term elite that means you are literally one of the top teams in the nation (like there are only about 4 per year and sometimes one team is so dominant they are in a class of their own) for instance the year Alabama played Notre Dame......... Bama was heads and shoulders above the Irish. You could argue that the domers weren't the second best team that season.
Last year I truly believe their were two or three possible elite teams Alabama and Clemson for sure and even possibly Ohio State.
That's not to say an elite team can't lose a game. tOSU lost to MSU and I believe Alabama lost to Ole Miss. I think elite teams can have an off game and gets bested. I personally believe that an elite team doesn't get absolutely "housed".
There are good teams, I thought Iowa and MSU had excellent seasons but both ran into superior teams. I don't think Stanford was THAT much better than Iowa but I do think they were significantly better. They hit us on a couple long strikes right away and we never recovered. MSU just got their fricken teeth kicked in, as Bama just came straight at them.
You might find this a little funny but I really believe had Stanford played Clemson or Alabama last year that they also would've gotten beat by anywhere from 10-14 points.
NO! Population base and WE DO NOT CUT! CORNERS IN RECRUITING!!! OH WELL. 10 WINS AND GOOD BOWL WIN OR BUST!!
While everything you said is absolutely correct I believe with the right QB and year we could win the BIG. We win the BIG and we make the playoff, we make the playoff we gotta be the hottest team and who knows from there.
Alot of ifs there but hey we gotta believe its possible or we might as well just resign ourselves as Clone fans.
Yeah, but lowly Northwestern cleaned Stanzi's clock that day, just like they cleaned Greene's clock in 2008, and would go on the gas the Hawkeye defense in 2010. Ahhh, Those were the good old days! Nowadays, the proper balance of the Universe has been knocked akilter and Iowa has cleaned NU's clock the past three years.
Ummm, what was the Stanford score again? What did MSU lose to Alabama by?
Nope. Sorry.
We were one unbelievably long and painful MSU drive from being in that playoff last year. It was so close we could taste it.
That said, we would have gotten blown up at least as badly by Alabama as we did by Stanford. The true best team in the B1G last year hammered Notre Dame in the Fiesta bowl while Iowa and MSU were clearly overmatched.
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