I wanted to address a few things I’ve read on here:
1. Iowa needs to “modernize” the offense. Yeah, that. No, the offensive formations, plays, etc. are fine. Seriously, they are. Perhaps an argument can be made for changing up tempo and pace from time to time, but the formations, plays, schemes, etc. are fine. This is the same offensive system and philosophy that put up 55 points against OSU, 63 at Illinois, and 49 against USC. It really is about the players.
2. The Iowa OL went to hell after Doyle was canned. Then why did the DL get bigger, faster, and stronger? Perhaps the answer is the OL recruiting was subpar for a couple years followed by unexpected injuries and departures. Again, personnel issues.
3. Brian Ferentz is only OC because of Daddy. True, but how much can he really be blamed for the Iowa offensive woes the past two years? I’m not suggesting he’s an offensive genius, but Andy Reid would have sucked with last year’s roster. Is Brian responsible for recruiting? In part, sure, but consider the following: Spencer Petras was a 4-star QB who broke many of Jared Goff’s high school records; the turnover on the OL the past few years has been crippling, not to mention nearly impossible to foresee; Keagan Johnson was a 4-star WR and on some sites so was Arland Bruce (and come to find out Arland might have had a vested interest in the lack of points Iowa scored); and we have a couple young, promising running backs who were true freshmen last year. So, yes, quite a bit was out of Brian’s control.
This is the point: I understand some skepticism given what we’ve seen the past couple seasons; however, I think some are overdoing it with the extreme pessimism. I agree that Kirk made a mistake after 21-22 by not hitting the portal. NIL as such was new and I guess Kirk either hadn’t figured out yet how to navigate through all that or genuinely believed the players he expected to be on the field in 2022 would be adequate. Regardless, and whatever the reason may have been, it’s without question Kirk hit the portal hard this offseason and IMO knocked it out of the park.
So, let’s just chill for a bit and see how this season plays out. If Iowa stays healthy and we’re not seeing substantial improvement with the offense, then I will be on board with changes needing to be made in the coaching staff. However, I fully anticipate Iowa being competitive on offense this year. It should be a fun season.
1. Iowa needs to “modernize” the offense. Yeah, that. No, the offensive formations, plays, etc. are fine. Seriously, they are. Perhaps an argument can be made for changing up tempo and pace from time to time, but the formations, plays, schemes, etc. are fine. This is the same offensive system and philosophy that put up 55 points against OSU, 63 at Illinois, and 49 against USC. It really is about the players.
2. The Iowa OL went to hell after Doyle was canned. Then why did the DL get bigger, faster, and stronger? Perhaps the answer is the OL recruiting was subpar for a couple years followed by unexpected injuries and departures. Again, personnel issues.
3. Brian Ferentz is only OC because of Daddy. True, but how much can he really be blamed for the Iowa offensive woes the past two years? I’m not suggesting he’s an offensive genius, but Andy Reid would have sucked with last year’s roster. Is Brian responsible for recruiting? In part, sure, but consider the following: Spencer Petras was a 4-star QB who broke many of Jared Goff’s high school records; the turnover on the OL the past few years has been crippling, not to mention nearly impossible to foresee; Keagan Johnson was a 4-star WR and on some sites so was Arland Bruce (and come to find out Arland might have had a vested interest in the lack of points Iowa scored); and we have a couple young, promising running backs who were true freshmen last year. So, yes, quite a bit was out of Brian’s control.
This is the point: I understand some skepticism given what we’ve seen the past couple seasons; however, I think some are overdoing it with the extreme pessimism. I agree that Kirk made a mistake after 21-22 by not hitting the portal. NIL as such was new and I guess Kirk either hadn’t figured out yet how to navigate through all that or genuinely believed the players he expected to be on the field in 2022 would be adequate. Regardless, and whatever the reason may have been, it’s without question Kirk hit the portal hard this offseason and IMO knocked it out of the park.
So, let’s just chill for a bit and see how this season plays out. If Iowa stays healthy and we’re not seeing substantial improvement with the offense, then I will be on board with changes needing to be made in the coaching staff. However, I fully anticipate Iowa being competitive on offense this year. It should be a fun season.
