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ESPN writer ranks the top 60 QBs since 2000, Brad Banks #50

ichawk24

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Nov 21, 2005
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50. Brad Banks, Iowa
Years:
2001-02
Stats: 3,155 passing yards, 58% completion rate, 30 TD, 7 INT, 7 rushing TD

A one-year wonder? Sure, but what a year it was. After winning 11 total games in Kirk Ferentz's first three years as Iowa head coach, the Hawkeyes won 11 in 2002 and Banks went from relative unknown to Heisman runner-up to Carson Palmer.

 
Didn’t Banks have the better stats that season as well? I seem to remember thinking that he looked more impressive on paper when you removed the names and teams of the players.
 
Didn’t Banks have the better stats that season as well? I seem to remember thinking that he looked more impressive on paper when you removed the names and teams of the players.

Banks 57.8% 2,573 26 TD 5 Int 157 Rating 423 rushing 5 TD
Palmer 63.2% 3,942 33 TD 10Int 149 Rating -122 rushing 4 TD
 
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His senior stats as a passer were very similar to Ricky Stanzi's. They were both very good in that aspect. Yet, he ran for 423 yards and 5 scores while Stanzi rushed for -6 and 2 scores.
 
Banks didn't put up the big passing stats that Palmer did in his last few games, including Notre Dame, which ultimately swayed voters in his favor, unfortunately.

Banks was way more consistent throughout the season, as reflected in his passer rating and efficiency, and provided that running threat.

If we're being completely honest, Palmer won the award because he put up more passing yards on a more name-brand team that was playing just as great as Iowa at the time. That didn't mean he was more valuable though than Banks, which is why Banks won AP Player of the Year.
 
50. Brad Banks, Iowa
Years:
2001-02
Stats: 3,155 passing yards, 58% completion rate, 30 TD, 7 INT, 7 rushing TD

A one-year wonder? Sure, but what a year it was. After winning 11 total games in Kirk Ferentz's first three years as Iowa head coach, the Hawkeyes won 11 in 2002 and Banks went from relative unknown to Heisman runner-up to Carson Palmer.

One year wonder because he sat behind an inferior qb for years. Heisman runner up road the pine. Lol
 
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So Kirk's answer, never recruit a dual threat legit QB again. EVER!
Lol.
That offense was fun to watch!!
 
One year wonder because he sat behind an inferior qb for years. Heisman runner up road the pine. Lol

Hmm....Brad Banks only played two seasons at Iowa. That kills your "years on the bench" assessment. And Kyle McCann won the job outright in 2001. Probably because he actually had years in the program while Banks was still new to the program with little game experience.
 
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I always ask whether you would see different outcomes if the two players swap teams. I think USC goes undefeated because Banks came out playing well that year. Palmer would’ve put up ridiculous numbers behind Iowa’s offensive line. So Palmer was probably the better player that year while USC would’ve won the national championship. That heisman discussion would’ve been a coin flip like it was anyways

The question in that scenario is whether the national championship game would’ve been iowa and usc and whether Palmer would’ve been enough to put iowa over the top. I could see an argument that the ball rolls downhill after CJ Jones returns the opening kick and Palmer and Iowa blow out USC
 
I always ask whether you would see different outcomes if the two players swap teams. I think USC goes undefeated because Banks came out playing well that year. Palmer would’ve put up ridiculous numbers behind Iowa’s offensive line. So Palmer was probably the better player that year while USC would’ve won the national championship. That heisman discussion would’ve been a coin flip like it was anyways

The question in that scenario is whether the national championship game would’ve been iowa and usc and whether Palmer would’ve been enough to put iowa over the top. I could see an argument that the ball rolls downhill after CJ Jones returns the opening kick and Palmer and Iowa blow out USC
What would have happened to Miami, Ohio State and Georgia in 2002? Weren't they all rated higher than Iowa and Southern Cal going into the bowl games and after?
 
What would have happened to Miami, Ohio State and Georgia in 2002? Weren't they all rated higher than Iowa and Southern Cal going into the bowl games and after?

This brings back so many memories. Heck, I didn't know that Miami dropped to #2 in early November in the AP poll for a week.

BCS Top 5 (Final poll)
Miami - undefeated
Ohio State - undefeated
Georgia - 1 loss to Florida (Georgia up 13-12 going into the 4th quarter)
USC - 2 losses to KSU and Washington State (USC runs out of time against KSU and loses by 5, USC leads 27-24 with 3 minutes to go, loses in OT)
Iowa - 1 loss to ISU (Iowa up 24-7 at halftime)

That was the year that the BCS could have been destroyed. If Brad doesn't hurt his thumb and we hold onto the ISU game, Georgia holds onto the late lead in the Florida game, and USC wins their two down to the wire games, we could have had 5 undefeated teams from 4 different conferences all with a viable claim to the title game.

If only we had been able to play in the Rose Bowl, I think we mop the floor with Washington State that season. I know a lot of people have a bad taste in their mouth about the Orange Bowl blowout, but the game was tied at halftime and we left too many points on the field before that. Twice had the ball inside the 20 in the first half and only came away with three points. It could have been 21-10 at halftime if we convert those into TDs and the second half would have been completely different. As it was, the blocked FG going when the ball was at the ~3 yard line going into halftime was demoralizing.
 
Hmm....Brad Banks only played two seasons at Iowa. That kills your "years on the bench" assessment. And Kyle McCann won the job outright in 2001. Probably because he actually had years ino the program while Banks was still new to the program with little game experience.
Doesn't mean they wouldn't have been a better team if Banks was given a shot in 01. I truly believe they beat Michigan if Banks was left in. He was 5/8 for 66 yds, 0 int, 3 rushes for 19 yds. McCann was 15/29 for 169 yds, 2 int, and 9 rushes for -9 yds. Christensen also "won the job outright" in 08 before Kirk accepted reality (no reason we should have lost to pitt) and Kirk thought Rudock was a better qb than Beathard in 14. Offensive instincts have never been Kirk's strong suit (last to OC hires are proof), his teams' offensive rankings speak for themselves. Thankfully he knows defense at least
 
Doesn't mean they wouldn't have been a better team if Banks was given a shot in 01. I truly believe they beat Michigan if Banks was left in. He was 5/8 for 66 yds, 0 int, 3 rushes for 19 yds. McCann was 15/29 for 169 yds, 2 int, and 9 rushes for -9 yds. Christensen also "won the job outright" in 08 before Kirk accepted reality (no reason we should have lost to pitt) and Kirk thought Rudock was a better qb than Beathard in 14. Offensive instincts have never been Kirk's strong suit (last to OC hires are proof), his teams' offensive rankings speak for themselves. Thankfully he knows defense at least

Kirk knows more than you. /thread.
 
“I trusted coach Ferentz with that," Banks said in a recent interview. "There were things a lot of people don't know. They didn't know what my comfort level was about it. For me, it was all about being a team guy and being ready to play when I was called upon. That was the biggest thing for me.”
 
“I trusted coach Ferentz with that," Banks said in a recent interview. "There were things that people don't know. They didn't know what my comfort level was about it. For me, it was all about being a team guy and being ready to play when I was called upon. That was the biggest thing for me.”

“There were things that people don’t know.” Well, I’ll be damned!! Sure doesn’t stop Tom, Dick and Harry around here from speaking with hindsight genius and passing blind assumption for fact.
 
That was one of the most fun and magical Iowa teams. And it’s what pulled me into Hawkeye football. But you will never convince me that USC team was not the best team in the country....I think Iowa could have hung with Miami or OSU....and USC would have destroyed them as well.
 
That was one of the most fun and magical Iowa teams. And it’s what pulled me into Hawkeye football. But you will never convince me that USC team was not the best team in the country....I think Iowa could have hung with Miami or OSU....and USC would have destroyed them as well.
I said above, the end score of the bowl game leaves a bad taste in our mouths. But we were a blocked Kaeding FG away from leading at halftime. We “hung” with them decently until the wheels fell off after halftime from some uncharacteristic mistakes. I think if that game is played 10 times, it is close to 50/50.

I will also make the argument until the day I die that no team in the country other than maybe Miami was playing better than us by Thanksgiving. Our last close game was on October 5. Every game after that was a win by 17 or more. That included blowout wins against 10 win Michigan and 8 win Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Unfortunately because of a weird bye our season ended on November 16. USC got to play two more games after that, so we had half a month of extra rust that they didn’t have. Heck, Miami played 3 regular season games after our last one, ending their season on December 7.

If we played a bowl game on November 23 or 30, we could have gone toe to toe with anyone we were that good.
 
I said above, the end score of the bowl game leaves a bad taste in our mouths. But we were a blocked Kaeding FG away from leading at halftime. We “hung” with them decently until the wheels fell off after halftime from some uncharacteristic mistakes. I think if that game is played 10 times, it is close to 50/50.

I will also make the argument until the day I die that no team in the country other than maybe Miami was playing better than us by Thanksgiving. Our last close game was on October 5. Every game after that was a win by 17 or more. That included blowout wins against 10 win Michigan and 8 win Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Unfortunately because of a weird bye our season ended on November 16. USC got to play two more games after that, so we had half a month of extra rust that they didn’t have. Heck, Miami played 3 regular season games after our last one, ending their season on December 7.

If we played a bowl game on November 23 or 30, we could have gone toe to toe with anyone we were that good.

Except exposed the weakness on our D that lesser Big Ten teams couldn't: a weak pass defense susceptible to zone floods, and short DBs who were no match for taller, athletic WRs.
 
Except exposed the weakness on our D that lesser Big Ten teams couldn't: a weak pass defense susceptible to zone floods, and short DBs who were no match for taller, athletic WRs.
The failing in the Orange Bowl was that our offense did jack squat by scoring only 3 points when the game mattered and 10 total. They were completely out of sorts with their mistakes, something that hadn’t happened all season including against a few good teams. Our offense that season averaged 36 points in regulation against 9 major conference teams until the bowl game. Fewest points scored was 20 in what was effectively a blowout against Wisconsin where they didn’t need to score more. The almost seven week break between games killed their cohesion.

The defense did pretty good until they got tired because the offense couldn’t keep them off the field. Time of possession was 38/22 in favor of USC. The 2004 and 2009 defenses may have been able to overcome that, but few others could.
 
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