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Is Kakert still on Petrus Island?

The question Kirk needs to be asked if Spencer is so great in practice is, “At what point do the games matter?”

This is really what needs to be said. We all know that Kirk is a developmental guy with a huge emphasis on practice guys. You work hard, you get the pt. Very few guys seem to get away with being "gamers".

I have always wondered how Kirk's competitive side hasn't come out more in games and just said "sorry, but good enough today" put in a backup and watch them go. Maybe that spark is what they need to go harder in practice? Maybe it doesn't but they kick butt on Saturdays? I never blamed the guy in class that never had to study for anything but always did better on tests no matter how much longer I studied. Maybe I'm just not as good of a test taker or retaining information as someone else. It's always about performance.

I don't know how all this information can come out about Labas being a stud (running another offense, of course) or watching the offense look like it can breathe under Padilla and that not matter to the coaches.
 
How bad do the rest of the QB's have to be if this is the case? And if they are, who was responsible for bringing them into the program?

You know this how? We never get to see them play. Do you really trust Ferentz that much for his offensive genuis?
He's a horrible offensive coach.
Three posts in a row for me. That's enough.
Let's hope we see Spencer's lights come on this Saturday! I just keep thinking he could have an ephinany and it all comes together.
From a player off the record.
 
I wish people on here wouldn't call out our players as crappy. There are ways to express these things without insulting the players.
What words would you prefer be used for players who can’t beat out one of the worst starting QB’s in FBS? Substantially below average with cherries on top….
 
But we know Padilla is not any worse than Petrust so its bs thats he's head and shoulders better. We have a small sample telling us he isnt any worse any way. Tenure is all he as on Padilla.
I agree. Padilla has been unimpressive but....he at least has some escapability and moderate wheels - making a few plays with the ol' feet is rare for us, but is a significant weapon. He just seems like he has more upside on rhythm alone, which is something SP just will never attain.
 
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Love the podcast, and I get that Tom is so close to this team he really can't be overly critical or take a 'negative' stand, but I was shocked when he said he was still on Petrus Island.

Good gravy! Fine work as always by the fellas, but I'm probably the 100,000,000th Hawkeye fan to also ask when enough is enough.
S Rhine could QB better
 
I guess the only question for me, knowing that Petras is the worst QB to ever start a game for the Hawkeyes... who is the second worst of all time?
 
He's not the best we have, we've seen this before. Ferentz doesn't want to be proven wrong. Once he anoints the qb , usually his sophmore year, it takes an act of God for him to lose his position.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^So much this.
 
How would you know even as a player?? We never see the backups. I don't trust him to put the best players on the field.
We've seen this movie for 20 years.
If you’ve played football long enough, it’s pretty easy to see who’s the better player or if a favorite is being played over someone who’s been playing better. They literally get to see thousands of reps we as fans never get to see and are completely immersed in the culture.

If you want distrust the staff, go ahead. I’m by no means saying Petras is good enough to be a starting QB in the B1G. I’m just saying that if the coaches are saying something and the players are saying something and what I’ve seen from Petras, it’s a dire situation and they need to fix it.
 
If you’ve played football long enough, it’s pretty easy to see who’s the better player or if a favorite is being played over someone who’s been playing better. They literally get to see thousands of reps we as fans never get to see and are completely immersed in the culture.

If you want distrust the staff, go ahead. I’m by no means saying Petras is good enough to be a starting QB in the B1G. I’m just saying that if the coaches are saying something and the players are saying something and what I’ve seen from Petras, it’s a dire situation and they need to fix it.
It's easy to see he's probably the worst qb in FBS and Probably 75% of FCS. You don't realize that Ferentz is one of the worst O coaches in all of football at this point?
You still think Ferentz knows best on offense?
He's horrible at it.
 
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It's easy to see he's probably the worst qb in FBS and Probably 75% of FCS. You don't realize that Ferentz is one of the worst O coaches in all of football at this point?
You still think Ferentz knows best on offense?
He's horrible at it.
You’re literally making up things that I said and not responding to what I actually said. There’s no point in this discussion.
 
That was very telling. He could have juked left and easily picked up the first down. Would CJ, Rick, or Drew slid on that play?
Are we sure he can juke? I have never seen a more uncoordinated 22 year old athlete. When he throws on the run he makes Tom Brady look like Michael Vick.
 
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That was very telling. He could have juked left and easily picked up the first down. Would CJ, Rick, or Drew slid on that play?
He had 3 guys converging on him on that play. He wasn't going to juke his way to a first down. I would have liked to see him lower his shoulder, lean forward and try to fall forward 2 yards after contact to either get the first down or get close enough that KF would have gone for it. That point in the game, KF likely punts anyway to make SDSU drive the field.
 
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The question Kirk needs to be asked if Spencer is so great in practice is, “At what point do the games matter?”
As long as we're winning, asking a question like this is an invitation to be embarrassed.

The real answer is "when it doesn't work anymore and we lose." (Could be saturday)

I'm not suggesting by any stretch that the winning will continue like this, but as long as we keep getting Ws, KF has a leg to stand on regardless of how agonizing it is to watch.

Disagree? Look west.
 
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I'm with you.
The either it's the qb or the line approach to both evaluation of the problem and thoughts on solution is incorrect. There's good evidence that they are both highly problematic.
The question then is why is the line the only place to look for a solution. Any number of o-line combinations can, and probably will, be tried. But the qb is exempt from this?
I'd go further than just putting Padilla or Labas in for a few series. Why not run some wildcat? DeJean would be a great one to try that with.
You are correct in that everything should be on the table. I have some, slight confidence that the OL will improve just as some of these guys play more. Colby and Richman should be at least average Big 10 tackles as they play. I have no idea how fast the interior can be competent. Dejong, Jones and whoever they were playing at RG were a long way from Big 10 average against SDSU. And yes, the same will have to apply at QB if the play does not get better.

It's time for Barnett to make a mark on the OL. Yes, there were new guys out there. But 3 of the guys starting (Richman, Dejong, Colby) have played quite a bit previously before Saturday. The new guys they ran out there were pretty highly recruited, with good offers from other schools. Perfection/dominance is not expected, but competence is.

And as you said, all options should be on the table at QB too. If they want to put full faith and confidence in Petras publicly, go for it. But BF should have a game plan in terms of plays that he will go to if their hand is forced and Padilla or Labas has to go into the game.
 
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Win 21-6 on Saturday and we'll all crawl off the ledge. We'll be right where we always are in September.

I'm not convinced that ISU is better than South Dakota State, in fact it's likely they are not.
 
So the bench. Check with you next season.
This reminds me of an earlier similar discussion around Iowa QB's that left Iowa. Nic Shimonek was stuck on the bench at Texas Tech playing behind some bum named Mahomes. Couldn't have been very good if he couldn't beat out that guy.
 
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No one has said he’s a practice all American. Just that he’s better than the other QB’s. Which tells you how crappy they are.
Well maybe one of the other guys can be as bad as he is in practice, instead of significantly worse than he is in practice.
 
Well maybe one of the other guys can be as bad as he is in practice, instead of significantly worse than he is in practice.
He’s horrible. Our OL can’t pass protect very well which doesn’t help. And we really don’t have any playmakers.
 
I keep seeing posts about the Oline, while there is some merit to that argument you have to remember there is ZERO respect for the passing abilities of SP by the opposing team. They know as we do, he can't beat them through the air so pin your ears back and go after him on every play. It's basically stacking the box anticipating a run on every down.
 
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I keep seeing posts about the Oline, while there is some merit to that argument you have to remember there is ZERO respect for the passing abilities of SP by the opposing team. They know as we do, he can't beat them through the air so pin your ears back and go after him on every play. It's basically stacking the box anticipating a run on every down.
Okay, but you should not be getting your ass handed to you almost every play whether can pass or not you can hold your damn block and not get knocked back into him. Sometimes just completely missing a block altogether. When Iowa State brought 3 or 4 guys they couldn't stop them. Worst I have seen in many years. If they don't get a lot better, Ohio State game will be very embarrassing. And probably Purdue
 
Okay, but you should not be getting your ass handed to you almost every play whether can pass or not you can hold your damn block and not get knocked back into him. Sometimes just completely missing a block altogether. When Iowa State brought 3 or 4 guys they couldn't stop them. Worst I have seen in many years. If they don't get a lot better, Ohio State game will be very embarrassing. And probably Purdue
There is a plethora of bad things going on with this offense- KF is not a good offensive mind, his concepts are way old school and he is set in those ideas. BF is just doing what KF wants but he is terribly inconsistent as a play caller. He has had some great games like OSU and SC, but more stinkers. The third problem is there just isn’t much talent on the offense. Laporta is probably the only guy that would start on some Top 25 teams( not many).
 
If you’ve played football long enough, it’s pretty easy to see who’s the better player or if a favorite is being played over someone who’s been playing better. They literally get to see thousands of reps we as fans never get to see and are completely immersed in the culture.

If you want distrust the staff, go ahead. I’m by no means saying Petras is good enough to be a starting QB in the B1G. I’m just saying that if the coaches are saying something and the players are saying something and what I’ve seen from Petras, it’s a dire situation and they need to fix it.
My question is: did Alex Padilla suffer some horrific brain injury this off-season that has made him forget the playbook? Did he get blinded in an awful BB-gun accident and now can't see half the field?

Because Padilla IS a known quantity, and while he wasn't great last year, he cannot be so far below Petras that he cannot be put into a game where Petras is playing like stool

Padilla offers infinitely more mobility, and ability to improvise, than Petras
Padilla knows the playbook
Padilla has game experience
Padilla led us to our best win last year against Minnesota
Padilla won his first "start" in an away game with no warning he was going into (at NW, noting Petras took only a handful of snaps before leaving the game)

I refuse to believe the coaches believe Petras is so far above Padilla that Alex cannot be put into a game to see how he does.

Because if that is true, than whoever is evaluating these two guys is an idiot
 
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