My rant for all the whining Hawkeye "Fans"

[NCHawkeye24]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

If you think a team with the one of the worst offenses in the country can win a championship, then it’s understandable why you would not be worried.

But for those of us living in reality, it’s clear that this team is not a serious contender with the Ferentz-led offense. And it’s very frustrating to see them waste the historic defensive run Phil Parker has produced.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

I'd note that many "fans" never seem to want to give the opposing teams credit for making things hard for the Hawks. Part of Iowa's "lack of success" can also be attributable to good play by the opposition.

Many Iowa fans aren't so generous to acknowledge that. It doesn't mesh with the narratives that they're trying to construct.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

Lol. No one is reading all that bullshit.

Hope it was therapeutic for you, though, Brian.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

If you think a team with the one of the worst offenses in the country can win a championship, then it’s understandable why you would not be worried.

But for those of us living in reality, it’s clear that this team is not a serious contender with the Ferentz-led offense. And it’s very frustrating to see them waste the historic defensive run Phil Parker has produced.

If I thought that this really was one of the worst offenses in college football I would be delusional thinking they can win a championship. But I honestly don't think they have a bad offense and I don't care what the stats say. I don't think it is elite but I think it is good enough. It is all about matchups and this team, if they remain healthy, I believe they will be a matchup problem when it matters.

 

[squeezebox]

The line is giving better protection, but any mention of this team and the CFP is not only a reach, it is pure insanity.

 

[littlez]

I'd note that many "fans" never seem to want to give the opposing teams credit for making things hard for the Hawks. Part of Iowa's "lack of success" can also be attributable to good play by the opposition.

Many Iowa fans aren't so generous to acknowledge that. It doesn't mesh with the narratives that they're trying to construct.

So every team we played last year and this year had a good defense?

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I'd note that many "fans" never seem to want to give the opposing teams credit for making things hard for the Hawks. Part of Iowa's "lack of success" can also be attributable to good play by the opposition.

Many Iowa fans aren't so generous to acknowledge that. It doesn't mesh with the narratives that they're trying to construct.

When your offense is statistically ranked the worst in P5 for 2-3 years in a row, not much of a narrative is required.

Also, if reading differing views on a message board is this traumatic for some of you, then find a new hobby. There isn’t a single fan base in the country that wouldn’t have negative comments about an offense that inexcusably continues to be putrid because of nepotism and stubbornness.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

Lol. No one is reading all that bullshit.

Hope it was therapeutic for you, though, Brian.

Thank you for making my point asshole.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

So every team we played last year and this year had a good defense?

Hold on there ... I'm not saying that plenty of blame shouldn't rightly land on the feet of Brian. Nor am I saying that plenty of the blame isn't actually attributable to the players themselves ... for failing to execute. Of course, some of that may have been attributable to inexperience, injuries, and (some) confidence issues.

I'm not indicating that everything ought to be chalked up to good play by the other guy ... but a lot of the folks on these boards don't acknowledge this side of the story whatsoever!

It just so happens ... Iowa played a schedule last year where A LOT of the teams played damn fine defense.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

Thank you for making my point asshole.

You don’t have a real point, asshole, other than to construct a novel about your need for a Safe Space.

Again, if it’s this traumatic for you, find a new hobby. No one on this board is going to follow a new team because your panties are in a twist.

LMAO 😂

 

[NCHawkeye24]

So every team we played last year and this year had a good defense?

Comparing the last 2 years to this year is like comparing apples to oranges. The main problem the last 2 years is that the 5 olinemen, and often times with a 6th in a TE, could not protect the QB against a 4 or even a 3 man front like with Wisky and ISU. When you can't protect the QB and they don't have to blitz, that allows a lot of defenders in coverage, essentially making everyone double or triple covered. This year the pass protection looks to be vastly improved and that will force the defense to bring more people. Plus, the edge receiver speed allows the offense to spread out a lot more than year's past and dragging those LB'ers out of the box. Lets hope it continues.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

You don’t have a real point, asshole, other than to construct a novel about your need for a Safe Space.

Again, if it’s this traumatic for you, find a new hobby. No one on this board is going to follow a new team because your panties are in a twist.

LMAO 😂

HAHA, you can't even read, you admitted it. I can see you can read box scores and stats, so I can give you that, but obviously your opinions all come from that. You should work for ESPN, so you should probably sit this one out. The rest of us will enjoy a team that is 2-0. Asshole.

 

[WhyteWRandCBU]

2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB.

 

[sellarsd]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

 

[jonesy5960]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

Ok.

 

[desihawk]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

i agree that winning 1 of 2 from psu wisky will do it but imo only if the win is wisky
also now that wisky dropped a game there will be this immediate mindset that they are a lesser team but if anything they were ripped off yesterday and actually showed themselves to be very formidable. i would not be surprised one bit if they knocked off osu and would be very surprised if we down psu.

 

[pamarcole]

Yeah …..for the most part it is most definitely a collection of idiots on here. I’ve often said giving dumb people a voice is very dangerous. Would we all like to see the offense score 40 points a game ….sure. But this is a team sport. The team as a whole is still pretty damn good. What would people say if we scored 30 a game and finished at .500. They would complain then too. I come here looking for good, positive & interesting info and all I read is people talking crap about the same team they claim they’re a fan of. I can’t imagine how horrible their lives must be to complain about a 2-0 team ranked in the top 25. God forbid they were 0-2 and been out scored 70-60 in those 2 games.

 

[Johnsoda123]

If you think a team with the one of the worst offenses in the country can win a championship, then it’s understandable why you would not be worried.

But for those of us living in reality, it’s clear that this team is not a serious contender with the Ferentz-led offense. And it’s very frustrating to see them waste the historic defensive run Phil Parker has produced.

Free education for you today. If the offense is a Ferentz run offense. That also means that the defense and special teams are also Fetentz run. You real!y don't understand much about sports or football or coaching do you?

 

[jonesy5960]

Comparing the last 2 years to this year is like comparing apples to oranges. The main problem the last 2 years is that the 5 olinemen, and often times with a 6th in a TE, could not protect the QB against a 4 or even a 3 man front like with Wisky and ISU. When you can't protect the QB and they don't have to blitz, that allows a lot of defenders in coverage, essentially making everyone double or triple covered. This year the pass protection looks to be vastly improved and that will force the defense to bring more people. Plus, the edge receiver speed allows the offense to spread out a lot more than year's past and dragging those LB'ers out of the box. Lets hope it continues.

But it's not apples to oranges. It's more like peaches to nectarines. It looks and feels smoother on the outside, but when you bite into it it's really the same fuc$ing fruit with a big pit in the middle. You have some nice new parts and the oline has looked like it's providing better pass protection, but the production looks only marginally better.

Through the first 2 games this offense is averaging 18 points and 260 yards per game. That's pretty shitty by any measure. It was certainly good enough to beat the Utah States and ISU's of the world, but is asking for a butt kicking vs good teams and a few losses vs average ones. Last year a similar scoring average resulted in your OC getting his salary cut and a contract stipulation that made national headlines. BTW, there is no way they hit that target without a lot of improvement still, but keep up your rant that everyone should be happy and shut up. I'm sure a lot of people will take it to heart.

 

[ICWestfan]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

TL;DR and....

 

[yrunvs]

The complainers are very much like spoiled little brats who want it all and if they can't have it all are going to bawl out as loud and as often as they can. And then when they do get their way they will bawl out about the next thing. Spoiled little brats.

 

[swagsurfer02]

The issue, which OP may or may not touched on (not sure because I’m not going to read Homer’s Odyssey this morning) is that our offense is brutal. I think most are it, the reason why people are vocal is because eventually someone will score 21-28 points and we will lose because the offense can’t carry a quarter of the weight.

 

[iahawks10]

 

[NCHawkeye24]

But it's not apples to oranges. It's more like peaches to nectarines. It looks and feels smoother on the outside, but when you bite into it it's really the same fuc$ing fruit with a big pit in the middle. You have some nice new parts and the oline has looked like it's providing better pass protection, but the production looks only marginally better.

Through the first 2 games this offense is averaging 18 points and 260 yards per game. That's pretty shitty by any measure. It was certainly good enough to beat the Utah States and ISU's of the world, but is asking for a butt kicking vs good teams and a few losses vs average ones. Last year a similar scoring average resulted in your OC getting his salary cut and a contract stipulation that made national headlines. BTW, there is no way they hit that target without a lot of improvement still, but keep up your rant that everyone should be happy and shut up. I'm sure a lot of people will take it to heart.

Do you really think that in these last 2 games that the offense has had their foot on the gas the entire game? Or even half of it? For god's sake against Utah St. we were running the ball into 9 and 10 man fronts. Do you really think that not just BF, but KF, Budamyer, Cade, hell even Phil couldn't see that? You don't think that Cade has the authority to audible out of something like that? You are a fool if you think that they wanted to exploit the weakness of these defenses the entire game. Like I said above, look at the first two series, each game. There is your offense. Now don't think I am saying that they are trying not to gain yards or score. If they execute they execute. But the point is, when you are up 3 scores, to work the clock, protect the football, dont risk anything and against lesser competition get some stuff on tape for everyone to work on.

Last year everything was a struggle. When you cannot protect the QB or run the ball into even a 3 man front, everything, and I mean everything is difficult. That is not that way so far this year. We will surely face better defensive fronts, but, so far it looks a hell of a lot better than it did the last 2 years. And that execution at the LOS makes it a night and day difference.

We won't know a whole lot until we play PSU. If we can protect the QB and get pressure on theirs with our front 4, the sky is the limit for this team.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

The issue, which OP may or may not touched on (not sure because I’m not going to read Homer’s Odyssey this morning) is that our offense is brutal. I think most are it, the reason why people are vocal is because eventually someone will score 21-28 points and we will lose because the offense can’t carry a quarter of the weight.

What numbers make you feel better? If we scored 28? Would that be enough for you? 35? Does it have to be in the 40's? Or is it yards? Or first downs? Or is it the "statistical" ranking? Or is it the eye test? Please quantify it for us. Oh, and I made this response short, just for you.

 

[Birky]

The offense is not good, but it’s clearly a better offense than last year.

Last year at this point, the offense had a total of 10 points. Those points were scored off a 0 yard drive for a FG, and an 11 yard drive off a blocked punt.

We can complain about it, but to say it’s not better is to not be paying attention.

 

[swagsurfer02]

What numbers make you feel better? If we scored 28? Would that be enough for you? 35? Does it have to be in the 40's? Or is it yards? Or first downs? Or is it the "statistical" ranking? Or is it the eye test? Please quantify it for us. Oh, and I made this response short, just for you.

For me, in the first game our first two drives were great. That doesn’t mean EVERY drive should be like that, but after it was a bunch of not good. Yesterday, the WRs were non existent and the running game wasn’t actually all that great. Patterson’s one long run really skewed the numbers (even with it it was still <4yds/carry.

If you want me to throw an arbitrary number out there, I can’t. I mean I can tell you what looks good, but yesterday wasn’t it at least on the offensive side of the ball. The pick 6 was the difference.

 

[Max_Rebo]

There isn’t a single fan base in the country that wouldn’t have negative comments about an offense that inexcusably continues to be putrid because of nepotism and stubbornness.

Probably true.

But I doubt there are many fan bases in the country that would be as pissed off about a 2-0 start (including a rivalry win) as Iowa’s is.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I'd note that many "fans" never seem to want to give the opposing teams credit for making things hard for the Hawks. Part of Iowa's "lack of success" can also be attributable to good play by the opposition.

Many Iowa fans aren't so generous to acknowledge that. It doesn't mesh with the narratives that they're trying to construct.

Well then they should stop f***ing making things hard for us.........

 

[jonesy5960]

Do you really think that in these last 2 games that the offense has had their foot on the gas the entire game? Or even half of it? For god's sake against Utah St. we were running the ball into 9 and 10 man fronts. Do you really think that not just BF, but KF, Budamyer, Cade, hell even Phil couldn't see that? You don't think that Cade has the authority to audible out of something like that? You are a fool if you think that they wanted to exploit the weakness of these defenses the entire game. Like I said above, look at the first two series, each game. There is your offense. Now don't think I am saying that they are trying not to gain yards or score. If they execute they execute. But the point is, when you are up 3 scores, to work the clock, protect the football, dont risk anything and against lesser competition get some stuff on tape for everyone to work on.

Last year everything was a struggle. When you cannot protect the QB or run the ball into even a 3 man front, everything, and I mean everything is difficult. That is not that way so far this year. We will surely face better defensive fronts, but, so far it looks a hell of a lot better than it did the last 2 years. And that execution at the LOS makes it a night and day difference.

We won't know a whole lot until we play PSU. If we can protect the QB and get pressure on theirs with our front 4, the sky is the limit for this team.

This analysis doesn't really require that much thought. ISU was one big play away from tying the game up at the end, so you're not going to convince anyone that the staff was holding back. That would be coaching malpractice. They were one big play away from tying the game up because Iowa couldn't manage more than 3 points over 3 quarters of football. They averaged less than 30 yards per quarter over the last 3 quarters of football. They had a total of 5 first downs over 3 quarters of football. The evidence is overwhelming that although the offense has crawled out of the depths of last year, the production is still incredibly anemic.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

For me, in the first game our first two drives were great. That doesn’t mean EVERY drive should be like that, but after it was a bunch of not good. Yesterday, the WRs were non existent and the running game wasn’t actually all that great. Patterson’s one long run really skewed the numbers (even with it it was still <4yds/carry.

If you want me to throw an arbitrary number out there, I can’t. I mean I can tell you what looks good, but yesterday wasn’t it at least on the offensive side of the ball. The pick 6 was the difference.

I am pretty sure, again knowing you are up 3 scores, the reason they didn't go to the WR's was because ISU pretty much staying in their base 3-3-5. When they showed pressure and left Anderson to man coverage then the ball went to him. My whole point is that when this team gets up 3 scores, no matter how it is done, if it is all offense or all defense or a combination, this offense is going to get conservative, low risk, and shorten the game. The fact that the clock is another defender when you are leading is a gigantic contributor to opposing offenses having to get out of their comfort zone and make mistakes. With our punter we win the field position battle as well. It is Iowa football under KF. I personally love it watching it. I realize that some people want to see open offenses that score a bunch of points but I am not one of them. I liken it to an anaconda where this defense and special teams is going to squeeze the life out of opposing offenses when we are leading.

 

[uihawk82]

I'd note that many "fans" never seem to want to give the opposing teams credit for making things hard for the Hawks. Part of Iowa's "lack of success" can also be attributable to good play by the opposition.

Many Iowa fans aren't so generous to acknowledge that. It doesn't mesh with the narratives that they're trying to construct.

Well I would agree with you if the hawks could get more than 2.5 yards per carry against a normal front 7 but most times the opponents lbkrs are close to the LOS in the gaps and an 8th body is there also.

Until BrianF can push those linebackers 3-4 yards back off the LOS with quick slants and quick hitch patterns to the TEnds we will not be able to run the ball very well against B1G teams.

Iowa had a good number of receivers open in the 5 WR game and they just need to hit those passes at a 2 out of 3 clip to force the defense back

 

[cmhawks99]

I always tried to remain pretty calm and logical as it relates to Hawkeye sports in general because I realize that most fans have no idea what they are talking about and are emotional, but what I am seeing right now infuriates me. Not only here, but all of my social media feeds say the same thing; blah, blah, offense sucks, blah, blah, BF needs to be fired, blah, blah, nothing new, blah, blah, I am going to stop watching, blah, blah, bullshit.

So for all of you idiots that are bitching and complaining, I really really hope you go find another team. This is because if you are not a fan of what is going on right now then you seriously are not a fan of Iowa Hawkeye football. I personally loved the game, pretty much called how it was going to go (I could dig up a post the other day that outlined it), but for those of you that don't know I will spell it out. This was a rivalry road game in a sold-out emotionally charged environment. You cannot win these games in the first quarter but you sure as hell could lose them. So this game was going to be about low-risk offense, don't turn the ball over, take advantage of the makeables, try to get a 2 or 3 score lead and then sit on the ball. And that is exactly, exactly what this team did. Sure, the WR's didn't see much action. But do you realize that ISU plays a 3-3-5 stack defense. That mean 5 defensive backs. The winning matchup is not on the edge, the winning matchup is in the middle of the field by getting the TE's on those linebackers as well as running into the 3 man front. That is it folks, it is as simple as that.

I don't give 2 shits about what our offensive ranking is. If you want to see a better picture of what this offense is capable of a better indicator is the first 2 drives of these 2 games. Going up 2 then 3 scores, then everything gets super conservative, run the clock, then get out of there. Were there plays left on the field? Of course there was. The double move was a fantastic call, low risk, high reward. Even the "interception" was a low risk, high reward play because if there was a terrible call or an interception it was much like a punt.

You know what a 3 score game does to a defense like ours that plays zone coverage on the back end? It will make the QB make throws that are in the high risk and low reward category, a place you never want your team to be. If you look at the rest of our schedule we do not face an established elite or even better than average QB. the PSU QB looks to have talent, but he is new and he hasnt seen anything in this league yet. It takes time.

This season is all about winning the B1G championship, I will say it again. Nobody gives a damn about style points or points in general. I promise you that. The season really comes down to 2 games, PSU and Wisky now. We only have to win 1 of the 2. That takes us to Indy and it is all about winning that game. Think about it, if we go into Indy undefeated and lose the championship game (like 2015) we will not be going to the CFP. If we have 1 loss and win the B1G championship game, we go to the CFP, and maybe with 2 losses.

So buckle up for a whole lot more of what you saw Saturday because this is what it is going to look like the rest of the year, and I include PSU because it is not a must-win game. If we get down in that game you may see a bit more of the playbook, but that is what it will take. If this team continues to score on their first 2 drives of the game then this team could very well go undefeated as well as have the worst offense in college football. So if you are not prepared for that then I advise you to get off the train.

One more thing, this team is offense is so much better. The oline is doing a great job pass protecting. 2 years ago I timed the pass rush for how long Petras had to throw and it was on average 2.6 seconds, less than the average NFL QB. I didn't have to time Saturday, he had all day most of the time. Cade is a great game manager, decisive and accurate (the timing will get better). Our edge guys are light years ahead of where they were last year. Patterson may be our best back, and that is awesome because Johnson is still really good and Williams runs hard, and all three can catch out of the backfield. There are so many plays that have not been run yet because they haven't had to.

Now commence more bitching I am sure.....

I feel you…several years ago I stayed off these boards during the season. It might help you because these cats truly are exhausting. I don’t think I ever remember you going off like this and your a good poster…

I’ve come to think of the bad ones like insolent, ungrateful children. They’re not particularly smart. They go with the immediate hot take and they are reactionary…

Last week they yelled at the top of their lungs “UTAH ST IS AWFUL”. Several of us reminded them they had no clue how good they were or weren’t. We got told their QB was poor…

Well guess what…78 pts later, I’d guess they are at the very least decent.

I honestly don’t even consider them Iowa fans at this time.and although I want Brian to leave, I’m considering it a great gift to the rest of us that he is hear to annoy them so badly 😂😂😂

I’m going to enjoy the season while they are miserable every week 😍

Iowa st has a really good defense. I’m very impressed by their talent on that side of the ball!

By the way, Wisconsin lost….so did Bama! Guess who didn’t ??

 

[NCHawkeye24]

This analysis doesn't really require that much thought. ISU was one big play away from tying the game up at the end, so you're not going to convince anyone that the staff was holding back. That would be coaching malpractice. They were one big play away from tying the game up because Iowa couldn't manage more than 3 points over 3 quarters of football. They averaged less than 30 yards per quarter over the last 3 quarters of football. They had a total of 5 first downs over 3 quarters of football. The evidence is overwhelming that although the offense has crawled out of the depths of last year, the production is still incredibly anemic.

At the very end ISU was one play away. But leading up to that we were up 2 scores. I will say I am much more surprised that Phil left Lee out on an island on that 4th down than I was that BF wanted to run on 3 downs in a row after that. To me those 3 runs were the right plays. Low risk, keep the clock running, make them use their timeouts. Best case you get a first down and the game is over. Worst case they have 70 yards to go with less than 2 minutes and no timeouts. That 3rd down was not a do-or-die play. Of course they wanted to convert there, but we see that deal all of the time by every team in college and the pros at the end of games. Holding back is not the right term, it is really more risk vs. reward.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

I feel you…several years ago I stayed off these boards during the season. It might help you because these cats truly are exhausting. I don’t think I ever remember you going off like this and your a good poster…

I’ve come to think of the bad ones like insolent, ungrateful children. They’re not particularly smart. They go with the immediate hot take and they are reactionary…

Last week they yelled at the top of their lungs “UTAH ST IS AWFUL”. Several of us reminded them they had no clue how good they were or weren’t. We got told their QB was poor…

Well guess what…78 pts later, I’d guess they are at the very least decent.

I honestly don’t even consider them Iowa fans at this time.and although I want Brian to leave, I’m considering it a great gift to the rest of us that he is hear to annoy them so badly 😂😂😂

I’m going to enjoy the season while they are miserable every week 😍

Iowa st has a really good defense. I’m very impressed by their talent on that side of the ball!

By the way, Wisconsin lost….so did Bama! Guess who didn’t ??

Amen brother.

 

[jonesy5960]

At the very end ISU was one play away. But leading up to that we were up 2 scores. I will say I am much more surprised that Phil left Lee out on an island on that 4th down than I was that BF wanted to run on 3 downs in a row after that. To me those 3 runs were the right plays. Low risk, keep the clock running, make them use their timeouts. Best case you get a first down and the game is over. Worst case they have 70 yards to go with less than 2 minutes and no timeouts. That 3rd down was not a do-or-die play. Of course they wanted to convert there, but we see that deal all of the time by every team in college and the pros at the end of games. Holding back is not the right term, it is really more risk vs. reward.

I guess my point is that no one should expect this offense to look much different than it has these first 2 games. There isn't some magical switch. I was in the camp before the season of telling people the offense was going to surprise given the new parts. It's clear that I was wrong and that the remaining issues have less to do with personnel and more to do with offensive staff.

With that said, I think it's clear that the West is really weak and wide open and Iowa has a great chance to get to the BTCG as the sacrificial lamb to whoever comes out of the East.

 

[cmhawks99]

When your offense is statistically ranked the worst in P5 for 2-3 years in a row, not much of a narrative is required.

Also, if reading differing views on a message board is this traumatic for some of you, then find a new hobby. There isn’t a single fan base in the country that wouldn’t have negative comments about an offense that inexcusably continues to be putrid because of nepotism and stubbornness.

No, that’s not what he is saying….they aren’t. “Differing” opinions. If that’s what you really think, then…,

 

[ShonnDeereGreene]

If the OL could be consistently counted on go pick up 3rd and 2, we probably score two more TDs yesterday. Yes, some of that is playcalling but it’s also an issue that we cannot simply bully forward for 2 yards.

 

[swagsurfer02]

I am pretty sure, again knowing you are up 3 scores, the reason they didn't go to the WR's was because ISU pretty much staying in their base 3-3-5. When they showed pressure and left Anderson to man coverage then the ball went to him. My whole point is that when this team gets up 3 scores, no matter how it is done, if it is all offense or all defense or a combination, this offense is going to get conservative, low risk, and shorten the game. The fact that the clock is another defender when you are leading is a gigantic contributor to opposing offenses having to get out of their comfort zone and make mistakes. With our punter we win the field position battle as well. It is Iowa football under KF. I personally love it watching it. I realize that some people want to see open offenses that score a bunch of points but I am not one of them. I liken it to an anaconda where this defense and special teams is going to squeeze the life out of opposing offenses when we are leading.

ISU was a score from tying it up. The problem with your model is when you go into a shell, you lose any momentum and rhythm you have on offense. If ISU had tied it up, I’m not confident we win that game. They would’ve scored several times in the second half while Iowa played “sit on the ball and wait for a mistake”.