They might actually be referring to just that. The 2015 regular season was very good, but calling it “greatness” probably demonstrates the gulf between our standards and other programs. Not bringing home a conference championship and having the the team that beat the us get dismantled in their bowl game - only for us to get dismantled shortly after in our bowl game - would not scream greatness for a OSU or even Wisconsin.
That was definitely a cheap shot. It also likely comes from a coach who often acquires similar records (or better).
It's wild when you also normalize the state population data by the number of P5 schools in the state. Also, when you consider that Iowa is a developmental program - even UNI can complicate Iowa's efforts (since they're a high-quality FCS program that can snag under-the-radar types that Iowa likes to go after).
Anyhow, part of my point being that a lot of Iowa fans have positive feelings concerning Ferentz for reasons other than just the Hawkeye's record. Thus, we don't love or hate Ferentz for Iowa's 8-5 seasons.
I would speculate that there were also enough old-timers out there (some with deep pockets) who impressed upon the younger generation of donors how rare the Hayden Fry's of the world are. Some folks may have grown up hearing of the great years under Evasheski ... only for the Hawks to linger in the world of obscurity or mediocrity for nearly 20 years (until we got Hayden).
Where did I say we did? You said you wanted us to play a real schedule, right after a season where we played the fifth toughest schedule in the county.
Envy ended up being his own worst enemy in some regards.
If 2015 didn't happen, and something more like 2014 or worse did....then that wouldn't have mattered.
Bull. Do some research before making such an ignorant statement. Many of these schools DO NOT play tougher non con schedules, and for most of that time the overall conference power in the big 12 and pac 12 hasn't been anywhere near as good as the BIG. I mean, why have the mighty Trojans of USC not ascended back to power. Stanford had a few good years, Oregon had a few good years, Washington just recently a couple. Most of that time the rest of the conference is middling to poor. The Arizona schools, UCLA, OSU, WSU, Colorado, Cal, nothing there to strike fear in opponents.
Tell me that the current system isn't set up to reward the teams at the top, and make it so much easier for them to stay there. Forget Iowa for a minute, why aren't other prominent schools crashing the party?
I already mentioned Oklahoma as a school right near those top two because Stoops got his team to play defense so they stood out in the 12. Clemson has been the party crasher under Dabo, probably the top coach right now. Basically one other team has a slim chance to crash the four every year.
There are only two states that have Iowa’s unique disadvantage, at least two Power 5 schools in a low population state; Mississippi and Kansas. But Oklahoma is not far off.
Dick Rod was let go after two 7-6 seasons and a 3-9
Golden's performance was puzzling ... because what he accomplished at Temple was pretty phenomenal. However, while at Miami - you have to deal with the attitude that guys cop when they're at Miami. You see a similar attitude at any school that views itself as a "named" program ... there's a little more of culture of entitlement. Any coach that is at such a place needs to know how to manage and manipulate guys who demonstrate such attitudes. Some folks ... like the Pete Carolls of the world ... are quite good at it. Others, maybe those a little more like Ferentz ... they're not as good at it. Of course, that's also probably part of the reason why Ferentz recruits the guys he does.
Yeah, what Snyder did at K-State borders on wizardry. On the flip side - while Kansas has been the basketball program of the state ... when Snyder has been at KSU ... the Wildcats have been the football program of the state. It's worth noting that the best luck that Kansas had in football was the period under Mangino when Snyder was gone from KSU. Once Snyder returned ... the Jayhawks returned to dumpster-fire status (although Mangino getting canned also figured into the equation).
I'd say that how the record varies about 8-4 is as much a function of injuries and attrition as it is a function of the schedule. In 2016, the Hawks lost to NDSU ... but, in that game, 2 of our best O-linemen were also out with injury. Given that our OL almost always has a bit of a transition period at the start of seasons ... any breaks in personnel continuity tends to impact the O that much more.
