Now you sound like me until recently.
No, I just don’t think we’ve seen good enough. We essentially never are in games with big dogs the last 4 years. I would have said 2021 PSU but they ended 7-6.
Listen, to me, they are all tough games and good wins.
I guess everyone doesn't think that way, but I think fans' general minimization of Iowa's success has been just laughable.
As you earlier mentioned, we saw good football against Washington.
The win at Minnesota should in no way be minimized.
Iowa beat 4 bowl teams last season. They won 3 trophy games away from home, which is almost unheard of. Since when do wins at Wisconsin get minimized?
Go back to '22 and you'll find a shutout bowl win and a couple more trophy wins, including Wisconsin again.
Go back to '21 and you'll find 3 more trophy wins, including 2 on the road. 3 wins against ranked teams, including 2 in the top 10. PSU was a damn good team when Iowa beat them. A big part of the reason they struggled the rest of that season was because Iowa dinged up their QB. Give Iowa credit for that. Also in '21 was a 51 point game, for those that look for that type of thing.
Without the success Iowa did have in '21, they never would have played Michigan in the title game, or as quality as an opponent as Kentucky in the bowl game. Would you view that season any differently without those two losses?
Same thing last season. Without as much success as they had that season, they would have never played Mich in the title game, or as quality of an opponent as Tennessee in the bowl game. Would you view that season any differently without those two losses?
The '21 Michigan game shouldn't even be considered due to the sign stealing.
So, basically you're judging Iowa on its recent success vs the big dogs? Because over KF's career his record against top competition has been more than respectable.
I get the "what have you done for me lately?" mentality, although I don't always agree with it. But it simply doesn't apply here. '22 saw Iowa use its worst O-line that I can remember in 39 years. Given that KF had very little fault in that poor O-line, it's very silly to include that season when judging Iowa's football program. Similar thing last season, as Iowa was forced to play its worst QB to take significant snaps that I've seen in 39 years. In only a positive light can those two seasons be included in an overall judgement of Iowa football. To have averaged 9 wins in those 2 seasons is very impressive.
Whether it's fair for Iowa to be judged solely by their performance against the big dogs is debatable. What isn't debatable is the fact that success against the big dogs is even a realistic expectation is due to the level of success that KF has consistently had the program at. Iowa fans are blessed to even have a chance to expect some success against the big dogs
