What do you guys look at that makes you think we should be better than 7-5, 8-4

[HawkNole09]

every year, with the occasional pop, and an occasional drop.

In a state populated with 3.1 million people, with two state universities. I don’t think we should expect more than Minnesota, Nebraska or Illinois do.

But, Ferentz’s leadership has given us top wins seemingly every year. His players graduate. A good number go on to the NFL. I don’t see what’s not to like. I’ve always said I’d be happy to be contending every fourth year (with a senior QB).

I don’t think people realize what a short fall we have at the skill positions.

We don’t run an offense that’s as wide open as Ohio State’s, but then we don’t have the skill players to be successful in that system. Whereas in Ferentz system, we’re usually close, and when we minimize turnovers, and maximize execution, we usually win.

What exactly are you looking for? Ohio State records? Michigan records? Michigan State? Wisconsin?

What level of success would bring you happiness?

Me, I’m saying 7-5 in QBs first year, 8-4 in the next and contending for a B1G Championship in year 4.

 

[dawgs_04]

7 wins would be fine if the offense showed it has a pulse.

 

[TonyTheTiger.1865]

every year, with the occasional pop, and an occasional drop.

In a state populated with 3.1 million people, with two state universities. I don’t think we should expect more than Minnesota, Nebraska or Illinois do.

But, Ferentz’s leadership has given us top wins seemingly every year. His players graduate. A good number go on to the NFL. I don’t see what’s not to like. I’ve always said I’d be happy to be contending every fourth year (with a senior QB).

I don’t think people realize what a short fall we have at the skill positions.

We don’t run an offense that’s as wide open as Ohio State’s, but then we don’t have the skill players to be successful in that system. Whereas in Ferentz system, we’re usually close, and when we minimize turnovers, and maximize execution, we usually win.

What exactly are you looking for? Ohio State records? Michigan records? Michigan State? Wisconsin?

What level of success would bring you happiness?

Me, I’m saying 7-5 in QBs first year, 8-4 in the next and contending for a B1G Championship in year 4.

What a defeatist turd. You probably settled for the ugly chick your whole life.

 

[VodkaSam]

I just would expect a coaching staff to get the team fired up, show some emotion, good game time decisions. I can accept a loss where the team played hard and competent coaching.

But when everyone watching on TV, and the commentators (ok, I know, Matt Millen, but still..) are questioning what KF is doing, that's where I have an issue.
- Every other coach in the BIG would have put in their 2-minute offense with two minutes left in the half, all their TOs and wind at their back.
- Every other coach would have kicked the XP after our last TD.

How do the players feel when the coaches don't think they can move the ball, or put them in a position to keep striving to win at the end?

 

[bhawk24bob]

I just would expect a coaching staff to get the team fired up, show some emotion

I always get a laugh when I see this. No, you don't want the team fired up or showing emotion, you want them focused on executing. I see plenty of emotion on the sideline

 

[Nick Ma]

I'd rather watch Iowa go 7-5 fran style than Likliter style. So from an economics and marketing perspective Iowa lost me as a ticket buyer a while ago. I'll never get over sitting through a 9-6 loss at home to a bad Iowa State team.

 

[Big Hawk D-Port]

Our D this year has been good enough to win just about every game. If we only had a competent- not great, but reasonably competent O- Iowa most likely wins @ MSU and @ jNW and maybe @ UW since JJ scores 14. Even a D1 college level punter and PR game could have made the difference. It’s maddening.

 

[HawkNole09]

7 wins would be fine if the offense showed it has a pulse.

If the offense had a pulse we’d have 9 wins, maybe 10.

This was a development year on O all the way around. Unclassmen and first year players at almost ALL key positions

 

[ChuckThomas12]

ol boy Kirk just LOVES him some fans like the OP, sit back and collect HUGE sums of cash for our 6 or 7 wins.

Can’t recruit worth a shvt

Rarely out coaches the opposing team

Promotes with FULL BLOWN NEPOTISM


“oh I’m happy with coach, his players graduate and once every decade or so he’ll give us something to make us really excited about”


Beating Ohio State was the worst thing to happen to our program long term. Just gives more fuel to these knuckleheads and their propaganda that everything is “just fine”

 

[dawgs_04]

Beating Ohio State was the worst thing to happen to our program long term. Just gives more fuel to these knuckleheads and their propaganda that everything is “just fine”

Agree that OSU game will burn the program, but far and away the worst thing to happen was 2015.

 

[luvmyhawks]

I just would expect a coaching staff to get the team fired up, show some emotion, good game time decisions. I can accept a loss where the team played hard and competent coaching.

But when everyone watching on TV, and the commentators (ok, I know, Matt Millen, but still..) are questioning what KF is doing, that's where I have an issue.
- Every other coach in the BIG would have put in their 2-minute offense with two minutes left in the half, all their TOs and wind at their back.
- Every other coach would have kicked the XP after our last TD.

How do the players feel when the coaches don't think they can move the ball, or put them in a position to keep striving to win at the end?

The end of the half is just, head scratching to say the least. Not even taking a chance. Talk about chicken shit play calling.

I will add:
- how many times can we possibly run a stretch play to the short side of the field? Is Tristan Wirfs the only o lineman that can run block or what? I swear more than half of the play calls are the same one or two plays to the short side of the field.
- why do they refuse to try to get wadley in space? I don’t get it.
- the use of the tight ends is virtually non existent. Stop throwing the ball to our stone hand receivers that drop everything and start focusing more on the tight ends and runn8ng backs out of the backfield. Play calling is beyond pathetic and unimaginative.
- how many sacks or hurries did we give up without the defender even being touched? For online gurus, that sure is some piss poor coaching.
- special teams. For crying out loud our special teams is atrocious. I mean TERRIBLE. Are these kids even being coached.

I am so sick and tired of los8ng these games we have no business losing. And doing it the way we do. That looked like a poorly coached football team to me yesterday.

 

[luvmyhawks]

ol boy Kirk just LOVES him some fans like the OP, sit back and collect HUGE sums of cash for our 6 or 7 wins.

Can’t recruit worth a shvt

Rarely out coaches the opposing team

Promotes with FULL BLOWN NEPOTISM


“oh I’m happy with coach, his players graduate and once every decade or so he’ll give us something to make us really excited about”


Beating Ohio State was the worst thing to happen to our program long term. Just gives more fuel to these knuckleheads and their propaganda that everything is “just fine”

And so much this. Sick and tired of constantly watching this coaching staff get severely out coached.

 

[HawkNole09]

What a defeatist turd. You probably settled for the ugly chick your whole life.

So, what level of success keeps you happy?
Mich State level?
Wisconsin?
Florida State?
Alabama?
Or should we be better than Alabama, because we don’t settle for second best — WE ARE IOWA!!! <chest pounds, points to the sky>

 

[ChuckThomas12]

Agree that OSU game will burn the program, but far and away the worst thing to happen was 2015.

Yes yes VERY true

People won’t like to hear that, but if he tanks that year (after our 2014 season of 7-6), he’s gone by now. Plain and simple. We’d have whole entire different leadership.

 

[ih8iast8]

I don't expect the record to be significantly better. However, I expect the product on the field to be substantially better than what I have seen the last two weeks. 18 years of jamming a round peg into a square hole has gotten old.

 

[VodkaSam]

The end of the half is just, head scratching to say the least. Not even taking a chance. Talk about chicken shit play calling.

I still haven't forgotten the end of the 2009 tOSU game. Iowa has the ball, plenty of time on the clock, hot QB (Vandenberg), chance for KF to win for the first time in Columbus, and....a trip to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten....and he sits on the ball to go into OT.

On a smaller scale, but that's what the end of the first half reminded me of yesterday

 

[HawkNole09]

Ferentz isn’t going anywhere — under contract until 2026.

We’ve retooled, that’s my mindset for the second phase of this whole thing,” Ferentz said. “Certainly we have good people who want to be here and that’s important for everybody.”

Ferentz still had four seasons left on his previous contract, which was finalized in 2010, but Barta said “now was the right time” for offering the extension.

“The foundation is so strong, beyond that with our facilities, our recruiting,” Barta said. “I just feel great with where we’re at and I want to make that we’re poised to continue that into the future.”

 

[luvmyhawks]

So, what level of success keeps you happy?
Mich State level?
Wisconsin?
Florida State?
Alabama?
Or should we be better than Alabama, because we don’t settle for second best — WE ARE IOWA!!! <chest pounds, points to the sky>

Msu and Wisconsin levels are perfectly attainable at Iowa, don’t you agree? Iowa should be competing for the west every single year. As the division currently sits, we should be playing in the B1G championship game every other year. Do you strive for mediocrity in your life?

 

[VodkaSam]

So, what level of success keeps you happy?
Mich State level?
Wisconsin?
Florida State?
Alabama?
Or should we be better than Alabama, because we don’t settle for second best — WE ARE IOWA!!! <chest pounds, points to the sky>

Wisconsin....yep, I'd take Wisconsin.

 

[Ngnosis hwk scence]

Coaching? Offensive game plan and play calling? Clock management, understanding game conditions and the wind?

Defensive adjustments in the secondary? Hate to call out Phil Parker on this one. Iowa D has been very good but he blew this one. No reason to blame the Iowa Defense on 5 loses.

6-6? 7-4? who knows. The Bowl game is beyond me.

It is not about execution, nor blaming players that mis communicate and do not execute. This is all about coaching.

Please Coaches.. wake up, give back, and get it together. This is not about the "student-athletes" playing their arses off.

This is all about a multi millionaire coaching staff that cannot execute.

 

[TonyTheTiger.1865]

So, what level of success keeps you happy?
Mich State level?
Wisconsin?
Florida State?
Alabama?
Or should we be better than Alabama, because we don’t settle for second best — WE ARE IOWA!!! <chest pounds, points to the sky>

There is no reason we could not reach for the success level of Wisconsin. We should at least try. At any rate we should never accept the turds this coaching staff has been craping out all season.

 

[TonyTheTiger.1865]

I think the nepotism and the lack of Offensive performance has people outraged.

 

[HawkNole09]

I have a feeling that next year, when we’re breaking in LBs and a CB you’re going to be wishing we had the ability to play a more

Msu and Wisconsin levels are perfectly attainable at Iowa, don’t you agree? Iowa should be competing for the west every single year. As the division currently sits, we should be playing in the B1G championship game every other year. Do you strive for mediocrity in your life?

I’m sure those are basically the teams goals. Win all trophy games. Win the BT West. Win the conference. Play in the Playoffs.

Don’t tell me we weren’t competitive except Wisconsin. All other games were 1 score, or right about there.
3 of the games were decided by one play. We were competitive. This young team just didn’t know how to finish.

Some years you get the breaks (2015), some years you don’t (2017).

I’m pretty comfortable putting Iowa at 7-5 (20% injuries) 8-4 (60%) 9-3 next year (20%). If that’s not good enough for you then step away for a year — we’ll get back to your standard in 2019.

 

[luvmyhawks]

I have a feeling that next year, when we’re breaking in LBs and a CB you’re going to be wishing we had the ability to play a more


I’m sure those are basically the teams goals. Win all trophy games. Win the BT West. Win the conference. Play in the Playoffs.

Don’t tell me we weren’t competitive except Wisconsin. All other games were 1 score, or right about there.
3 of the games were decided by one play. We were competitive. This young team just didn’t know how to finish.

Some years you get the breaks (2015), some years you don’t (2017).

I’m pretty comfortable putting Iowa at 7-5 (20% injuries) 8-4 (60%) 9-3 next year (20%). If that’s not good enough for you then step away for a year — we’ll get back to your standard in 2019.

Good grief. No wonder ferentz has a lifetime contract. How come you haven’t responded to any of the glaring coaching weaknesses that have been pointed out?

 

[HawkNole09]

I think the nepotism and the lack of Offensive performance has people outraged.

It should. Our running game hasn’t been reliable enough to run our offense effectively. Our passing game has been pretty good (but we’ve dropped a lot of passes as the weather has become colder).

So, back to the running game (which is what kept us from having a 10 win season). We lost 2 senior leaders on the line. We had FR tackles running around trying to figure out who to hit. We didn’t have our blitz pickups tight and Stanley was hit a lot (he made some great throws under pressure, and exhibited great knowledge for when to throw it away).

We had our best playmaker, Wadley rendered totally ineffective because we couldn’t clear space for him to operate, both in the running game and in the passing game.

What the heck do you expect? Could Saban have done any better with the personnel?

 

[mlb1399]

I don’t expect top tier results. When we pay a coach top 10 money I expect top 25 results, when you factor in some of our disadvantages. Outside of 2015, we haven’t been top 25 relevant this decade. I don’t expect it every year but certainly more than once in eight years.

There’s no reason that we shouldn’t expect somewhere between what we are now and Wisconsin.

 

[JerryDennard]

What gives me hope is that the flaws we have on both offense and defense are SCHEMATIC - we have the talent, they have executed difficult plays before - but we Deisgn the wrong plays and call the wrong plays, putting our players in a terrible position where they are being asked to execute with a free edge rusher bearing down on them.

How about more misdirection? Screen passes are a form of misdirection, so are play action passes, Draw plays and counters. How about not being predictable on offense and defense? It’s one thing to play 1 kind of style and drill it to perfection, but if our execution year to year is never perfect, why not throw a bunch of different looks and wrinkles out there and let the players ball?

Again all of that can be fixed and is in the control of one man, Kirk Ferentz. But 19 years have shown, he will never change.

 

[JerryDennard]

It should. Our running game hasn’t been reliable enough to run our offense effectively. Our passing game has been pretty good (but we’ve dropped a lot of passes as the weather has become colder).

So, back to the running game (which is what kept us from having a 10 win season). We lost 2 senior leaders on the line. We had FR tackles running around trying to figure out who to hit. We didn’t have our blitz pickups tight and Stanley was hit a lot (he made some great throws under pressure, and exhibited great knowledge for when to throw it away).

We had our best playmaker, Wadley rendered totally ineffective because we couldn’t clear space for him to operate, both in the running game and in the passing game.

What the heck do you expect? Could Saban have done any better with the personnel?

Nick Saban would’ve beat Purdue with our team. Well, Jeff Brown would’ve beat Purdue with our team.

 

[HawkNole09]

The end of the half is just, head scratching to say the least. Not even taking a chance. Talk about chicken shit play calling.

I will add:
- how many times can we possibly run a stretch play to the short side of the field? Is Tristan Wirfs the only o lineman that can run block or what? I swear more than half of the play calls are the same one or two plays to the short side of the field.
- why do they refuse to try to get wadley in space? I don’t get it.
- the use of the tight ends is virtually non existent. Stop throwing the ball to our stone hand receivers that drop everything and start focusing more on the tight ends and runn8ng backs out of the backfield. Play calling is beyond pathetic and unimaginative.
- how many sacks or hurries did we give up without the defender even being touched? For online gurus, that sure is some piss poor coaching.
- special teams. For crying out loud our special teams is atrocious. I mean TERRIBLE. Are these kids even being coached.

I am so sick and tired of los8ng these games we have no business losing. And doing it the way we do. That looked like a poorly coached football team to me yesterday.

The stretch play behind Wirfs/Welsh was more effective than Render/Jackson. You do realize that you have take swings to get hits right? (I was a huge proponent for throwing early to open the run game later)
You wear the defense down, they’re a step slow to the gap, and pop — Wadley goes for 50. It just didn’t work that way this year because the OL wasn’t consistent enough. Just look at the rushing averages. We could’ve had Bo Jackson back there and not run well. THE RUNNING GAME didn’t work. We all know what Iowa Football is supposed to look like, and this year we couldn’t do it.

Next year, with WRs who are a year more veteran, with an OL a year stronger, quicker and aware, with a QB taking all the first team snaps in the spring. I expect that we’ll make teams pay more for stacking the box.

They did try and get Wadley in space. He was covered on screens, on draws, in the flats. Stanley did a very good job (especially as a first year player) at finding his first or second option. He’ll improve on whether to scramble or buy time next year.

We did utilize the TEs. It’s easier to bracket them in zone coverages. Not sure where you’re going here.

Untouched sacks were an area of concern. We’re going to see a lot of blitzing next year too. We’ve got an offseason to clean that up. This annoys me more than anything, because protection is #1 in the passing game. Stanley took too many hits.

Special teams. Coverage - Good. FG - Good. Punting - as bad as it gets. It’s really hard to regain confidence when you lose it. We lost games on punting differences alone. Just average punting probably gives our offense two more possessions at the 30, rather than possessions inside the 10. You have something like a 5% chance of having a scoring drive starting inside your own 10, and a 25% chance of scoring starting from your own 25.

That one score could be the difference in the MSU, NW, Purdue, or Penn State games.

We were 4-5 plays away from being a one-loss team.

Now, had we lost these four games by two TDs or more, then you might have a case. But just admit we were close, just not good enough to close. Only one game where we were outclassed. That’s a pretty good year for Iowa Football, especially in a year where we didn’t have our #1 threat (Wadley)

 

[VodkaSam]

I always get a laugh when I see this. No, you don't want the team fired up or showing emotion, you want them focused on executing. I see plenty of emotion on the sideline

I got a laugh when I read that.....

You're right.....You don't want the team fired up. Purdue was fired up and we weren't.......They fell right into our trap!

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

beating ISU and OSU who are both good teams this year. losing to 4-6 Purdue on Senior day doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

 

[HawkNole09]

I don’t expect top tier results. When we pay a coach top 10 money I expect top 25 results, when you factor in some of our disadvantages. Outside of 2015, we haven’t been top 25 relevant this decade. I don’t expect it every year but certainly more than once in eight years.

There’s no reason that we shouldn’t expect somewhere between what we are now and Wisconsin.

We will be, just not this year. I can almost guarantee you this team looks a lot different with Boettger and Myers.

 

[VodkaSam]

Nick Saban would’ve beat Purdue with our team. Well, Jeff Brown would’ve beat Purdue with our team.

Bob Commings and Hayden Fry both would have beat Purdue with our team. Comming's would have been a nail-biter, Hayden would have beat them by 20+

 

[HawkNole09]

Mike Ditka would’ve won too. What the point. You can’t have any of those guys.

Better hop on board with what we’ve got and support the heck out of the team — them winning is the only way you feel better.

But, wait, what if this isn’t about you. What if all that matters is that you support the coaches, the players on the team that consistently bust their @ss to achieve their goals. Remember, it’s not about how they make you feel. It’s about them, and their achievements. Support them.

Coach is going NOWHERE. When it’s time, I have no doubt he’ll have a graceful exit. But, it’s not happening in the next three years. The future looks bright. Do I have to remind you the record number of snaps the freshman and sophomore class had this year?

 

[BirdistheWord]

What gives me hope is that the flaws we have on both offense and defense are SCHEMATIC - we have the talent, they have executed difficult plays before - but we Deisgn the wrong plays and call the wrong plays, putting our players in a terrible position where they are being asked to execute with a free edge rusher bearing down on them.

How about more misdirection? Screen passes are a form of misdirection, so are play action passes, Draw plays and counters. How about not being predictable on offense and defense? It’s one thing to play 1 kind of style and drill it to perfection, but if our execution year to year is never perfect, why not throw a bunch of different looks and wrinkles out there and let the players ball?

Again all of that can be fixed and is in the control of one man, Kirk Ferentz. But 19 years have shown, he will never change.

I somewhat agree that there are definately scheme flaws and opportunities. But I do not know how you can ignore some of our glaring talent weaknesses.

1. EDGE Rushers. Think about our defensive approach. Sure we could choose to blitz more but I do not see us changing this much going forward. We are very dependent on getting pressure with 4 lineman. Epenesa has potential. Generally we seem to field four D Tackles and expect to generate pressure. WE MUST recruit more speed rushers.

2. WR. This has been an issue for a while. We used to be able to mix in some upper tier talent (Mo Brown, Hinkle, CJ Jones, Solomon, McNutt, K Davis, KMM and DJK) but the well has run dry. Easley and MVB are good players but more complementary. We need to increase our ability to create separation, stretch field and catch the ball. Not saying every player will crush each of those but we need to do better.

 

[hawkcub]

Agree that OSU game will burn the program, but far and away the worst thing to happen was 2015.

I always love that comment. Even if Ferentz gets fired after 2015 it's not a guarantee we improve in 2016 and 2017.. Actually short term there's a greater chance we are worse. Sorry I'll take an undefeated regular season and an inch away from the playoffs every time.

 

[Eternal Return]

Well, let's see, OP. I would say playing with consistency, playing with passion (everyone, not just Jewell and a few others on defense), playing uptempo on O at times, especially critical times to take advantage of the other team's weaknesses on D and to take pressure off Iowa's struggling tackles AND interior lineman, more quick read/quick throws like they did against Ohio State rather than having Stanley sit back there for more than two seconds--in other words, get the damn ball out quicker but not necessarily with a bullet every time (touch would be nice), making adjustments throughout the game and at the half in an immediate manner (i.e, don't wait until six plays and 2 TDs have occurred before changing from man-to-man with no safety help on the side opposite Jackson), find a real punter even if it's Stanley, study how other teams handle punt returns, WRs catch the ball (Stanley and the WRs have terrible timing; they are not in sync), Take Bower out on passing downs and maybe just take him out of the game period, figure out clock management, implement a serious and committed and confident two minute drill at the end of the first half, coaches start coaching and inspiring confidence in their players.

Oh, and firing the AD, KF, and the entire coaching staff since they've lost most of the guys this team, especially the younger guys and maybe even Wadley who seems frustrated as hell (rightfully so). The young guys playing look like deer in headlights. Game is way too fast for them. I don't mean foot speed, I mean mentally and emotionally. Fail, fail, fail, fail.

 

[luvmyhawks]

The stretch play behind Wirfs/Welsh was more effective than Render/Jackson. You do realize that you have take swings to get hits right? (I was a huge proponent for throwing early to open the run game later)
You wear the defense down, they’re a step slow to the gap, and pop — Wadley goes for 50. It just didn’t work that way this year because the OL wasn’t consistent enough. Just look at the rushing averages. We could’ve had Bo Jackson back there and not run well. THE RUNNING GAME didn’t work. We all know what Iowa Football is supposed to look like, and this year we couldn’t do it.

Next year, with WRs who are a year more veteran, with an OL a year stronger, quicker and aware, with a QB taking all the first team snaps in the spring. I expect that we’ll make teams pay more for stacking the box.

They did try and get Wadley in space. He was covered on screens, on draws, in the flats. Stanley did a very good job (especially as a first year player) at finding his first or second option. He’ll improve on whether to scramble or buy time next year.

We did utilize the TEs. It’s easier to bracket them in zone coverages. Not sure where you’re going here.

Untouched sacks were an area of concern. We’re going to see a lot of blitzing next year too. We’ve got an offseason to clean that up. This annoys me more than anything, because protection is #1 in the passing game. Stanley took too many hits.

Special teams. Coverage - Good. FG - Good. Punting - as bad as it gets. It’s really hard to regain confidence when you lose it. We lost games on punting differences alone. Just average punting probably gives our offense two more possessions at the 30, rather than possessions inside the 10. You have something like a 5% chance of having a scoring drive starting inside your own 10, and a 25% chance of scoring starting from your own 25.

That one score could be the difference in the MSU, NW, Purdue, or Penn State games.

We were 4-5 plays away from being a one-loss team.

Now, had we lost these four games by two TDs or more, then you might have a case. But just admit we were close, just not good enough to close. Only one game where we were outclassed. That’s a pretty good year for Iowa Football, especially in a year where we didn’t have our #1 threat (Wadley)

Do you know what the definition of insanity is? Well, that is what the run game/offense has been all year. Keep going back to the same thing over, and over, and over..........but it’s NOT WORKING!

And when have they gotten wadley in space, or tried to?? When they have, it has been successful. Off the top of my head, I remember maybe one play yesterday to get him in space. Yet they run the same, stupid short side of the field, over, and over, and over. Good grief, It is pathetic.

And the tight ends. How many targets did each of them get yesterday? Bet it wasn’t nearly as many times as we ran to that short side of the field, over, and over, and over.

Look. When the hawks have made concerted effort to get wadley outside/ in space, and to use the tight ends, Iowa has had great success. I.e, isu/psu/osu. So why do we keep going back to the same thing that is NOT WORKING!

It is unbelievably frustrating.

 

[cg8284]

Mike Ditka would’ve won too. What the point. You can’t have any of those guys.

Better hop on board with what we’ve got and support the heck out of the team — them winning is the only way you feel better.

But, wait, what if this isn’t about you. What if all that matters is that you support the coaches, the players on the team that consistently bust their @ss to achieve their goals. Remember, it’s not about how they make you feel. It’s about them, and their achievements. Support them.

Coach is going NOWHERE. When it’s time, I have no doubt he’ll have a graceful exit. But, it’s not happening in the next three years. The future looks bright. Do I have to remind you the record number of snaps the freshman and sophomore class had this year?

Why exactly does the future look bright? I anxiously await this reply.

 

[Eternal Return]

Why exactly does the future look bright? I anxiously await this reply.

Yeah, I see the opposite. Jewell and Niemann gone next year, Jackson probably gone, Wadley and Butler gone, but all the coaches return. I wish Kirk would graduate already. The young guys look lost, confused, and even scared. Looks like the coaching staff has lost the young guys and the leaders of the team will be leaving. It's not good when a coach loses a team. I don't see a year of these young guys learning to believe in themselves. Meanwhile, Purdue is going to be a better team than Iowa next year. Iowa will be lucky to finish fourth in the B10 West next year, behind UW, PU, and NW. Nebraska fires Riley and gets a real coach? Fleck pulls a Matt Campbell in his second season? The future looks difficult, to put it mildly. Fortunately, Illinois is going to be horrible for a long time. They should keep Lovie for 20 years.