State of the Program - Iowa State
theathletic.com
The Cyclones will have to have back to back best seasons in Cyclones history, and a program that lost to Louisiana, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma last year is somehow a legitimate Playoff contender this year?
For the love of Matt Campbell and the Big 12, ESPN FPI and now The Athletic bring us the hype.
Will Iowa make it six straight over Iowa State in 2021?
The Cyclones have never had a double digit win season before?
Last conference title was a co-championship in 1912.
Oh my!
The defensive line lost their top guy and depth is an unknown?
"JaQuan Bailey was incredibly valuable to this program and its culture and is tough to replace, but Iowa State’s D-line is still in good shape."
"At nose guard, Isaiah Lee is back after starting nine games last fall, but who else will rise up after Latrell Bankston and Joshua Bailey transferred? J.R. Singleton had an impressive spring and looks like the breakout candidate here. The redshirt freshman is a quick learner, and Campbell believes he has the ability to be an elite player."
"The secondary is another spot where, as (DC Jon) Heacock put it, some guys have extreme numbers in terms of game reps and some guys don’t."
What will a complete 12 game season bring in 2021?
Iowa State was only 7-6 in 2019 with a similar schedule to 2021?
Fourth-round pick Kene Nwangwu is off to the NFL, the outstanding kick returner and RB for the Cyclones was credited for two of the wins last seasons, against Baylor and Oklahoma. What will his absent bring to ISU in 2021?
“Their best defensive lineman is one of the few guys who didn’t come back, and he didn’t get drafted,” the coach said. “And I thought he was a hell of a football player. That’s what they’ve got. They just have a bunch of very damn good football players.
“Their running back is exceptional. Their quarterback is a winner. Their tight ends pose challenges to defenses with the length and size they have. And they all play very well within their system, both offensively and defensively. They’re gonna leverage their experience and those dynamics very much moving forward, and I think that’s what makes them most dangerous is they do have guys who are winners. They should’ve lost to Baylor last year, but they find ways to win games. That’s the thing that makes them so dynamic.”
As impressed as he is by what Iowa State has built, this assistant argues the Cyclones are still not on the same level as Oklahoma and Texas when it comes to overall talent. He doesn’t see a ton of players on the Cyclones’ roster who’ll go in the first three rounds of the draft.
“From a talent standpoint, Iowa State is not there at the top of the league. From a team standpoint, they’re right up there,” the coach said. “I don’t see them going undefeated in the league, but I do see them winning enough games to potentially compete and win a Big 12 championship. But from a talent standpoint? You don’t turn on the film and say, ‘Oh, ****.’ You turn on the film and you see a great, well-coached football team that knows their system and figures out ways to win ballgames.
“They’re still one of teams that, just like anybody else, they can beat anybody but they can still lose to anybody. So are they a top-10 team talent-wise? No.”
Another former Big 12 assistant looks at it a different way, offering praise for what Campbell has constructed and how he’s gone about the rebuilding process.
“He doesn’t give a shit about recruiting rankings. He just wants to go out and get football players,” the coach said. “That’s what he’s doing and it’s awesome to see. He’s doing it the way they did it in Iowa City. They recruit a body type and recruit a certain guy and they get them in there and develop them and train the shit out of them. The best thing that Matt Campbell did was he got (strength and conditioning coach) Dave Andrews, too. Dave does a good job, and that was a huge get.”
So, how often is a Three loss program playing during a pandemic a CFP contender?
Iowa State best Oregon, who finished outside the Top 25.
The Big 12 is ripe two beat up on one another?
Iowa State has never reached Ten wins in a season.
Yes, they did make the Big 12 Championship Game last season.
How difficult will it be for Alabama to repeat in 2021?
So, a repeat season for Iowa State wouldn't qualify the Cyclones?
🤔
Iowa State is a legitimate Playoff contender, with a veteran core and the mindset to meet rare expectations
Matt Campbell's group hasn’t forgotten, even with all the accolades, that this is not the most talented team in the Big 12.
theathletic.com
The Cyclones will have to have back to back best seasons in Cyclones history, and a program that lost to Louisiana, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma last year is somehow a legitimate Playoff contender this year?
For the love of Matt Campbell and the Big 12, ESPN FPI and now The Athletic bring us the hype.
Will Iowa make it six straight over Iowa State in 2021?
The Cyclones have never had a double digit win season before?
Last conference title was a co-championship in 1912.
Oh my!
The defensive line lost their top guy and depth is an unknown?
"JaQuan Bailey was incredibly valuable to this program and its culture and is tough to replace, but Iowa State’s D-line is still in good shape."
"At nose guard, Isaiah Lee is back after starting nine games last fall, but who else will rise up after Latrell Bankston and Joshua Bailey transferred? J.R. Singleton had an impressive spring and looks like the breakout candidate here. The redshirt freshman is a quick learner, and Campbell believes he has the ability to be an elite player."
"The secondary is another spot where, as (DC Jon) Heacock put it, some guys have extreme numbers in terms of game reps and some guys don’t."
What will a complete 12 game season bring in 2021?
Iowa State was only 7-6 in 2019 with a similar schedule to 2021?
Fourth-round pick Kene Nwangwu is off to the NFL, the outstanding kick returner and RB for the Cyclones was credited for two of the wins last seasons, against Baylor and Oklahoma. What will his absent bring to ISU in 2021?
What others are saying about Iowa State from The Athletic
Iowa State is extremely well-coached, one Big 12 assistant said, and their players play within their systems extremely well. But the topic of the Cyclones’ actual talent level is an interesting one. The assistant pointed to the best player they lost this offseason — defensive end JaQuan Bailey, who signed with the Eagles — as an example.“Their best defensive lineman is one of the few guys who didn’t come back, and he didn’t get drafted,” the coach said. “And I thought he was a hell of a football player. That’s what they’ve got. They just have a bunch of very damn good football players.
“Their running back is exceptional. Their quarterback is a winner. Their tight ends pose challenges to defenses with the length and size they have. And they all play very well within their system, both offensively and defensively. They’re gonna leverage their experience and those dynamics very much moving forward, and I think that’s what makes them most dangerous is they do have guys who are winners. They should’ve lost to Baylor last year, but they find ways to win games. That’s the thing that makes them so dynamic.”
As impressed as he is by what Iowa State has built, this assistant argues the Cyclones are still not on the same level as Oklahoma and Texas when it comes to overall talent. He doesn’t see a ton of players on the Cyclones’ roster who’ll go in the first three rounds of the draft.
“From a talent standpoint, Iowa State is not there at the top of the league. From a team standpoint, they’re right up there,” the coach said. “I don’t see them going undefeated in the league, but I do see them winning enough games to potentially compete and win a Big 12 championship. But from a talent standpoint? You don’t turn on the film and say, ‘Oh, ****.’ You turn on the film and you see a great, well-coached football team that knows their system and figures out ways to win ballgames.
“They’re still one of teams that, just like anybody else, they can beat anybody but they can still lose to anybody. So are they a top-10 team talent-wise? No.”
Another former Big 12 assistant looks at it a different way, offering praise for what Campbell has constructed and how he’s gone about the rebuilding process.
“He doesn’t give a shit about recruiting rankings. He just wants to go out and get football players,” the coach said. “That’s what he’s doing and it’s awesome to see. He’s doing it the way they did it in Iowa City. They recruit a body type and recruit a certain guy and they get them in there and develop them and train the shit out of them. The best thing that Matt Campbell did was he got (strength and conditioning coach) Dave Andrews, too. Dave does a good job, and that was a huge get.”
So, how often is a Three loss program playing during a pandemic a CFP contender?
Iowa State best Oregon, who finished outside the Top 25.
The Big 12 is ripe two beat up on one another?
Iowa State has never reached Ten wins in a season.
Yes, they did make the Big 12 Championship Game last season.
How difficult will it be for Alabama to repeat in 2021?
So, a repeat season for Iowa State wouldn't qualify the Cyclones?
🤔
