Will Ferentz ever consistently beat Wisconsin?
- Thread starter ChuckThomas12
- Start date
As a Steelers fan, I was glad to see someone mention them in comparison to Wisconsin. The Steelers have run a 3-4 since the early 80's. In the past 10 years or so, their defense has been average at best. This past year it resembled swiss cheese. Why? Personnel. They have dedicated so much of their resources to loading up on offense that their defense is stocked with players that wouldn't start for another team. LB and CB have been glaring weaknesses. Where they have been consistently exposed is in their LBs inability to cover receivers on crossing patterns. Tom Brady has padded his career stats by shredding Pittsburgh these past 10 years.
Therein lies Iowa's inability to beat Wisconsin recently: no passing game to exploit Wisconsin anywhere on the field and especially the middle. GDGD didn't acknowledge there even WAS a middle of the field during his five years here. Wisconsin is going to bring 5 guys nearly every play. That means only 2 LBs are going to be there to cover the middle and anywhere out to 12 yards or so. A TE running a hard seam route will occupy at least one of the safeties.
The formula for beating the 3-4 is out there for anyone who wants to study it. I suspect that may have been a large part of the staff's visit to NE.
Therein lies Iowa's inability to beat Wisconsin recently: no passing game to exploit Wisconsin anywhere on the field and especially the middle. GDGD didn't acknowledge there even WAS a middle of the field during his five years here. Wisconsin is going to bring 5 guys nearly every play. That means only 2 LBs are going to be there to cover the middle and anywhere out to 12 yards or so. A TE running a hard seam route will occupy at least one of the safeties.
The formula for beating the 3-4 is out there for anyone who wants to study it. I suspect that may have been a large part of the staff's visit to NE.
You want to avoid the weeds because they don't support your supposition. Which is that Hayden didn't lose to bad teams because "he didn't tolerate it." My own personal opinion is that Hayden and KF were perfect fits at Iowa for when they came along. Hayden had the marketing and salesman touch that was needed to resurrect a program from the dead. KF had the focus on discipline, toughness and consistency that was needed to bring back what Hayden had created. Hayden never had a 3-year period of success like KF had from 2002-04. Hayden never had an undefeated Big 10 regular season. KF has had 2 of those. Hayden never won a traditional New Year's Day bowl. KF has the Orange Bowl win. KF has not reversed Hayden't mindset. They have different ways of going about their business, but in each case their style matches their personality, which is what a good coach should do.
If you really think that winning more games is just a matter of "wanting it" or demanding it, I don't know what to tell you. If that was the case, Alvarez would have fired himself as the coach. Alvarez won 10 games 4 times in 16 years as a head coach at Wisconsin. Why didn't he win more?
This is true for the most part, but in the last 1/3 of HF's stay, the fans were unhappy with the offense as well. He set a pretty high bar in the 80's and it was hard to match in the 90's.
This is a really good post. Both coaches are HOF caliber and Iowa has been fortunate to have them.
Not really picking a side between KF and JHF but Hayden was constantly replacing coaches from 86 on. The list of Head coaches that cut their teeth under his watch is pretty impressive. The turnover eventually bit him. That and a University administration that had it in for him.
Huh? Haven't heard this, and I don't think I've sleeping under a rock. Please expand.
I would need to google it, but IIRC didn't Hayden and Tom Davis together approach the admin in the early 90s with complaints about recruits not being matriculated? I could've sworn they both joined forces over some mutual issue.
Don't agree, think it's more likely IOWA goes to a 3-4 before Badgers go back to 4-3.
3-4 needs less 4-5 star DE//DT play and more TWEENER linebackers who might not be great in a 4-3 but can excel in the 3-4.More kids who might be a hair small for DE but perfect for OLB, more Tackles who aren't pass rushers but can occupy blockers and play SSDE without being over stuffed.
If you can find Espeneza's and great 300 lb DT's in every recruiting class, 4-3 is fine.
Badgers can't do that but we can land Tweener DE/DT's and tweener DE/OLBs and put together great defenses.
Iowa will go there eventually, not the other way around.JMO.
Hunter Rawlings, age and prostate cancer. None takes away his unmatched success
Again, I’m too lazy to look things up, but isn’t Ferentz around .500 against Wis?
That was the original question of the thread.
Makes me wonder if Wis will ever consistently beat Ferentz? That’s the real question.
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