Overinflated Expectations

The spinning has begun.

Fans of SUI have already started raising the expectation bar so high that Chizik is doomed, in their eyes, to failure.

Exhibit A.- Ron Maly, retired Register sportswriter. Check out some of his list of what Gene must do to keep his (and Jamie's) job:

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1. He must beat Iowa four times every five years. In his one loss to the Hawkeyes in that five-year period, his team can'’t lose by more than three points. Chizik'’s first victory in the series must come next season, when Iowa plays at Iowa State.

2. Both Texas and Oklahoma play in Ames next season -- the Longhorns on Oct. 13, the Sooners on Oct. 20. Chizik needs to beat one of those teams- preferably Texas, the place he'’s leaving.

7. His Cyclones need to win the Big 12 North championship -- preferably next season or no later than the season after that.

8. Chizik'’s teams need to beat Nebraska two years out of every three. Sticking it to the Cornhuskers in Lincoln, where some people still aren't sure Iowa State has a football program, will be important.

9. Chizik needs to be voted the Big 12 coach of the year very soon.
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Beat SUI four of five? Beat the Huskers two of three? Beat Texas or OU next year? Win the North in the next two years? Is he insane?

I doubt St. Kirk, The Three Million Dollar Man and The State's Highest Paid Employee, could do that, or would be expected to, either. I don't know that Pete Carroll and half of his USC team could accomplish that- let alone a rookie coach with massive holes in the two-deep. Be rational.

Iowa fans (and ex-sportswriters) are trying to paint the dismissal of McCarney as "He didn't win enough" which I think misses the point. Dan probably did win enough to hang around. But he lost too much, to bad teams, to be rewarded with more years.

If Kirk went 0-8 and 1-7 in the 1011 in the span of four years, would he be retained? I don't think so. Why should ISU settle for that.

And give Gene at least a Spring Game before you start setting goals neither he- nor the miracle workers in Iowa City- can meet.

Peterclone