Don't Hold Back

The Auburn press has some thoughts.

Peter

Humorous realignment

Funny.

Fortunately we won't have to talk about realignment until Texas and OU bolt for the always rumored "SUPERCONFERENCE".

Peter

Other Side

Husker Fan advised to "Calm Down".

Note: ISU hustled a lot more than Nebraska.

Peter

Buff Still Alive

CU thinks they can finish strong.

When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Peter

Two More Thoughts

1. From a Husker Zone summary, the line of the day: SI.com's Stewart Mandel said, "what a waste of an elite defense…what a joke on offense."

2. Which brings us to a quote from an Brian Neal's dad, who was an OL in the '77 win in Lincoln. If the roles had been reversed, and the Black Shirts had forced 8 TO's, the press would have been gushing about the return of the Black Shirts. But since it was ISU going +8, it was some kind of crazy fluke.

Perceptions take time to turn. In our case, it will be 4 or 5 winning seasons before we become something other than "The Baylor of the North".

Here's to turning.

Peter

Mediocrity

Whitlock sums up the B12 North nicely.

Not knowing who is going to win each week is fun.

Peter

Perspective

I'm hearing lots of "Biggest win in my lifetime" stuff today. I'm a doubter there.

We won't really know where to place this thing until a few years down the road.

If PR has this program winning, going to a bowl each year and pushing for North Championships, then yes, we can look back on this as the "Statement Win".

On the other hand, this could just be a flukey thing like the win in Norman in 1990. We were all feeling pretty good about the future on the bus ride home from that one, too.

Personally, I'm taking the over.

Peter

Dishes served cold

ISU vs. Auburn in Shreveport? Sign me up.

Do you think our Cyclones would be motivated for that one?

Peter

Nuggets From Keeler

Worth a read.

I'm glad the trip to Lincoln was worth it.

Peter

WTF?

I'm not sure which final is the more puzzling tonight- ISU's wacky win in Lincoln, or a$m winning in Lubbock 52-30.

Looks like the Aggies have some momentum. Rats.

Peter

Pointed

The Omaha World Herald doesn't mess around with post game analysis.

Peter

"Worst Loss In 40 Years"

Lots of great nuggets in this online chat:

- Huskers want the backup QB to play
- They are in a firing mood
- Because of ISU's injuries, this was the worst Nebraska loss in memory
- They really, really, really consider the forward pass a fad

They really miss their 90's mojo.

Peter

Giving It Away

It's nice to be on the receiving end of a self-destruction for once, no?

Peter

Hiring

I think Paul should have hired more of his drinking buddies as assistants. I'm not sure this whole "Hiring guys that know what they're doing" plan is working out.

Peter

WhoCuddaNode?

Isn't it obvious that hosting a U2 concert might be a little rough to a grass field?

Peter

Chances

I am never one to call an upset, btu boy are the Huskers ripe for one.

Actually, I only see the game playing out one of two ways:

- ISU plays a great game, Nebraska struggles, and it comes down to the last possession. Again.

- Nebraska puts it all together, looks All-World and blows ISU out. In other words, the usual trip to Lincoln.

To be completely cynical: ISU is going to lose, we are just waiting to see what kind of style points they come away with.

Peter

Quitters

Has a$m quit on Sherman?

The Wiz of Odds thinks so.

If Iowa State can benefit from that, so it goes. I don't recall league teams showing ISU much mercy when they were struggling.

Peter

Bowl Game

A Waco writer called it like it was: Baylor's trip to Ames was theri bowl game.

The funny thing about the article is that it could have been written, with the names reversed, the last time Baylor came to Story County. They won that game.

Peter

Climbing

Iowa State is up to #70 in the latest Sagarin.

CU is close behind at #72. Perhaps there is life in Boulder.

Baylor is #83, and a$m dropped all the way to #99. Nebraska is #20. Gulp.

On paper we have two more probable wins; anything else is homemade gravy.

Peter

Anyone's Guess

This sums up what you need to know for this week.

Peter

Firsts

Gene "Super Genius" Chizik did something Saturday that no Auburn coach had done since 1966.


Peter

The view from Waco

Baylor "Lays and egg". Nice old ISU helmet, guys. Way to stay current.

Reading the Waco paper's running commentary is entertaining. They think we're solid tailgaters if nothing else. There's a joke there I won't make.

Peter

Thump

It is unfortunate that ISU couldn't punch in another TD or two, and that Baylor scored their TD with 13 seconds left, because the final score doesn't display how dominant ISU was.

Consider that Baylor won this matchup in '08 38-10 and the turnaround is striking. ISU continues to improve each week in both scheme and execution, especially on defense. They kept Baylor puzzled all night. One good play by the Bears would be met by two stops by the defense.

Things are clearly headed in the right direction.

Some more winnable games have appeared, to boot.

Peter

Rollover

You have to wonder, given what is ahead for both teams, if one team jumps out early on the other if the game would turn into a runaway.

I think this will be a wild, defenseless game- last side with the ball wins. But a blowout for either side wouldn't surprise me.

Peter

Locals Pick the Bears

The locals of Waco, of course.

Peter

Fans Dressed as Empty Seats

I hear John Walters reference the KU crowd leaving at halftime, but I chalked it up to cold weather.

I guess its an ongoing problem.

Much like the Texas fan wandering into a 'Horns basketball game to scout walk-on tight ends, KU fans just don't know what to make of winning football. It's not hoops, so they don't like it.

Peter

Predictions

So the media see ISU finishing 8th this year. That seems odd to me.

If you have an All-American candidate and the preseason Newcomer of the Year and you are still predicted to finish 8th, the press must think the other 10 guys on the team really stink.

Based on the predicted order of finish, ISU should get 4 wins from CU and Nebraska, a road win at either Baylor or Tech, and home wins against Mizzou and Okie State gets them to 6. Two more home upsets and they are 8-8 and a lock for a NCAA bid. Good times.

Of course it never plays out as expected, but that's what the preseason is for.

Peter

Perceptions

ISU has lost 11 B12 games in a row, yet a favored at home this week by 3.

For as bad as ISU's resume is, folks must be really unimpressed with Baylor, no?

Peter

Tantrums

Looks like the knucklehead who threw a hissy fit at the end of a game in Ames a few years back is still struggling to win.

Sucks to be him.

Peter

KU stripped naked?

The view from the other side of the pressbox wasn't impressed with KU's defense.

Peter

Struggles

It looks like Gene "Super Genius" still struggles against quality opponents.

Peter

Improvement

Pete and Eric summed things up nicely in the postgame: The Cyclones are clearly improving each week, and are no longer an easy out. You are going to have to earn it.

At some point the boys are going to make it happen; the play they need at the end of the game will come through and everyone will be impressed with how far Iowa State has come.

Peter

Upsets

The Interwebs tell me the last time ISU beat a ranked team on the road was their 33-31 win in Norman in ....1990. Since I was there, I can tell you that was a long time ago.

Blaise Bryant was the running back that day.

What does that game share  with the KU game? Both OU and KU are ranked #16, and ISU was a big dog. (+23, +19.5 respectively).

That streak can end anytime, thanks.

Peter

"We Have Already Lost The War"

Harsh words not just about Iowa State, but the Big 12 North in general.

I question whether the use of never in the article is appropriate. You could have gotten good odds against Mizzou playing int he Championship game 10 years ago.

Peter

Jamie, get on the phone

Washington has backed out of games with BYU in 2011 & 12.

Anyone, anywhere.

Peter

Tempering Expectations

This article in the World Hearald puts numbers to what I've been saying for years- as long as Texas and its ilk can spend on football what Iowa State spends on sports, anything approaching .500 has to be considered a victory.

Until the B12 starts sharing TV revenue equally- something that will probably never happen as long as UT and OU remain in the league- the level of play of the bottom teams won't approach that of the top.

In college football budget almost always equals wins over the long run.

Some in our crowd need to readjust their expectations.

Peter

TV notes

The Baylor game is a 6PM start despite not being on TV. Odd.

This week's game at KU is on TV, sorta, since it's on Versus, which is not part of the DirecTv lineup right now. I'll will be limited to the radio.

This is exactly the kind of moment, after a devastating loss when many of us are ready to throw in the towel, when our Cyclones rise up and upset somebody. The SUI game two years ago jumps immediately to mind. Nobody in red thought we had a chance that day. Certainly nobody in black did either.

Not saying its going to happen, but rather that this is exactly when it would.

Randy agrees.

Wasn't SUI a 20+ favorite in that game?

Peter

Hit The Road

Since Jamie is pleased with our game in KC, and the accountants will love the extra $800K it brought in, I say ISU should hit the road to any "neutral" site game we can find:

- Anybody from the state of Texas at the Jerry Jones Palace
- Anybody from the Big 1011 at Soldier Field
- Anybody from the SEC in Atlanta
- Anybody from the Big East/ACC at the Meadowlands

You get the drift.

When you have the smallest budget in the league, and can increase your revenue with a neutral site game, hit the road, Jack.

Peter

Heartbreak Defined

"Clone Zone has a pretty telling cataloging of Cyclone Football Heartbreak and what's most depressing is that it's just the last 10 years.

It doesn't include:

-blowing a 35 point lead, at home, to Kansas.
-having an onside kick run back for a TD to seal a loss to OU
-losing in OT in Lincoln after having several chances to win
-collapsing in the 4th against ranked CU in the infamous Snow Bowl (I was there)
-losing to an unremarkable Okie State team with the Big 8 Title on the line

Those are just off the top of my head. Sometimes I don't know why we keep showing up.

We haven't discussed basketball, either. A phantom traveling call on Sam Hill, anyone? Hampton? Michigan State?

Peter

Reruns

Funny how games where ISU finds yet another new way to lose we all feel that we have seen that movie before.

This is reason #1 why the casual fan is never an ISU fan. It's too damn painful.

Peter

Big Jump

Keeler pushed ISU way up in his entertaining Big 23 rankings.

He even has our Clonies in the Texas bowl! I'll have what he's having.

Judging by his rankings he's thinking wins against KSU, CU and Baylor get up to the 6 win threshold.

It's plausible.

Peter

NYC

If you can't go somewhere with good weather for a bowl (Shreveport?) it might as well be New York City.

I know for many BXII fans NY is both Sodom and Gomorrah, and if they can't drive their RV there it just ain't worth doin'.

But a low tier bowl in NY has more style points in the public eye than a low tier bowl in any other cold-weather city.

The down side is the seating chart for football at New Yankee Stadium. The geniuses there managed to make every seat a crappy seat. That's a neat trick.

I also love how they will have to remove baseball box seat to squeeze in both end zones.

It's still worth doing.

Peter

ISU wins a squeaker

Poster boys of good design. Or something.

Peter

"Farmaggeddon"

Is that really how this weekend's game against K State is being marketed?

If it isn't it should be. I like it.

Peter

Money

It shouldn't be a surprise that when you don't win many games you don't have much money to throw at quality assistants.

Quality assistants increase your chances of winning games.

On the whole I'd say we're getting what we pay for.

Peter

Kicking Troubles

While KSU has returned kickoffs for TDs, they are 1-6 in FG tries.

I hope their struggles continue.

Peter