Stop It Already!

What is it about summer that brings up this topic every dang year?this topic every dang year?

Unless ISU can suddenly:

A. Move 1000 miles East, AND
B. Aquire a couple of million people curious about their sports teams in the Boston-to-DC Corridor, AND
C. Attract the daily of The World Wide Leader In Sports

ISU isn't moving to the Big TenEleven to make it the Big TenTwelve. No way, no how. Forget it.

SUI gets booted to the B12 to replace CU before the opposite happens.

Don't Worry SUI Fans

Athletics are still in charge in Iowa City.

Peterclone

Interesting view from ESPN

ESPN is ranking each DI program over the past 10 years, and puts ISU at #66- which is about where Sagarin starts ISU every dang year.

Given the 52-67 record over those 10 years, it is surprising that ISU went to 5 bowl games in that span. When they were bad, though, they have been atrocious.

I shudder to think where ISU would have ranked over the previous 10 prior to the '97 season. Now there was some impressively bad football.

Teams of interest: Okie State at #56, Mizzou at #62, past foe Northern Illinois at #65, KU #83, Baylor #101.

USC is #1, OSU #2, Texas #3, OU #5, NU# 13 (still milking the '97 Shared National Title) KSU #20, SUI #25 (far below where their fans think they belong, no?) a$m is #32, Tech is surprisingly #35(Quote: "Texas Tech has won 56 games since 2000 -- only Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska have won more games among Big 12 Conference teams." Huh. Who would have guessed that?), CU #49

Opening paragraph from the article that accompanies this batch of teams states:

"...here is a nether region of programs in college football that tend to be just decent enough that their coaches retain their jobs. Yet these teams never get over the proverbial hump and make it to a bowl game you'd watch for more than 10 minutes."

Sums up ISU under Dan, doesn't it?

Here's hoping Gene somehow gets ISU over that #50 hump.

Peterclone

LE, old players, and Barry Stevens

The Stevens fundraiser was a nice event. It was well produced, a nice crowd showed up on a geourgous afternoon when a million other activities cried out for your time, and the basketball was on a higher level than I expected.

Guys looked like they gave a damn about how they played, and were working hard to get the assist and not let somebody else show them up.

It was good to see LE again, and he looked at peace with himself, comfortable in his skin in every way that he wasn't when he was coaching here. He was greeted as the Prodigal Son, and when Greg gets hired away after a fantastic run here, (yes, I've drunk the Kool Aid.) I would be all for hiring LE back, sober, tan, rested and ready.

While there are no second acts in America, there are second halves in sports.

Peterclone

We're 11th!

At least according to the preseason writers. The drop off in votes from Cu to ISU isn't as steep as it is from Tech to Baylor. Thus, I declare ISU 11th.

Glass Half Full.

Peterclone

Topic for the next BBQ

Following the thread this writer takes on TCU/Baylor:

Would ISU fans be happier winning in a lesser football conference- WAC, MWC, CUSA, etc- than getting its brains beaten out year over year, with the occasional (failed) shot at the title?

Discuss.

Peterclone

Big Red Network Thinks We'll Stink

I know, that could be the headline from any Nebraska-centric preview the last 75 years, but they are thinking another oh-for in the B12, and they equate ISU with Ball State. Ouch.

Read enough previews and somewhere you will find the consensus. I think this one is overly pessimistic.

ISU will get 1 conference win. ;-)

Peterclone

Fun to get you through the summer

This makes me wish I had an old GameDay on the Tivo. It's worth having friends over on a road game weekend.

Peterclone

#138

Well, nowhere to go from there but up.

Peterclone

Average

We're not the only ones who think KF was living the good life for a few
years: SI
has noticed that his job has gotten harder over the last few
years.

KF rose while ND, IL and OSU were slumping. Now all are beating SUI for recruits.

Money quote:

"And Iowa? Ferentz's top signee from the state (Illinois) was a kicker, Ryan Donahue. Iowa State had more top commitments from Illinois than the Hawkeyes did. Ouch."

Schadenfreude.

Peterclone

Roadie?

As much as I hate Vegas, a game against Purdue might be enough to get me there.

Peterclone

Opportunity

I am always amazed at the parade of "student" athletes who find some stupid way of losing what may be the most valuable opportunity of their lives.

Today's "student" athlete is Mike Taylor. Leading scorer Mike Taylor. Could make a little (but probably not alot) of money playing basketball. Now he's "former Cyclone" Mike Taylor.

I did lots of dumb things in college. I also maanged to never be cited, let alone arrested. I can't fathom the series of stupid things you have to do to be arrested three times in a single school year.

Idiot.

On the up side, there are now 38 minutes a night that somebody is going to get to fill. If Greg recruited with the promise "You'll play right away", he wasn't kidding.

Peterclone

It must be working

JP is holding firm to his "you gotta buy season" pledge. A bunch of Politicos chose to buy singles through SUI than pony up for season tickets through Jamie. Good for both.

I'm impressed JP is sticking to his guns. The fact that a record number of tickets have been sold helps once intestinal fortitude.

I'm glad the politicos chose to buy singles. Selling them season tickets would have meant cash up front, but a bunch of empty seats the rest of the season. Sell to folks who want to come every week, not just the Big Game Fan. Plus they will have a lousy view in one of the corners, and will have to sit next to some drunken sod screaming expletives every time SUI fails on third-and-whatever. SUI fans have become a bitter bunch now that they are merely average.

Good job Jamie.

Peterclone

Scheduling Similarity

Mizzou has undertaken the same scheduling philosophy so familiar to ISU fans: One BCS opponent (in our case, SUI every year), one I-AA team, and home-home with non-BCS DI teams.

JP is quoted extensively in the article, but there is one line that jumps out at me: "and home-and-home games against two I-A teams that Pollard considers comparable to Iowa State’s talent level."


If JP really said that, I admire his candor. I think ISU has been picking noncon opponents that they should beat two out of three, and for the last few years has shown the right level of difficulty for the program.

If the writer inserted that description, then we know what writers in Columbia think of ISU football. Not that it is off the mark, but I always like confirmation of my suspicions. Feww illusions of grandure here.

This also raises a larger point. I personally am a fan of what Bobby Bowden did at FSU 30 years ago: as an independant, FSU took an "any place, any time" philosphy to scheduling and played some impressive road games: Pitt, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Auburn, plus home-home with both Florida and Miami each year. Either you buuild a heck of a program or die trying.

I realize the economics discourage that kind of scheduling now, even with a bidding war on for decent Mid-Major football opponents. But a guy's gotta dream.

Peterclone

Jason, please move

If you insist on doing dumb things, can you at least do them outside the 515?

Peterclone

Future Growth

JP bring an interesting perspective to the B12. He witnessed growth in revenue in the B1011 via TV, and belives the same can happen if the B12 goes to full revenue sharing. It works in the NFL, and explains the difference between the Yankees and Royals in MLB.

Every ISU fan should support it, socialistic tendancies aside.

The OWH covered it very nicely in May. I'm surprised the Rag didn't mention it. I know they have a subscription.

Peterclone