Backing Off the Ledge: Why Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Northwestern Have Reason to Hope
by Chadnudj on Sep 22, 2011 1:00 PM CDT
Email
Print 
This Diamondbacks Fan Has The Right Idea for Iowa, PSU, MSU, OSU, and Northwestern Fans
I'm an optimist. I can't help it, I've always been that way -- I always look on the brighter side of things, and see promise where others see failure. The first time I went ice-skating, I returned proudly and told my mom: "I was great -- I only fell 8 times!"
Laugh away. As Nike via Dwyane Wade will tell you, all that matters is if you get back up after you get knocked down.
Northwestern fandom has done nothing to diminish this optimistic streak. I witnessed Anwawn Jones block a chip-shot FG against 11th ranked Michigan State in 1997 (then coached by Nick Saban....the fact he's a "genius" now after his fairly mediocre showing at East Lansing only shows how important oversigning is to his glory). I screamed at the television during Northwestern's OT win against Wisconsin in Madison and after "Victory Right" at Minnesota in 2000. I kept the faith after Damien Anderson dropped a wide-open TD pass during the greatest game ever played against Michigan in 2000....and was rewarded when Anthony Thomas fumbled and the Cats escaped 54-51. I just don't count the Cats out of a game or season until it's over. My fandom doesn't work that way -- I can't join in the chorus of fans who treat a single loss, no matter how bad, as the end of a season.
Which is why I've hated just about everything I've read from Northwestern fans after the Army loss. Should Northwestern (or, really, any Big Ten team) beat Army? Of course. Is it a bad loss? Maybe (keep in mind -- Army was 7-6 last year, went bowling, and won their bowl game).
Does that loss mean our season is over, or that we have completely unfixable problems that will cause this season to fall apart? Hell no. Zero conference games have been played. Zero. We're all still in this, to some degree (I personally think Wisconsin is clearly the best team, will win the B1G and may be a national title contender, but the rest of us still have a hell of a lot to play for even if that is true)....and we all, still, have some reason to believe.
So for the 2-1 teams that had eyes on the BTN championship/January 1st bowl games (sorry Purdue -- you have reasons for Hope, no pun intended, but probably not THAT much hope) and slipped up, why should you still believe?
Ohio State
You realize you lost your legendary head coach and your senior starting QB AFTER spring practice this year, right? And that you're 2 more games away from getting back your best WR (Devier Posey), best RB (Boom Herron, pictured above), an excellent D-lineman (Solomon Thomas), and a great OL (Mike Adams)?
With those facts in place, it was ALWAYS going to be hard to continue your streak of B1G championships (real or vacated), especially with Wisconsin ascending with the off-season addition of Russell Wilson. But that doesn't mean this season will collapse in failure.
Getting those 4 players back will be key, obviously -- huge boost to the offense (regardless of who is at QB), and some more depth on a defensive line that struggled to stop Miami's running game last week. Colorado is bad, and you'll be fired up to win. Michigan State's offensive line injuries make them vulnerable, and you play them at the Shoe. Nebraska's vaunted defense has been more myth than reality against inferior opposition so far this season, and, oh yeah, you'll have those 4 suspended guys back by then. You're in the Leaders so you get to play Indiana and Purdue who are struggling. Michigan's defense is still a joke. Penn State comes to the 'Shoe with serious questions at QB. Wisconsin, as tough as they are/may be, still have to come to Columbus.
Isn't 9-3 or 10-2 still reasonably in play here? Given the offseason you just had, I'd say that's a fairly good/great outcome (just so long as one of those losses isn't to Michigan, am I right?)
Iowa
First, that Iowa State team you lost to in overtime? They're currently 3-0 after beating UConn, a BCS team last year. It was a rivalry game, and weird stuff happens in those games (see: Minnesota over Iowa in 2010). Get over it, it wasn't a bad loss. (A tough/exasperating loss? Maybe. But not a bad loss.)
Your season was always going to be a bit difficult with the graduation/NFL losses you had in the offseason -- it's tough to replace that much DL talent and a pretty great/steady QB. Vandenberg has frankly been great, and at some point Coker's gonna turn it on, right?
You get to play all three of the B1G bottomfeeders (Minny, Purdue, and Indiana), you get a bye week right before the start of B1G play heading to a Penn State team you've owned recently, Michigan's defense is still a joke, MSU's O-line injury problems are well documented, you miss OSU, Wisconsin, and a tough Illinois team, and (as much as it pains me to say it) at some point Northwestern's run of magic-aided victories over you must end -- quite possibly October 15th under the lights at Kinnick.
Frankly, a VERY strong argument could be made that Iowa will be 10-1 when they travel to Lincoln to play the Bugeaters on the day after Thanksgiving.....a VERY strong argument.
Michigan State
If you were being completely honest, you'd have to admit -- you got a LOT of lucky breaks in 2010, didn't you? And having to replace both tackles and the center on your O-line was always going to be a challenge in 2011. Losing to That Team in South Bend sucks, I'll grant you that, and it particularly stings when you know Big Brother managed to beat them.
But you're still led by one of the most experienced, steady, and accurate QBs in the conference in Kirk Cousins. The offensive line has been banged up and lost some key players for the season, but they'll improve in time. Edwin Baker and Leveon Bell will, at some point soon, absolutely blow up and destroy a team -- they're just too talented not to do so. There's still tremendous talent at the skill positions. You get Ohio State before their suspended quartet returns, Michigan's defense is still a joke, Nebraska hasn't been as crazy dominant as they lead us to believe, and you have games against B1G bottomfeeders Indiana and Minnesota, and unlike Iowa, you've demonstrated the ability to beat Northwestern fairly regularly under Fitz.
9-3? 8-4? Hardly anything to sneeze at. And 10-2? Maybe unlikely, but not impossible to imagine.
Penn State
I'll admit, this is a hard case for me to make, simply because of the QB question marks and a pretty daunting schedule. Until the Matt McGloin/Robert Bolden question gets decided, it's hard to see Penn State joining the conference elite.
But then again....there's Penn State's defense. Look -- holding Alabama to 27 points and less than 375 yards, when your own offense wasn't doing much of anything? Not easy -- I'm sure many if not MOST SEC teams will struggle to hold Bama's offense to 27 points and less than 375 total yards this season. Losing to Alabama is DEFINITELY not a bad loss, which is more than can be said for most of the other teams on this list.
Silas Redd is one of the best running backs in the conference, and Derek Moye is the complete package at wide receiver -- effective catching the ball, running in open field, and blocking. JoePa has been around a long time, as well as his coaching staff, and can make the adjustments necessary. Indiana and Purdue are struggling, Iowa's hex on Penn State has to end sometime, Penn State has owned Northwestern of late, Illinois and Nebraska both have to travel to Happy Valley, and Ohio State's QB question marks mean that if Penn State's defense can stop the run, they'll have a chance to win in Columbus.
9-3 may be a best case scenario given the tough schedule....but it's not impossible. Particularly if the Nittany Lions solve the QB question.
Northwestern
I obviously (and perhaps deservingly) got some flack for saying that Northwestern would go 11-1 this season.
It's still possible, though. Because.....#PersaStrong. As both Adam Rittenberg and Sippin' On Purple report, Dan Persa is back starting October 1st against Illinois.
The loss to Army was, frankly, disappointing as a Cats fan. A B1G team should beat Army almost every time....but the loss was not without glimmers of hope. Going into the season, the biggest question mark was the Northwestern defense. Well, Northwestern's defense held Army to their lowest yardage totals of the year (387 yards, 4.72 yards per play) without 2 starting/rotation D-linemen (Jack DiNardo and Brian Arnfelt), 2 potential pre-season starting LBs (Collin Ellis and Roderick Goodlow), and a starting/rotation safey (Jared Carpenter). Northwestern's defense has only allowed 19.7 ppg, and held 2 pretty good running games at least by reputation (BC/Army) in check/below their averages. Northwestern's defense CERTAINLY isn't great, or necessarily even good....but it's played better than last year.
Where Northwestern struggled against Army was on offense -- only one 10+ play drive (a category Northwestern led the NCAA in last year), only 14 points, a missed field goal, and basically an inability on Kain Colter's part to hit his wide receivers cost the Wildcats this game. Throw in injured RB Adonis Smith, and a still-recovering from a concussion Mike Trumpy (1A and 1B on the depth chart), and the offense didn't move/score enough to win (especially compared to the 2 previous weeks where NU racked up rushing yards against Boston College -- a tough rush defense -- and Eastern Illinois).
This week's bye week came at the exact right time, allowing the Cats to get healthy, and re-focus after a tough loss. No one knows what to expect from Dan Persa....but he was All Big Ten last season, is an extremely accurate passer, has a plethora of talented WRs to target (Jeremy Ebert, Drake Dunsmore, Demetrius Fields, Rashad Lawrence, and Christian Jones among them) and should benefit from what appeared to be (before last week) an improved rushing game.
Illinois is clearly going to be a tough game, but it's a rivalry game, and the Cats should be the healthiest they've been all season and fired up with Persa's return. Michigan's defense is a joke. Fitz has magic to deploy against Iowa. At some point, Penn State's run against Northwestern will end (the last 2 seasons, NU has coughed up 2nd half leads to the Nittany Lions). NU has games against B1G bottomfeeders Minnesota and Indiana (plus a non-con game against Rice) left on the schedule. Michigan State comes to Evanston for the season finale and has a banged up O-line (and needed a near-miracle last season to beat NU). And Nebraska hasn't impressed as much as they assumed they would so far this season. And there are no games against Wisconsin or Ohio State.
11-1 was foolish on my part. But with Dan Persa back, an improved running game and defense, and a schedule against teams that have question marks of their own.....9-3? 10-2? Still in play....
Then again, so is 11-1.....for Northwestern, and all the 2-1 (or for that matter, 3-0) B1G teams this season.
92 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
11-1 is not possible for all the 2-1 teams
They do have to play each other at some point. I like the optimism, though. It’s a nice change of pace from the doomsday predictions, even though those seem more realistic to me at this point.
Manager at BT Powerhouse a Big Ten basketball blog
@babaoreally
by babaoreally on Sep 22, 2011 1:20 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Of course not....
…but any 1 of those teams (and, even, a combination of 2 — OSU doesn’t play either Iowa or Northwestern, so OSU and Iowa/Northwestern) could go 11-1.
Just trying to say that while your team lost, it may not be over. And, in fact, there are reasons to believe “it gets better” for you this season.
Iowa
11-1???
When pigs fly from your confinement lots.
by HuskerInLandOLakes on Sep 22, 2011 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's funny because it happened!
Except they didn’t fly, they got stolen…
When we get the Pig, the Jug and the Axe, we'll have one hell of a picnic
Michigan's defense is still a joke.
(I just wanted to enter that into the record one more time)
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
by Spartan D on Sep 22, 2011 1:39 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
It honestly cannot be said enough.
Look, I get it, Michigan fans are excited. But they’ve been 3-0 while playing terrible defense before….it doesn’t end well.
Frankly, I have them losing this week in the Obligatory Predictions contest. San Diego State is for real….
But remember when we said UConn was for real last year?
Ugh. What a nightmare. It was the ONLY GAME that Michigan’s defense looked good in last year. THE ONLY ONE.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 22, 2011 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions
LOL
San Diego State is playing at 9:00 Pacific time, our coaches know their personnel like the back of their hand, and San Diego State barely beat Army (which is apparently way harder than it looks, judging by Northwestern’s performance). It will be close, but so many things are stacked against the Aztecs.
Fortunately for the Aztecs.....
….the Michigan defense is also stacked against them. Although I might not say “stacked,” so much, as “perilously perched out of position with about as much strength as a house of cards.”
No one's seen any of Michigan's defense
THAT’S the problem
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
I honestly don't think anyone knows what Michigan's defense is like yet
But saying “LOL MICH DEFENSE ARE A JOKE” over and over again is annoying and unintelligent.
Honest answer
The entire Western Michigan game, and I think I watched about half of the Notre Dame game…..
And based on that....
…I think saying that Michigan’s defense is still a joke is a pretty accurate statement.
It really isn't though.
It’s obviously not a typical “Michigan defense”, it’s obviously not an upper-tier Big Ten defense, and it’s obviously not going to get turned around overnight, but Mattison knows what he’s doing (for the most part), the talent is still there — not as good as it usually is but still better than most — and it’s getting better every week. The defense isn’t a sieve anymore, and the defense alone isn’t going to lose us games like it did last year. It’s mediocre, but mediocre is a huge step up from abysmal.
Oh, I agree....
….Michigan’s defense is improving, and is clearly better than last year’s. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expect Michigan’s defense to be turned around relatively quickly (i.e. by next year/2013) by Hoke and Mattison.
But I still don’t think it’s even a “mediocre” defense, at this point — Michigan’s defense is going to lose it quite a few games this season, regardless of what happens with the offense (where they’re one Shoelace hit/turned ankle away from being a complete non-factor). A 7-5 or 8-4 season is what I can see for Michigan — a team that’s improving, but still not there just yet.
I saw the first half of the WMU game, and most of the ND game.
They were LULZ in both instances, with the exception of the 2 turnovers for TDs against Western
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
I was completely buying the optimistic approach
and then you dropped this little gem
at some point Northwestern’s run of magic-aided victories over you must end — quite possibly October 15th under the lights at Kinnick.
I will believe it when I see it good sir!
He sired a baseball team... An orchestra, if you count the bastards!
by SaturdayMorningKegStanzis on Sep 22, 2011 1:48 PM CDT reply actions
(387 yards, 4.72 yards per play)
387 yards is still not so great, even if it WAS Army’s season-low. But you know, small steps…
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 22, 2011 1:52 PM CDT reply actions
Problem was...
…NU’s offense couldn’t stay on the field. I realize I’m grasping at silver linings, but if NU’s offense had sustained a few drives/given the defense some time to breath/rest, that number likely would have been MUCH lower.
I'm working on a post related to this...
…but NU’s offense only had 1 ten-plus play drive against Army. That’s just way too low.
Just like the best offense can be a great defense, the best defense can sometimes be a great offense (particularly when that offense sustains long drives, tiring out the opponent’s defense/keeping their offense cold while getting your defense time to rest between series). Against Army, the offense’s inability to STAY on the field/sustain drives/score points was a huge contributor to the defense’s problems. Not the lone contributor (the 3-4 seemed to be the wrong defense, the injuries didn’t help, etc.), but a big contributor.
And I agree with you about the offense/defense.
I agreed with you big time about the offense minus Persa last season and the pressure put on the defense every game.
But just in regards to Army, I feel like the gameplan had the most to do with the defensive problems. 3-4 = wrong defense.
no adjustements
It’s not just that the 3-4 was wrong, it was the that the 3-4 did not have any wrinkles between plays. It was leaking air out of the tire all game and no one patched it.
I don't think that MSU should be too down...
Watched both ND games previous to the MSU game, they were clearly much better than last year, just mistake prone. Like Texas’s run D last year, gap and position mistakes everywhere (see the KSU game last year, the KSU offense only completed 3 passes all game, and still blew out UT by 30 some). This year, a Texas run D that looks fantastic.
Google's homepage celebrates too much shit.
Problem was that was not the only game Texas's run D got abused
they got LIT UP by UCLA as well. It was humiliating to WATCH that “amazing” Texas run defense get folded up like a little paper doll by what turned out to be a pretty poor UCLA team.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 22, 2011 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions
OSU is in the Leaders, not the Legends
Same with Indiana and Purdue. Not that you could be expected to keep that straight, because they are the silliest division names ever adopted.
Is this guy wearing an OSU shirt?
And is that a NW grad next to him?
by SpartyFever on Sep 22, 2011 2:19 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
I believe I see a MSU O-lineman and Purdue player...
….crumpled with a broken leg/torn ACL down on the steet
Is that
Jim Delany on the street with a Fireman’s safety net that says “B1G Expansion” on it, while screaming, “JUMP HERE! I’LL CATCH YOU”????
Ugh
We’re all in a world of hurt
/begs for 300lb linemen
300+ lb linemen do you no good if they can't block worth a damn.
It boggles my mind that Mike Adams was a first-team all conference selection last year. He’s an amazing run blocker, but on passing plays he just…loses interest?
I remember either Adams or Shugarts getting posterized by Ryan Kerrigan in 09 pretty vividly.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 22, 2011 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions
There's something you don't understand.
Wisconsin’s not locked up in the B1G with all of you. You’re all locked up in the B1G with Wisconsin.
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, OK U!
Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, OK U!
I’m a Sooner born and Sooner bred and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead
Rah Oklahoma, Rah Oklahoma Rah Oklahoma, OK U!
by Bob Genghiskhan on Sep 22, 2011 2:34 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Ha ha, Bret Bielema as Rorschach
I’d probably cast Bo Pelini as Rorschach…Wisconsin is looking like @#*$ing Dr. Manhattan this year.
Better comparison.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 23, 2011 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
uh huh
And OU looks like Bevo’s bitch right now.
by HuskerInLandOLakes on Sep 22, 2011 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions
You're in a tackle football conference now son
grow the fuck up and buckle that chin strap.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 22, 2011 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Off the field, yeah.
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner, OK U!
Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, OK U!
I’m a Sooner born and Sooner bred and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead
Rah Oklahoma, Rah Oklahoma Rah Oklahoma, OK U!
by Bob Genghiskhan on Sep 22, 2011 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I wasn't aware that I was worried.
That being said, I do thank you for your concern.
Watching the Cubs piss it away for 31 years.
by CarolinaHawk on Sep 22, 2011 2:43 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Admittedly.....
…I haven’t been following the Iowa fan reaction to the Cyclones loss as closely as I have the NU fanbase’s overreaction complete and utter meltdown negative response to NU’s loss to Army.
I guess I got sick of some of our over-the-top negative fans (some of whom openly advocate for Fitz to be fired…..something completely idiotic to me, but it seriously happens) and wrote this reponse, assuming there were similarly hyperbolic negative fans at other schools that had suffered a loss already.
Seriously, though — Iowa’s schedule? Lines up pretty well if they can get things going…..probably the team I see as “most likely” among the teams listed above to end up 11-1 or 10-2.
by Chadnudj on Sep 22, 2011 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
A certain sub-set of Iowa fans gets insanely depressed about losses to ISU
We smart ones know that 1) Any team that can beat Texas and Nebraska on the road in the past two seasons is certainly capable of defeating a re-building Iowa team at home and 2) Crazy things happen in rivalry games.
I still see Iowa at 8-4. I think they split the Michigan/MSU game, lose one out of N.W/Penn State (probably PSU) and lose on the road to end the season in Lincoln.
8-4 and a decent bowl destination is a pretty good re-building year to me. I will be happy.
by Torbee on Sep 22, 2011 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed on all points, in terms of NU.
If you had told me, preseason, that Northwestern would be 2-1 heading into the bye WITHOUT Dan Persa for any of those games (but that he’d be back for Illinois going forward), with our defense giving up around 19 ppg and our running game looking (relatively) rejuvenized….I probably take it (although I would have guessed the loss came to BC, not Army). Not ecstatic, but not as negative as seemingly EVERY poster on Lake the Posts or Rivals or (to a lesser degree) SoP seems to be about NU so far.
Still think this is a 8-4 or 9-3 NU team this year…..with an outside chance at even better if Persa is indeed #persastrong.
Haha Chad
I hope you’re not shocked about LTP or Rivals… Negativity?! NO. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS.
And I agree 100% that 8-4/9-3 is in no way outside the realm of possibility, especially if the offense under Persa gets rolling to 2010 levels.
Honestly...
….I’m not shocked. I’m just disappointed and pity them.
Those fans must not be having much fun during what is pretty much the best 4-year stretch of Northwestern football ever…..or enjoying a team undeniably on an upswing in recruiting, fan-interest, competitiveness, facilities, stability, etc.
But being negative is more fun, right?
That way you can be disgruntled and morally outraged and STILL follow a team to Tampa, Dallas, or San Antonio!
I’m pretty damn lucky these have been the three years I got to go to NU (and be in the band). Great sports, great trips.
Pity Party?
It’s not a pity party. we want. Those of us who are upset about the Army loss are generally disappointed that the coaches didn’t adjust to a game plan that wasn’t working. They do it once a year and that is something I hoped Ftiz grew out of. Yes, it’s great NU is respectable now, but these losses do nothing to sop the jNW meme from Io_a or on a more important level convince recruits that NU is a real contender. I know Fitz is young and by no means do I want him gone…. but for a young guy where’s the bravado? Take some risks and see what happens. That was all. Do I think NU can win any game it plays in? Yes. Do I think they can lose any game it plays in? Sadly, yes. But I have still have my season tickets and I still bleed purple and I’ll cheer my butt off every game b/c that is fun and the team is fun.
I certainly don't want one.
I hope that was a general statement. And I agree. I would love Fitz to be brash ON the field as well. Not just insofar as running fake field goals in bowl games, but in mixing things up with gameplans.
Hopefully the B1G schedule will bring that. I’m sure we’ll come out of the bye week improved and better prepared for Illinois.
As a grad student at Iowa who lives in Iowa City, there is indeed that element.
A vocal minority of Hawkeye fans believe there is no reason, save bad coaching, that Iowa shouldn’t go 12-0 and play for the MNC every year.
Every time Iowa loses, I have a buddy who calls and/or posts on Facebook a call for Ferentz, Parker, and O’Keefe to be fired for being overly-conservative, stupid, and generally bad coaches. No joke.
I would say every CFB fanbase has this element with, ahem, “unrealistic” expectations, but as a Gopher fan I know that is not the case.
by Midnight Rambler on Sep 22, 2011 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
victim of 2002
Well said… and you are a victim of how good Iowa was in 2002. If there was a playoff, Iowa and USC would have played in the championship that year (imho).
It still doesn't make me feel better to know
that Iowa got trounced in that mythical championship game.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 23, 2011 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
I was there.
After halftime it never really felt as if Iowa was in that game. I think it was the performance by Shedaisy that did it.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 23, 2011 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions
C'mon 8 or fewer wins.
I want some delicious Chicago food.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
Oh, you mean the
FIRE KIRK FERENTZ contingent. Yes, those people need to die in a fire.
by mikjones24 on Sep 22, 2011 4:38 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Almost as unbelieveable....
….as the “Fitz is overrated/Fitz should be fired” contingency.
Fitz, Ferentz, Bielema, JoePa, and Dantonio are on seats about as cold as they could possibly be…..all seem to be/are the right guys for their schools, and each school (save, MAYBE, PSU) would see a huge drop-off with any reasonable replacement they would find. Which makes the fans who want them fired (after 1 loss this season, no less) all the more stupid/insane….
it's sad
I like to be critical of a game here or there of coaches when they missed the mark. That said, I would not want any other coach than Fitz right now. He gets it and I believe his in-game decisions will start to match his coaching he makes the rest of the week/year.
Oh, absolutely
And they come out of the woodwork following any Iowa State loss. A portion of the fanbase has um…we’ll call them “differing viewpoints” about the coordinators (especially the offensive coordinator) but you can’t find one self-respecting Iowa fan who really wants him gone. It’s those mouthbreathers who give us a bad name.
Wow.
Yeah, we have one of those guys re: Fitz on SoP. Did you know Fitz is also too patriotic for having a little flag pin on?
And as for KOK and Norm… Haha a fire probably isn’t good enough for people who want to get rid of them. More like a Cold Star or something.
Yes. And the first reference in any of their shrill, incoherent rants
is a reference to his paycheck. Clearly they don’t understand how an investment works.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 23, 2011 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Totally agree with this
in regard to Iowa’s schedule. If they don’t beat themselves (which they are eminently capable of doing on any given Saturday), they ought to win the next 8 games. And if Nebraska loses to Wisky and tOSU, they could have the division title wrapped up before they go to Lincoln…
"You've got to play to win. There's a very tricky shading of meaning here. When the game is over, it's not important whether you won. But during the game, it's vitally important that you win. Not to look good, but to win!" - Forest Evashevski, Iowa's one and only Rose Bowl-winning coach
by BamaGatorHawk on Sep 22, 2011 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions
btw
as an iowa fan, i enjoy beating myself
Private Joker, he's silly and he's ignorant, but he's got guts and guts is enough. Now you ladies carry on!
by privatejoker on Sep 23, 2011 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Are you serious?
Some Northwestern fans want Fitz fired? That doesn’t compute. He’s your coach for the next 30 years as long as he wants it.
"When a guy takes off his coat, he's not going to fight. When a guy takes off his wristwatch, watch out!"
- Al McGuire
www.anonymouseagle.com
by Warrior Brad on Sep 22, 2011 8:18 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm dead serious
Those fans are ignorant, delusional, and represent a VERY small minority…..but they seem to post with regularity on Rivals and Lake the Posts.
LTP posters
There are about 5 posters on LTP that are known to be “pessimists”. What I agree on with most NU fans is that Fitz has done a good job. He’s also raised the recruiting levels and the bar for what success means. That means when that bar is not met or exceeded, the boo birds come out. I laughed at one of the posters from LTP when he went quiet after the Army loss. He only likes to post when NU wins to say NU is down, etc. When the lose unexpectedly, he’s quiet because people don’t agree. So, Chadnudj believes the Army loss wasn’t that bad and posts reasons as such. I hear them and they are valid to some degree, but I thought the team should have overcome them. But I don’t think that NU is outclassed by the rest of the big ten and is in a death spiral. I do think Illinois is improved and NU has to play really well to win, but that’s true of every team in the big ten save the three teams that are currently down right now (but improving).
So who are they?
Who wants Fitz fired? I don’t read Rivals, but read LTP and SoP pretty much daily, and I can’t think of one person that has called for his head.
Who are they?
I haven’t heard anyone calling for them to fire Fitz directly, but some have implied that with their rhetoric that he can’t coach and he’s maxed already. Some have called for McCall and Hankowitz and even a new O-line coach or perhaps someone to be an “assistant head coach” to give Fitz a new perspective.
There are another group of posters who see NU as 4-8 or a 5-7 team even if indications say otherwise (After Army their argument has more credibility). DT/Henry in CT are notoriously pessimistic on LTP, but I don’t think the NU fan base is any more frustrated than any other when the team performs below expectations.
I don't know about the other Northwestern fans
but I Beebelieve.
Definitely. ALways. Go Hawks. but....
this thread would be much different had they not come back this last weekend. If the offense can show that this past Qtr of play wasn’t a fluke(same for the Def), then I think our team is closer to what we all believed it would be going into the season. That would be nice to win the rest of them. Unlikely with all the new starters, but possible. It certainly helps that ISU has continued to play well and appears to legitimate team this year. I’m actually pulling for them against Texas in 9 days.
Skol!
Did Marty McFly have a time machine??? YES.
WE don’t. Iowa orchestrated the best comeback in aprox 120 years of CFB.
Go Hawks. Play like a TEAM. And if you’ve been on scholarship for four years and think you need to leave after game 3 – thenso be it.
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
by BentNotBroken on Sep 22, 2011 7:02 PM CDT up reply actions
I was only talking Iowa Hawkeyes CFB.
Like I always do
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
by BentNotBroken on Sep 22, 2011 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Nitpick: Calling Adams a great OT is an insult to great OTs that this conference has produced in the past.
Orlando Pace, Joe Thomas, Jake Long, Robert Gallery, Gabe Carimi, Jeff Backus, Jon Jansen… Adams doesn’t deserve to be considered with any of them. Why?
He’s wildly inconsistent. Great run blocker, unreliable pass protector. I would take Ricky Wagner over Mike Adams 5 times out of 5, not as a homer, but because I’ve seen Adams play and he simply is not worth the ridiculous hype. I didn’t see any vast changes in Adams’s technique between the Wisconsin game (where he got victimized on running plays, which are typically his strength) and the end of the year. Yet he still gets All-Big Ten hype. Ridiculous.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Sep 22, 2011 8:46 PM CDT reply actions
Truth in Transposition Errors:
can make the adjustments necessary
Indeed, our offensive coaches do appear to specialize in making adjustments necessary. We will soon see if they can make the necessary adjustments.
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world" -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ohio State is probably going to look like 2004 Ohio State.
Take their early lumps while the inexperienced quarterback learns how to be a player, then hit stride late and finish on a 6-1 tear with a bowl win. Or it’ll be flames and pain from here out. It could go either way.
"You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm."
-William T. Sherman, the Battle of Atlanta
2004 Ohio State?
Considering this Iowa offense resembles the 2004 version, I’m sad the Hawkeyes are missing the Buckeyes this season.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 23, 2011 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Play for overtime?
FIRE KIRK FER…
OK, maybe not but if anybody wants to egg his house the next time he does that, I’ll buy the eggs.
"If you need a rah-rah speech at halftime, you’re playing the wrong sport." - Pat Angerer
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Off Tackle Empire
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
