ISU vs Texas Post-Game Analysis

Jeremy · 10-13-2007, 04:34 PM

ISU vs Texas Post-Game Analysis
CycloneFanatic.com
Jeremy Lind

A few random thoughts leading to a more in-depth analysis...

At today's game I felt exactly like I did back in the early 90's, not a fun feeling to be back to.

We were embarrassing at our lack of execution on the field and this will go down as one of the more depressing defeats in a long time. I have to give the staff credit though because they're limited in what they can call since the offense hasn't proven they can execute regardless. If we had the offense we thought we did going into the season, we'd have a far bigger play book.

Todd Blythe is the most over-rated receiver in the history of college football. He may be able to go up for the jump ball but this kid only gives it his all about every fourth or fifth play. He pushes off, doesn't run good routes and simply goes through the motions all too often. Only when he knows he's getting the ball does he go all out. Did the success of his first two years get to him or was he just over hyped back then? I would have to say he was way over-rated by the way he's played the last year and a half.

Bret Meyer joins Blythe as one of the most over-rated players of all time. Just like Blythe, Meyer doesn't seem to play with his head in the game at most times. He makes fundamental mistakes that even a rookie would have a hard time repeating. To leave Meyer as the starting QB would not only be unfair to Arnaud and Bates, it'd be dangerous to the future of our program.

This was by far one of the worst poundings I think we've ever had. The score might not be the worst we've had but I think that's probably the worst complete game we've ever had. This isn't an extra-ordinary Texas team and we looked like **** on both sides of the ball every single drive. To suggest our offense or defense just didn't perform would be putting it lightly; we simply didn't look like a D-1 program today. I am sad to say it but there's not a team in the country we would have beaten today with the all around performance we put forth.

There is no moral victory or any way to spin this game. I fully expect Meyer to be on the bench to start against OU and the coaching staff needs to make some major changes in all areas to even have a chance of keeping any game in the respectable range. We're done playing for this year; we need to start playing for next year and the future. We have some young guys on the team that could really use the experience that the remaining games could provide. Start Arnaud, play Bates, find somebody that can make contact with a ball and start them at kicker, just don't make us sit through that again.

I'm very supportive of a new coaching staff and hate to question 'em but this game shows that we simply are the worst team in college football as far as talent goes. We have a lack of leadership on both sides of the ball and lack players that have even some of the most fundamental of football skills.

At this point we're going to need some recruiting miracles and coups to get things going again. To say we're good at anything would be a blatant lie. There isn't a position on the team that I feel comfortable with our talent level at. With very few recruits on board for next year, we have a long ways to go before I'd bet on us against any team out there. Every team in the Big XII is passing us by, that includes Baylor and Colorado. We've been long passed by Kansas and Missouri and are just about to be left in the dust by the other bottom-feeders. We had a chance to right the ship before everybody else set sail and we're quickly running out of time and taking on water.

Today starts the beginning of the toughest job Pollard and Chizik have ever faced. Not only do they have to get people to come to the remaining games, they have to start getting people excited for next year. Let's face it, hype and promise of a new era sold tickets this year and that won't happen next year. While I think this staff can take us to great places, they have a lot of work ahead of them to get others to believe in them.

There are pretty much two camps of Clones right now; those that are blaming the coaches and those that are blaming the players. I put myself on the side of blaming the players but at some point the staff will have to be held responsible. While it's unknown how many of our players are underachieving and how many were simply over-hyped by the prior coaching staff, it's clear we need more players of higher caliber. Once we get some of Chizik's recruits on the field, I'm confident things will change. The only problem is how far we have to go before seeing the light.

I completely understand building a program takes time and I'm fully committed to giving the staff several years to get things going. The only thing I worry about is the portion of the fanbase that isn't so understanding. It's been a rough year and it'll most likely get far worse before things turn around. With a talent level far below what's needed to be competitve, it could take several years of recruiting classes to get things back to a suitable level.

Note: As always, feel free to write-up your analysis and we'll consider posting it to the front-page. All opinions matter and that includes yours.

dinger · 10-13-2007, 04:40 PM

i agree with much of this, including meyer is over-rated and needs to be on the bench to start the OU game. however, i cant agree that blythe too is over-rated. i can only imagine what he might be able to do with a good quarterback. one that might look of a DB or two even once every 10 plays. just something that would get him wide open just one play a game. (see first texas offensive play for good example)

Skyh13 · 10-13-2007, 04:41 PM

I'm personally losing faith in Blythe. It seems like half the time he doesn't really try. However, if he did try, he'd be great. I dunno.

Either way, I foresee a severe drop in season ticket sales next year.

Jeremy · 10-13-2007, 04:42 PM

The thing that prevents Blythe from being great is that he won't play at 100% on every play. He doesn't do enough when he doesn't have the ball to make him a sure thing at the next level. He may be talented but he hasn't done anything the past year and a half to prove it.

brianhos · 10-13-2007, 04:44 PM

A drop in tickets would be good, then we can all move up before the team gets good, if they ever get good again.

CyinCo · 10-13-2007, 04:45 PM

Jeremy, I agree with almost everything you said, except that hype and promise sold tickets this year. If anyone really thought we would win more than 3 or 4 games this year, they were crazy. I wouldn't call that unreasonable hype. I don't think we'll win another game and 1 win is way worse than 4 but I still don't feel like Pollard and\or Chizik set up fans for unreasonable expectations. I think that was the fans own doings.

ISUAlum2002 · 10-13-2007, 04:47 PM

Do you guys realize that we have lost 11 of our last 12 conference games? And the one win we got in that stretch took a questionable holding call to get it. I understand that we're in rebuilding mode.......but seriously, is our talent gap really this large?

Losing games like these, the way they are lost, on TV, is the reason that we don't end up on TV. There should be no more complaining the rest of this season about not being on TV. Performances like today's are exactly why we aren't. And the secondary result of games like these is what it does to recruiting. What recruit wants to come play for a program that never makes it on TV and is rarely competitive against the big boys? Getting on TV is what gets these guys noticed and gets them to the next level.

Coach is in for a long, hard slog.

Kyle · 10-13-2007, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jeremy

The thing that prevents Blythe from being great is that he won't play at 100% on every play. He doesn't do enough when he doesn't have the ball to make him a sure thing at the next level. He may be talented but he hasn't done anything the past year and a half to prove it.

I didn't have any qualms with Blythe for the first half of the game that I watched, except for the dropped fade in the endzone. Meyer's throws were complete crap much of the time though. Even the ones that were caught were due to receivers making adjustments (see the play Blythe's helmet got ripped off while making the catch).

Skyh13 · 10-13-2007, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Do you guys realize that we have lost 11 of our last 12 conference games? And the one win we got in that stretch took a questionable holding call to get it. I understand that we're in rebuilding mode.......but seriously, is our talent gap really this large?

Losing games like these, the way they are lost, on TV, is the reason that we don't end up on TV. There should be no more complaining the rest of this season about not being on TV. Performances like today's are exactly why we aren't. And the secondary result of games like these is what it does to recruiting. What recruit wants to come play for a program that never makes it on TV and is rarely competitive against the big boys? Getting on TV is what gets these guys noticed and gets them to the next level.

Coach is in for a long, hard slog.

Pretty much. If ANYTHING comes from Chizik's time here... the man will have pulled off some miracles.

Drive4cy · 10-13-2007, 04:56 PM

I don't understand why people are so down on Blythe. Maybe people had it in their minds that he was Randy Moss or something but he's never been that great of player. He's a really good WR, but never great. Chizik has been singing his praises the last couple weeks for how much he's fighting out there so to say Todd is giving a halfazz effort wouldn't be accurate. His blocking has improved a lot since the beginning of the season and he made one of the best catches I've ever seen today when he got his helmet stripped off as the ball was approaching him.

I'd worry more about our defense that made Texas look like the Kurt Warner led St. Louis Rams of a few years back.

ornryactor · 10-13-2007, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Losing games like these, the way they are lost, on TV, is the reason that we don't end up on TV. There should be no more complaining the rest of this season about not being on TV. Performances like today's are exactly why we aren't. And the secondary result of games like these is what it does to recruiting. What recruit wants to come play for a program that never makes it on TV and is rarely competitive against the big boys? Getting on TV is what gets these guys noticed and gets them to the next level.

The frightening thing is that I heard rumors from three different people that the Oklahoma game next week is going to be on the 8:something (8:25? 8:45?) ESPN national slot next week, since there's nothing else happening in the Big Twelve. Getting our heads handed to us on a crimson platter is going to be bad enough, but doing so on national television would be terrible for a program that's already drowning in negatives.

For once, I really, really hope we're NOT on TV...

chiefsnclones · 10-13-2007, 05:24 PM

colt mccoy is not that good, i don't have him in my top 5 in the conference for quarterbacks and we made him look like the greatest player of all time. completely agree that meyer needs to sit, we have to play for what little future we may have and he is somehow digressing as a player. as far as todd blythe goes, i have never thought he was a great receiver. he can catch a football...i can do that and so can many others i know. a great receiver can impact the game anytime he touches the ball such as malcolm kelly, desean jackson, jeremy maclin, percy harvin...you get the idea. we have no one on the team that has near that ability. i am just glad we don't play baylor this year so we can't officially prove we are the worst team in the big twelve. if we hold our next two opponents to under a combined 120 points or so, i will be shocked. i like our coaching staff, but they have a lot of work to do to get this team to compete against anyone in the conference

Drive4cy · 10-13-2007, 05:31 PM

I still love Meyer, but there's no doubt it's time to look at AA or Bates as the starter. Only problem is, do you take the chance of getting AA roughed up next week and give him the start or let Bret start the next two games and give AA the keys the last three games once the schedule calms down? Personally, I'd probably start Austin Saturday just because we have no chance of winning that game regardless of who starts at QB. I get the feeling the Arnaud era is about ready to begin.

brianhos · 10-13-2007, 05:31 PM

Is everyone out drinking or something. It is really quiet for after a game....

twojman · 10-13-2007, 05:42 PM

Today was embarrassing for the ISU program in general. The team did not look like they wanted to play, play calling was not great and the fans were flat out pathetic. The whole program needs some psychological help. After Texas scored their first TD, the wind went out of everyone's sails, fans and players. Fans and players have to help each other out, we need to cheer more and they need to play with some emotion.

Oh and tell Todd Blythe it is ok to stretch out for a reception. I have seen him short-arm several this season so he would not have to be hit.