Hawks are happy with mediocrity!

**ketelmeister** · 11-11-2007, 10:36 AM

No question the Hawks have lowed their expectations for the football program. They are downright giddy with being average. Maybe that's a good thing for them, but sure different from past seasons. Whatever bowl they go to will be the best one we can be assured of that.

**cytheguy** · 11-11-2007, 10:50 AM

After starting the season 2-4, I'd be thrilled to finish 7-5 if I was in their shoes. Especially with so much youth.

Now if they can just keep those young guys out of jail.

**rhillary** · 11-11-2007, 11:15 AM

This is why I can't stand the Hawks or the Big 10. Yeah they started 2-4 and turned it around but they are in the Big 10! They didn't even play the top 2 teams this year.

The hawkeyes easily have 5 games a year that are almost an auto lock for a W. They play 3 easy non-conference games (and if they didn't suck against ISU, you could argue 4), then they ALWAYS play Minnesota (who are terrible, and ALWAYS end the season terribly), and throw in either Northwestern, Indiana, or Purdon't and you have atleast 5 wins every year for an AVERAGE team. All the hawks have to do is win 2 "maybes" to get 7 wins!

In a nutshell, I get angry with them being excited about being 6-5 when the best team they played was Wisconsin. As a clone fan, I would rather play Wissy than: OU, Texas, Texas Tech, Missouri, and Kansas. As long as Iowa doesn't have Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule I will EXPECT them to win atleast 7 or 8, so they still a mediocre team AT BEST!

**SplitIdentity** · 11-11-2007, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by rhillary

This is why I can't stand the Hawks or the Big 10. Yeah they started 2-4 and turned it around but they are in the Big 10! They didn't even play the top 2 teams this year.

The hawkeyes easily have 5 games a year that are almost an auto lock for a W. They play 3 easy non-conference games (and if they didn't suck against ISU, you could argue 4), then they ALWAYS play Minnesota (who are terrible, and ALWAYS end the season terribly), and throw in either Northwestern, Indiana, or Purdon't and you have atleast 5 wins every year for an AVERAGE team. All the hawks have to do is win 2 "maybes" to get 7 wins!

In a nutshell, I get angry with them being excited about being 6-5 when the best team they played was Wisconsin. As a clone fan, I would rather play Wissy than: OU, Texas, Texas Tech, Missouri, and Kansas. As long as Iowa doesn't have Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule I will EXPECT them to win atleast 7 or 8, so they still a mediocre team AT BEST!

Apparently, you don't usually follow the Big Ten.

Minnesota usually is a decent team - and can be good for a few upsets ever year.

Wisconsin, Purdue, and Michigan State are never push-overs.

This season, Illinois (a team Iowa beat in IC) went on the road and beat the #1 team in the nation. Wisconsin dominated Michigan, and Michigan State (another team people were convinced was a bad team) went to West Laffy and dominated Purdue.

I don't care how you spin it, but the Big Ten has 10 teams with 6+ wins. Even if the Big Ten is "Weak", you don't see that in other conferences.

**keepngoal** · 11-11-2007, 12:28 PM

all truth will be told in Bowls. I don't expect much from the Big11Ten, again this year.

-keep

**isuno1fan** · 11-11-2007, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by SouthernHawk

Apparently, you don't usually follow the Big Ten.

Minnesota usually is a decent team - and can be good for a few upsets ever year.

Wisconsin, Purdue, and Michigan State are never push-overs.

This season, Illinois (a team Iowa beat in IC) went on the road and beat the #1 team in the nation. Wisconsin dominated Michigan, and Michigan State (another team people were convinced was a bad team) went to West Laffy and dominated Purdue.

I don't care how you spin it, but the Big Ten has 10 teams with 6+ wins. Even if the Big Ten is "Weak", you don't see that in other conferences.

Acutally, the Big 12 had 9 in 2006 with 6 wins and it was argued it was by far the weakest conference when in reality it was a bunch of average teams beating up on each other just like the Big 10 is this year top to bottom.

**JHudd** · 11-11-2007, 12:30 PM

It happens when your teams trade wins with each other, some call it parity and some call it crap. It doesn not mean your conference is strong it more likely means that they are all average and playing at the same level. No more, no less.

**brianhos** · 11-11-2007, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by SouthernHawk

Apparently, you don't usually follow the Big Ten.

Minnesota usually is a decent team - and can be good for a few upsets ever year.

Minnesota is usually a decent team until mid oct. That team historically folds worse than mizzou does.

**everyyard** · 11-11-2007, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by SouthernHawk

Apparently, you don't usually follow the Big Ten.

Minnesota usually is a decent team - and can be good for a few upsets ever year.

Wisconsin, Purdue, and Michigan State are never push-overs.

This season, Illinois (a team Iowa beat in IC) went on the road and beat the #1 team in the nation. Wisconsin dominated Michigan, and Michigan State (another team people were convinced was a bad team) went to West Laffy and dominated Purdue.

I don't care how you spin it, but the Big Ten has 10 teams with 6+ wins. Even if the Big Ten is "Weak", you don't see that in other conferences.

they all get about 6 wins because they are all so mediocre that it is set up that they all beat eachother. Parity doesn't equal quality and if Iowa had to play oklahoma, texas, tech, a&M, ksu, Neb (most years), and now ku and mizzou they wouldn't stand a chance of coming back from 2-4. Thank the big10 for the comeback and thank iowa's idiot fans for the likely much more descent bowl than they deserve that iowa is now likely to get.

**Cydkar** · 11-11-2007, 12:35 PM

Southern, the Big 10 is crap this year and Iowa didn't play the top 2 in this crap year. Minnesota is HORRIBLE and you could barely beat them. You beat a good Illinois team but Zooker had two major brain farts that led to that. Iowa should be commended for bouncing back but should still be ridiculed for their play overall. It was pathetic football.

**everyyard** · 11-11-2007, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by keepngoal

all truth will be told in Bowls. I don't expect much from the Big11Ten, again this year.

-keep

maybe, but because of the income their tv's generate the bowls usually find the big10 teams favorable matchups. ie good name brand teams in mediocre years so the big 10 teams can puff out their chest if they win and forget it if they lose. The year we played alabama would be a good example of a classic big10 bowl matchup...one of the few times it has happened to us. We get the opposite. A less than brand name team that is having one of its greatest years ever and even if we have had a pretty good year the bowls seem to want to keep us down hence matchups with pitt, bsu, tcu, miami...it is really a joke when you have a 9 win season and end up in the insight bowl. Iowa would have been capital one or better with the same exact record. Bowls are a joke. The big10 is a joke.

**herbiedoobie** · 11-12-2007, 01:12 AM

I agree with everyyard. Kind of like the year that the completely emasculated Colorado third string lost to Wisconsin.

That year, the Little XI lost every game but one to the MAC schools in the "MAC challenge", yet won 7 out of 8 bowl games against creampuffs with historic names. And then we had to listen to the shrill voices of hawkfan and his Little XI buddies about how "dominant" the Little XI is.

**troyrew** · 11-12-2007, 06:58 PM

ISU plays such a hard schedule come on

3 lousy team and Iowa in the preseason

the big 12 north has been terrible until this year.

Baylor OSU and Texas Am 2 out of 4 years.

Iowa misses Mich and osu for the first time in forever ISU missed TEX and Okie half the time

**LindenCy** · 11-12-2007, 07:04 PM

I just think it is stupid that conferences have gotten so large that you don't play every team once. That is inane (and also insane if you though I made a typo

). I liked the Big 8. We played 7 teams once and 4 NC games and that was great. The Big 10 used to play everyone but one team once till they became 11. And with the 12th game, they should just play everyone once and be done with it. They could do 10 conference games and two NC. I know this will NEVER happen, but then at least you know the league champion is the champion and didn't get lucky. If they still had 10 teams they could do a 9-3 split and that seems doable.

**SplitIdentity** · 11-12-2007, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by LindenCy

I just think it is stupid that conferences have gotten so large that you don't play every team once. That is inane (and also insane if you though I made a typo

). I liked the Big 8. We played 7 teams once and 4 NC games and that was great. The Big 10 used to play everyone but one team once till they became 11. And with the 12th game, they should just play everyone once and be done with it. They could do 10 conference games and two NC. I know this will NEVER happen, but then at least you know the league champion is the champion and didn't get lucky. If they still had 10 teams they could do a 9-3 split and that seems doable.

Just FYI, you made a type-o when you were talking about making a type-o

And I agree with you - I would also like to see teams play everybody in their conference at least once.