Can Iowa State be the Boise State of the Midwest?

**ISUFan22** · 04-26-2007, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by cycook

I'm more confident that ISU would tear up the WAC than I am that Boise State would win the Big 12 North.

I thought you were kidding. I thought it was a joke, I even wrote it down in my diary. "cycook had a very funny joke today." I laughed at it later that night.

But no...it seems you are quite serious. Perhaps you were watching a different ISU football team from the rest of the world.

**9seven** · 04-26-2007, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

I thought you were kidding. I thought it was a joke, I even wrote it down in my diary. "cycook had a very funny joke today." I laughed at it later that night.

But no...it seems you are quite serious. Perhaps you were watching a different ISU football team from the rest of the world.

I'm with 22, there is no way we would of went undefeated with Boise State's schedule. We were really bad last year! Previous years we would of definately tore up the WAC, not last year!

**cycook** · 04-26-2007, 02:10 PM

Nice "original" humor 22, and apparently you guys did not see where I talked about the previous 6 or 7 seven seasons and not just LAST YEAR. Yea, a lot of teams, including ISU, would have killed for Boise State's season last year and I have already given them credit for that. Boise State is known for ONE great season. Is that what we're shooting for? I certainly hope not.

**ISUFan22** · 04-26-2007, 02:35 PM

What...our 6/7 win seasons? Over whom exactly? We beat a good Iowa team in '02 and a slumping Husker program in '02 and '04. That's about it.

We lost to bad teams such as Baylor and UConn. We lost to a TCU team, viewed to be similar to BSU. Heck, we struggled to beat Baylor and Miami(OH) in '04. In '05, we barely beat Army and had trouble against Illinois State. In that same year, (aside from the two games just mentioned) unless we blew you out, you beat us because we couldn't close a game out in the 4th quarter.

So tell me...how is a team like that going to take anyone by storm?

If winning a BSC bowl over the the best team in a major conference is shooting too low - then call me someone with low expectations.

**cycook** · 04-26-2007, 05:06 PM

If winning a BSC bowl over the the best team in a major conference is shooting too low - then call me someone with low expectations.

Do you keep missing the part where I commended them for a great season last year? That's ONE huge win in ONE great season, all of those other "great" seasons of their's that were pointed out really didn't have too many quality wins. If ISU has a one or two loss season, you better believe that we'll have quite a few quality wins. And, when I first started on this topic, it wasn't meant to get into how good Boise State really is or how dominant ISU could be in the WAC; it was meant to prove that we can't really ever be fairly compared to their program.

**ketelmeister** · 04-26-2007, 05:23 PM

I think we all agree that ISU has work to do to win..and we hope the right man for the job. Chizik said today on the radio, there's more to winning that just talent. It takes the right coaching, the right schemes and the right attitude by the players to win. Boise has the swagger, let's hope we can get it.

**ISUFan22** · 04-26-2007, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by cycook

Do you keep missing the part where I commended them for a great season last year? That's ONE huge win in ONE great season, all of those other "great" seasons of their's that were pointed out really didn't have too many quality wins. If ISU has a one or two loss season, you better believe that we'll have quite a few quality wins. And, when I first started on this topic, it wasn't meant to get into how good Boise State really is or how dominant ISU could be in the WAC; it was meant to prove that we can't really ever be fairly compared to their program.

Do you keep missing the part where Boise State has consistently been dominating their conference for the past few years?

They finally got the chance to go up against one of the big boys, and won. Who knows, if the system gave them the opportunity they deserved in prior years - perhaps they would have done it sooner.

**ketelmeister** · 04-26-2007, 07:49 PM

Gotta love that reply by 22!

**ketelmeister** · 04-26-2007, 08:02 PM

Did some quick checking on one of those years for Boise S. that "didn't amount to much" 2002-3. We beat Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas Tech, destroyed Mizzou and got screwed in a loss to Florida State. In the bowl, Boise State kicked us 34-14. Not exactly one year wonders if you ask me.

**cycook** · 04-26-2007, 08:38 PM

Who knows, if the system gave them the opportunity they deserved in prior years - perhaps they would have done it sooner.

You guys have nice teamwork, that's cool. Sooner? They had an undefeated season a few years ago and went to the Liberty Bowl (not where I think we would go if we go undefeated) and LOST to Louisville. They sure let that big opportunity slip by didn't they.

I found this thread ridiculous because why would we want to be the Boise State of the midwest? It would make more sense to want to be like another comparable MAJOR CONFERENCE team like how about "the USC of the midwest" or somebody that succeeds in a difficult schedule year in and year out.

**ketelmeister** · 04-26-2007, 08:58 PM

Cycook, I see what you are saying...but let's face the facts.
1. Iowa State is NOT going to get the level of recruits of Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Notre Dame, Florida,Texas, Nebraska...I could go on.
2. We are going to have to win with lesser known or recruited players
3. You can win with lesser rated players like a Boise does.
If you think we can recruit with Oklahoma or USC, you will be greatly disapponted. That is not reality.

**darts180** · 04-26-2007, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by cycook

I found this thread ridiculous because why would we want to be the Boise State of the midwest? It would make more sense to want to be like another comparable MAJOR CONFERENCE team like how about "the USC of the midwest" or somebody that succeeds in a difficult schedule year in and year out.

We have to think bigger, yes, but what the post was trying to get across was that Boise won with essentially the same caliber of player that we have gotten.

What I think is that we cannot be the same due to the differences we have, geographically. Traditionally the schools in that conference, and part of the country, have played a wide open style. A style that if you aren't used to it, can cause you all kinds of problems (see the Fiesta Bowl). The weather that we face at JTS from late October on, will stop an offense from airing it out.

Now, much like Gonzaga in basketball, Boise, along with Washington, has been the power division 1 team in that region, save for a few years when Washington State was strong. Look of the quality of competition that they face week in and week out, they schedule Oregon State, and their conference. You have maybe 2-4 games in a given year that you have to get up for, it is a huge advantage.

The last thing is, that to take that step, you have to have that magical coach. Boise, even when they were 1AA, had a solid program. Then Haskins took the program to the next level as a 1A program, he was their Hayden Fry, Barry Alveraz, etc. I really don't think that you can make the argument that we had that here at Iowa State. We went from bad to mediocre, not the inspirational story of these other programs.

**ketelmeister** · 04-26-2007, 09:03 PM

Nice analysis, Darts, you're on the money.

**cycook** · 04-26-2007, 09:05 PM

I can agree with you that we will have to learn to win without the best talent similar to Boise State. All I was trying to point out was that it doesn't make sense to try to be like Boise State when they recruit at a lower level and play at a lower level then us year in and year out.