Worst football program?

[cyclonedave25]

No, I don't, but I do know that we have one of the worst histories of any football program in Division 1 FBS of all time, and I find this thread to be extremely hypocritical. It's like the skunk laughing at the platypus because it's ugly.

Edit: Keep in mind I was a walkon for Coach Jim Walden, so I am very proud to be a Cyclone and always will.

What if I think Skunks are kind of cute? Just because they have bad gas doesn't make them ugly.
Platypus' on the other hand have a jacked up nose/snout/bill. They are ugly.

[klamath632]

(Big Edit: I had a lot of negativity and cussing in it before.)
Boasting about the Iowa State football program's history is just wrong. You should know just how bad it is when the only programs you can trump up some argument against are Baylor and Kansas.

And really, boasting about the 12 bowls we've been to? Even NORTHWESTERN has played in the Rose Bowl, and KANSAS in the Orange Bowl. We never once played in the Orange Bowl when it was our conference champion's game, and we haven't played in a BCS bowl either. We went to four bowl games when they actually meant something, before they added 25 more crappy bowl games so mediocre teams can feel good. I guess in 2000 we went 8-3 and earned an Insight Bowl bid, so that's five solid bowls. Everything since then has been "participation medals" and "nobody loses" bowls.

If you're going to boast, do it about what we're doing now. We're playing good teams tough every game, we're filling the stands, the athletic department is profitable, and we're winning battles on the recruiting trail. We're three to five years away from being a team that can challenge for the Big 12 conference championship against Texas and Oklahoma. We've never been a fanbase that measures our ****sticks against anyone else. We're that plucky little program that even when the team hasn't been that great, we've stuck with them through it all. That's something to be proud of. And great things are on the horizon. Isn't that enough?

[jaretac]

Boasting about the Iowa State football program's history is laughable. You should know just how bad it is when the only programs you can trump up some argument against are Baylor and Kansas. Please please just shut the **** up now.

And really, boasting about the 12 bowls we've been to? For **** sake, even NORTHWESTERN has played in the Rose Bowl. We've never played in the Orange Bowl when it was our conference champion's game, and we haven't played in a BCS bowl. We went to four bowl games when they actually meant something, before they added 25 more ****** bowl games so mediocre teams can feel good. I guess in 2000 we went 8-3 and earned an Insight Bowl bid, so that's five solid bowls. Everything since then has been "participation medals" and "nobody loses" horse **** bowls.

If you're going to boast, do it about what we're doing now. We're playing good teams tough every game, we're filling the stands, the athletic department is profitable, and we're winning battles on the recruiting trail. We're three to five years away from being a team that can challenge for the Big 12 conference championship against Texas and Oklahoma. We've never been a fanbase that measures our ****sticks against anyone else. We're that plucky little program that even when the team hasn't been that great, we've stuck with them through it all. That's something to be proud of. And great things are on the horizon. Isn't that enough?

I'm not saying we boost about how good we are, but I also hate it when fans automatically make us out to be the worst football team in the conference or nation and you have alluded to both.

How about being realistic? Realistically, we don't have a great history. Realistically, we are one of the worst teams in the conference both historically and currently. Realistically, it could be a lot worse and for many teams in this country it is.

Your claim about this thread being hypocritical is also stupid. Would a thread on Alabama's fan site about the best programs be hypocritical? It is a discussion. One which I figured ISU would be mentioned and honestly I expected it sooner. What I did not expect was for a "ISU fan" to get on here and throw ISU under the bus, make fun of the thread and then pick fights with other ISU fans when confronted.

FYI- I was going to start a thread next week about best football programs. Would that be okay with you too?

[klamath632]

It's fine with me. By all means, continue to be the fat kid in the room pointing and laughing at other fat kids.

[Cycsk]

Not winning championships in a perennially tough conference does not mean we are the "worst team." It means that we play in a perennially tough conference. Lack of success in a weak conference is a better indicator.

Perhaps we should lay claim to the title of "most mediocre team."

[Goothrey]

Sorry, but this is well below mediocre Iowa State Championships

And compare it to:

Baylor Championships
Kansas Championships

[jaretac]

Sorry, but this is well below mediocre Iowa State Championships

And compare it to:

Baylor Championships
Kansas Championships

That site lists Kansas North Co Championship but not ISU's 2004 North Co Champ? It also shows that one year Kansas won a conference title share with a 0.29 win percentage.

Reliable?

If your definition of worst program is few highs than you might have a case. Problem is that if we are just looking at history alone and just with that there are three ways to approach the subject:

Fewest highs (titles, etc)
Most lows (worst record, etc)
or a combination

Also, my original post:
" I'm talking overall program history, current issues, recruiting, fan support, facilities, etc"

You are only brushing on one piece of the criteria. Program history ISU probably takes the cake. Current issues would go to Kansas. Recruiting would go to Kansas. Fan support would go to Baylor and Kansas. Facilities would go to Baylor and Kansas. Overall, I would say that ISU is in a better place than Baylor or Kansas. Further, Baylor and Kansas are in better places than most non-BCS conference teams.

[BallSoHard4Cy]

Worst school right now would have to be... NMSU. Given their issues and inability to win, it's gotta be them. Worst power-4 team? Kansas. Definitely.