08-09 could be the year that defines Jamie Pollard
- Thread starter snowcraig2.0
- Start date
Well, let's think about it. We've already established that 2009-2010 is going to be the "year to watch" JP can really only leave four ways...
1.) Death
2.) Resignation
3.) Fired
4.) Hired away
Since JP's rather young, I think #1 and #2 aren't that big of a concern. Considering what's been happening with ticket sales, revenue, "Big Step", etc, unless we go in a financial spiral, 2010 is going to be too early to fire him. By the same reasoning, if he's just starting to do great things, other universities probably aren't going to be throwing money at him (yet)
The thing that impresses me the most is this recruiting class, he went with High School kids. To me this proves he is trying to build a program and not a quick fix.
Especially compared to oh, let's say K-State.
37 players :wideeyed:
and 19 are JUCO's
What happened to Ron "We're going to do this the right way" Prince? I'm not picking on him but something's wrong in year three and you are bringing in that many JUCO's.
I'm not sayin'. I'm just sayin'
damn, if 5 wins is drinking the kool-aid, ouch to us as a fanbase. In no way do i think we should have our heads in the sky like our little brother to the east or even worse the N for knowledge people to the west.
I think we will get 5 or maybe 6 wins (which would get us back in a bowl game, not on outstanding one, but better than sitting at home over break.) I don't think that is me drinking the kool-aid either. If I came out and said we will win 8 or more, now that is definite "oh yeah!" kool-aid material.
There is no reason to think we won't win more than last year. (Easier schedule, no scramblin for recruits, another year under GC's system, etc.) I think we will win 3 of our 4 non-conf. games, with some luck maybe all 4. I don't see Chizik letting us lose those easy/easier games again this year. and expecting 2 wins in the conf. isn't really asking A WHOLE lot. Granted the north is tough but colorado and k state are winnable, plus we get the easy big 12 south and i would be extremely disappointed if we lost to all 3 baylor, okie state, and A&M. Especially with A&M in not so good shape.
So I really don't think 5 or 6 wins is expecting/asking a whole lot. And who the hell knows? maybe we exchange one of the games we think we'll win for an upset against Nebbie (which wouldn't be so much as in previous years) or KU or Mizzou. I just don't believe a 5 win season is overboard optimism at this point. Granted we need to just buckle down and defeat team #1 on that schedule and that is deal with SD State.
Pollard's biggest challenge remains having the financial assets to pull off his dream. The attached article from yesterday's DSM rag outlines some of this...
Budget deficit depletes Iowa State's reserve fund | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register
Budget deficit depletes Iowa State's reserve fund | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register
I think '08-'09 is the defining year IF all the positive things happen - if both the football and MBB teams make postseason appearances and WBB and wrestling both perform the way they're already expected to. However, I don't think '08-'09 is the benchmark year - I think '09-'10 is. Chizik will be in his third full season with maturing recruits and a softer schedule, McDermott will be in his fourth full season many recruiting cycles in, and the wrestling and WBB programs will still have to fulfill their high expectations. If somehow '09-'10 ends up being a monumental failure (with the exception of an unheard of injury plague) there will be serious questions being asked, and if we see an extreme meltdown in Ames it could lead us straight back to the dark ages.
Fortunately, I see '08-'09 being the year the vision starts coming into focus, and '09-'10 being the year everything comes together.
Fortunately, I see '08-'09 being the year the vision starts coming into focus, and '09-'10 being the year everything comes together.
Honestly I kind of hope 08-09 isn't the year that defines Pollard, because I see us struggling to make a bowl game and the NIT next year. So if that is the year that defines Pollard, I really think we'll struggle to get the facilities upgrades done.
