Liberty Bowl postgame thread

[madguy30]

It blatantly obvious that mediocrity is not only acceptable by the fanbase, but actually applauded by a large segment of the fanbase. Read t hi s board.

Campbell says all the ‘right things’, kinda…but there is zero evidence that he can deliver. He is a terrible game day coach, we are consistently sloppy and do not win the in the margins. He needs to sack up and fix it. He hasn’t and I don’t think he can.

He has undoubtedly brought some solid talent to the program, but has shown little ability to develop that talent.

People spend a lot of money and time on this team. They are invested. They have a right to ask questions and be upset about losing. All of these holier than though assbags laughing at people for being passionate about their school and football team are a joke.

Millions and millions of dollars go into this program and I can’t imagine how someone thinks it is ok to not be able to block or tackle.

At the bare minimum, millionaires that coach a game deserve to be criticized when they don’t deliver when they SHOULD deliver.

How are people applauding mediocrity?

The team went from 4-8 (after 5 straight winning seasons) to 7-5 and played bad in a bowl game.

I'm on record for criticizing CMC. His teams are often sloppy, not fundamentally sound and aren't nearly as deep as we keep reading about. 'Player led' at times looks like there's boundaries missing and discipline is an issue.

But they tend to still have a chance late against about anyone, and he's won more than not.

I used to get raked across the coals for having similar thoughts on Fred Hoiberg's teams. But the results were pretty good basketball teams so I didn't have much to say on what ISU basketball could do to be much better.

What do you think Iowa State football should be able to do?

 

[ISUTex]

They only "don't matter" when you lose them. Otherwise you are told what a huge difference going into the off season there is between 8-5 and 7-6 from all the Cyclone podcasters and get videos from the AD how super important it is for everyone to take their time and money to be at them.

I'm cool if people are telling themselves "lol nothing matters" today out of a need to cope, but we should call it what it is. Iowa State was unprepared for this one and looked bad because of it. That's all.

Yeah. Once a team is out of the running for a playoff or conference title game they should just pack it in. The games don't matter. I can't believe we got so excited about beating K-State. That was just a meaningless exhibition.

 

[joefrog]

Still amazed how much stock some people around here are putting into a single game. This team over achieved for the season. They have a great corp of young talent that learned on the fly this year.

I enjoyed the season. And next season looks promising. None of that changed from yesterday’s game, a game which wasn’t even shown highlights during halftime at cotton bowl

A SINGLE game?

Ohio, Iowa and now Memphis in this season alone.

Same rot.

 

[AlaCyclone]

Really?? Now we're dragging in Jim Walden? Is Campbell's team practicing on a grass lot that doubled as a parking lot one gameday? Good grief...

I'm not comparing the two coaches and / or their success rate. I know Jim Walden had the deck stacked against him. I'm just saying that I have a high tolerance for Football W-L-T pain than some of the younger fans.

FWIW, I went to all but one home game from 1989-94, and going to the Liberty Bowl, losing to Memphis and finishing 7-6 would have been a high water mark during that Era not the end of the world like in this Era.

 

[madguy30]

I think this is kind of the crux of the issue. All of the CF staff on various podcasts repeatedly said this; Jamie used it as a selling point. You can't really be surprised at or blame people for reacting this way when they have been told this repeatedly.

I guess people need to watch more teams/programs and see if there's consistent evidence of a mid-tier bowl game affecting the next season.

 

[3TrueFans]

It’s a testament to Iowa State and reinforces that those that use obsolete eras and say things like “in 100 years” are being idiots

Paul Rhoads went to three bowls. He won 7 games in Year 1. Rhoads is a bad HC and CMC’s staff is better than Paul’s staff, but it’s not THAT difficult to win here.

Based on what? We've only won at most 9 games, and only have done that twice. If it's not actually difficult to win here then what's been happening?

 

[JP4CY]

4th and 1? Oh my, how bold!

At least he didn't take a timeout first to reconsider.

Yep, went for it in the first possession in our own territory. Kinda defeats your narrative.

 

[Cyhig]

A SINGLE game?

Ohio, Iowa and now Memphis in this season alone.

Same rot.

They went 6-3 in conference play…. Pretty damn good if you ask me

 

[bizzle]

I think that if you endlessly message how great it will be to end 8-5, what a big boost that would be for the program, how important it is to be there for it, etc., you can't really have any complaints about people taking you at your word and therefore being upset when the team instead comes out and takes a beating. That invites a lot of cynicism from fans that I think will ultimately encourage less investment, monetary and otherwise, than believing the people who tell you those things to be sincere and genuine in their statements. If you as a person posting on here don't agree that it matters that we went 7-6 instead of 8-5 that is totally fine and fair and your opinion but you weren't a member of the media or football team or athletic department pounding that drum for weeks. Telling people "you're wrong to care" is not usually a good strategy for cultivating continued interest, which is what you need in the NIL era.

Anyway, I think that a) Campbell did an amazing job getting this team to 7 wins, b) the future is bright although my reservations about his ability to go away from the run when it isn't working linger, and c) this game was a disappointment because of our intensity levels, not the final score.

On to basketball!

 

[3TrueFans]

Yep, went for it in the first possession in our own territory. Kinda defeats your narrative.

If you want @joefrog to say anything positive about Campbell you have to ask after a win.

 

[madguy30]

Based on what? We've only won at most 9 games, and only have done that twice. If it's not actually difficult to win here then what's been happening?

100+ years of not being creative enough.

 

[dirtyninety]

So when we went for it on 4th and 1 on our first series he wasn't throwing caution to the wind?
Got it.

I haven't read much about that call yet.....I will not criticize it. They must have saw something on film where they thought they had a good chance to succeed with a big play....and it was scripted for a 4th and short and it happened very early in game (?). I want to see the replay...the guy in the left flat was wide open, not sure why the pass wasn't thrown? The down and distance and game situation there I would have liked to see a tush push without huddle.....but that is not how this staff rolls.
I still see venables smirking with the fake field goal trick play last year in Ames.....so infuriating.......and I will be happy if our team is the one that can pull off those trick plays against the bad guys.

 

[isucy86]

Yesterday was disappointing. But the reality is we won 3 more games than 2022. I would think most people would have been excited about a 7 win team back on August 31.

That said, I feel like Campbell needs to keep evolving this program to take the next step. It's critical for Iowa State, but also for the Big12 with the movement to a 12 team playoff. And potential further consolidation of P5 schools between now and 2030.

I am optimistic about ISU taking the next steps because this is the 2nd off-season with the S&C staff and new coaches like Clanton, Langs, Poteat and Pauley.

 

[ISUTex]

What should he say?

He should stay with "bullsh!t programs go 7-6" or something like "I apologize for the product you saw on the field today. We did a piss poor job preparing". "We need to do better at recruiting and developing our players. Especially up front." You know, just be honest.

 

[3TrueFans]

100+ years of not being creative enough.

The Cyclone BBSes in the 80's were too accepting of mediocrity?

 

[JP4CY]

If you want @joefrog to say anything positive about Campbell you have to ask after a win.

We got out coached and out played yesterday it's not hard to admit that. Saying that doesn't make a fan apathetic, it's the truth.
Matt Campbell says a lot of things to the media that are plain vanilla. We should all know that by now.
But to say the program is rotten and that a coach doesn't want to win is just wild. I'm assuming 99% of the coaches of any sport want to win.
Dude made coaching changes over the offseason last year. He wants to be here. He wants to win.

No one has chimed in, that I know of, of a candidate that they want to replace Campbell with. I want to see those names.

 

[AuH2O]

So when we went for it on 4th and 1 on our first series he wasn't throwing caution to the wind?
Got it.

I would call going for it on 4th and 1 around midfield against a team that puts up points but struggled to stop AAC offenses about as by the book as you get in modern football.

 

[MartyFine]

 

[Walden4Prez]

How are people applauding mediocrity?

The team went from 4-8 (after 5 straight winning seasons) to 7-5 and played bad in a bowl game.

I'm on record for criticizing CMC. His teams are often sloppy, not fundamentally sound and aren't nearly as deep as we keep reading about. 'Player led' at times looks like there's boundaries missing and discipline is an issue.

But they tend to still have a chance late against about anyone, and he's won more than not.

I used to get raked across the coals for having similar thoughts on Fred Hoiberg's teams. But the results were pretty good basketball teams so I didn't have much to say on what ISU basketball could do to be much better.

What do you think Iowa State football should be able to do?

Block

 

[JP4CY]

I would call going for it on 4th and 1 around midfield against a team that puts up points but struggled to stop AAC offenses about as by the book as you get in modern football.

We were like on our own 46? Some may go for it, some may not.
I'm saying it was the first series and he wanted to win.