Help me shake my pessimisim

[CyForPresident]

The Big East has survived raiding. Half our fanbase wishes we ended up there.

And really, aren't most conferences @ the mercy of a few schools? Imagine what happens if the Ohio States of the world get tired of paying Northwestern's way. Substitute 'Bama and Vanderbilt or USC and Washington State if you like. The Big 12 economic model might be more sustainable long term if this TV deal comes out good.

The Big East did and it's a shell of its former self. The SWC didn't survive raiding though.

You're right about being at the mercy of big schools, but those small schools like Northwestern have history to rely on. OSU would never do that to Northwestern because they view each other as brothers or a spouse. The Big 12 is like a one night stand with some bar skank.

 

[cy2win]

Great, I'm sure the AD at NI would love to trade places with ISU. My question is which fanbase had more fun this year? NI winning 10 games or ISU winning 5? And look, I'm not for ISU leaving the Big 12 for the MAC..I just think the whole idea that being a loser in the Big 12 is SOOOOOO much better than a winner in a lesser conference is questionable.

Fine, you want me to help shake your pessimism...Go be a Hawkeye fan and be done with it. Sometimes I think that is the motiviation for 75% of the posters on this board....****

 

[Tre4ISU]

I really don't understand the current "the Big 12 is splitting" talk. Where they gonna go? Who in our conference will have a better deal elsewhere? Unless it's a Big 10 offer, the answer is "no one". A&M FANS like to yak about the SEC, but their administration will never make that move because they'd never sniff relevancy again. Also, Texas is not going Independent. No incentive. No reason they wouldn't have already gone if they really wanted to go. The Big 12 doesn't hold them back at all, and long run probably makes them money.

I'm with you Al. I just don't see the options anymore.

 

[Prone2Clone]

When you consider all that Iowa State offers a coveted high-school football player, selling playing time is about the only thing now we can realistically hope to trump pitches from most other BCS conference teams. Apparently, that doesn't hold as much water as I'd think it would because we don't seem to be able to sign those 4-star recruits very often.

We can't instantly make a football tradition.

Ames isn't going to sprout palm trees and beaches and have 70-degree winters.

We don't have the majority of an already puny TV-market state following us.

What we can do is improve our facilities to put them on par with more programs. And for that, we need money. And to get more money, we need more fans in the stadium and more contributors. But casual ISU fans, those outside the core of fanatics, have shown that they need better success on the field before they're going to invest themselves in the program. It's a big cardinal and gold dog chasing it's damn tail. No success, no support. No support, no success. Round and round we go.

I kind of doubt conference realignment is over, and as others have said, ISU is dangerously close to being left on the outside looking in. I pray nightly that JP pulls a rabbit out of his hat. Or that some alum launches the next Microsoft and becomes our own T. Boone Pickens sugar daddy.

 

[mustangcy]

Fine, you want me to help shake your pessimism...Go be a Hawkeye fan and be done with it. Sometimes I think that is the motiviation for 75% of the posters on this board....****

Wow, great..a 'go be a hawkeye' post. Let's just NOT discuss anything other than how great we are.

 

[el tornado]

Great, I'm sure the AD at NI would love to trade places with ISU. My question is which fanbase had more fun this year? NI winning 10 games or ISU winning 5? And look, I'm not for ISU leaving the Big 12 for the MAC..I just think the whole idea that being a loser in the Big 12 is SOOOOOO much better than a winner in a lesser conference is questionable.

Why not take it a step further and drop down to UNI's or even Drake's divsion? Maybe we could go undefeated and win every game by 50 points. Yeah, that would be real fun.

 

[mustangcy]

I'm with you Al. I just don't see the options anymore.

I don't see the Big 12 going anywhere either. My issue is winning in the Big 12. How can we do it and what will it take? I'm not normally a huge 'stars' guy but how can you not be a little disappointed with this years recruiting class? And this class had the Insight bowl win going for it...what will the class look like next year with a losing record and an even more brutal schedule to sell? What happens if we lose to Iowa and UConn early next year (a pretty decent chance it will happen)? How would that affect next years class?

 

[Al_4_State]

The Big East did and it's a shell of its former self. The SWC didn't survive raiding though.

You're right about being at the mercy of big schools, but those small schools like Northwestern have history to rely on. OSU would never do that to Northwestern because they view each other as brothers or a spouse. The Big 12 is like a one night stand with some bar skank.

If the Big 12 becomes as wide open as the Big East, that would be great.

The Big East catches a lot of ****, but every school in that conference has a chance to build something, and they do pretty good in non-conference play. I could live with that outcome for us, even if it resulted in catching media/internet flack.

 

[mustangcy]

Why not take it a step further and drop down to UNI's or even Drake's divsion? Maybe we could go undefeated and win every game by 50 points. Yeah, that would be real fun.

Good grief...

 

[Cyclone46]

I love the chatter, but the Big 12 isn't going anywhere. After the season Texas had, they lose all negotiation with any conference. Baylor, OSU, Tech, and a&M made it interesting at times this year, but they have no clout. Even OU doesn't have any power right now. It is in every team in the Big 12's interest to stay in the Big 12 for now. You could make the argument that it is in Nebby's best interest to stay in the Big 12. They are going to get slaughtered next year based on what was seen in bowl season this year.

Money, recruits, and facilities are great, but unfortunately you don't get those things until you start establishing your program. The success of ISU will have to be finding ways to win without those items and CPR can do that. With this season of watching the Big 12, I have to believe that anything is possible. Give it time. We are not perfectly positioned right now, but we are positioned to prosper. So the question becomes can we become great with the hand we are dealt and not can we be dealt another hand. I think with CPR coaching this team, we can be great. He is a guy who can coach players to surpass potential on paper. Look at what CPR can do at ISU compared to a coach who is taking a team to a national championship couldn't do.

 

[CyForPresident]

I don't see the Big 12 going anywhere either. My issue is winning in the Big 12. How can we do it and what will it take? I'm not normally a huge 'stars' guy but how can you not be a little disappointed with this years recruiting class? And this class had the Insight bowl win going for it...what will the class look like next year with a losing record and an even more brutal schedule to sell? What happens if we lose to Iowa and UConn early next year (a pretty decent chance it will happen)? How would that affect next years class?

CPR is just going to have to develop guys. Everyone gets all excited about freshman coming in and having a big impact right away. That almost never happens. We just need consistent improvement from everyone over the 4 to 5 years they are on the team. We need to keep the same staff together at all costs. Its the Iowa/Ferentz model, but hopefully without all the drugs and rape.

 

[bigsag]

Thanks Cyclone46 for a sane post. I take it you didn't go out drinking last night and aren't presently nursing a hangover like apparently everyone else on this board.....

 

[Wesley]

Looks like our bball team may achieve greater success sooner than the fball team.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Great, I'm sure the AD at NI would love to trade places with ISU. My question is which fanbase had more fun this year? NI winning 10 games or ISU winning 5? And look, I'm not for ISU leaving the Big 12 for the MAC..I just think the whole idea that being a loser in the Big 12 is SOOOOOO much better than a winner in a lesser conference is questionable.

You may be right but what about being average in the B12 compared to winning in the MAC. I know which I would take. NIU is at their best point right now. That's basically as good as it gets. We can do so much more.

 

[Cyclone46]

Thanks man. No hangover and the sky isn't falling.

Besides, the end of the world is going to be in 2012 so we really don't have to worry about anything anyway.

 

[Tre4ISU]

I don't see the Big 12 going anywhere either. My issue is winning in the Big 12. How can we do it and what will it take? I'm not normally a huge 'stars' guy but how can you not be a little disappointed with this years recruiting class? And this class had the Insight bowl win going for it...what will the class look like next year with a losing record and an even more brutal schedule to sell? What happens if we lose to Iowa and UConn early next year (a pretty decent chance it will happen)? How would that affect next years class?

This class will be good. Trust me and if I'm wrong you can let me have it in four years. I think this class, as a whole is undervalued by the experts.

 

[mustangcy]

You may be right but what about being average in the B12 compared to winning in the MAC. I know which I would take. NIU is at their best point right now. That's basically as good as it gets. We can do so much more.

I'd be happy with being average in the Big 12...no doubt. My concern is with getting to average in the Big 12. Right now who besides Kansas can we say we are better than?

 

[Tre4ISU]

Looks like our bball team may achieve greater success sooner than the fball team.

It should. It takes much longer to build a football program. Too many players involved to do it quickly. In basketball, if you get one or two guys, you can get it turned around for the most part. Just give football time. We have 11 wins over the last two years with mediocre-at-best QB and defensive play. Let's get some stability, have some consistency in scheme and coaching practices and see where we are in another 3-4 years. I like where we are right now.

 

[mustangcy]

This class will be good. Trust me and if I'm wrong you can let me have it in four years. I think this class, as a whole is undervalued by the experts.

I hope you are right...I'll trust you as I enjoy your input around here. I was happy with all the early commits before the season started so you may have something here.

I probably shouldn't have ragged on the recruiting class...honestly, what the hell do I know? The lack of BCS offers is really all I've got...then again I should expect our classes to pretty much always be undervalued.

 

[Tre4ISU]

I'd be happy with being average in the Big 12...no doubt. My concern is with getting to average in the Big 12. Right now who besides Kansas can we say we are better than?

This year or in program position? Right now, I will take where we are over KU, KSU, Baylor and TTU. KSU is unstable with a 184 year old coaching. TTU is unstable because Tuberville will leave if a big job comes and Baylor is Baylor. I suppose Baylor could become awesome but I just see them as looked down upon in their state among 4 other schools. You give us a little more money and we close gaps on everyone else. That money means a ton more for us than it does Texas and Oklahoma.