Just threw this together this morning. Enjoy.
Surprise! Athlon picks Iowa State dead last in the Big 12 for 2011 | Cyclone Fanatic
Surprise! Athlon picks Iowa State dead last in the Big 12 for 2011 | Cyclone Fanatic
My thoughts on Athlon picking ISU last in 2011
- Thread starter ChrisMWilliams
- Start date
I still think it's hilarious that any professional journalist DIDN'T correctly predict Kansas last in 2010.
They fired their best coach of all time. Lost their best QB of all time. Lost their best WR of all time. Lost their second best WR of all time. Lost one of their best RBs of all time. A legendary program would struggle with that turnover, let alone Kansas. No way anyone should have picked KU with that turnover anywhere but last.
They fired their best coach of all time. Lost their best QB of all time. Lost their best WR of all time. Lost their second best WR of all time. Lost one of their best RBs of all time. A legendary program would struggle with that turnover, let alone Kansas. No way anyone should have picked KU with that turnover anywhere but last.
You're so right. When the Sporting News tabbed the Jayhawks as the 31st best team in America last summer, I damn near had a coronary.
It's pretty well known in college football circles that we do not pay our football players cash to attend our university. People assume that because other teams have a higher payroll that they will be better than us.
Not a shock at all. ISU will be fighting with KU and KSU for last in the Big 12 in 2011. This all depends on the QB situation in Ames. Based on knowns, ISU is in trouble. Hopefully a newcomer will step in, win the job and be able to shoulder a heavy burden.
Everything for ISU depends on the QB situation. As long as Wally is around the D will be serviceable. The offense has stunk several years (if you don't believe me look at ISU compared to the rest of the Big 12, constantly in the bottom 3). If there is decent QB play in 2011, ISU goes bowling, if we see the same type of play we saw vs. UNI and Mizzou, ISU is in trouble.
Everything for ISU depends on the QB situation. As long as Wally is around the D will be serviceable. The offense has stunk several years (if you don't believe me look at ISU compared to the rest of the Big 12, constantly in the bottom 3). If there is decent QB play in 2011, ISU goes bowling, if we see the same type of play we saw vs. UNI and Mizzou, ISU is in trouble.
I submit to the discussion of DFL in conference:
Kansas
My picks:
1 – Oklahoma
2 – Texas A&M
3 – Oklahoma State
4 – Missouri
5 – Baylor
6 – Texas
7 – Kansas State
8 – Iowa State
9 – Texas Tech
10 – Kansas
Kansas
My picks:
1 – Oklahoma
2 – Texas A&M
3 – Oklahoma State
4 – Missouri
5 – Baylor
6 – Texas
7 – Kansas State
8 – Iowa State
9 – Texas Tech
10 – Kansas
Last edited:
Amen. What a joke. KU went 1-7 in the Big 12 in 2009, fired their coach, and lost Reesing, Meier and Briscoe. ISU was coming off a bowl win and had most of our offense returning. Plus, the game was in Ames. Anybody that predicted KU was going to be better than ISU was smoking crack.
And here it is again. What a crock. And the KU games is in Ames again.
wink:
CW, you refer to the Texas win way too much, IMO. Everyone beat Texas.
We have to beat Iowa this year for any new respect, especially since it's at JTS.
We have to beat Iowa this year for any new respect, especially since it's at JTS.
I'm shocked that you are nitpicking something CW said. This rarely happens :SLEEP:
Did Texas lose to a lot of teams last year? Yes. Was it a big win for the program? Yes.
Unfortunately, ISU has quite a few similarities for the 2011 season. We lose one of our most productive QBs in history, our leading rusher for the past 4 years, our top 2 leading receivers from 2010, and 2 OL who combined for 70 starts in their careers.
I think there are enough ?? on offense for the 2011 Cyclones that people only assume that an average offense will get worse, especially since our recruiting rankings are consistently at the bottom of the conference. And since our defense is decent, but not great, they assume that will equate to a loss more often than not. Only time will tell if that's an incorrect assumption.
I won't back down from this. Rhoads is the only coach in ISU history to beat Texas and he did it on the road after two embarrassing spankings to Utah and Oklahoma. Morale was down. He got the guys back up. It was a huge win for the program just a week after Texas went on the road to beat Nebraska.
Last edited:
On paper picking ISU last nearly always makes sense. We don't have much comapred to other teams. However, CPR always gets more out of his club than just about any other coach from their team, and this stat doesn't show up anywhere other than the W-L column. We won't be last even if it looks like we should.
A little correction CW...ISU started the season with the "toughest schedule" title but it didn't turn out that way, namely due to Texas being plain bad.
Sagarin revised rankings has ISU's schedule at 24:
USATODAY.com
Sagarin revised rankings has ISU's schedule at 24:
USATODAY.com
Well, winning a FB game requires that points be scored. According to ESPN right now, ISU is 103rd in points scored, and ISU will be losing the best starters off that 103rd rated team. Ouch.
Iowa State Football - Cyclones News, Scores, Videos - College Football - ESPN
Iowa State Football - Cyclones News, Scores, Videos - College Football - ESPN
Last edited:
Just another story in the battle to change perceptions at ISU (and elsewhere). IMHO, Paul Rhoads is doing a better job of changing perceptions than his predecessor who just won a national championship.
Athlon's will be wrong again. And they will say, "well, how many times a year does that happen." And still people buy that waste of paper.
CC
Athlon's will be wrong again. And they will say, "well, how many times a year does that happen." And still people buy that waste of paper.
CC
So, basically, their thought process went something like this:
1. Sort teams by 2010 conference wins and then by division, with the south being ranked over the north.
2. Texas can't possibly be that bad two years in a row, so bump them up to the middle of the pack.
3. Ok guys, look good? What do you think? Is the simplicity of our ranking methodology too obvious? Yes? Ok, I guess let's put Mizzou over one of the 6-2 south teams so we don't look like total south division homers. Maybe one more tweak... hmmm... let's see... why don't we just flip-flop ISU and Kansas? Look good now? Good, I thought so too.
1. Sort teams by 2010 conference wins and then by division, with the south being ranked over the north.
2. Texas can't possibly be that bad two years in a row, so bump them up to the middle of the pack.
3. Ok guys, look good? What do you think? Is the simplicity of our ranking methodology too obvious? Yes? Ok, I guess let's put Mizzou over one of the 6-2 south teams so we don't look like total south division homers. Maybe one more tweak... hmmm... let's see... why don't we just flip-flop ISU and Kansas? Look good now? Good, I thought so too.
