Question for ISU fans...

[zdorr40]

I thought the 05 team was the best of the bunch. At least from a talent standpoint. Not taking anything away from 2000 but that team took some beatings against quality opponents. The 05 defense was probably as good as it can get at Iowa State. Combine that with adequate offensive line play, some solid receivers, and Bret Meyer playing out of his mind and you get a good team. The only issue with that team was running back play and the kicker. Hicks was injured quite a bit and we didn't have much behind him.

Greg Coleman......smh

The real match up would be the 03 team vs the 08 team.

That 05 defense was a top 15 defense nationally IIRC. When I think back at what could have been that year, I get sick to my stomach. Missed field goal(s), missed opportunities at Nebbie, the Nebbie hangover and endzone fumbles vs Baylor, the 14 point hole we dug ourselves in Columbia (2 turnovers returned for touchdowns early if memory serves). We were seriously close to having an incredibly special year that year. If we could have had the 2009/2010 offensive line on that 2005 team we would have been really, really good.

 

[RandomFan]

Here's what I find interesting, CPR's teams are towards the bottom of everyone's lists, yet they pulled off wins that former coaches could only dream of. Really makes me wonder what that 2005 team would have been like under our current coaching staff.

 

[CarolinaCy]

I don't really know where I'd rank these teams because they are so close to being equal. The years everyone points to so far as being the best, we either had a pretty easy schedule (2000), or the conference as a whole was down (2005).

Just for fun, here's our records from all of those years against ranked teams. Plenty of chances to knock off ranked teams, not much success doing so though - wins in ()

2000: 0-2
2001: 0-2
2002: 1-6 (Nebraska)
2004: 0-1
2005: 2-1 (Iowa, Colorado)
2009: 0-2
2010: 1-5 (@Texas)

 

[JUKEBOX]

I don't really know where I'd rank these teams because they are so close to being equal. The years everyone points to so far as being the best, we either had a pretty easy schedule (2000), or the conference as a whole was down (2005).

Just for fun, here's our records from all of those years against ranked teams. Plenty of chances to knock off ranked teams, not much success doing so though - wins in ()

2000: 0-2
2001: 0-2
2002: 1-6 (Nebraska)
2004: 0-1
2005: 2-1 (Iowa, Colorado)
2009: 0-2
2010: 1-5 (@Texas)

Wasn't Iowa ranked in 02?

 

[jdoggivjc]

Wasn't Iowa ranked in 02?

Not at the time the game was played - they weren't even pulling AP votes at the time of the game. By the end of the season they got as high as #3 and ended the season at #8.

 

[cyhiphopp]

I don't really know where I'd rank these teams because they are so close to being equal. The years everyone points to so far as being the best, we either had a pretty easy schedule (2000), or the conference as a whole was down (2005).

Just for fun, here's our records from all of those years against ranked teams. Plenty of chances to knock off ranked teams, not much success doing so though - wins in ()

2000: 0-2
2001: 0-2
2002: 1-6 (Nebraska)
2004: 0-1
2005: 2-1 (Iowa, Colorado)
2009: 0-2
2010: 1-5 (@Texas)

Wasn't Iowa ranked in 02?

Not at the time the game was played - they weren't even pulling AP votes at the time of the game. By the end of the season they got as high as #3 and ended the season at #8.

For the sake of this comparison I think it would be safe to consider them ranked.

Are there any other wins over teams that were ranked later in the season?

 

[The Mook]

Not at the time the game was played - they weren't even pulling AP votes at the time of the game. By the end of the season they got as high as #3 and ended the season at #8.

Which is why ranked at the time is a load of crap. Nebraska in 09 like Iowa in 02 were clearly Top 25 teams, whereas Texas in 10 was clearly not.

 

[istater7]

My outsider opinion:
1: 2005- Best defense of the bunch with Meyer & Blythe keeping the offense up.
2: 2000- Strong offense but the D was a liability.
3: 2001- Similar to 01 but with Seneca Wallace picking up the slack from graduation losses
4: 2002- Best record in a year ISU faced both UT and OU. Wallace & his WR carried this team that otherwise would be struggling
5: 2010- Tough slate with Iowa, UT, OU, Mizzou, and Nebraska all strong.
6: 2004- Young talent + Ellis Hobbs > 2009 team.
7: 2009- Slightly worse than 10' despite the nostalgia of memorable Nebraska and bowl wins.

texas was strong last year? huh?

 

[Sammy11]

texas was strong last year? huh?

Accidentally slipped them in.

But even still, they weren't tough by UT standards but were not a pushover. Lost 4 games by a single score.

 

[Al_4_State]

Here's what I find interesting, CPR's teams are towards the bottom of everyone's lists, yet they pulled off wins that former coaches could only dream of. Really makes me wonder what that 2005 team would have been like under our current coaching staff.

11-0 regular season, lose the conference title to Texas by about 3-4 TDs, play WVU in the Fiesta Bowl. That game is probably a toss up. Play WVU in the Fiesta Bowl, and probably win because Rhoads and Burnham shut down Pat White and Steve Slayton better than anyone.

Finish the season either 12-1 and ranked in the Top 5.

 

[Al_4_State]

My outsider opinion:
1: 2005- Best defense of the bunch with Meyer & Blythe keeping the offense up.
2: 2000- Strong offense but the D was a liability.
3: 2001- Similar to 01 but with Seneca Wallace picking up the slack from graduation losses
4: 2002- Best record in a year ISU faced both UT and OU. Wallace & his WR carried this team that otherwise would be struggling
5: 2010- Tough slate with Iowa, UT, OU, Mizzou, and Nebraska all strong.
6: 2004- Young talent + Ellis Hobbs > 2009 team.
7: 2009- Slightly worse than 10' despite the nostalgia of memorable Nebraska and bowl wins.

Of course you like the '05 team. :sad:

 

[Sammy11]

The years everyone points to so far as being the best, we either had a pretty easy schedule (2000), or the conference as a whole was down (2005).

2005 was actually one of the better years for the Big 12 but people ignore it since OU was down.

In terms of simple average it is the 2nd highest year for the Big 12 in Sagarin's ratings. It also was not just the top teams, every team was capable of winning. The only team that was really bad was OSU.

Conference Average 2010: 75.64
2005: 80.02
2005 without the top 2 ratings of UT & OU: 76.7 average for the other 10

Went 5-3 in bowls.
Texas was one of the best teams of all time
NU & OU took half a year to get going but were solid 8-4 teams with impressive bowl wins over Michigan and top 10 Oregon
Tech had their 2nd best Leach team
KU, MU, ISU were 7 win teams
A&M, Baylor, and KSU all sat at 5-6 with several close games.

We were VERY close to having 11 out of 12 bowl eligible had BU knocked off MU, A&M reversed their close loss to clemson, and KSU reversed a 2 point loss to NU. Each had 2 or more close losses.

 

[Al_4_State]

2005 was actually one of the better years for the Big 12 but people ignore it since OU was down.

In terms of simple average it is the 2nd highest year for the Big 12 in Sagarin's ratings. It also was not just the top teams, every team was capable of winning. The only team that was really bad was OSU.

Conference Average 2010: 75.64
2005: 80.02
2005 without the top 2 ratings of UT & OU: 76.7 average for the other 10

Went 5-3 in bowls.
Texas was one of the best teams of all time
NU & OU took half a year to get going but were solid 8-4 teams with impressive bowl wins over Michigan and top 10 Oregon
Tech had their 2nd best Leach team
KU, MU, ISU were 7 win teams
A&M, Baylor, and KSU all sat at 5-6 with several close games.

We were VERY close to having 11 out of 12 bowl eligible had BU knocked off MU, A&M reversed their close loss to clemson, and KSU reversed a 2 point loss to NU. Each had 2 or more close losses.

MU won 6 regular season games, IIRC. Had Baylor knocked them off, you would have just swapped Baylor for MU and not gained a bowl eligible team.

 

[Sammy11]

Of course you like the '05 team. :sad:

Actually had little to do with my reasoning. Having 2 solid corners working with guys like Berryman, Curvey, & Dobbins in the front 7 is the big difference in my mind. Todd Blythe and Bret Meyer make the offense decent enough IMO.

 

[Sammy11]

MU won 6 regular season games, IIRC. Had Baylor knocked them off, you would have just swapped Baylor for MU and not gained a bowl eligible team.

Fair enough. Swap the outcome of the BU 2OT loss to OU.

 

[The_Architect]

The 2005 team was easily the best and could have been undefeated. The 2000 team was blown out by the three best teams they played.

 

[Al_4_State]

Actually had little to do with my reasoning. Having 2 solid corners working with guys like Berryman, Curvey, & Dobbins in the front 7 is the big difference in my mind. Todd Blythe and Bret Meyer make the offense decent enough IMO.

I know, it's just painful to go back over these close, terrible losses. No offense, but we had NO business losing to you guys at Jack Trice that year. I still have nightmares about Shawn Bell salting the game away by scrambling for 16 on a 3rd and 15.

Games like that are what cost McCarney his job. He couldn't get his guys to play at a consistently high level, and Morris bamboozled his staff all day. Throw in an abysmal call on the fumble that clearly broke the plane, and it just makes me sick to my stomach. Would have given us the North.

 

[Sammy11]

I know, it's just painful to go back over these close, terrible losses. No offense, but we had NO business losing to you guys at Jack Trice that year. I still have nightmares about Shawn Bell salting the game away by scrambling for 16 on a 3rd and 15.

Games like that are what cost McCarney his job. He couldn't get his guys to play at a consistently high level, and Morris bamboozled his staff all day. Throw in an abysmal call on the fumble that clearly broke the plane, and it just makes me sick to my stomach. Would have given us the North.

To be fair, our team that year could say the same thing.

5 wins, 6 losses. Only loss that was not close in the 4th was against UT without Bell or our starting DTs.

Other losses:
OT Loss to A&M
2 OT Loss to OU
Loss to Mizzou
Loss to NU
Loss to TT

You guys also did not have to deal with UT, OU, or Tech who were easily the 3 best in the Big 12 that year.

Its not a slam dunk for either team IMO.

 

[Al_4_State]

To be fair, our team that year could say the same thing.

5 wins, 6 losses. Only loss that was not close in the 4th was against UT without Bell or our starting DTs.

Other losses:
OT Loss to A&M
2 OT Loss to OU
Loss to Mizzou
Loss to NU
Loss to TT

You guys also did not have to deal with UT, OU, or Tech who were easily the 3 best in the Big 12 that year.

Its not a slam dunk for either team IMO.

I can go back to a lot of our losing years (especially 2007 and 2010) and show how close we were to a bowl, but '05 was different for us. We were extremely close to running the table.

I was rooting for you guys most of that year, but we took some talented teams to the woodshed that year and beat them to a pulp.

'05 could have been our year, and I think it would have had you interchanged our current staff with the one we had then.

 

[weR138]

I can go back to a lot of our losing years (especially 2007 and 2010) and show how close we were to a bowl, but '05 was different for us. We were extremely close to running the table.

I was rooting for you guys most of that year, but we took some talented teams to the woodshed that year and beat them to a pulp.

'05 could have been our year, and I think it would have had you interchanged our current staff with the one we had then.

Should have been. It's the reason DMC is no longer the ISU coach. I just hope it doesn't take CPR until 2015 to get back to that level.