Campbell looked to be different than the coaches before but looking like that’s not the case. The other coaches never had the benefit of a fluke pandemic season.
It amazes me how some do mental cheetah flips to say how one pandemic season shows the status of the program. A little consistency in either 2019 or 2021 would have been welcomed. However, the reality is that 2020 is 2000 all over again. 9-3 and thus far the ceiling after has been 7 wins as it was after 2000.
CMC can turn it all around, he can make some hard decisive decisions and make fundamental changes to completely redesign the offense. The 2019 and 2021 seasons are indicative of sticking to the same scheme, the same plays and the same design in the offense. We had the most talented QB/RB combination in team history playing together from 2019-2021. Two of those three seasons we managed 7 wins. I suppose that's good enough for most Cyclone fans. Honestly it was good enough for me despite how annoying some of those squeaker wins against UNI were and constantly losing to Iowa by trying to beat them at their own game.
This season has shown beyond any shadow of a doubt that the limitations of the offensive scheme are hindering this team from simply winning games. Now that we have removed any use of tight ends our offense is reduced to about 5 plays that fit on a 3x5 card. Once or twice a game we roll out the QB to great success or try a flare route. This team is 0-5 in conference play and it is not following another coaching staff committing long term mistakes. You can have the best defense in the league but when your offense struggles to score two touchdowns in a game you are simply not winning in this league.
I want to see CMC succeed. I want to see that hungry coach from 2017 who said and believed only bull**** programs care about going 6-6. An innovator that has the mindset to defeat any team no matter the name on their jersey. 2017 and 2018 were remarkable seasons and the team seemed to embrace that mindset.
If you want to think that Norte Dame in 2019 was just too big, too physical and too tough and defeat was inevitable then that is exactly what you will get. Maybe that is all some of you want and that's perfectly fine. CMC made me believe he wanted to compete for conference championships and the results of 17-18 showed that fire. 2019 was a half-step back because that is when we noticed repeated special teams errors and the one-dimensional, non-adjusting in game offenses. The immense talent of the players (which I credit CMC and staff for recruiting) covered a lot of these scheme/game management issues.
Now we will see what happens because either way I believe CMC has years here even if he goes 0-fer in the conference for next three years. He can continue with his approach and make no changes and probably wouldn't even be on the hot seat especially with conference realignment rearing its head again. This is a crossroads though and only he can decide to change the approach or continue.
We mocked Iowa for their offense, their nepotism/cronyism and their coach being untouchable. Perhaps that is why no one can see those same qualities about our own team when they couldn't be more obvious.
