Has the Rot Started to Set In?

[CycloneErik]

Mark my words! Campbell will never take us to championship type football. He has already proven that he is an average coach at best. He is lucky in one regard. Most of Iowa State fans are not bothered by having mediocre football teams.

Well, he pretty much did already.. We won the regular season and played in the conference title game. That's pretty much championship type football.

 

[Cyched]

There is rot in college football in general. Legalized gambling, NIL, transfer portal, realignment, numerous "media" time outs for commercial.

The latest Miller & CW pod talked about this a bit, but I’ve been enjoying the NFL more than college the past few years from a pure entertainment perspective.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

I just don’t understand how people can’t even entertain this kind of take (especially the bold). That’s just how sports works outside of a few super outliers. My whole point is are we going to do the thing where we wait or should we play the percentages and skip the downward spiral that is likely to be occurring?

I mean one major problem at have is that we literally just had the highest rated recruiting…ever I believe. We have also massively improved in the special teams department this season. The defense is solid, though at times I wonder if we should mix in a four man front. The offense has issues, but we have a super young group there…and a first year coordinator. It may be that Campbell is doing the wrong things with that group, but I don’t know that you have the dudes to say for certain…or better said, I don’t think they are who they will be.

I don’t think anyone should have predicted more than 6 wins this year. I’d take that in a heartbeat. Next year I’d like to see us pushing for more, and if that’s not true, then we can talk.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I mean one major problem at have is that we literally just had the highest rated recruiting…ever I believe. We have also massively improved in the special teams department this season. The defense is solid, though at times I wonder if we should mix in a four man front. The offense has issues, but we have a super young group there…and a first year coordinator. It may be that Campbell is doing the wrong things with that group, but I don’t know that you have the dudes to say for certain…or better said, I don’t think they are who they will be.

I don’t think anyone should have predicted more than 6 wins this year. I’d take that in a heartbeat. Next year I’d like to see us pushing for more, and if that’s not true, then we can talk.

Are we just judging against ourselves for “highest rated recruiting”.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I mean one major problem at have is that we literally just had the highest rated recruiting…ever I believe. We have also massively improved in the special teams department this season. The defense is solid, though at times I wonder if we should mix in a four man front. The offense has issues, but we have a super young group there…and a first year coordinator. It may be that Campbell is doing the wrong things with that group, but I don’t know that you have the dudes to say for certain…or better said, I don’t think they are who they will be.

I don’t think anyone should have predicted more than 6 wins this year. I’d take that in a heartbeat. Next year I’d like to see us pushing for more, and if that’s not true, then we can talk.

Are we just judging against ourselves for the “highest rated recruiting” thing?

 

[CycloneSpinning]

Are we just judging against ourselves for the “highest rated recruiting” thing?

Of course. Obviously it’s not THE best recruiting class in all of history. Progress is progress…and it doesn’t suggest a loss of momentum.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Of course. Obviously it’s not THE best recruiting class in all of history. Progress is progress…and it doesn’t suggest a loss of momentum.

I think our 2023 class was last in the Big 12. I don’t know how 2024 is looking.

 

[Proton]

I love Campbell. But if we lose to Kansas on Homecoming then I’ll smell a bit of ROT.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

I’m think our 2023 class was last in the Big 12. I don’t know how 2024 is looking.

Yes, but it was our best ever…and you’re making a very good point as to what we’re up against. And that’s why I would say those who wish to stay sane must measure success beyond the wins and losses. Campbell is killing it compared to his predecessors and Jack Trice Stadium is the envy of 80-90% of universities…and yet we’re always bottom third in recruiting classes and the absolute basement dweller in monetary support. How do you win every year?

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

I think our 2023 class was last in the Big 12. I don’t know how 2024 is looking.

7th in 2023. 9th for 2024

2024 Recruit Big-12 Football Team Rankings

In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.

247sports.com

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

I'm not on the 'fire campbell' train yet by any means.

But those of you acting like the red flags are just because we're 1-1 are no less blind than someone wanting him fired today.

Watch enough programs over time and you'll see how much momentum plays a role. Attract players and staff on the vision of success, have success, parlay that into attracting players with visions of even greater success. Once the wheels come off of that and the trendline dips, that sell value disappears, and the program starts to enter into a spiral (sometimes a slow one, sometimes a fast one). Once you recognize that spiral has reached a point of no return, you have to move on or else you'll just be that much more in the hole for the next guy to dig out of.

For ISU, that upward trendline has all but disappeared. One could argue the *program* peaked in like 2018 for the alamo bowl season and the covid year and all its flukiness just hid that we really had plateaued as like a 7-6 program for the next few seasons (momentum stopped) before dropping down to 4-8 (momentum now headed the other way).

Campbell deserves a chance to right the ship of course, and I don't think the decision on firing him should be on the table after this season, but I think that turnaround has to happen by the end of next season (and hell, maybe we see signs of it this season, its early!).

Pretty sure the 2020 season is the peak of the program. 8-1 conf record and a championship game appearance. Wonder what that QB is doing now? The RB looked good for the jets. TE room also pretty talented.

 

[alarson]

Pretty sure the 2020 season is the peak of the program. 8-1 conf record and a championship game appearance. Wonder what that QB is doing now? The RB looked good for the jets. TE room also pretty talented.

There is a difference between a season's record and the status of a program. A lot of correlation between the two over the long term of course. But a single year alone doesn't do that, especially when that year was pretty fucky for a lot of reasons

 

[CycloneErik]

Yes, but it was our best ever…and you’re making a very good point as to what we’re up against. And that’s why I would say those who wish to stay sane must measure success beyond the wins and losses. Campbell is killing it compared to his predecessors and Jack Trice Stadium is the envy of 80-90% of universities…and yet we’re always bottom third in recruiting classes and the absolute basement dweller in monetary support. How do you win every year?

Jeremy has been pretty thorough about the low rank of recruiting beyond Kohl.
The Jack as the envy of so many? No way.

 

[Stormin]

Jeremy has been pretty thorough about the low rank of recruiting beyond Kohl.
The Jack as the envy of so many? No way.

So is this recruiting analysis Campbell versus previous Iowa State coaches because IMO our recruiting is much better now. Take out Campos and Lazard from Rhoads classes if you are cutting out high rated recruits from classes. Where did we rank in recruiting before Campbell?

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

There is a difference between a season's record and the status of a program. A lot of correlation between the two over the long term of course. But a single year alone doesn't do that, especially when that year was pretty fucky for a lot of reasons

The 2018 team didn’t make the conf champ game and lost their bowl game. They also lost to Iowa. The 2020 team went to the big 12 champ game and won the only new years six game we ever went to. With the exemption of a young purdy, most of out current nfl players played on that 2020 team and not the 2018 team. The 2018 team did beat Drake by 3 so you have that going for you.

 

[alarson]

The 2018 team didn’t make the conf champ game and lost their bowl game. They also lost to Iowa. The 2020 team went to the big 12 champ game and won the only new years six game we ever went to. With the exemption of a young purdy, most of out current nfl players played on that 2020 team and not the 2018 team. The 2018 team did beat Drake by 3 so you have that going for you.

You seem to be missing the point entirely but ok.

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

You seem to be missing the point entirely but ok.

I think you are right. What was your point? I don’t understand.

 

[deadeyededric]

I mean one major problem at have is that we literally just had the highest rated recruiting…ever I believe. We have also massively improved in the special teams department this season. The defense is solid, though at times I wonder if we should mix in a four man front. The offense has issues, but we have a super young group there…and a first year coordinator. It may be that Campbell is doing the wrong things with that group, but I don’t know that you have the dudes to say for certain…or better said, I don’t think they are who they will be.

I don’t think anyone should have predicted more than 6 wins this year. I’d take that in a heartbeat. Next year I’d like to see us pushing for more, and if that’s not true, then we can talk.

We'll never be consistently good until this staff figures out how to coach offensive lineman. JFC our line play has been atrocious under Campbell. A good OL is why Iowa goes to a bowl game every year.

 

[cayin]

Rhoads only won with Chiz's players who were actually fairly talented. CMC recruited his own talent. Big difference.

Rhoads had to try to recruit two years in a row and couldn't tell recruits if Iowa State was going to be in a power conference or not.

 

[nfrine]

Relax. We should be able to hire Nick Saban, Ryan Day or Dabo after their down year this year...