I think we go bowling this year...

vmbplayer

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Feb 6, 2008
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Am I crazy?

Admittedly this is very very very simple logic, but here's what I'm basing this on.

First what we've heard:
-Over the course of the last 2 seasons I have heard the coaches use the term 'guys we can win with' a number of times. Most of the time the number of guys we had in our weaker positions barely covered the starters (if they were even 1 deep at each position). Now Aside from maybe the Safety position, we have enough guys we can put on the field and 'win with' from what I've heard from the coaches. WR being the only position that jumps out that doesn't have enough players that if a starter drops we have someone who is serviceable that can come in. (Kicker also, but I'm choosing to ignore that)
-Josh Lenz during a spring interview said something along the lines of how the last scrimmage before the spring game they had had about 18 explosive plays. CPR if I remember this correctly defines an explosive play as 10+ yards running or 20+ passing. As has been pointed out this is against what we could consider our strongest defense in 10 years (highlighted by what some have described as potentially the best LB corps in the league), and against a defense who knows what plays are coming. As we have seen the last 2 years our Defense has been what has won us games, and if our Offense is finally clicking along with the best Defense we've had we are in excellent shape.
-We have what i think could shake out to be the best running back group since I have followed ISU. Obviously we don't have a Troy Davis or an A-Rob, but the depth is huge, and Herman has said he will get 3 of them on the field at once because they're our best players.

Who we play (this is where I oversimplify):
-We have 4 teams on our schedule who we notched a win against last year. Obviously history isn't going to just repeat, but for the sake of argument lets say it does. Basing this on the fact that i think our team will be significantly better than last year and I question that any teams could have improved much more than what ISU will have over the course of the last year.
-From there we need only 2 more wins to make a bowl. Those wins have to come from Baylor (winnable), Uconn (Winnable), Iowa (it's at jack trice stranger things have happened in this series), A&M (probably a loss), and OSU (probably a loss), Mizzou (probably a loss but they lose an NFL QB).

It's apparent that the schedule does us few favors by having the more manageable games on the road. Most will note that it's unlikely that we will beat the longhorns again. To that I say it's just as likely that we beat K-State so those two are a wash.

We will learn a lot in the non-conference season this year. But even with a tougher schedule I think Bowling is in the cards for the 2011 Cyclones. I'd put it at probably 50-60% chance, and if the results we've seen from Rhoads coached teams is an indicator the high end is usually the outcome.
 

CyCrazy

Well-Known Member
Dec 17, 2008
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I am not going to rule out a bowl trip yet, I think we have a shot. That being said its April.
 

zwclones51

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Aug 4, 2010
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Hope your right. I'm thinking 4-5 wins only. :sad: I think we'll see alot of posters on here complain about each qb. Once Tiller has bad game, they'll be calling for Steele. Once Steele, has a bad game then JB. Just gonna be a carousel all year long. I will say this, I think our D will keep us in some games this year.
 

CyBroncos

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Aug 5, 2010
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If we can go 2-1 in non conference and then beat Kansas, I think we can find 3 wins in the rest of the schedule. Oklahoma is the only game that I'm chalking up as an absolute loss...they curb stomped us last year, will be loaded again and it's in Norman. A&M and OSU are clearly better but the games are in Ames so Rhoads could pull off his annual upset special. I'm still not buying that Texas is going to return to a 10 or 11 win team until I see it

I wish we could flip flop the road and home Big 12 games...then I'd say there's no doubt we go bowling
 

clonestar12

Member
May 16, 2006
658
15
18
Texas
Am I crazy?

Admittedly this is very very very simple logic, but here's what I'm basing this on.

First what we've heard:
-Over the course of the last 2 seasons I have heard the coaches use the term 'guys we can win with' a number of times. Most of the time the number of guys we had in our weaker positions barely covered the starters (if they were even 1 deep at each position). Now Aside from maybe the Safety position, we have enough guys we can put on the field and 'win with' from what I've heard from the coaches. WR being the only position that jumps out that doesn't have enough players that if a starter drops we have someone who is serviceable that can come in. (Kicker also, but I'm choosing to ignore that)
-Josh Lenz during a spring interview said something along the lines of how the last scrimmage before the spring game they had had about 18 explosive plays. CPR if I remember this correctly defines an explosive play as 10+ yards running or 20+ passing. As has been pointed out this is against what we could consider our strongest defense in 10 years (highlighted by what some have described as potentially the best LB corps in the league), and against a defense who knows what plays are coming. As we have seen the last 2 years our Defense has been what has won us games, and if our Offense is finally clicking along with the best Defense we've had we are in excellent shape.
-We have what i think could shake out to be the best running back group since I have followed ISU. Obviously we don't have a Troy Davis or an A-Rob, but the depth is huge, and Herman has said he will get 3 of them on the field at once because they're our best players.

Who we play (this is where I oversimplify):
-We have 4 teams on our schedule who we notched a win against last year. Obviously history isn't going to just repeat, but for the sake of argument lets say it does. Basing this on the fact that i think our team will be significantly better than last year and I question that any teams could have improved much more than what ISU will have over the course of the last year.
-From there we need only 2 more wins to make a bowl. Those wins have to come from Baylor (winnable), Uconn (Winnable), Iowa (it's at jack trice stranger things have happened in this series), A&M (probably a loss), and OSU (probably a loss), Mizzou (probably a loss but they lose an NFL QB).

It's apparent that the schedule does us few favors by having the more manageable games on the road. Most will note that it's unlikely that we will beat the longhorns again. To that I say it's just as likely that we beat K-State so those two are a wash.

We will learn a lot in the non-conference season this year. But even with a tougher schedule I think Bowling is in the cards for the 2011 Cyclones. I'd put it at probably 50-60% chance, and if the results we've seen from Rhoads coached teams is an indicator the high end is usually the outcome.

This team should be significantly stronger than last year and were 2 pts from bowl eligibility. The keys imo, are the trenches where we will be much deeper and more experienced. In 2005 we were a big underdog to the hawks, but I looked at our lines, and we were better on both sides of the ball. I made some good coin that year on the game. We are B12 caliber in the trenches now, so improvement should be expected recordwise.
 

WalkingCY

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2008
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Kansas City
I expect to be bowling. Got to make a huge spash in the "new" conference from the get-go. (2 teams that we historically did poor against are gone...need to capitalize.) Go Cyclones!
 

Me State

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Oct 19, 2007
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I think the new video board and sound system is good for an additional 2 wins at least.
 
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delt4cy

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May 11, 2006
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Atlanta, GA
1. Imo, we have better overall talent and depth on the Oline than we have had in years.

2. The DLine has it's best depth and talent since 05. Even in 05 there wasn't much behind them. I'm pumped to see Rump, McD, and Laing with another year of experience in addition to valuable reps from youngsters in the mix.

That right there is the recipe to success. Playmakers can't make plays if there is no hole or no time, vice versa on D, if too big a hole and too much time to pass no way to stop big plays.

I see a surprise in the making. It also helps to have PR and Wally in our corner.
 

CycloneWarning

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Jan 14, 2008
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I am sure it is not a popular opinion, but I actually think we should have gone bowling last year and the team slightly underperformed. We should have been able to find win #6 against KSU, NU or MU (neutral and two home games).

So I also think 6 wins is achievable next year. Wish we would have used the extra money from the two Arrowhead games to buy out of the UConn trip, but so be it. I think we need to get that one or Iowa at home to determine if we have a shot. Finishing 1-2 in non-conference will make 6 almost impossible.

But I think CPR and the boys are good for one road upset (NU in 2009, UT in 2010, ?? in 2011). Win our share of the tossup games and steal another home upset and we are good to go.
 

PabloDiablo

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Feb 10, 2011
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A more pertinent question for me is... does my wife let me go to the bowl game when we make it with a 4 month old at home?

7 wins this year with seeky wins over Iowa and A&M. CPR and ISU (and me) go Bowling!
 

intrepid27

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2006
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Marion, IA
NEED to win at least one between Iowa and UConn. If not it will be tough to reach 6 wins. Here are my predicions
1.UNI
2.UCONN
3.Baylor
4.K State
5.Kansas
6.Okie St, or Mizzou,or T Tech

If we beat Iowa AND Uconn I really like our chances.
 

jaretac

Well-Known Member
Nov 26, 2006
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Frigidaire
Here is what I'm going to say. With a few games left I expect this team to have their sights on a bowl game. Whether that happens or not we will see, but I really don't expect any more than we saw last year.
 

dualthreat

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Oct 8, 2008
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That road game at #1 Oklahoma has me (and others on this board) excited. Me and some buddies of mine might be able to land some tickets to that one! A win @OU would be a win for the ages... actually it would be the biggest win in cyclone history
 

PabloDiablo

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Feb 10, 2011
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That road game at #1 Oklahoma has me (and others on this board) excited. Me and some buddies of mine might be able to land some tickets to that one! A win @OU would be a win for the ages... actually it would be the biggest win in cyclone history

Definitely the biggest is school history. A friend of mine is married to KJ's asst gym coach and I was considering heading down if she could land some tix. It would be a blast either way!
 

dualthreat

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Oct 8, 2008
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I'd say winning @ OU is BY FAR more prominent

-52-2 at home under stoops
-Will probably be ranked #1 at the time

Texas was ranked #19 at the time, but they finished at 5-7
 

dualthreat

Well-Known Member
Oct 8, 2008
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i think the last time we beat OU was @ their place. Like 1992 i think. Heres a fun fact for ya... Guess who has BY FAR the worst series record in all of college football?

Yep, its iowa state VS oklahoma. 5-68 or something all time