Schlabach: ISU heading in wrong direction

[dtclones]

Wow. Some tough critics in here today.
Rhoads beats NU in Lincoln for the first time in 32 years.
Beats Texas in Austin for the first time ever.
Brings in arguably the best recruiting class in anyone's memory.
Wins a bowl game in his first year.
And everyone things we are heading in the wrong direction.
Glad Rhoads only answers to Pollard!

I strongly disagree with your recruiting class statement. ISU was one of only a few BCS programs to not land a 4-star recruit. Pretty crappy. I know stars don't mean much sometimes but I don't know how else to judge a recruiting class. We won't know until they take the field anyway. Once we start bringing in premiere talent, I'll say we're headed in the right direction.

Plus, the way we finished last year really left me with a pessimistic attitude. Tiller just won't get the job done.

 

[bpmcclain]

I strongly disagree with your recruiting class statement. ISU was one of only a few BCS programs to not land a 4-star recruit. Pretty crappy. I know stars don't mean much sometimes but I don't know how else to judge a recruiting class. We won't know until they take the field anyway. Once we start bringing in premiere talent, I'll say we're headed in the right direction.

Plus, the way we finished last year really left me with a pessimistic attitude. Tiller just won't get the job done.

I go by offers kids get rather than stars. We didnt have a 4 star, but we got Nealy who had some really good offers

 

[azepp]

We definitely don't have a successful history and I haven't seen anything to make me believe we're going to be more than a lower-tier bowl team 50% of the time in the near future. I don't consider making a lower-tier bowl every other year success, so I'd rate us a 1.

He's looking at us on a national scale, and the reality is the relative to most BCS programs we are not and have not been a successful program.

However, by ISU standards I'd give us a 3. We've had more success in the past decade than in any other decade of program history and we have the potential to maintain or improve upon that success.

 

[dtclones]

I go by offers kids get rather than stars. We didnt have a 4 star, but we got Nealy who had some really good offers

I'll agree with that. Nealy is a guy to be excited about for sure, but we need more than one or two.

 

[Cyhart]

He still has a below .500 career record.
We got CLOBBERED multiple times last season.
Iowa State's best recruiting class means nothing when it comes to national perception. Wins, wins, and wins get you respect.
A win in the Insight Bowl does not garner much respect.
We had a worse record last season than 2 years ago.

Taking off the cardinal and gold shades, yeah, it's fairly easy to see why they think we aren't doing much. How often do you hear of Iowa State in a good fashion on ESPN? Not very often. Probably twice in the last 2 years (Texas and Nebraska). Otherwise, it's us losing to ranked teams left and right.

Well, our schedule last year was beyond brutal. And it was only Rhoads' second year. Im not saying we will instantly get over the hump, or even get over the hump at all for that matter. Im just saying based on what he has managed to do in his first 2 years is certainly reason for legitimate hope. And if there is legitimate hope, we are heading in the right direction.
The poll wasnt who has arrived. We clearly havent arrived. But I think our trajectory is positive. I dont see how anyone can argue that. But, we all look thru different windows.

 

[CarolinaCy]

Other than nice wins over Tech and UT, and the near upset of Nebraska, last year was not a good year for ISU football.

* 28 point loss to Iowa
* 41 point loss to Utah
* 52 point loss to OU (52 points!)
* 20 point loss to CU (who was so bad they fired their coach mid-season)

Going by the results on the field, pretty hard to say (in the short-term) that we're heading in the right direction. Especially when that is the season following a bowl victory in the previous year.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

I strongly disagree with your recruiting class statement. ISU was one of only a few BCS programs to not land a 4-star recruit. Pretty crappy. I know stars don't mean much sometimes but I don't know how else to judge a recruiting class. We won't know until they take the field anyway. Once we start bringing in premiere talent, I'll say we're headed in the right direction.

Plus, the way we finished last year really left me with a pessimistic attitude. Tiller just won't get the job done.

Well, what you say is the bottom line, it sounds like.

End of discussion.

:twitcy:

 

[IcSyU]

Well, our schedule last year was beyond brutal

and is going to be for the forseeable future. Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Missouri more often than not will produce 2 or fewer wins.You'll have 2 wins out of conference. Probably trade off wins between Kansas and Kansas State in the years we're the home team. Tech and Baylor we'll have a chance to beat at home. However, our road record historically suggests that we aren't going to win many games away from Jack Trice Stadium. That's not a good way to say your program is "building."

 

[dtclones]

Well, what you say is the bottom line, it sounds like.

End of discussion.

:twitcy:

Not at all. I just don't get a warm fuzzy when I think about the next few years of ISU football. Hopefully that can change this season.

 

[Cyhart]

I strongly disagree with your recruiting class statement. ISU was one of only a few BCS programs to not land a 4-star recruit. Pretty crappy. I know stars don't mean much sometimes but I don't know how else to judge a recruiting class. We won't know until they take the field anyway. Once we start bringing in premiere talent, I'll say we're headed in the right direction.

Plus, the way we finished last year really left me with a pessimistic attitude. Tiller just won't get the job done.

I wasnt referring to how our class compares nationally. I said it was our best class in anyone's memory.
To quote our friend C-Willy:

I am of the opinion that the 2010 class of recruits has as much talent as any class ever brought in to Iowa State.

If Rhoads told me that he wasnt going to bring in a top 25 class, but was going to bring in one of our best classes ever, I'd sign up immediately.
To me, thats positive trajectory.
Rome wasnt built in a day.

 

[Cyhart]

and is going to be for the forseeable future. Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Missouri more often than not will produce 2 or fewer wins.You'll have 2 wins out of conference. Probably trade off wins between Kansas and Kansas State in the years we're the home team. Tech and Baylor we'll have a chance to beat at home. However, our road record historically suggests that we aren't going to win many games away from Jack Trice Stadium. That's not a good way to say your program is "building."

I dont think you can say, "Texas and Oklahoma, etc are improving so therefore ISU is heading in the wrong direction".
Or, "because our schedule is so tough we are automatically heading in the wrong direction".

 

[Wesley]

I wasnt referring to how our class compares nationally. I said it was our best class in anyone's memory.
To quote our friend C-Willy:


If Rhoads told me that he wasnt going to bring in a top 25 class, but was going to bring in one of our best classes ever, I'd sign up immediately.
To me, thats positive trajectory.
Rome wasnt built in a day.

McCarney proved that.

 

[dtclones]

I wasnt referring to how our class compares nationally. I said it was our best class in anyone's memory.
To quote our friend C-Willy:


If Rhoads told me that he wasnt going to bring in a top 25 class, but was going to bring in one of our best classes ever, I'd sign up immediately.
To me, thats positive trajectory.
Rome wasnt built in a day.

That does make me feel a little better.

I guess I'm thinking more short-term and I feel we took a step back last year.

 

[khaal53]

I dont think you can say, "Texas and Oklahoma, etc are improving so therefore ISU is heading in the wrong direction".
Or, "because our schedule is so tough we are automatically heading in the wrong direction".

That's basically the crux of it. He's trying to state which direction teams are trending by comparing them to some national level benchmark instead of comparing each team to it's performances in recent years.

I could go work like hell, improve my 5k time and really be improved but still not be mediocre when I run Midnight Madness in July, ya know?

 

[DurangoCy]

Fun with numbers...

ACC 29 Points /12 Teams = 2.42 ave 1's Duke 5's VT
Big 12 33 Points/10 Teams = 3.30 ave 1's None 5's OU
Big East 21 Points/8 Teams = 2.63 ave 1's None 5's None
Big 10 34 Points/12 Teams = 2.83 ave 1's IU 5's OSU
Pac 12 32 Points/12 Teams = 2.67 ave 1's WSU 5's Oregon
SEC 40 Points/12 Teams = 3.33 ave 1's Vandy 5's Bama and LSU

 

[CarolinaCy]

Well, our schedule last year was beyond brutal. And it was only Rhoads' second year. Im not saying we will instantly get over the hump, or even get over the hump at all for that matter. Im just saying based on what he has managed to do in his first 2 years is certainly reason for legitimate hope. And if there is legitimate hope, we are heading in the right direction.
The poll wasnt who has arrived. We clearly havent arrived. But I think our trajectory is positive. I dont see how anyone can argue that. But, we all look thru different windows.

That's the thing, I don't know what his criteria is for establishing a trend. If you compare 2009 to 2010, and then apply that to 2011, then we're heading in the wrong direction. If you compare the 3 years under Chiz to the first 2 years under CPR, then we're heading in a positive direction overall. It all depends on your perspective - long term vs. short term I guess.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

and is going to be for the forseeable future. Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Missouri more often than not will produce 2 or fewer wins.You'll have 2 wins out of conference. Probably trade off wins between Kansas and Kansas State in the years we're the home team. Tech and Baylor we'll have a chance to beat at home. However, our road record historically suggests that we aren't going to win many games away from Jack Trice Stadium. That's not a good way to say your program is "building."

While the fan in me hates to admit it.... this is a pretty solid no BS assessment of the situation. We are going to have to bring in quite a bit of talent just to go .500 and if we want more then that.... the staff is going to have to pull some miracles on the recruiting trail.

 

[PabloDiablo]

That's the thing, I don't know what his criteria is for establishing a trend. If you compare 2009 to 2010, and then apply that to 2011, then we're heading in the wrong direction. If you compare the 3 years under Chiz to the first 2 years under CPR, then we're heading in a positive direction overall. It all depends on your perspective - long term vs. short term I guess.

This is a really good point. I guess i was thinking recent meant over the past 5 or so years, but that's definitely up for debate.

True, nationally we haven't done much except get a **** load of youtube hits but for people on the inside, it's clear that we are turning around the attitude of Cyclones all over.

For those aruging wins and loses though, how can you look at our rating and record this past season versus 2009 and then look at the rating for TX. We went from 7-6 to 5-7, they went from 12-1 or something to 5-7. Yet they are a four. Sure they have waaay more talent but thats a -7 win season and that's not the wrong direction? Sure, they had an awesome recruiting class but they haven't done anything since being 5-7 just like us. So how are we ranked differently? An objective person would look at our record over the past two seasons versus TX's and say, man TX is in way more decline than ISU. This is just another dude from ESPN thinking subjectively and going off history not objectively thinking of records or a true rating.

 

[Cyhart]

That's the thing, I don't know what his criteria is for establishing a trend. If you compare 2009 to 2010, and then apply that to 2011, then we're heading in the wrong direction. If you compare the 3 years under Chiz to the first 2 years under CPR, then we're heading in a positive direction overall. It all depends on your perspective - long term vs. short term I guess.

Yep, exactly.
And, despite the "results", I think a lot of people would argue that last year's team was actually better than Rhoads' first team.

 

[Tedcyclone]

Article from ESPN.com rates teams on 5 point scale. Has ISU heading in wrong direction as 2/5 on same level as KU and KSU in Big 12.

"
5: Consistent winner with potential to be BCS bowl contender every season
4: Potential to join the sport's elite in the near future
3: Recent mediocre results but seems to be building momentum
2: Recent success but seems to be headed in wrong direction
1: Below-average program with little success in past or future"

Overall health report for each BCS team - ESPN

If I were to rate us, I think I would've gone with 3/5, but I'm an optimist.

we are most def a 1. No doubt about it. i think ISU had the 2nd to lowest total of wins out of all D1 football programs next to Duke in last 10 or 20 years... our program is terrible. we have had a few decent seasons... we have only won 8 reg season games once since ive been a fan.. Sage's senior year. That is it!
*** But you could argue a 3, because Paul is doing all he can to change this.


Now i dont think we are the 2nd worst team in D1, but based on our history and results you could argue it easily. no way around the truth. we have 4 bowl wins in school history. that doesnt lie.

read #1. It says.. below avg program with little to no past or current success.. that would be ISU. now i think Paul Rhoads is doing everything in his power to change that, i do. but that doesnt change the truth, not yet. I believe in Paul but only time will tell.

as for the time we have had already, ISU has sucked, and anyone with a brain knows that. Seriously we will be an underdog in maybe every single game we play this year against a d1 team. maybe we will be favored in 2, maybe.