Why do you think the team is doing so poorly this season?

[KidSilverhair]

Regression to the mean.

The team went from the right side of the luck distribution to the left side.

Amen.

At Baylor ISU was a 2-point conversion from going to OT, even though the defense was horrible in the first half. Take away the kickoff return TD and that single play might have made the difference.

At West Virginia if Breece isn’t ruled to have fumbled at the goal line it likely goes to OT, even though the defense was terrible all game. Take away the free 4th down TD WV got after the play clock expired, and that might have made the difference (let alone the magical levitating “foot touch” TD).

At Tech just have somebody make a play to prevent that FG at the end of the first half and it likely goes to OT. Same if somebody makes a play at the end of the game, or that 62-yard kick doesn’t go through. Make both things happen and ISU probably wins, even though Tech completely outplayed ISU.

At OU, once again the Cyclones are a whisker from OT, even with a horrific scoop-and-score at the end of the first half and Caleb Williams’ huge run in the 1st quarter. Fall on the strip sack in the end zone or even get a safety there, it’s a different ballgame.

Even with ISU playing pretty bad football in at least 2 1/2 of these 4 losses, about 5 plays made the difference between going 0-4 and possibly 4-0. Last year more of those plays went ISU’s way. This year they‘re not. That’s football.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Amen.

At Baylor ISU was a 2-point conversion from going to OT, even though the defense was horrible in the first half. Take away the kickoff return TD and that single play might have made the difference.

At West Virginia if Breece isn’t ruled to have fumbled at the goal line it likely goes to OT, even though the defense was terrible all game. Take away the free 4th down TD WV got after the play clock expired, and that might have made the difference (let alone the magical levitating “foot touch” TD).

At Tech just have somebody make a play to prevent that FG at the end of the first half and it likely goes to OT. Same if somebody makes a play at the end of the game, or that 62-yard kick doesn’t go through. Make both things happen and ISU probably wins, even though Tech completely outplayed ISU.

At OU, once again the Cyclones are a whisker from OT, even with a horrific scoop-and-score at the end of the first half and Caleb Williams’ huge run in the 1st quarter. Fall on the strip sack in the end zone or even get a safety there, it’s a different ballgame.

Even with ISU playing pretty bad football in at least 2 1/2 of these 4 losses, about 5 plays made the difference between going 0-4 and possibly 4-0. Last year more of those plays went ISU’s way. This year they‘re not. That’s football.

You could easily do the inverse of this above for last season and come up with the equivalent of a 7-5 record (assuming that you bring back 1-2 games against cupcakes missed last season).

Nothing I have seen the past season makes me think this team is significantly worse than the one before it. I have the same regard for the players and the coaches and the program overall.

Just haven't caught the bounces or pulled out close games.

This is what happens when a season is determined by 12 (or maybe 13) games. That is a pitiful sample size. An MLB team that will go 60-102 might easily have a 9-3 run in there somewhere.

Like you said, that's just football.

 

[isuno1fan]

Didn't see pathetic OL as an option.

Didn't respond as a result.

 

[IASTATE07]

Didn't see pathetic OL as an option.

Didn't respond as a result.

You would click on the "other" option.

 

[1100011CS]

Combination of B and D

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Manning was enjoying a chicken sandwich from the Rowdy Rooster and walked across a corner of the Zodiac.

We've never recovered.

 

[CySmurf]

We were just flat out horrible against Iowa.

This...probably disappoints me more than anything from this season. How we played so poorly...against this team...again.

 

[jbhtexas]

1. ISU under Campbell is going to live in close games. This means what appears to be playing up/down to competition. ISU is going to win games when the other team is probably better, and lose some where ISU is probably the better team.

I think this is a philosophy that needs to be re-evaluated. ISU doesn't need to do this in every game anymore. OSU isn't putting up gaudy scores, but of their 8 conference games, only two of them have been 1-score games, while 5 of ISU's conference games have been 1-score affairs. 2 of those 5 had no business being that close.

 

[SCarolinaCy]

what's so bad about this thread if I may ask?

SHort answer.

what's so bad about this thread if I may ask?

You are always goin' get that from PD's

 

[Cycl1]

They had a much bigger target on their backs this year, and that's a whole new ballgame when everyone is looking at you as a big game every week. The difference between 6-5 and 10-1 was really a razor's edge.

Agree with this. Teams don't look past us and i think we look past some teams. I don't know if our school has a handle on being a top dog. Climbing from nothing is different than staying on top. I think we get cocky and overlook some teams, and also get their best shot. Same thing has happened to us in basketball. Also, expectations cause extra pressure. These kind of expectations are new for us, and frankly probably for our coaching staff. Our head coach is still young.

 

[Proton]

You could easily do the inverse of this above for last season and come up with the equivalent of a 7-5 record (assuming that you bring back 1-2 games against cupcakes missed last season).

Nothing I have seen the past season makes me think this team is significantly worse than the one before it. I have the same regard for the players and the coaches and the program overall.

Just haven't caught the bounces or pulled out close games.

This is what happens when a season is determined by 12 (or maybe 13) games. That is a pitiful sample size. An MLB team that will go 60-102 might easily have a 9-3 run in there somewhere.

Like you said, that's just football.

Too rational.

 

[spitfyr36]

2 of our wins last year came against a COVID depleted Baylor and KSU teams. Just embrace what we got and enjoy the ride.

5 years ago I begged the football gods for a consistent 7-5/8-4 team. We got it. Should have set my sights higher

 

[DeereClone]

Wait we did worse this year? By what measurement? I thought we were just out here trying to become the best versions of ourselves and I think we’ve done well there so kudos to everyone.

We caught the breaks last year and didn’t this year. It happens. I also do think there was some complacency among the players and staff, obviously no way to prove that but idk things just seemed off this year and that’s about the only explanation I can come up with.

 

[2122]

Other - O.line.

 

[cstrunk]

A mixture of bad luck and play calling.

You can help create your luck more often by putting your players in position to succeed. Last year we seemed to have it, not so much this year.

Last year we probably caught some breaks due to Covid. But we still ended up 9-3 (8-1) with a convincing Fiesta Bowl win. To follow up that season, returning nearly everyone, with a 6-5 record has been very underwhelming. There's still a decent chance they finish 8-5 with a bowl game win, which is an outstanding year overall for ISU, but it didn't live up to the rightful hype. It's also possible that they finish 6-7.

But that's football. We're not good enough to overcome the mistakes that we consistently made, and it caught up with us this season.

 

[madguy30]

2 of our wins last year came against a COVID depleted Baylor and KSU teams. Just embrace what we got and enjoy the ride.

5 years ago I begged the football gods for a consistent 7-5/8-4 team. We got it. Should have set my sights higher

WV also was coming off of a Covid 3 week break.

Nothing gets a team more revved up to play a football game after all of that than going to Ames in December.

Injuries played a role along with missing guys like Soehner and Kene more than we realized.

 

[joefrog]

I think this is a philosophy that needs to be re-evaluated. ISU doesn't need to do this in every game anymore. OSU isn't putting up gaudy scores, but of their 8 conference games, only two of them have been 1-score games, while 5 of ISU's conference games have been 1-score affairs. 2 of those 5 had no business being that close.

Sounds a lot like my previous post. CMC operates a lot like Brad Childress did and now Zimmer does with the Vikings.

I cannot for the life of me understand intentionally keeping games close when evenly matched or superior in talent. Yes, I think our coaching staff turtles, especially in the first half of games.

UNI and Iowa games should have told us to lower our expectations.

 

[CloneIce]

Won the close ones last year. Pretty much lost them all this year. I swear every fumble bounces right back into our opponents hands. Just one of those years.

 

[motorcy90]

Tom Manning... the end..

 

[FouchodeHond]

I quit drinking during games. It’s my fault.