tOSU

[Mikey]

Nice drop in the end zone.

RACK Iowa if they can win today.

[Mace]

It's going to come down to Iowa's last possession now. Could be another overtime...or an Iowa win if Stanzi can march them down the field. Need a good kick return.

[Mikey]

Seems like a major fold happening here.

[Mace]

Barring a miracle, this one is over. Props to tOSU for making the plays when they had to and getting it done. Hope I've spoken too soon, but I don't think so. Fuck.

[Mikey]

I was hoping for Iowa and Michigan to bump off a couple of 1 loss teams, but no luck. Mississippi still has a chance.

[Goober McTuber]

RACK tOSU for helping maintain the Badgers' lead in the Big 10.

[Mace]

Can't wait for theJON to stop in and let us know which member of the Iowa coaching staff is to blame for today's loss. :roll:

And props to Wisconsin for taking care of business today.

[FLW Buckeye]

Can't wait for buckeye in SC to stop in and let us know which member of the OSU coaching staff is to blame for today's close call. :roll:

FTFY.

[TheJON]

Tressel is a great coach. He can be conservative but, unlike Ferentz, he actually knows what he's doing late in games. There's no clock mismanagements with him.

If he had a back rush for 43 yards on 7 carries in the 1st quarter, he would give him more than 2 carries the rest of the game.

Tressel can be a pussy at times, but overall he does a great job managing a game and the playcalling is usually pretty good. His teams aren't confused late in games like Ferentz' teams are. Ohio St was calm. They came out and executed down the stretch like good teams do. Iowa is an experienced team that is flat clueless and confused late in games. This was the difference in the game. Ohio St was more prepared for late game situations. Props to them. Props to Tressel for consistently having his team prepared for these clutch moments. It's a thing of beauty. They don't panic. They are calm. Pryor doesn't look confused out there. He makes bad throws at times, but he knows what he's doing in the 2-minute drill. Every QB under Tressel has been the same.

The difference between Iowa and Ohio St in most years is the talent. This year the difference is coaching. Ohio St doesn't choke down the stretch like Ferentz' teams do because they do a better job of preparing them.

I know Buckeye fans can get frustrated with his conservative nature and the BCS title game debacles, but you guys are damn lucky to have a coach like that. it must be nice to have a coach that is competent on gamedays.
Props for the win buckeyes. Deserving win.

[Mace]

The difference between Iowa and Ohio St in most years is the talent.

That's still the difference, and for you to deny that only proves your stupidity. Ohio State is a much faster team than Iowa, and you don't coach speed, you recruit it. Much easier to do at tOSU than Iowa. If Herron played for Iowa, Robinson and Coker would never see the field unless he was injured. Same for Rolle....he was the best LB on the field today. The only reason we've even had an opportunity to beat tOSU the past two years is because of our coaching, not in spite of it. Wake up, you ignorant douche, and leave the coaching to the folks that know what the hell they're doing. You ain't one of them.

[Mace]

I think Ferentz is working magic amid that sea of corn.

He is doing just that, but there are a number of so called fans who think he and his staff are failing the team when they lose a game. They've become spoiled after a few good seasons and think we're somehow entitled to 10-11 win seasons and take them for granted. Hell, if Persa was in a Hawkeye uniform, Stanzi would be on the bench or playing in the MAC. He's had a great career at Iowa, and is a real leader, but he is not overly talented.

[Goober McTuber]

The only difference between last year and this year for Iowa is that last year they won all of the close games. The team doesn't look that much different.

[Mace]

The only difference between last year and this year for Iowa is that last year they won all of the close games. The team doesn't look that much different.

That's pretty much the case. We're weaker at LB this year and are missing a lock down CB in Spievey on defense. Offensively, we miss Wegher at RB but, with the emergence of Coker, that's not a huge dropoff. So, yeah, there's not a lot of difference other than we won most of the close ones last year. Last year Iowa got most of the breaks, this year not so much.

[Goober McTuber]

The only difference between last year and this year for Iowa is that last year they won all of the close games. The team doesn't look that much different.

That's pretty much the case. We're weaker at LB this year and are missing a lock down CB in Spievey on defense. Offensively, we miss Wegher at RB but, with the emergence of Coker, that's not a huge dropoff. So, yeah, there's not a lot of difference other than we won most of the close ones last year. Last year Iowa got most of the breaks, this year not so much.

RACK your honesty. I think you're better as a loser than as a winner. Let's try and keep it that way. :wink:

[indyfrisco]

And props to the Aggies. 8 wins when you've been getting buttfucked in the mouth for years is a good feeling.

I'm glad we've played well this year, but I was predicting a XII championship for us at the beginning of the year. Jerrod Johnson cost me that bliss. I would never have thought we would beat texas tceh, Baylor (in a good year for them), Oklahoma, Nebraska and maybe even t.u. next week and still possibly finish 3rd in our division.

Though, I do have high expectations for next year...then again, I said that last year. Hey, at least I'm starting to have high expectations I guess. From 2001-2008, I only had hope for a miracle.

[Mace]

I reached college football nirvana in 2002, when the Buckeyes went 14-0 and won and MNC. Now, our team is 10-1, and most fans think this season is a failure. That is fucked up. Sometimes you've got to take a few lumps to appreciate the good times. They don't come around as often as you realize. Texas fan has to be stunned this year. But it will make them appreciate the good years the next time they come around. And props to the Aggies. 8 wins when you've been getting buttfucked in the mouth for years is a good feeling.

Iowa still has an opportunity for an 8-4 regular season and, with a bowl win, 9 win season....not bad considering the history of Iowa football. You're right, you have to appreciate the 11 win seasons, never take them for granted, and hope that you can maintain those 8 or 9 win seasons until you have a season when you can maybe win more. I'm disappointed with the 4 losses but I suspect Alabama fans are even more disappointed with 2 losses after being the pre-season #1 and defending the national title. Sam said all along that they were overrated considering all the losses on the defensive side of the ball, and he was right. The stars have to align for a perfect season, as they did for tOSU in '02, and those seasons are very special.

RACK your honesty. I think you're better as a loser than as a winner. Let's try and keep it that way. :wink:

I'm an Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Cub fan, so I've had far more practice dealing with defeats.

[Mikey]

Stanford is 10-1. Only their fourth 10 win season since 1891 (never won 11) and first since 1992 under Bill Walsh.

They could go 11-1 in the regular season, with their only loss to the #1 team, end up ranked 4th or 5th (or higher) and still not get a BCS bid. That would suck but it would still be a great season.

[Goober McTuber]

I'm an Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Cub fan

You are a tried and true masochist. You are an ideal candidate for a knee replacement and the rehab that goes with it. Most brutal 6 weeks I've been through, and it's still not over.

[Mace]

Stanford is 10-1. Only their fourth 10 win season since 1891 (never won 11) and first since 1992 under Bill Walsh.

They could go 11-1 in the regular season, with their only loss to the #1 team, end up ranked 4th or 5th (or higher) and still not get a BCS bid. That would suck but it would still be a great season.

BCS Bowl or not, nothing can take away from an 11 win season. Harbaugh has done a hell of a job at Stanford.....just as he'll do at Michigan. ;)

[TheJON]

Iowa did not lose because of talent. If you think that you're an idiot.

Does Ohio St have more talent than Iowa? Probably a little. They've got more depth at WR and in the secondary.

This is the first time we have ever lost to Ohio St because of something other than talent. We lost because we choked. It was another dead even game. It just came down to who made plays in the end. Who the fuck do you think was going to do that? A Tressel coached team or a Ferentz coached team?

Mace is the lone remaining Iowa fan that hasn't figured things out. He watches games through his Black and Gold goggles and can't see beyond them.

This team choked- 4 times this year. Actually, they choked 5 times but got lucky. The first time we went toe to toe with a good Ohio St team in 20 years. The first time other than 2004 (OSU had a down year) where Iowa lined up against Ohio St and could honestly say they didn't have much better players (if any at all) than us. And they choked it away. I'm gonna put the blame on the coaches because they're the ones getting paid the money to have their team prepared for late game situations.

We lined up toe to toe with these guys. There wasn't a god damn edge they had on us other than an ability to not choke. That's it. We choked 4 games away. We choked 4 games away in 2008. We have been choking games away 2-3 times per year for the past 12 years. There is no defending the coaches anymore. Not one single Iowa fan besides Mace is defending him. He must just know more than the other 200,000 of us. Either that or he's senile.

Outsiders love Ferentz. I'm not surprised. If I were an outsider, I would probably think he's the best coach in the country. Anyone that can take Iowa to the level he has gotten them to has to be some sort of miracle worker, right? That's sort of true. Problem is, his great traits come with some major flaws that those of us watching every game notice- well, except Mace, but he can't dispute anything you say.

Ferentz teams can't handle expectations. he has proven this. When we are ranked high, you can bet we will finish 3-4 losses below expectations. Why? Because it's easier to prepare a team when you're off everyones radar. Ferentz has had 3 preseason Top 20 teams. Our records in those years? 20-16. I know, Mace, preseason rankings are BS. We should be happy losing to Northwestern every year and choking games away left and right. I know. It's not the coaches. Nope. Can't be them. How dare I rip on the coaches? I should realize how bad we were 40 years ago. I need to put things in perspective. Or you're just plain ignorant to the facts.

We are losing because our coaches do not know how to prepare a team for crucial situations and we require pure old fashioned luck to have ANY shot at winning games down the stretch. If you dispute this, you don't watch iowa.

Tressel's team was poised. They never panicked. The defense looked like they had no confidence down the stretch and the offense looked lost on that final drive. That shouldn't be happening for a team that has been in this situation 4 times already this year. And it shouldn't be happening to a coaching staff that's been around 12 years and coached so many games like this. It should be natural.

Probably spoke to, read or heard thousands of Iowa fans talk about the game today and mace is quite literally the only one defending the coaches. It's insane how clueless and blinded from reality somebody can be. We could lose 200 straight games like this and he would still be defending Ferentz. How's lala land, mace?

[Goober McTuber]

Let me simplify this for you, NOJ.

You are Iowa. Therefore, you suck. The end.

[TheJON]

Let me simplify this for you, NOJ.

You are Iowa. Therefore, you suck. The end.

Rack that. Brilliant. Epic.

8-21 = your record vs Iowa in the last 32 years.

Ferentz has 1 more BCS bowl win than Bielema does BCS bowl appearances (though it looks like Brett will FINALLY make it to one).

Oh yeah, and our coach has class. He doesn't run the score up on inferior opponents or go for 2 up by 27.

If Ferentz went 0-12 every year and Bielema went 12-0, Iowa would be better than Wisconsin simply because at least whatever we did, we did it with class.

You realize Iowa and Wisconsin are mirror images of each other and have been for a long time, right? Go run smack at Purdue or Illinois.

[Mace]

There's a reason folks around here came up with the term "jonsense".....just so you know.

theJON is the Big 10 version of Toejam.

[TheJON]

I've been waiting a full week now for Mace to actually try and dispute anything I have said.

I have laid out plenty of stats, specific plays, and good reasoning behind why our coaches have proven they can't manage a game late. You claim to disagree. Okay, fine. You are entitled to an opinion. But do you have anything to prove I'm wrong? What do our coaches do RIGHT late in games?

I just want you to once address these stats with some reasoning behind them....

3-22 outside of 2009 in games decided by 5 points or less.

Last 10 losses by a combined 37 points.

6-30 in clutch situations late in the game.

4 losses this year because of 2 things- 70+ yard game winning drives followed by 4 failed 2-minute drills to answer back.

Come on, Mace.....I want an answer. If you're going to insult me and say I'm the clueless one, you better be able to tell me where I'm wrong. So far you have done nothing but insult. I have posted facts. You have posted nothing. I'm even being nice and not listing the specific boneheaded decisions the staff has made in almost every late game loss we have had. I simply want you to address the above stats. If you can't do that, I think everyone can take that as you admitting I am right. When your only responses are insults, you know you've got nothing....

[Mace]

The only relevent fact you've presented is that Iowa has lost a lot of close games but, even then, you have to qualify your facts by excluding the 2009 season and using an arbitrary 5 point differential. Jonsense. Okay, I admit that Iowa has lost close games over the past 12 years, but they've also won close games. My son, like you, had high expectations for this season based on last year's record and the number of returning players. I told him then, and have had to remind him several times this season, that Iowa won a lot of games in 2009 that could easily have been losses, and that they might not get the same breaks this year. Iowa has not made the plays this season...period. That's not all on Ferentz or his staff, as it's mainly on the players who are responsible for actually executing the plays on the field. The only game they've done that this season was against Michigan State. Big time players make big time plays when you need them (see Pryor's 4th and 10 conversion) and Iowa's players have failed in that respect this season.

Iowa's talent level does not compare to tOSU and any attempt by you to claim otherwise is totally stupid. Iowa does a great job of developing players because they have to. They have to do that because they aren't able to land the big time players...period. We settle for lesser players who are willing to work and develope their skills rather than landing the 5 star athletes. Nothing wrong with that, but no intelligent, realistic person can go off on the coaching staff when they lose close games with these lesser talented players who sometimes don't make the big plays when we need one. We've got a lot of good players but very few great ones.

I'm not going to argue with you about Ferentz, O'Keefe, or Parker because you don't have a fucking clue as to what's involved in building a successful program at Iowa. Oh, you think you do...but you don't. They've all done a great job at Iowa and are not deserving of the criticism coming from ignorant fucks like you. Finger pointing is for losers like you. Winners, like Ferentz, will keep working and preparing his team to win the next game. Fan negativity will not help in that regard and, even though Iowa lost a close one yesterday, it's still a great day to be a Hawkeye.

[TheJON]

Much better response. You still didn't address everything I was looking for, but I am impressed.

The only relevent fact you've presented is that Iowa has lost a lot of close games but, even then, you have to qualify your facts by excluding the 2009 season and using an arbitrary 5 point differential. Jonsense.

We are 7-23 in 5 point or less games if you include 2009. Still an absolutely horrible stat. I left out 2009 for a reason- it was an anomoly. When you have 12 years of data, but 1 of the years is different than the others, it is safe to say that year was a fluke. Not a fluke in that the team wasn't good. But a fluke in that we actually won by such close margins, when the norm is to lose by them. It's like Ron Zook's 2007 Rose Bowl season. I don't include that when I think of how bad of a coach Zook is because, based on the rest of his career, that was clearly just a fluke.

Okay, I admit that Iowa has lost close games over the past 12 years, but they've also won close games.

Which close games are you talking about?

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Iowa.htm

Give me a list of games where we won by a touchdown or less where we didn't either win on a fluke (ie CapOne Bowl) or the score wasn't misleading (ie we were up a couple of scores and the opposing team scored really late to make it look closer than it really was). I've gotta tell you, Mace, you're only going to find about a handful of games.

My son, like you, had high expectations for this season based on last year's record and the number of returning players. I told him then, and have had to remind him several times this season, that Iowa won a lot of games in 2009 that could easily have been losses, and that they might not get the same breaks this year.

Losers look for breaks to go their way. Winners MAKE the breaks go their way. Yes, we could have lost more games last year than we did. Bu the truth of that is the ONLY reason for that is because of some poor coaching decisions mixed with some poor late game play. We made some horrible clock management decisions in the UNI game, for example, and then Norm went straight up prevent defense on the final drive. Without those, UNI is never in position to kick that field goal. We led Michigan by 2 scores with a few minutes to play and almost choked that away. We were NEVER in position to lose the Arkansas State game- they scored a TD with a minute to go to cut it to 3. What other game did we have where we weren't in the drivers seat to win the game with less than 8 minutes to play?

Iowa has not made the plays this season...period. That's not all on Ferentz or his staff, as it's mainly on the players who are responsible for actually executing the plays on the field.

The coaching staff recruits and coaches the players. Like heck if they aren't responsible for having their players ready for late game situations. They're paid money to do just that. They don't execute because, clearly, they're not prepared. This works in the NFL because you've got experienced professionals that are older and more mature. But in college, it's on the coaches to get the players prepared for these situations. This is what good coaches do. When a team comes through in the clutch, a lot of credit should go to the coaching staff. When they lose, a lot of blame should go to a coaching staff. This is why I give Tressel all the credit in the world for winning yesterday. His team looked very well prepared for late game situations, and it showed.

Iowa's talent level does not compare to tOSU and any attempt by you to claim otherwise is totally stupid.

No, you're dead wrong. I watched 2 evenly matched teams yesterday. Talent didn't have a god damn thing to do with that game. Not 1% of that loss was due to a lack of raw talent and ability. It was 100% due to which team wanted it more, and which team was better prepared to come through in the clutch.

And, even if you were right about the talent issue.......if you're going to use this as an excuse for the loss to Ohio State, what is your excuse for losing to Northwestern (every year)? They have maybe 2-3 players that would even have a prayer in hell of starting at Iowa. So what's the excuse for that? Not enough talent to beat a team we're much more talented than?????? Ditto for Arizona.

I'm not going to argue with you about Ferentz, O'Keefe, or Parker because you don't have a fucking clue as to what's involved in building a successful program at Iowa.

You are missing the point. I have said over and over again that Ferentz has done an amazing job building this program. I don't know how many times I can say that. I do know EXACTLY what it takes to build a successful program at Iowa- player development. That's what Ferentz has done. No doubt about it. You can't win at Iowa without a great player developer. My problem is the game management and the playcalling of our offensive coordinator. KOK has been holding back this offense for years. Don't give me this bullshit about a lack of talent being the reason for it because lesser talented teams all across the country are able to find ways to put up more yards and more points consistently than KOK's teams have. That's a losers excuse.

I am not going to sit here and make lame ass excuses for the failures of our coaching staff. Plain and simple........we do not have a coaching staff that has a god damn clue late in games. This is 100% obvious. I'm sick of the "we don't have the talent, we are just Iowa, players didn't execute bullshit". That's a losers mentality. Our coaching staff is paid a shit load of money. If their players don't execute late, I blame them when it has been happening for 12 freakin' years. Wake up, Mace. 12 years we've been losing damn near every clutch game. It doesn't matter who the QB is or who the receivers are........we cannot take the god damn ball and drive it down the field for a score in the 2-minute drill with very few exceptions. Scott Mullen couldn't, Kyle McCann couldn't, Drew Tate couldn't, Jake Christensen couldn't, Ricky Stanzi can't. We usually can't even get a god damn 1st down when the opposing team is playing the fucking prevent defense against us. Do you know how fucking pathetic that is? Yes, that's a lack of execution. But after 12 years, when do you start realizing that the reason for the lack of execution is because the coaching staff isn't doing a good enough job preparing them for these situations?

Why can't you just say "our coaching staff has done an amazing job building this program to the level it is at, but they cannot prepare their team for late game situations"? If it's happened for 12 years with completely different players over and over and over and over and over and over again.....it's NOT on the coaches????? Really???? 12 years of 2-minute drills where the offense looks completely lost. We look EXACTLY the same in the 2-minute drill in 2010 (with actual talent) as we did in 1999 (with 250 pound offensive linemen and Kyle McCann at QB). Why is that, Mace??????

[Mace]

Why is that???

Well, let's start with this......Scott Mullen, Kyle McCann, Drew Tate, and Rick Stanzi. Stanzi is, by far, the most complete QB out of that group and, as I said yesterday, he's a MAC talented QB. Tate too. McCann was a Div II level QB, as was Mullen, if not Div III. Our successes have been due to the coaches developing these guys as much as possible and hoping they'll execute on the field. They've been "prepared" by the coaches, but can't always execute at game time. Want a higher rate of success? Get better players. I think Vandenberg will be an improvement at QB next season, and certainly in his senior year....if he has the leadership abilities necessary to march the team down the field at crunch time.

Do I think Ferentz is great at clock management? No....and I said that last week. IMO, they should have taken a defensive TO when tOSU was getting ready to score, but they chose to save the TO for offense. I would also have tried to move the ball down the field at the end of the half to hopefully add at least a FG to the lead, but they chose not to risk it and go in with a 7-3 lead at the half. Not a terrible decision, but not what I would have done. Of course, idiots like you would have been bitching if Stanzi had thrown a pick at the end of the half that resulted in tOSU points too, so, really, Ferentz can't win in that regard. But I also doubt that Ferentz is concerned with winning the approval of the dumbfucks in the stands either....at least he shouldn't be.

As for the play calling. Please tell me what Iowa should be calling, in your opinion. In Iowa's last possession, we had two incomplete passes, an 11 yard sack that killed us, and then a 19 yard completion to McNutt when we needed 21 yards for the first down. What plays should they have called?

Defensively, we made some mistakes in coverage, either by Sash or the corners. On the pass that Posey dropped in the endzone, the corner looked back like he was expecting help over the top but Sash was not there. A definite lack of communication but I don't know who made the mistake. At this point in the season, that's on the players, not the coaches. Somebody made a mistake, but it wasn't Norm Parker. On the 4th and 10 play where Pryor picked up the first down, the Iowa defense over pursued to their left and, when Pryor reversed field, they were fucked. I seriously doubt that the Iowa coaching staff teaches over pursuit but, of course you know better than me, so maybe they do and that mistake was on the coaching staff too. :roll:

You remind me of the 30-something dumbfuck that used to sit in front of me at Kinnick who, after a play, would proclaim to his girlfriend/wife, "I knew they were going to run that play, and knew it wouldn't work". After a couple of weeks of listening to this dumbass, I tapped him on the should after a play that he "knew wouldn't work", and asked him to tell me what the next play call would be. He looked at me dumbfounded as I told him that any dumbass can call the play AFTER they've run it, or say it wouldn't pick up any yards AFTER it didn't. There are alway brain surgeons in the stands claiming that they can call all of Iowa's plays because we're so predictable but, when pressed, and like you, they prove to be clueless idiots trying to impress the folks sitting around them in the stands, and it's always an epic fail.

Now, give me your offensive game plan to beat tOSU, Knute, and be specific. Then lay out your defensive plan to shut down those final drives that result in an Iowa loss. Otherwise, shut the fuck up.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Fuck Iowa. The only time they really come to play this year is against my team... then when I need them to win they fold at home. Sons a bitches. At least they covered.

[Mace]

Fuck Iowa. The only time they really come to play this year is against my team... then when I need them to win they fold at home. Sons a bitches. At least they covered.

Yep, pretty much. They're always looking for ways to butt fuck the Spartans in the mouth.

[buckeye_in_sc]

You want answers? I'll give you the mother fucking truth...

Fucking JIM TRESSEL is to blame...the fucker is the worst offensive coach this side of well maybe Tim Brewster...horrible game plan designs...4th and goal and you could have broken Iowa there if you go and make it but hey let's keep the field goal intact...

he is fucking clueless about offensive football...great coach, movtivator, recruiter...yes...offensive mind? Hardly...m2 probably could design a better game plan if he weren't crossing time zones...

I bet OSU -1.5 in 1st and 2nd half and -3 for the game...1-1-1...FUCK

[Screw_Michigan]

Don't bet incrementals, dude.

[TheJON]

Fuck Iowa. The only time they really come to play this year is against my team... then when I need them to win they fold at home. Sons a bitches. At least they covered.

I thought the spread was 2.5? Didn't tOSU cover? I guess I don't follow spreads much, but I thought i heard that line somewhere. Maybe not.

Anyways, MSU isn't the only game we showed up to play. Ball State, Penn State, Iowa State, Eastern Illinois, and Michigan would disagree with that.

Plus, it's not like we didn't come to play against Ohio State or Wisconsin. We just didn't pull them out in the end.

[TheJON]

Stanzi is, by far, the most complete QB out of that group and, as I said yesterday, he's a MAC talented QB.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Sincerely,
NFL scouts

Do I think Ferentz is great at clock management? No....and I said that last week. IMO, they should have taken a defensive TO when tOSU was getting ready to score, but they chose to save the TO for offense.

So what are you arguing with me for? I told you that I think the ONLY fault of Kirk as a coach is his clock management skills, or lack thereof.

Of course, idiots like you would have been bitching if Stanzi had thrown a pick at the end of the half that resulted in tOSU points too, so, really, Ferentz can't win in that regard.

Don't tell me what I would have said about it, because you are dead fucking wrong. I don't second guess. Was I bitching about O'Keefe's playcall late in the 4th when Stanzi threw the interception up by 10? Fuck no I wasn't. In fact, I LOVED the playcall. I was praising O'Keefe for it. Any play you run CAN end up poorly. Shit happens. He showed some fucking cojones there and it was the right thing to do. So don't fucking tell me I would be on here bitching about Ferentz making a decision after the fact. You don't know what you're talking about.

As for the play calling. Please tell me what Iowa should be calling, in your opinion. In Iowa's last possession, we had two incomplete passes, an 11 yard sack that killed us, and then a 19 yard completion to McNutt when we needed 21 yards for the first down. What plays should they have called?

Honestly, I don't think it matters at this point. A FB dive is just as good right now for Iowa in the 2-minute drill as a passing play. That's how poor we are in the 2-minute drill. I don't harp on KOK for his 2-minute playcalling (though, I would say the Northwestern playcalling was pitiful). It's the fact that the coaching staff just isn't doing a good job preparing their team for late game situations and there is 12 year proof of this.

On the 4th and 10 play where Pryor picked up the first down, the Iowa defense over pursued to their left and, when Pryor reversed field, they were fucked.

Mace, we had nobody spying Terrelle Pryor on the biggest play of the game for our defense. You make Pryor beat you through the air. If he does, he does. But you absolutely cannot let him beat you on a crucial play on the ground. Somebody should have been spying him.

Now, give me your offensive game plan to beat tOSU, Knute, and be specific. Then lay out your defensive plan to shut down those final drives that result in an Iowa loss. Otherwise, shut the fuck up.

Marcus Coker had 7 carries for 43 yards in the 1st quarter. He did not see the field again until the 4th quarter. Robinson just didn't have success yesterday against their defense and the offense was not moving the ball well with him in there. This is a fact. I don't give 2 fucking shits that Coker allegedly can't pick up a fucking blitz. When he was in the game, we moved the ball. When he was not, we did not. I don't care if the dude is borderline retarded and can't even walk straight. If we are moving the ball well because of him, I want that mother fucker in the god damn football game. Period.

Other than that, I really didn't have any problems with O'Keefe's playcalling yesterday. Ohio State has a good defense. It's not easy to move the ball on them. I would like to see some misdirection more than once every 3-4 games. But we don't really have those playcalls in the playbook, so I didn't have a problem with him not calling misdirection plays yesterday. But he needs to get them in the playbook.

Defensively, I have no grips with the playcalling even late except for the 4th and 10. Somebody should have been spying Pryor, like I said. Other than that play, it really didn't matter. The defense was going to choke. We knew this once they got the ball back. I know you knew it too. They have no confidence late in games to get a stop. You can see the lack of confidence they have. Previous late game failures is probably in the back of each of their minds. The sad thing is when Pryor's deep ball for a TD was dropped, I was pissed. I wanted him to catch that so we could give our offense more time to work with. We weren't going to stop them, and we all knew it. So the quicker they scored, the better our chances were of winning.

You're absolutely right, Mace.......players just are not executing. I even said above that a freakin FB dive in the 2-minute drill would probably work just as well as ANY pass play at this point. But I disagree that you can't put some blame on the coaches for the lack of execution given the fact that it's been happening over and over again for the entire 12 year Ferentz era. Same coaches, different players, same endings. Watch our offense come out in the 2-minute drill late (and at the end of a 1st half) and see how confused they look. Then look at Ohio State yesterday, and throughout the Tressel era (and other great coaches too). They're poised. They look like they work hard on it in practice.

Mace, go back and watch the Indiana game. We scored to go up 18-13 with a few minutes left and I swear to god, from my seat, I saw Stanzi have to go over and tell Ferentz they needed to go for 2. I'm not shitting you. We were sending out the kicking team before Stanzi had to explain to Kirk a 2 point conversion was needed. Come on man, a 12 year Big-10 coach doesn't know right away to go for 2 in that spot? Duuuuuuude. There was a god damn lame ass Hoosier family in front of us that weren't even paying attention to any part of the game that knew to go for 2.

I like Ferentz overall. I really do. I just think it's time he takes a hard look in the mirror and gets the mistakes he is making corrected. I'm telling you, this guy could be one of the all-time greatest college coaches if he could just learn the basic shit. He's got the tough part down- player development. He is able to motivate his players when they are underdogs or aren't getting much respect. In fact, he's better than anyone in the business at doing those things. But the little things along with learning how to prepare a team for a season full of expectations are not his strong points. If nobody ever calls him out on these things, he won't ever work to improve upon them. The Iowa media throws him nothing but softball questions. Nobody ever asks him the tough questions because they're too big of pussies. Somebody needs to start grilling him on certain things or we will never improve in areas we are certainly capable of improving.

Look, I know we won't ever be a consistent Top 10 team or compete much for national titles. I'm cool with that. We're already a very good program. In fact, 90% of the programs out there wish they could get a coach that would have the success Kirk is having at Iowa. But Kirk and his staff have done some things to prevent this program from winning even more than they have, and there's absolutely no way you can dispute that. I have said it a million times, I would be happy if Kirk Ferentz retires at Iowa. I just wish he would improve on his flaws. What is so wrong with that point of view??

[Goober McTuber]

Let me simplify this for you, NOJ.

You are Iowa. Therefore, you suck. The end.

Rack that. Brilliant. Epic.

1-0 = your record vs Iowa in some random recent time period.

Remind me of when it was Iowa last went to the Rose Bowl. Oh yeah, two years before you were born.

[TheJON]

Let me simplify this for you, NOJ.

You are Iowa. Therefore, you suck. The end.

Rack that. Brilliant. Epic.

1-0 = your record vs Iowa in some random recent time period.

Remind me of when it was Iowa last went to the Rose Bowl. Oh yeah, two years before you were born.

Uh, either that or 3 times during my life, retard.

[Mace]

Jesus, so much blabbering bullshit that it's difficult to know where to start. You really don't know much about the game, do you? Oh well....

Stanzi is, by far, the most complete QB out of that group and, as I said yesterday, he's a MAC talented QB.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Sincerely,
NFL scouts

Yeah, Stanzi will likely end up on someone's NFL roster. BFD, there are a lot of QBs playing in the NFL that aren't great QBs, and some of them have even won rings. Stanzi is an efficient QB, not a great one. He has minimized his mistakes this year because he is playing within himself (most of the time) and has realized his limitations. The few times he hasn't, he's made a mistake. More on that later. And there are MAC QBs in the NFL, btw.

Don't tell me what I would have said about it, because you are dead fucking wrong. I don't second guess. Was I bitching about O'Keefe's playcall late in the 4th when Stanzi threw the interception up by 10? Fuck no I wasn't. In fact, I LOVED the playcall. I was praising O'Keefe for it. Any play you run CAN end up poorly. Shit happens. He showed some fucking cojones there and it was the right thing to do. So don't fucking tell me I would be on here bitching about Ferentz making a decision after the fact. You don't know what you're talking about.

As I said, Stanzi has played within his limitations, for the most part, and this is a perfect example of it. That throw that you "loved" so much was the dumbest throw he's made this season. He was throwing into a strong wind and he does not have the arm to throw deep against the wind. He proved that last season with 5 INTs in the Indiana game and yet you think he should continue doing more of the same. :roll: Well, he did, and it ended with the same result...an INT that nearly/should have cost us the game. He also had receivers open underneath in the coverage, by design, and he should have gotten the ball to them instead of trying to go deep. Our play calling is designed for the talent we have on the field and recognizes the physical limitations of the players. Stanzi has an accurate arm but not a real strong one. Vandenberg has a much stronger arm and I suspect that we will see Iowa throw more balls downfield the next two years simply because Vandenberg has the tools that Stanzi doesn't possess. Stanzi has been a very good QB for Iowa, and I'm not dissin' him, only stating the facts. He's not a big time QB. He's good, not great.

Honestly, I don't think it matters at this point. A FB dive is just as good right now for Iowa in the 2-minute drill as a passing play. That's how poor we are in the 2-minute drill. I don't harp on KOK for his 2-minute playcalling (though, I would say the Northwestern playcalling was pitiful). It's the fact that the coaching staff just isn't doing a good job preparing their team for late game situations and there is 12 year proof of this.

More dumbass fanspeak. There was nothing wrong with the play calling in the final 2 minutes of the NW game. The receivers dropped 4-5 passes on that last possession. That is not on the coaches...period. Catch the fucking ball.

Mace, we had nobody spying Terrelle Pryor on the biggest play of the game for our defense. You make Pryor beat you through the air. If he does, he does. But you absolutely cannot let him beat you on a crucial play on the ground. Somebody should have been spying him.

Here's where you show your total ignorance and lack of knowledge. How do you know we didn't have a "spy" on Pryor?
If we did, the "spy" would have followed Pryor when he tried running to the right side of his line, but would have been sealed off when Pryor reversed field (I already addressed this play with the over pursuit of the Iowa defenders). I saw one player remaining on Iowa's right side and he was blocked after Pryor reversed his field, which allowed him to pick up the first down. It didn't matter if we were "spying" on him or not. The "spy" was, or would have been, picked off by a blocker. It was a great play by Pryor and, other than players staying home and protecting against him reversing the field, there was nothing that coud have been done to prevent it.

Marcus Coker had 7 carries for 43 yards in the 1st quarter. He did not see the field again until the 4th quarter. Robinson just didn't have success yesterday against their defense and the offense was not moving the ball well with him in there. This is a fact. I don't give 2 fucking shits that Coker allegedly can't pick up a fucking blitz.

It's not "alleged", it's a fact, Coker doesn't do a good job blocking and he doesn't pick up the blitz. If Robinson had been in the game in the final possession, Stanzi might not have been sacked. Robinson and Coker both had 9 carries, and the game dictated more passing than running....probably because Ohio State decided to take away the running game after Coker's first quarter success. His mere presence in the lineup would not have quaranteed yards.

Other than that, I really didn't have any problems with O'Keefe's playcalling yesterday. Ohio State has a good defense. It's not easy to move the ball on them. I would like to see some misdirection more than once every 3-4 games. But we don't really have those playcalls in the playbook, so I didn't have a problem with him not calling misdirection plays yesterday. But he needs to get them in the playbook.

Oh, they have them in the playbook. We've seen end arounds and a reverse pass this season, haven't we? The problem is that those don't work when you're overmatched by speed on the other side of the ball, which we were against Ohio State. Yeah, whether you recognize it, or not, there is still a talent gap between Iowa and Ohio State, although we've closed that gap somewhat.

Defensively, I have no grips with the playcalling even late except for the 4th and 10. Somebody should have been spying Pryor, like I said. Other than that play, it really didn't matter. The defense was going to choke. We knew this once they got the ball back. I know you knew it too. They have no confidence late in games to get a stop. You can see the lack of confidence they have. Previous late game failures is probably in the back of each of their minds.

You can "see" this? You know how the defensive players feel and think? I don't think so. And I've already addressed your "spying" issue.

You're absolutely right, Mace.......players just are not executing. I even said above that a freakin FB dive in the 2-minute drill would probably work just as well as ANY pass play at this point. But I disagree that you can't put some blame on the coaches for the lack of execution given the fact that it's been happening over and over again for the entire 12 year Ferentz era. Same coaches, different players, same endings. Watch our offense come out in the 2-minute drill late (and at the end of a 1st half) and see how confused they look. Then look at Ohio State yesterday, and throughout the Tressel era (and other great coaches too). They're poised. They look like they work hard on it in practice.

When Kirk Ferentz or Ken O'Keefe go on the field and drop passes or miss blocks and tackles, THEN I'll blame them. Until then, it's on the players.

Mace, go back and watch the Indiana game. We scored to go up 18-13 with a few minutes left and I swear to god, from my seat, I saw Stanzi have to go over and tell Ferentz they needed to go for 2. I'm not shitting you. We were sending out the kicking team before Stanzi had to explain to Kirk a 2 point conversion was needed. Come on man, a 12 year Big-10 coach doesn't know right away to go for 2 in that spot? Duuuuuuude. There was a god damn lame ass Hoosier family in front of us that weren't even paying attention to any part of the game that knew to go for 2.

You were on the sideline and heard that conversation? That's just more dumbass fanspeak. You have no idea what was being discussed on the sideline.

Has Ferentz made some coaching mistakes the past 12 years? Of course he has. He's not perfect, and no coach is. Now you're saying that you have no problem with Ken O'Keefe's play calling, but yet you've consistently been critical of him, as have a host of other fans. These same fans were critical of Norm Parker just a few years ago, and were saying that the game had passed ol' Norm by, and that it was time for him to step down....and, yes, you were one of them. All of a sudden, Iowa has better players on the defensive side of the ball and Norm becomes a genius. Funny how that works. Same thing is going to happen when we get better players on the offensive side of the ball. Just wait, all of the O'Keefe critics will think he's gotten smarter when Iowa gets better players.

[TheJON]

Mace, you are a casual football observer. Nothing at all wrong with that. I'm not criticizing you for it, but please stop trying to comment on actual advanced football strategies. This shit is just too damn easy to dissect. Stick with just being a fan and leave the rest to those of us that have more advanced football knowledge. Some of the things you have said would make football coaches laugh their balls off.

And there are MAC QBs in the NFL, btw.

Yeah, QB's that were overlooked going into college. Guys like Ben Rapistberger could have played anywhere, he just was overlooked coming out of high school. The MAC players in the NFL are guys that had major college talent.

That throw that you "loved" so much was the dumbest throw he's made this season. He was throwing into a strong wind and he does not have the arm to throw deep against the wind. He proved that last season with 5 INTs in the Indiana game and yet you think he should continue doing more of the same. Well, he did, and it ended with the same result...an INT that nearly/should have cost us the game.

You need to learn the difference between a throw and a playcall. The throw was a poor decision, the playcall was not. Northwestern sniffed the play out, so credit to them. Stanzi should have taken the underneath route (I believe McNutt was open about 12 yards down the field). It was a poor decision on his part. He even said so after the game. The playcall was great because KOK made sure there were underneath receivers available should Northwestern sniff out the deep ball to DJK. He made a bad decision. It happens. He's not the first QB to force a ball downfield.

Why did I like the playcall? Well, you have to weigh risk vs reward. What was the reward? The game would have pretty much been over had we completed that pass. Less than 10 minutes to go and up 3 scores- even a Ferentz team would have a hard time choking that one away. The risk? Not much, really. You figure there is a 1 in 10 shot of Stanzi throwing a pick (he had thrown 3 all year up to that point) on the play (remember, he had underneath routes to check down to also), and if he throws a pick let's look at the scenario........we are up 17-7 with under 10 minutes left and they would have the ball deep in their own territory. So even with an interception, we're still in excellent position to win the game. But our defense gave up 2 straight 85+ yard drives and we lost. The interception had nothing to do with it. Sure, had he not thrown the pick, we probably would have won the game looking back on it because we could have killed too much clock, but when your defense gives up 170 yards and 2 touchdowns in the final 8 minutes of play- you lost because of your defense. They needed 85 yards following the interception to score a touchdown. That's not on Stanzi.

Sometimes a play just doesn't work because sometimes a player makes a mistake. In that situation, it was the right call because you weren't risking a lot given the situation and had underneath receivers to check down to. What happened wasn't the wind as much as it was Northwesterns defenders being ready for it. It didn't matter if he was throwing against the wind, that ball was going to be picked off because it was well covered. You are telling me you don't have confidence in your quarterback to not make a boneheaded decision when he's made very few boneheaded decisions all year? We could have run the ball up the middle and fumbled. We could have run a 5 yard out and Stanzi thrown a pick. Any play you run, there's always a chance that someone will fuck it up. Stanzi made a poor decision, but that doesn't mean it was the wrong playcall. Risk vs reward, Mace......research it.

Stanzi has been a very good QB for Iowa, and I'm not dissin' him, only stating the facts. He's not a big time QB. He's good, not great.

How many great QB's are there in the country right now? Stanzi is one of the Top 5-6 QB's in college football right now. The only great pure passer is Andrew Luck. Kellen Moore has padded stats because he plays against community colleges. He has no pro potential at all. Is Stanzi great? No. Is he a darn good college quarterback with some upside? Absolutely.

More dumbass fanspeak. There was nothing wrong with the play calling in the final 2 minutes of the NW game. The receivers dropped 4-5 passes on that last possession. That is not on the coaches...period. Catch the fucking ball.

What the hell are you talking about? 4-5 dropped passes? Counting issue? There were 2.....1 was by Paul Chaney (what do you expect, he can't catch the ball) and the other was intentional by Adam Robinson. I might be missing one, but that doesn't matter. The playcalling was TERRIBLE because it was more condusive towards orchestrating a 2-minute FG drive. 1:30 to go and 2 timeouts with 80 yards needed for a touchdown........you can't be running your first 4-5 plays with short quick outs or swing passes to your RB. You won't have enough time to get into the end zone. If we needed a FG, I liked the playcalling. Unfortunately, we were down by 4 and needed a touchdown. Going into that drive, the focus of KOK had to be to work the 15-18 yard crossing routes or the 10-12 yard outs. 4-7 yard passes (especially ones that are inbounds) aren't getting you 80 yards in 1:30. He needed to get up in Ricky's grill prior to the drive and say "Rick, we gotta get the ball downfield and we gotta get the ball downfield often". I know, Mace.......he threw a pick a few minutes earlier. So what? It doesn't matter if you have a triple-option QB in there, the ONLY way you're getting the ball into the end zone is by going downfield at least a few times on the drive. Most likely, you're going to have to throw 4 or 5 passes in the 15-20 yard range to have any shot because you have to figure at least 1 of them will be incomplete. We were at a point where Stanzi almost had to force a ball downfield. If he had man coverage on someone like McNutt (with his size) 15-20 yards downfield, he needed to force it into him at some point. Given the situation, some risk has to be made or there's not much potential to pull out a win.

What happened was we were forced to throw a 50 yard hail mary at the end because we spent 1:20 of the playclock dicking around with short little dumpoffs, and before we knew it......time had expired. A good offensive coordinator is going to tell Rick to get it downfield to his 6'4 receiver (McNutt)- which is what they finally did on the 1st 4th down attempt. It was a great catch by him too. The worst playcall was the 3rd and 16 with the ball just inside midfield and 20 seconds to play- no timeouts. Dumping it off to our slow RB out of the backfield? I mean, are you fucking kidding me with that shit? I'd like to see Mr. Excuse (Mace) defend that playcall. This should be good.

Here's where you show your total ignorance and lack of knowledge. How do you know we didn't have a "spy" on Pryor?

Actually, here's where YOUR total ignorance and lack of knowledge is shown. Our linebackers dropped back in pass coverage. Even if there was a spy, they never would have gotten twisted around when Pryor reversed field. If it's 4th and 10 and you're a "spy", your job is to just make sure Pryor doesn't take off running with the football for 10 yards. When Pryor approached the line of scrimmage, he reversed field and took off running because there was nobody home. If there was a "spy", there would have been somebody that stayed home, because the spy would not have overpersued like that knowing that Pryor needed 10 yards.

What actually happened was Pryor decided prior to the snap of the ball that he was going to run it. Clearly, he watched Iowa-Northwestern game film. Persa converted a couple 3rd downs running the ball because there were no linebackers to stop him since they were all back in coverage. Great job from him. Very smart decision. Great job picking up a weakness in our defense and using it to their advantage in a crucial spot. That shows a well prepared team, and props to them for that.

It's not "alleged", it's a fact, Coker doesn't do a good job blocking and he doesn't pick up the blitz. If Robinson had been in the game in the final possession, Stanzi might not have been sacked. Robinson and Coker both had 9 carries, and the game dictated more passing than running....probably because Ohio State decided to take away the running game after Coker's first quarter success. His mere presence in the lineup would not have quaranteed yards.

Are you absolutely certain you actually did watch the game? My goodness, this is too easy.....it's like stealing candy from a baby.....

Ohio State took away the running game after Coker's first quarter success? No, they took away Robinson's running game. What the fuck game were you watching? Coker did not play in the 2nd or 3rd quarter. Iowa could not run or move the ball in those quarters. Coker comes back in 4th quarter, and I'll be damned........2 carries for 27 yards and a go-ahead touchdown. Wow, amazing. He had 9 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. How on earth can you say they took away our running game?

Yeah, so he can't pass protect. Robinson's great pass protection skills led us to nothing but a bunch of 3 and outs. So what the fuck is your point? 111 yards of offense in the first quarter- 290 yards for the game. That's what our offense did. We moved the ball with Coker in there. We didn't move the ball with Robinson in there. Period.

You can "see" this? You know how the defensive players feel and think? I don't think so. And I've already addressed your "spying" issue.

No, you didn't address the "spying" issue. You made an assumption that I easily shot down. Yes, I can see their lack of confidence on defense. Everyone can. The whole stadium knew they were scoring. Their body language tells a lot. You think it's just a coincidence that every clutch drive this year our defense has given up a 70+ yard touchdown scoring drive? It's in their heads. This is obvious.

You were on the sideline and heard that conversation? That's just more dumbass fanspeak. You have no idea what was being discussed on the sideline.

I know exactly what was discusses because I was right there. I watched it go down- by accident. After we scored, this is what happened....

Kicking team started heading onto the field and then I saw Stanzi quickly run up to Ferentz and point to the scoreboard and hold up 2 fingers. Ferentz then quickly sent the kicking team back and the offense out there. I didn't hear a word. Didn't need to hear a word. The actions of Stanzi and Ferentz told me EXACTLY what was going on. There were a few other Iowa fans behind us that noticed it too. There was no question what happened. It's not a big deal. I mean, even if Ferentz sent the kicking team on, we would have ended up calling a timeout after realizing we needed to go for 2. I'm just saying, I thought it was kinda funny that our coach didn't know IMMEDIATELY that a 2 point conversion was needed. That should be automatic. They shouldn't have to be told by the quarterback what to do in that situation. And yes, Mace, this was clearly what Stanzi was doing.

Now you're saying that you have no problem with Ken O'Keefe's play calling, but yet you've consistently been critical of him,

When did I say I have no problem with KOK's playcalling? I just said I didn't have a problem with his playcalling in certain situations this year.

Same thing is going to happen when we get better players on the offensive side of the ball. Just wait, all of the O'Keefe critics will think he's gotten smarter when Iowa gets better players.

Nope. This is the best offensive talent we will have under KOK. It's hard to recruit to Iowa as it is. But it's real hard to recruit skill position talent to a system like that. Nobody wants to play in it. We are just giving ourselves an even bigger recruiting disadvantage by keeping KOK as offensive coordinator. Offensive linemen and tight ends love the system, but no big-time receiver would want to play in it. This is why basically all of our top receivers over the years are converted QB's or some other position. DJK and McNutt are converted QB's. Clinton Solomon- converted QB. Ed Hinkel- converted DB. The recruits we usually get that are actually recruited as WR's typically suck. The only 2 exceptions over the last 6-7 years have been James Cleveland and Dominque Douglas. Both of them have had serious runins with the law and didn't last more than a year at Iowa because of that. The jury is still out on Keenan Davis, though he was a 4-star recruit.

It's not a great system for QB's and WR's and so we will never get good skill position talent because of that. Being that we are located in Iowa, it's already difficult enough to land 4 and 5 star recruits at those positions, but the system makes it almost impossible now.

[Mace]

I've tried breaking this down in the very simplest of terms for you but, Jesus H. Christ, I'd have to get my Special Education license to teach Football 101 to a moron like you. Get back to your X-Box game and shut the fuck up. I'm sure you've never played the game, let alone coach it.

[TheJON]

I've tried breaking this down in the very simplest of terms for you but, Jesus H. Christ, I'd have to get my Special Education license to teach Football 101 to a moron like you. Get back to your X-Box game and shut the fuck up. I'm sure you've never played the game, let alone coach it.

Mace, you got owned. I shot down EVERY single comeback you had. Now you're resorting to "get back to your Xbox game"? I don't play video games, smart guy. Never have except for the once every 6 months Madden craving I have. I have an Xbox somewhere, though I couldn't even tell you where.

I haven't played the game or coached it? First off, that doesn't mean shit. I'm around the game more than you ever will be. You can learn football from just being around the game and paying attention for many years. It's not fucking rocket science, numbnuts. What level have you played the game of football? If you haven't played college football at the BCS level than, by your argument, you don't know more than me so you SHUT THE FUCK UP. Asshole.

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/1 ... k-ferentz/

I guess I'm not the only one.

Ferentz, however, does lead the nation in one category: worst coaching record in close losses. Since 2005, no other automatic qualifying BCS coach does it worse than Ferentz in games decided by eight points or less. Saturday's three-point loss to Ohio State dropped Ferentz to 11-18 in games decided by eight points or less.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Mace, you don't know football. you've proven it here. You're just a casual observer that understands NOTHING about advanced football strategy. I have shot everything you have said down with logic and reason. You cannot dispute ANYTHING I have said because I'm right.

You've got no comebacks dude. Everyone sees the same thing I've been seeing but you. Every reporter, every fan that watches every game. Ferentz' teams are a bunch of chokers, and when it has been happening for 12 years, if you're too dumb to realize that the blame rests upon the coaches for not preparing their team for clutch situations, you are god damn M-O-R-O-N. Either that or you just don't want to admit to the truth. It's one or the other. Period. End of story.

[Mace]

I should have known better than to disagree with someone whose opinions are so highly respected and valued around here. :roll: My bad.

Carry on, douchebag.