Well put. While I wouldn’t agree sensationalistic journalism should be at the forefront of a publication like the Gazette, I agree that it was hard to NOT lap it up by the mouthful after the season we had next year, and it shows how the HypeMachine (capitalized on purpose), can chew fans up and spit them out whole.

I wouldn’t call what you’ve written this year sensationlistic by any means. I would say that “we’ve seen what they can do when they play for 60 minutes”, and it’s hard not to put them up there among the nation’s best when they do.

Also, in your defense, it’s the only show in town, so it’s hard NOT to be excited about the possibilities. Every Saturday home game is a mini-holiday.

We don’t have professional sports teams here. A lot of us live and die by the sword that is the Iowa Hawkeyes. It’s your job to cover that. Although I don’t agree with everything you write, I think do pretty good at it, and the lionshare of your articles are truthful.

That being said, it seems Iowa, save for a couple of years, is always on the verge of something good. 2008 we lost 4 games by a total of 12 points. 2009 exceeded a lot of expectations by far and away.

It was hard not to be excited about the possiblities of a championship of some sort this year. I think however, we have to put the cart before the wagon, or whatever horrid cliche we want to use, and learn to take a week at a time, namely in Big 10 play.

We all know what happened last year. “What if” Stanzi doesn’t get hurt last year?

“What if” we don’t have special teams meltdowns this year?

Sure, the “what if” game is fun to play. But I’d almost like to play the “what if” game and ask: “what if” the Hawkeyes didn’t have such HUGE pre-season expectations? “What if” we didn’t have a bulls-eye on our back every weekend?

To me, there’s still plenty of season to play. And “what if” we win out?? We still would have a 10-3, which is a season most clubs around the country would pay Cam Newton for.

Mike,

What was the new helmet sticker Iowa was wearing on their helmets in the back? Maybe the better question is “who” was the helmet sticker referring to?

Mike – this is one of your best articles. Well written… you must of put in some midnight oil on this. I am brokenhearted as I thought this was “the year”. However, we could be good next year. It depends on the kids’ work in the offseason. This is why I keep making my Tom Brand’s smart alec remarks on my other postings.

In response to your 5 things:
1. No college team is the same from one year to the next no matter how many players and coaches are back. Some players take swift and huge steps forward all of a sudden. Some continue to make steady growth. Some max out.
– This is true of every team in the nation and a team’s returning starters and recruits are taken into account. Any sportswriter or analyst knows this, as well as any semi-knowledgeable fan, so this is a lame excuse.

2. No team is even the same from one week to the next. These are college kids. When U.S. government agencies decide behind closed doors to solicit the services of America’s steadiest, most-predictable people, they don’t raid college campuses.
– See #3. It’s a coaches job to prepare a team. How does this excuse jibe with the unwarranted hype of Ferentz? He takes good talent and turns it into above-average talent. To be fair, he also takes mediocre talent and turns it into above-average talent. But still, his teams manage to lose key games consistently.

3. The other team tries to win, too. The other team’s coaches are capable, and work just as hard as your team’s. The other team’s players are as fully committed to realizing their individual and group dreams as are your team’s. The other team usually has players who are pretty darn good.
– You mean all the hype about Iowa assumed their opponents would roll over and lose? Again, weak excuse.

4. Football is a complex, chaotic, punishing game. In three hours of slugging it out, results are often decided by one botched play, or by or one remarkable play an opponent is helpless to stop. Sometimes, you botch the play. Sometimes, you do something remarkable.
– This should not true of good teams playing lesser teams. They just win. Beating Indiana is good because Iowa has a better team. But beating them as a result of a single end-of-game drop by Indiana’s receiver is bad.

5. Iowa had a lot of teams on its schedule that ranged from quite competent to extremely good.
– Iowa’s strength of schedule isn’t anything remarkable as compared to other Big Ten schools and less so as compared to the nation as a whole. Everyone plays good teams. At least Iowa got most of the good Big Ten teams at home this season.

6. Stuff happens.
– Apparently.

The fact is, you had every reason to hype Iowa. That they failed to come through says a lot about their team and the coaching. The went to AZ and started the game in shambles, looking very unprepared for a huge road trip. The loss to Wisconsin is somewhat understandable. The loss to NU is not. This season is Iowa as you should expect it. Last season was Iowa at its peak, which took a lot of “good bounces” and, frankly, some luck.

I think too we sometimes forget that we play outdoors and in the BigTen that means playing in rain and wind. It’s a bigger factor than people give it credit. If Stanzi plays in the NFL, I hope he chooses a team that plays in a dome because he is not the same quarterback on a windy day.

I don’t think wind or rain had ANYTHING to do with the loss. They play in the elements in the Big 10. It’s not like it was a swirling 30 MPH wind, nor do I think the wind was a factor in Stanzi’s incompletions.

While the hype for defense was warranted, it was evident Saturday that we really missed 3 key components from the 2009 team. Angerer(2nd round pick), Edds(3rd round pick), and Spievey(3rd round pick).

Losing starters shouldn’t even be mentioned. How should they?? Everyone loses starters in college. You plan and account for that. I’d say our LB injuries have been the biggest detriment.

Have we strayed that far from what we preached at RB position in 2004 and the “Next Man In” campaign? That’s why you’re two deeps are trained in game speed conditions.

Teams–the good ones–reload and generally don’t miss too many beats. The rest rebuild. Now, even Florida is succeptible to mediocrity this year, but they also have been to the Dance.

I’m not disappointed if we win out & go 10-3, that’s a GREAT year, but it seems every year since 2002 and we made a national presence, that we’ve missed most opportunities to capitalize on a national stage. I can see where fans wanna stop playing the “what if” game.

We got what we thought wanted this year: 1) all the tough games at home 2) The position player experience 3) the best D-line in the country. It seemed all the pieces were put together for a legit run, but were unable to capitalize for a multitude of reasons, but shame on the fans that gave up, or have given up.

I think we could deviate from what has become a somewhat predictable offense and defense and spice it up. Most of the time, it looks like they know what they’re doing. At least O’Keefe rarely throws the bubble screens anymore.

Sure, it’s easy to wave the winger at O’Keefe and Parker, but, they have forgotten more about football than we’ll probably ever remember.

By the way–Edds was a 4th round pick.

The fact some Iowa fans’ livelihood depends on 20-yr olds playing football is really pathetic. The Sound Off shows (600 AM ;1040AM WHO) after the game Saturday were truly hysterical with the anger, bitterness, rage, of these grown-ups calling in and were about to jump off a cliff. Most never stepped foot in a college classroom, or played any organized sports, yet theiy’r playing the armchair quarterback, psychologist, and sports expert

My mentor and guru, Makiah Milller .com says…. “when the players, fans, and coaches all do the hokey pokey together, WE shall all be number ONE.” ( saturday at the coin toss)

Let’s see if the defense shows up today, it looks like they are playing not to get hurt ( A C ) just to get to the draft. Not rushing, sucking wind on the sidelines, and not finishing plays. When the defense rolls usally the rest follows………….