I generally refrain from posting the day after a game, but I think there needs to be some context added to today's conversations.
Four of Iowa State’s five losses have been to top-33 teams, ranging from 11th to 33rd.
Of those four top-33 opponents, three of them have been on the road, making them north of top-25 equivalents.
The lone home game, was 21st Baylor on the road.
In the last three games, Iowa State’s increase of performance is almost incomprehensible, playing 28 points per game better than the first two....putting us in the regime where we are competent with top 30 opponents.
A lot of people don’t like me comparing to Iowa. But Matt Campbell is a young coach who took over a program that many people here considered a program depleted of talent. And, facing one of the toughest strength of schedules in the country. (Currently 16th.)
Kirk Ferentz is a seasoned coach who is bringing back a team that many considered was capable of repeating an undefeated regular season and make a run for the conference (and national) championship. And, facing one of the easiest strength of schedules in the country. (Currently 71st.)
I think comparing Iowa and Iowa State is fair for the sake of showing and comparing context.
Below is the last four opponents played by both Iowa State and Iowa. The first number is the power rating adjusted for home field advantage. The number in parenthesis is the equivalent ranking.
84 (18th) TCU
83
82 (24th) OKLAHOMA STATE
81
80 (29th) BAYLOR
79
78
77
76
75
74
73 (51st) MINNESOTA
72
71 (58TH) NORTH DAKOTA STATE
70 (64TH) NORTHWESTERN
69
68
67
66
65
64
63
62
60 (103rd) RUTGERS
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
49
48 (152nd) SAN JOSE STATE
Disappointment over our losses and how we have lost them, is fair and understandable.
But in the context of respecting the level of competition, there is room to be both simultaneously disappointed….and be overflowing with hope and excitement for what may be coming.
Four of our six games to date have been against opponents in the top half of our schedule. If anybody had told me that we would be even remotely competitive against the top half of our schedule this year, I would have told them they were nuts.
I expected baby steps to where we were, to where we need to get to, win against the schedule we are faced with. I was prepared for those baby steps to take more than a year, and perhaps more than a couple.
Despite losing, we are seeing much more than mere baby steps of improvement. Disappointment and hope....even excitement..... can coexist.
Five of our remaining games are in the bottom seven of our schedule. I'm not guaranteeing a single win in any of them. But I am sure looking forward with excitement to what we might do in them.
(In my opinion.)
Four of Iowa State’s five losses have been to top-33 teams, ranging from 11th to 33rd.
Of those four top-33 opponents, three of them have been on the road, making them north of top-25 equivalents.
The lone home game, was 21st Baylor on the road.
In the last three games, Iowa State’s increase of performance is almost incomprehensible, playing 28 points per game better than the first two....putting us in the regime where we are competent with top 30 opponents.
A lot of people don’t like me comparing to Iowa. But Matt Campbell is a young coach who took over a program that many people here considered a program depleted of talent. And, facing one of the toughest strength of schedules in the country. (Currently 16th.)
Kirk Ferentz is a seasoned coach who is bringing back a team that many considered was capable of repeating an undefeated regular season and make a run for the conference (and national) championship. And, facing one of the easiest strength of schedules in the country. (Currently 71st.)
I think comparing Iowa and Iowa State is fair for the sake of showing and comparing context.
Below is the last four opponents played by both Iowa State and Iowa. The first number is the power rating adjusted for home field advantage. The number in parenthesis is the equivalent ranking.
84 (18th) TCU
83
82 (24th) OKLAHOMA STATE
81
80 (29th) BAYLOR
79
78
77
76
75
74
73 (51st) MINNESOTA
72
71 (58TH) NORTH DAKOTA STATE
70 (64TH) NORTHWESTERN
69
68
67
66
65
64
63
62
60 (103rd) RUTGERS
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
49
48 (152nd) SAN JOSE STATE
Disappointment over our losses and how we have lost them, is fair and understandable.
But in the context of respecting the level of competition, there is room to be both simultaneously disappointed….and be overflowing with hope and excitement for what may be coming.
Four of our six games to date have been against opponents in the top half of our schedule. If anybody had told me that we would be even remotely competitive against the top half of our schedule this year, I would have told them they were nuts.
I expected baby steps to where we were, to where we need to get to, win against the schedule we are faced with. I was prepared for those baby steps to take more than a year, and perhaps more than a couple.
Despite losing, we are seeing much more than mere baby steps of improvement. Disappointment and hope....even excitement..... can coexist.
Five of our remaining games are in the bottom seven of our schedule. I'm not guaranteeing a single win in any of them. But I am sure looking forward with excitement to what we might do in them.
(In my opinion.)
