Voice of the Hawkeyes Board

Lol ok just wanted to b clear

You also have to keep in mind that Ferentz rewards players for hard work and being "good guys" more than anybody. Not saying he puts that above winning, but I think we can all agree that his loyalty hasn't always been the best thing for the program in the wins and loss department.

It is just like DJK and Not playing Stanzi over JC, and many scenarios like that. Not that I don't like he rewards good kids but if it is costing you wins it should no be happening. But the thing that makes me the saddest is nothing will change, we obviously see now it was NOT KOK. It is the head of the program that is costing us. And yes I know he is the same man that gave us some great teams as well but if you don't have the players to run a scheme you have to adapt and make things work. I saw Woody Orne post on facebook. "Stop bitching about coach. He is the same guy you were begging not to go to the NFL. His system has worked before and will work again" And I don't totally disagree but at what cost does it work. I do not like having 9 mediocre teams or worse to have 1 great team. A great coach consistently wins and reloads not rebuilds. KF can find talent and build them into NFL players. But KF can not manage a game, run an offense or defense or make those teams full of NFL players be more than slightly above average with the exception of 1 great team every 10 years.

I've stood face to face with Vandenberg after wins and losses, and he hates to lose as much as anyone does. He's able to remain composed during interviews, but that doesn't mean he's just a "nice guy."

I don't disagree with anything you're saying here. I was replying to a post that did seem to question his desire to win, or at least his overall competitiveness.

Todd, what Im saying is he doesn't have a winner mentality. Im not saying he doesnt dislike losing but his and KF's mind set isnt par to great winners. Let alone some guys at our own school.

********Q. This program’s standards is so high, how‑‑
COACH BRANDS: It's not high. This is how the world is. This is how you get ahead in the world. This is how you're successful is when you think like this. The standard is not high. We are not bitter about taking third place. We are not angry and dysfunctional. But we want to coach with the message that these guys that we have in our room can do the job, number one. Now when I talk to them, believe it, and then work for it and go after it. There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing dysfunctional with that. The problem is sometimes people get lazy and they take a year or two off because it might not look good on paper. Those things aren't relevant. Those things aren't relevant to us. They never have been. They weren't relevant to Gable, and they're not relevant to me. Put me in a straight jacket for saying that, but I'll be kicking and screaming out of here saying that I'm right, because I know I'm right there in that mentality. Who are you going to tell that we shouldn't ask that way? Whose parents? Are you going to tell Sandy McDonough? Anybody know her? Are you going to tell her we're not going to contend against Penn State because they've got 40 points on us? She'd slap me upside the head with something hard, a wooden something and hard. We better have high level mentality here. So I'm sorry to jump all over your question.***********

This is the situation. Only thing I would say is we dont really need the QB to excel. If we are able to run and play decent defense all the QB has to do is make a few throws that should be setup well with playaction. Nathan Chandler is a good example.

I think the thing that bothers fans is when we dont have part of the equation KF doesnt adapt his game plan. Iowas DLine has been rough the last couple seasons. So to me that says we need to bring some sort of blitz package to the table. And when we blitz maybe dont show it with 20 seconds on the playclock. But we rarely blitz which gives average QBs time to run around and complete passes like Steve Young.

On offense we lose out LT and the next man in, it hurts. But really we are minus 1 starter. If anything, Iowa should be deep on the Oline. We are not deep. We have Blythe playing at guard when hes a natural center and we shuffle Walsh in there. Neither are ready, which makes sense since they are freshman. Wheres the depth?

At the end of the day KFs game plan works. It has worked in the past and despite what people think it will still work now. But he has to have a solid Dline and Oline. He has to a qb. We dont have these. We have an oline that went from soild to bad with 1 broken bone. We have a Dline that has absolutely zero upperclass talent. These guys would struggle in the MAC, actually they did struggle against a couple MAC teams. We have a qb that is scared to death on the field. Call it swag or what not, but JVB doesnt have it.

At the end of the day it falls at KFs feet. IMO it all comes down to 3 really bad classes. He got lazy in recruiting. KF said we arent going after big fish, we are taking lower rated guys and in 3 years they will be molded into the next Greenway or Sanders or Klug or Ochoa. In todays eat or be eatten recruiting world Iowa is the perfect example of what happens if your HC thinks recruiting is overrated. KF has stated multiple times how much he hates recruiting. I would hate it too, but put on a happy face and reel in some big fish. My only hope is that moving Eric Johnson to fulltime recruiter pays off like I hope it has. It really bothers me that we have a HC who openly states that our OC from Texas doesnt have to leave campus to recruit. Grow up. Greg Davis makes 350k, he damn well better be getting some air miles accumulated. We hire a WR coach with a bunch of big names on his resume but for some reason cant recuit. I know Todd disagrees on my Soup Campbell beef but Im a strong believer he was a product of the Michigan system more than anything. We bring in Brian Ferentz who has coached 1 real year of football in his life and now is the OL coach. The only recruiting ties he has are at IC High, sweet. We have Morgan who's only real recruiting ties are at IC West, sweet. We lost Bielma and Philbin.

End Rant. Go Hawks.

No one is saying he's not a good kid or a competitor....just a crappy FBS QB.

The answer is because their upper-class talent is substandard-particularly in the passing game and defensive front 7-and the coaching staff simply isn't programmed to adjust to that fact.

All kinds of talk starting to leak out about Ferentz fully realizing he had a "bad" team in the pre-season and more or less electing to eat the year rather than do anything proactive about it.

I said it was looking like it early on.........and your press is starting to bear the theory out.

These guys only work one way, and if that way is struggling better luck next year.

Too many starters are too inept to keep W/L close and give Kirk an out.........and there ya are.

all depends how you look at it. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, it may simply be that he didn't want to waste somebody's eligibility around a team he didn't feel would excel in any event or, in the case of QB...wreck somebody's confidence with a bunch of stiffs. Sorry, they're that bad.

I got the impression that the particular post I was replying to was actually saying that (that he's not enough of a competitor).

Well Rudock has already redshirted so that would not be a waste of anything actually riding the pine not playing at all is more of a waste. I see your point though but what is the difference with getting thrown to the wolves now and get some experience or getting thrown to the wolves as a starter next year without playing a game since you were a senior in high school. I mean he had plenty of chances to get out there. And I was just saying IF Kirk thought this year was a waste why not do it., If he felt they were good enough to go to a bowl and JV was his best option I have no issues with him not playing JR.

No worries!