You will be able to find a unique take on today's most intriguing story lines in sports. You will find strong opinions on Iowa State University athletics as well as stories related to our favorite teams. We hope you can find a little bit of everything here. Our goals isn't to provide the most politically correct and standard response you might find on more traveled sites. Here you will find a fresh, logical and unique take, better know as "Our Two Sense".
With college football season right around the corner I figured it was time to re-establish myself on the blog. After some research I've found myself more optimistic than most when it comes to the upcoming ISU football season. Here are ten statistics that will leave you feeling the same.
1) The last coach to go 5-19 over a two year span in Ames (Gene Chizik) won a national championship just two years later. Paul Rhoads is 5-19 in his last two seasons.
2) The incoming freshman class has never lost a Big 12 game. NEVER.
3) Top 10 good? Maybe. ISU finished in the top ten in the Big 12 in EVERY statistical category last season.
4) Playoff?! We're talking about playoffs?! If they get there it's important to note that a likely opponent (Alabama) hasn't beat Iowa State since the 2001 Independence Bowl.
5) Iowa State's only winning season in the last decade was preceded by a winless Big 12 slate the year before. Last season? 0-9 in the Big 12.
6) The Cyclones have now had three 2-10 seasons in their history. In the previous two they responded with seven win seasons including a CHAMPIONSHIP in each of those seasons (2004 Independence Bowl, 2009 Insight Bowl).
7) Lucky #7. Paul Rhoads is entering his 7th season as head coach. The last coach to make it to their seventh season won seven games (Dan McCarney 7-5 in 2001).
8) Las Vegas has Iowa State's odds of winning the Big 12 at 100-1. There are only eight teams with better odds.
9) Last season ISU had a money line of +100000 to win the National Championship. This year? +40000. Remember folks, in this case the lower the number, the better the odds.
10) With the completion of the "South Endzone Project" Jack Trice will now have the third largest capacity in the Big 12 behind Texas and Oklahoma. This new "Big Three" trio of OU, UT and ISU has combined to win 10 out of the last 15 Big 12 championships. As Meatloaf says, "two out of three ain't bad"!
Well, tough day for ISU. I wanted to say "good guys" but there weren't many of those today. This year, like the last couple, I used the historical winning percentages to project a number of wins for the football team. Last year, I projected ~6 wins and the team finished with 3, and I had to look up the record. The reasons for the disappointment are pretty obvious and I'll get into them below. Here are my pre-season wins predictions.
I projected, based on probabilities, 5.817 wins. Not enough for a bowl game, down from last year's 6.08 and 2012's 6.42. This year's total was assuming they were favored in four games, one of which was the opener against NDSU. Now the adjusted total is 5 wins, but that's based on them being favored in 3 more games (I'd guess maybe one now). What happened?
For starters, Paul Rhoads' teams quit beating teams they were favored against. Through four years, that was a hallmark of Rhoads teams, winning at a 77% clip. ISU was 9-0 at home and favored. And they upset teams at a reasonable pace, 36% again through the first 4 years. Last year, ISU lost against UNI at home, favored. And only won 2 of 9 games they were 'dogs in, 22%.
That's where we're starting this year. A loss in which ISU was favored, at home. In this post, I said the following:
The bad news – ISU needs to win EVERY game in which it is favored AND pick off 3 upsets a year to have a shot at a bowl game.
It's the truth, and it's a lot to overcome just to be bowl eligible.
The Paul Rhoads tenure had been defined by winning games ISU is supposed to, and picking off a team or two each year they aren't supposed to. The hope was as the upsets piled up, ISU would get more respect and be favored in more games. Rhoads' teams would continue to win the favored games and still get upsets, eventually breaking through that 6 win ceiling. Instead, they've regressed over the past year and a game. ISU might pull off an upset or two this year (there will be plenty of opportunities) but without taking care of the teams they're supposed to, a bowl game isn't in the future.
Now that the season is “officially” over, it’s time for a look back. I’ve heard a lot of excuses – young team, injuries, etc – for the poor year. Certainly, injuries struck early and often, especially on the offensive line. And the two starting quarterbacks were a RS Sophomore and RS Freshman. But many teams suffer injuries, and many freshman quarterbacks perform at a high level. One just won this year’s Heisman.
I’m more sympathetic to an argument that the issue was a lack of consistency.The injuries on the offensive line resulted in 10 different starting fives over the season.And the young quarterbacks getting substituted in and out would make it difficult for either to find a rhythm.Unfortunately this has been a hallmark of Paul Rhoads’ tenure at ISU.Three different starters last year, two this year.With four total QBs in the mix next year, it might be the same again.Other positions were handled questionably as well, including running back, where the obvious #1 took at most half the snaps this year.
If inconsistency is the only constant at Iowa State, why would 3-9 be disappointing, instead of expected?There’s another trait of Rhoads’ tenure, and that is the ability to compete with everyone, and pull an upset or two a season.ISUhaddone very well against teams they were favored to beat (winning 76.9%).While not a lot of games every year, this was usually good for about three wins per season.More importantly, ISU had been known for their upsets.Not always against the #2 team in the country, but they won 35.9% of the games in which theyweren’tfavored.This averaged to 3.5 wins per year.You should see where this is going.Coming into the season, it was reasonable to expect four games favored plus 3 upsets and ISU would be bowling.
Now I had ISU only favored in three games, and underdogs in the rest, which put ISU’s expected wins right about six.Not a lot of wiggle room.The three games in which they were favored, they really, really needed to win for bowl eligibility.In 2013 they dropped two of those three.ISU also had only two upsets - below their average.So they disappointed both in games they should have won, and by not having the upsets to which we’ve grown accustomed.If they’d played to their averages in one aspect or the other, the record would have been 4 or 5 wins.Not bowling, but not so deflating either.
The good news is, this should be the bottom when it comes to ISU’s performance under Paul Rhoads.The bad news – ISU needs to win EVERY game in which it is favored AND pick off 3 upsets a year to have a shot at a bowl game.That’s concerning, and maybe the most disappointing thing about 2013.The upsets had been adding up, moving the lines toward ISU.Record numbers of season tickets looked like it would fuel some Jack Magic.A couple early wins and ISU should have been favored against Tulsa, against TCU at home and at WVU to finish the season. But since everything fell apart, the Cyclones will have to start earning respect all over again in 2014.It doesn’t take an analysis of next year’s schedule to know that a bowl game will again be a stretch for ISU.
With the recent success of ISU men's basketball I couldn't help but take a step back and look at how this 2011-2012 academic year is progressing.
Football
It started with a football season that was destined for at best mediocrity and a below .500 record. What turned out doesn't appear to be much better with the final record reading 6-7. However, for a team that was favored it just TWO games all year long this is monumental. Add in a thrilling victory over Iowa, some domination over Texas Tech and a victory over the #2 team in the nation and ISU football now has several monkeys off their back.
Maybe more important for future success was the publicity ISU got throughout the end of the season because of Paul Rhoads. As with any successful coach, other schools will come calling. Rhoads answered those calls with a 10-year extension. An almost unheard of length for a college football coach. ISU has had consistency before at the head coach position in Dan McCarney. He brought ISU from the dead to having a pulse. It looks like Rhoads is now primed to take this program to being recognized nationally. If you have any doubts check out some of the offer lists of this recruiting class. This kid, Gary Simon, will choose on National Signing Day between Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State. That is significant. Sure, ISU is still going to arm wrestle with some MAC schools over a few recruits. Almost every BCS program does. However, athletes are beginning to take notice of what is going on in Ames. They see a passionate coach that doesn't appear to be leaving any time soon, possibility of early playing time and a chance to take down the big boys on ESPN. ISU hasn't got this much publicity since the year of Seneca. Even then, their publicity was short lived. The key for ISU going forward is consistency. This means making bowl games every year, knocking off an upset a year and periodically sneaking up to 8 or 9 wins. ISU has consistency in the coaching staff, a very, very young offense and a wizard calling the shots on defense. Football may never look back.
Basketball
Pollard took a calculated risk in hiring Fred Hoiberg just a season ago. As an ISU legend he was a popular hire with the fan base. If anyone would get the support of the fan base it would be Freddy. Fred had ZERO coaching experience when he was hired. Although at times it has reared its ugly head, Fred has also shown, in my opinion, what is even more important: the ability to recruit talent.
Many were skeptical of Hoiberg bringing in transfer players. Afterall, there was a reason that they were leaving their former schools. That didn't stop Hoiberg from bringing in a former 19th ranked recruit, a player with two Final Fours under his belt and two other significant contributors. As if that wasn't enough for him he brought in the point guard from a Final Four team and the second leading scorer in the Mountain West behind Jimmer Fredette. According to multiple Hoiberg quotes Clyburn has the most NBA potential out of anyone on the team.
It does appear as though he has slowed down on the transfer front, but he is competing with the big boys for the diaper-dandies now. Hoiberg has a stigma to him that is hard to ignore. The guy has the looks and style to steal any mom's heart. He has the NBA contacts and sales pitch to steal an 18 year olds heart. There is just something to be said for having a plethora of NBA scouts in the stands every home conference game.
Young basketball players are selfish now. They want to shoot, they want to score the want to get into the league. Hoiberg is offering every kid this opportunity. I am a firm believer in the thought that the smartest coach on the floor is the one with the best players. Hoiberg is growing as a coach, but his knack for recruiting is hard to ignore.
As we sit here six games into the conference season, ISU has hope once again of making it into the NCAA tournament. This is how it is supposed to be at ISU right? Even the last time ISU made the tournament they started 0-5 in the conference. ISU is 4-2 with close losses to two separate top-10 teams. The point of the matter is that once again ISU is looking toward post-season play. Hilton Magic is coming back slowly and recruits are looking towards Ames, Iowa as place to spend their collegiate career.
I realize there is more to ISU than just football and men's basketball. Let's be real. Those two sports run the athletic department at a majority of universities. What I enjoy most about these teams is they put a product on the field and court that I can be proud of. Their style of play is fun to watch and I am filled with optimism once again. I am not asking for a National Championship (give it a year or two), but I enjoy watching every game knowing there is a chance to win, not just cover the spread. ISU has long been the underdog and for the first time in a while it appears they are biting back.
First and foremost I look forward to watching this ISU commercial again this week....
CPR is worth his weight in gold. He has done more marketing for ISU through YouTube videos than they could ever purchase. I love that this will be played after every bowl game. Now on to this weeks games.
Current Record: 2-1
Beef O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl Florida International vs Marshall
Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. Get it? No, they will not win this game. I am really surprised that Cristobal is still there. He won one game his first year on the job. This victory tonight will give him 9 for the season. I could see him being introduced as Pittsburgh's new coach by the end of the week. If not there, somewhere. This guy is legit.
Florida International 23 Marshall 16
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl TCU vs Louisiana Tech
This game intrigues me as an ISU fan for two reasons. Reason number one is obviously TCU joining the Big XII next season. A future opponent of ISU's as early as next season, it will interesting to start getting to know this "cinderella". Reason number two is to watch Louisiana Tech's offense. Tony Franklin is their OC. He may very well be calling the shots for ISU next season. He worked with Rhoads for all of five games at Auburn before he was canned. I think he is better than that experience. He runs spread camps all over the state of Texas. I would not object to this hire. As for the game I think TCU has too much for Louisiana Tech in this game.
TCU 34 Louisiana Tech 23
Maaco Las Vegas Bowl Arizona State vs Boise State
Once again Boise State gets screwed with their bowl placement. It is BCS or bust for them and I guess that is why they are joining the Big East. How awesome would that be if ISU played in the Las Vegas Bowl? Rhetorical question- It would be epic. Arizona State is in a state of flux right now. They canned their coach and now are stuck with a coach who lies more than Nick Saban. This game could get out of hand if Boise State shows up motivated.
Boise State 48 Arizona State 30 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Nevada vs Southern Mississippi
Without Hawaii playing in this game, no one will be there. Usually without anything else on (aside from the Christmas Story marathon) everyone is at least watching from home. This year a full slate of NFL games precedes the Hawaii Bowl. I know this is on later, but it still doesn't put the spotlight on it as much as usual. As for the game, it won't be much of one. I hope Nevada at least gets to enjoy some beach time. Southern Mississippi wins by two touchdowns.
Southern Mississippi 34 Nevada 20
And before we conclude these lead pipe locks let me bring you a weather update from NYC....
December 28th High 44 deg Low 36 deg
December 29th High 44 deg Low 36 deg (SHOWERS)
On the contrary in Cedar Rapids....
December 28th High 35 deg Low 25 deg
December 29th High 36 deg Low 23 deg
I will be the first to admit New York City was not my first choice for an Iowa State bowl destination. However, after deciding to make the trip I have done some more research on NYC and am getting more and more excited. I think it truly will be a great trip for the players, coaches and fans. Warm weather is nice in December, but this truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone involved. Here are ten reasons I am looking forward to this trip.
10. The Cyclones have now taken me to Houston's Reliant Stadium, Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium (3 times), Las Vegas, Tempe, Columbia (MO) and now New York City. I love seeing different stadiums and cities. I really enjoy seeing different baseball stadiums. My #10 reason I am excited for the New Era Pinstripe Bowl is the chance to see the new Yankee Stadium.
9. I've been fortunate to visit a lot of different places around the country. My only experience out east was Washington D.C. when I was younger. I have never really been tremendously interested in visiting New York in the past. JMeeks wanted to go out there a couple summers ago and I didn't really understand why. The east coast is truly a different experience. Reason #9 is this trip presents the opportunity to go to the east coast and experience New York City.
8. New Year's Eve in New York City. This is supposed to be the place to be on NYE right? I've spent NYE in Houston and Tempe why not New York City.
7. Statue of Liberty. I've seen it on television and in books. This is a chance to see it in person. I just hope it looks like this...
6. Central Park. I was a big fan of the Home Alone movies. I had the Home Alone game for my GameBoy and on the Super Nintendo. I want to see what this Central Park is all about and throw bird see all over JMeeks and watch him scream.
5. TMNT. I want to see the land of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I love those dudes. The movies were great. Cowabunga!!!
4. Times Square. No, I don't plan on standing outside for hours upon hours without beverages and without restrooms to see a ball drop. Would it be cool to say you have done it? Yes, absolutely. Is it worth it on your first trip to NYC? Absolutely not. However, I do look forward to seeing what this Times Square is all about.
3. Ground Zero. One of the biggest moments of United States history, one that happened when I was a freshman in high school happened in NYC. I still and always will remember sitting in the wrestling room during physical education class. At that time I really didn't know the significance of the World Trade Centers nor did I know at that time how big of a travesty this truly was. Football practice was cancelled after school and when I got home seemingly every channel had constant coverage. I knew this was big. I look forward to seeing this area and the tribute to the victims and the hero's of 9/11.
2. New York Style Pizza. I love pizza. I really freaking love pizza. I have had New York style pizza but I haven't had pizza from New York. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. As a kid I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy that shot out pizzas.
This really could have been #1....
1. Cyclone Football. At the end of the day I really look forward to seeing these boys play again. This has really been a special season to be an ISU fan. The team was favored in TWO games and won SIX. A season that just about started with a loss to UNI ended with a trip to NYC. It is a season I will never forget. A season that included two of the most memorable games I've ever been to. It would be a shame to not take advantage of the biggest win in school history. Paul Rhoads is putting out a product on the field that is fun to watch and I simply can't wait until the 30th. Getting a chance to tailgate at different establishments in Manhattan and the Bronx will truly be something different and special. I really truly hope Rutgers packs the house. It will be hard for ISU to bring a ton of fans but both teams deserve a great atmosphere whether that be hostile or supportive. I think it will be a fun game to watch and the chance to win a 2nd bowl game in three years is pretty unbelievable considering where this program was at just three years ago. Here is a clip from Paul Rhoads last night to get you fired up....
And this post wouldn't be complete without a few music video's....
Disclaimer: Any complaint or downfall of any of these bowls is obviously exponentially better than the flip-side (not being in a bowl). You cannot overestimate how crucial this opportunity is for this team. Here is a bit from Paul Rhoads at his weekly presser.
"Rhoads noticed a big difference between spring practice this year and the previous year because of the lack of bowl practices."
The extra month of practice along with another nationally televised game will help this program move even further along. Depending on the opponent and the type of game that is played, who knows, maybe CPR will make another YouTube appearance. WIN the bowl game and the Cyclones are sitting at least at .500 over Rhoads' first three years. Did I mention the extra practice this extremely young team will get?
Possibilities (In order of best for ISU to at least we are in a bowl) Note: The Insight Bowl is not in these projections. Unless ISU beats KSU Saturday this really isn't a possibility.
1. Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA)
December 28th
8pm CST
ESPN
Against: Pac-12
This would be probably the best bowl ISU has ever been in. It is a destination that a whole slew of Cyclones would travel to. It is also the ONLY bowl game on at the time. Around the holidays a lot of people will be watching this game. I know it is always one of my favorites to watch. A lot of people get caught up in the payouts. Payouts really don't matter when it comes to bowl games. The conference will split the net-payouts. This bowl would give the Cyclones and this program the most exposure. A chance to beat a decent Pac-12 would be a great step for this program.
Probability: 15%
2. Texas Bowl (Houston, TX)
December 31st
12 pm CST
ESPN
Against: Big Ten
Yes this is just one step down in the pecking order. It would be an excellent destination for the Cyclones. The fact that the game is in Texas, a prime recruiting ground for ISU, is great. Warmer weather, also great. A decent Big Ten opponent, splendid. A 12 pm time slot on New Year's Eve? Not ideal. Figure in that there is a full slate of bowl games on that day and this game could get lost in the shuffle. It helps NYE is a Saturday. However, from an exposure standpoint it is not as good of an opportunity for ISU.
Probability: < 5% The Texas Bowl will not pass on a chance to get Baylor, Texas, or Texas Tech.
3. Ticket City Bowl (Dallas, TX)
January 2nd
12 pm CST
ESPNU
Against: Big Ten
I know, I know this is not a Big XII bowl game. However, is this better than the Pinstripe Bowl? Absolutely. Let me explain. Yay! January bowl game! The Ticket City Bowl doesn't quite have the name some others might but January 2nd this year is as good as January 1st most years. There are zero, cero, nada, zilch, none, bowl games on New Year's Day. It is of course a NFL Sunday. That makes January 2nd the day in college football. This bowl kicks it off. Here are the other bowl games that day: Outback, Capital One, Gator, Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl. Think people will be watching those? Think people will see highlights of the Ticket City Bowl during that game? Rhetorical questions. Downfall? Its on ESPNU. Unless you fell for the Digital Plus package just to get NFL RedZone like I did you probably don't get ESPNU. Additional bonus: Getting to play in the Cotton Bowl.
Probability: 40 % The "Experts" would disagree with this percentage. However, the experts don't know anymore than I do. I really find it hard to believe ISU gets passed up by all of the Big XII bowls.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
December 30th
3:20 pm
ESPN
Against: Big East
The only real benefit to this bowl is that it is a Big XII bowl. The Cyclones would be better off against a Big Ten opponent. They would be better off with fans in the stands. They would be better off in an area they can recruit. They would be better off not in this bowl. This is the bowl I projected ISU would land in at the beginning of the year in my fearless predictions. I really feel as though ISU might end up here unfortunately. I really hope I am wrong. Here is a little tidbit that makes me think if ISU falls to the Pinstripe Bowl they will take them. There were ZERO bowl reps at Missouri's last home game against Texas Tech. ZERO!!!! Something makes me think Missouri will get their usual treatment and won't get a Big XII Bowl. Unfortunately for ISU if that is the case and they don't end up in a better situation the Cyclones could be headed to NYC. Reminds me way to much of going to Boise.
Probability: 40%
Any Other Non-Big XII Bowl
There are numerous possibilities out there. Military Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, Beef O'Brady's Bowl and even the possibility of the Hawaii Bowl. These would be better than the alternative, staying at home, yet not as good as some of the other possibilities. However, I would place the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl above the Pinstripe. ISU actually does recruit California. NYC, not so much.
Probability: < 5%
My dream scenario: Las Vegas Bowl
My realistic dream scenario: Holiday Bowl
My economically efficient scenario: Ticket City Bowl/ Texas Bowl
A lot of people are raving about the job that Paul Rhoads is doing at Iowa State. I decided to create my own performance review of Paul Rhoads.
Record: 16-17
To the naked eye this doesn't look too sexy. However, his sixteen wins through a little over two and a half seasons is two more than the previous four years combined. Of these sixteen wins, eight of them of come in non-conference games. Iowa State has lost three non-conference games in his tenure and two of those losses were to top 10 teams (Iowa and Utah in 2010) and the other loss came to the 2009 Iowa team that ended up playing in the Orange Bowl. His conference record at this point sits at 8-14. Once again, to the naked eye this number does not look to be very impressive. Iowa State, by my calculations, has only been favored to win four conference games in Rhoads' tenure and 11 games overall. This translates into his team winning four conference games they were not supposed to as well as an additional two non-conference games they were not supposed win. Six upsets in 22 chances is a pretty good ratio.
A mark of a good coach is the appearance of signature wins on his resume. Paul Rhoads is running out of room. These type of wins put a program like Iowa State back on the map. These were all games Iowa State was clearly not supposed to win.
Nebraska 2009: Coming into the game as an 18.5 point underdog the Cyclones shocked Husker Nation with a 9-7 victory. What makes this even more impressive is that it was done without their starting quarterback and starting running back--announced just before game time. This spread would have been much larger had this been know when the spread was made. It was Iowa State's first victory in Lincoln since 1977.
Texas 2010: Iowa State strolled into this game as only (sarcasm) a 20.5 underdog. They walked out with the program's first EVER victory over Texas and their first road win over a ranked opponent since 1990. This victory seems less impressive after watching Texas struggle to a 5-7 season however you cannot put into words the monumental step this program took that October day.
Iowa 2011: In what is maybe the most exciting football game I have ever been at (ISU vs Florida State is right up there too), the Cyclones notched their first victory over Iowa under Paul Rhoads. It was a big step in helping with in-state recruiting as well as helping ISU to a perfect non-conference slate. The Cyclones were only a 6.5 point underdog and I don't expect this win will look as good at the end of the season however a victory over Iowa is always an important step to success at Iowa State.
Texas Tech 2011: This may be THE biggest win of the Paul Rhoads era. Texas Tech doesn't have that sexy name when you look at it. Consider that Texas Tech just put a whooping on Oklahoma the week before IN Norman and ISU had NEVER won in Lubbock and this win sounds much better. A couple of things I forgot to mention include the point spread (14.5 points) and the POINT SPREAD (34 points). The most complete game this team has put together in a long, long time.
Bad Losses: Kansas State 2009
What tells you most about this is that there is only one. I would also like to point out that this is the ONLY game ISU has lost in which they were favored and they were only favored by a field goal in this game. Why does this loss sting? Grant Mahoney's blocked extra point with :32 seconds left that would have tied the game. If they win this game, Paul Rhoads would still be without a loss in a game in which his team was favored. It is important to note I do not consider margin of loss into the equation for this. A loss is a loss and they will happen especially when you are the underdog. Avoiding losing games in which you were favored to win is the key to program success.
Recruiting:
This is a harder aspect to judge than the others because the only quantitative data available is recruiting rankings which is only a predictor of how good these athletes will be and really means absolutely nothing. I will attempt to assess Rhoads' ability to recruit.
2010 Class: Iowa State was ranked 9th out of the current 10 teams in the Big XII. Only Kansas State was lower. The bright spot of this class is the quantity. Rhoads signed 28 athletes to this class. Being able to fill out recruiting classes is sometimes a struggle for below average programs. Once again, those are just rankings. Looking at the players signed in that class it seems to look a little more impressive. Players in this class include: Jared Barnett, Shontrelle Johnson, Tom Farniok, Durell Givens, Duran Hollis, Kirby Van Der Kamp and Jarvis West. All of these players have at least two years of eligibility left and are already major contributors.
2011 Class: In 2011 Iowa State once again ranked 9th of 10 teams in front of only Kansas State (who is often penalized in these rankings for recruiting JC players). Rhoads signed 23 recruits in this class included JC teammates Steele Jantz and Aaron Horne. Many of these players were able to redshirt this season and many of them should be major contributors down the road. What I have noticed about this class is the formation of pipelines in California, Florida and Texas. Developing connections in these talent rich states is huge and should pay dividends down the road. I genuinely get excited looking at the pieces Rhoads has in place with this recruiting class.
2012 Class (so far): Keep in mind this class has not yet signed and is still a work in progress. At this point ISU sits at 8 out of 10. An improvement! They have already received commitments from 14 athletes included 10 3-star athletes. What excites me about this class is that already five Iowa players have committed. ISU will never be able to build their program on Iowa talent but getting the best players in the state to commit to ISU is a great foundation for recruiting. At this point the University of Iowa has only received a commitment from one Iowa player. Rhoads has also received a commitment from a kicker and three HS quarterbacks. I really believe simply adding as many great athletes to a roster and not necessarily a great tight end or a guard is a great start. Get great athletes and speed adn turn them into outstanding football players.
Recruiting Trends:
*4 IA kids in 2010, 5 IA kids in 2011 and already 5 IA kids in 2012
*6 OL in 2010, 3 in 2011, 2 so far for 2012
*6 FLA athletes in 2010, 5 in 2011
*1 QB in 2010, 2 QB in 2011 and 3 in 2012
Strengths:
This could be a rather large portion of this review, but I will attempt to keep it concise. Rhoads is clearly a great motivator. He is getting his teams to overachieve which is the sign of a great coach. His ability to pull off the huge upsets he already has is an indicator of his ability to motivate.
Rhoads also has ignited a fire in the fan base. He is passionate and charismatic. Season ticket sales are at an all-time high and even the most skeptical ISU fans find themselves in moments of optimism. Another strength of his is his aggressiveness. Rhoads has proven he is not afraid to go for it on fourth down, run a fake punt or even run a fake extra point in overtime. To me strings like this have to be pulled every once in awhile when the talent doesn't match up on paper. Finally, his greatest strength to me is the respect he has from his players. As much as we want this to be about football, I truly believe these students will be better people because of their relationship with Paul Rhoads. If you have any questions about the mutual respect between his players and him watch below...
Weaknesses: We have to take a step back and realize that this is just Rhoads' third year of head coaching experience. Tricks of the trade such as in-game management, practice plans and travel arrangements will come with time. There have been a few instances where Rhoads' teams do seem to be unprepared and unorganized. This is to be expected with a fresh coach. At times some fans have been critical of Rhoads being overly emotional. I am not one of those select few, but I do believe his emotion and motivation to play with passion can result in stupid personal fouls. I also believe it to be at least part of the struggles the offense seems to have early in the game. Being able to help his players harness the emotion will be instrumental in moving this program forward. I kind of hit on this earlier but Rhoads' teams seem to be undisciplined at times. Too many times do his teams shoot themselves in the foot Plaxico Burress style with false starts, holds and sometimes illegal formations. Rhoads needs to take a chapter out of the Bill Snyder book and let the other teams make the mistakes. Easier said than done.
Reasons for skepticism: ISU at times appears severely over matched. Will they ever be able to get the talent to Ames to compete consistently with the Oklahoma and Texas' of the world? I'm not sure what a realistic ceiling is for a program like Iowa State, but is it high enough to keep Rhoads around long-term.
Reason for optimism: Just when you give up on his team Rhoads will prove you wrong. He appears to have found a composed quarterback that limits turnovers and runs the zone read effectively. He is just two wins away from bowl eligibility against a conference schedule that includes 8 teams that have been ranked at some point this season.
Final verdict: Along with the rest of Cyclone Nation I am proud to have Coach Rhoads lead this program. I think his "improve and plateau" strategy seems to be working. I cannot wait for Rhoads to continue to improve this program and finding a way to keep him around is a must.
