2023 Iowa Season Thread

[MrNubbz]

Heartbreaking thoughts to you, from where all hearts are broken. Is there any capacity at Ohio State that Brian Ferentz could take over?

Sure using the portal to Ann Arbor

[LittlePig]

he didn't have George Kittle and the 9er defense in Ames

Yes, Kittle played on the other side with Iowa,  although I am not sure if Purdy and Kittle ever played in college at the same time.  I know Kittle and another Iowa TE Jake Duzey at the time had tremendous potential but both of them kept getting hurt while at Iowa.  At least Kittle found a way to stay healthy in the pros but he never really realized his full potential while at Iowa.

As much as Brian Ferentz is knocked, at least he had enough sense to realize he had 2 NFL first round draft choices at TE in 2017-2018 with T.J. Hockeson and Noah Fant and used them a little better than Greg Davis used Kittle and Duzey.  Of course Noah Fant's family will still insist Fant should have been used even more than he actually was.

[FearlessF]

Yes, Kittle played on the other side with Iowa,  although I am not sure if Purdy and Kittle ever played in college at the same time.  I know Kittle and another Iowa TE Jake Duzey at the time had tremendous potential but both of them kept getting hurt while at Iowa.  At least Kittle found a way to stay healthy in the pros but he never really realized his full potential while at Iowa.

As much as Brian Ferentz is knocked, at least he had enough sense to realize he had 2 NFL first round draft choices at TE in 2018-2019 with T.J. Hockeson and Noah Fant and used them a little better than Greg Davis used Kittle and Duzey.  Of course Noah Fant's family will still insist Fant should have been used even more than he actually was.

I'd blame Brian for Kittle, not Kittle

Hock is the one that should have been used more
Fant hasn't shown otherwise in the league
IMO, Fant is lazy

[LittlePig]

I will admit Fant could have had a better attitude when Hock passed him on the depth chart,  but I can see why he was complaining.  Fant did get drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.  Normally that means tons of playing time in college.

[FearlessF]

yes, but Hock is having the better NFL career

of course there's the Denver curse

[Hawkinole]

Can some other Big Ten team rescue Iowa from Brian Ferentz's fierce grip on the offensive coordinator job? I am surprised the wealthy boosters didn't do something about it.
He's back for another year. 130 out of 131 wasn't bad enough. I guess it has to be 131 or worse.

[847badgerfan]

[Temp430]

Not so sure you can lay all the blame at Brian's feet for Iowa's bad offensive.

[847badgerfan]

Where else would it be placed?

[FearlessF]

Kirk and Barta

for not firing Brian

https://www.hawkcentral.com/videos/sports/college/iowa/football/2023/02/01/7-minutes-iowa-ad-gary-barta-brian-ferentz-other-topics/11166026002/

[Hawkinole]

Not so sure you can lay all the blame at Brian's feet for Iowa's bad offensive.

The coaches recruit. After a horrible year offensively in 2021, when Iowa ranked circa 122nd in total offense, rather than fire Brian Ferentz, they double down on him, and name Brian Ferentz as QBs coach, in addition to offensive coordinator. He ws an o-lineman as a player.

In 2022, the offense is 130th in total offense out of 131. The highest rated recruit ever committed to Iowa football, an O-Lineman, decommits in Dec. 2022 because he didn't want to settle - while young people can change their minds, having the 2nd worst offense in football, and doing nothing to change the dynamic with the coaching staff is on Brian Ferentz for not resigning as offensive coordinator, on Kirk Ferentz for not demoting or terminating Brian, and the Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta, for not terminating Brian after 2021, or in 2022. Iowa's recruitment of offensive players suffered in 2022, and that will affect 2023, and beyond.

The O-Line and quarterback positions were extremely weak. You work with what you have. Iowa had an immobile QB. Instead of moving him around with sprint back passing, and rollout passing, they leave him in the same spot in a collapsing pocket almost every pass play - the spot where D-Lineman are teeing off to sack him. Petras could not scramble from a pocket because he has bad feet, but he demonstrated he could throw on the run on the few occasions he rolled out. Brian rarely rolled him out; I didn't see one play where they used him to sprint back right or left, and throw. Brian didn't work with the foibles of the players he had to make the offense better. He is not a good O-Coordinator, a very bad QB coach; and not a good tactician.

[Hawkinole]

"Brian Ferentz made $900,000 last season and will be in line for an approximate 8% raise based on his father’s contract, meaning the university will likely pay in the neighborhood of $1 million next season to have the head coach’s son call plays for an Iowa team that has almost unbelievably scored one or zero offensive touchdowns in 12 of its last 21 games." Leistikow: What would be the downside of a new offensive coordinator? (hawkcentral.com)
I think Gary Barta is subconsciously wants, or is willing, to be fired. Barta is making $1.05M. If he is axed there is no place that will pay him that much money, and his contract is only through 2024. He is very short-sighted. Maybe he can sack my groceries at Hy-Vee. Oops, we don't have Hy-Vee in my town -- maybe he can sack groceries at Fareway. 
A few weeks ago he lowered the season ticket prices about $5 per game. He will have to lower the prices a lot more than that if they intend to sell the place out, like maybe by $20 per game. I cannot imagine the big donors are not going to do something about it. I suspect Barta will be at risk, Brian Ferentz is at risk. And, if Kirk Ferentz pulled this off by threatening to resign, he may resign, as well. This should not stand. But, we'll see.

[Hawkinole]

Michigan Football Reportedly Makes Interesting Coaching Hire (msn.com) Michigan hires Brian Ferentz! 







(Not).

[medinabuckeye1]

"Brian Ferentz made $900,000 last season and will be in line for an approximate 8% raise based on his father’s contract, meaning the university will likely pay in the neighborhood of $1 million next season to have the head coach’s son call plays for an Iowa team that has almost unbelievably scored one or zero offensive touchdowns in 12 of its last 21 games." Leistikow: What would be the downside of a new offensive coordinator? (hawkcentral.com)
I think Gary Barta is subconsciously wants, or is willing, to be fired. Barta is making $1.05M. If he is axed there is no place that will pay him that much money, and his contract is only through 2024. He is very short-sighted. Maybe he can sack my groceries at Hy-Vee. Oops, we don't have Hy-Vee in my town -- maybe he can sack groceries at Fareway.
A few weeks ago he lowered the season ticket prices about $5 per game. He will have to lower the prices a lot more than that if they intend to sell the place out, like maybe by $20 per game. I cannot imagine the big donors are not going to do something about it. I suspect Barta will be at risk, Brian Ferentz is at risk. And, if Kirk Ferentz pulled this off by threatening to resign, he may resign, as well. This should not stand. But, we'll see.

If Barta approached Kirk about this and Kirk threatened to resign, Barta should have called his bluff.

Would the Trustees and University President back Barta in that situation?

Kirk has been great overall for the Hawkeyes but anyone who can't see that Brian, in his current position, is hurting the team is flat out blind.

The situation is why Iowa (and most other states) have laws prohibiting nepotism. The legal loophole that Kirk, Barta, and the University employed to get around that has been a disaster for the Hawkeyes.