***Game Thread Iowa, Week 2***

[unifan]

Why start a running QB against a team that is great against the run? The DBs for iowa is the weak part of the defense... throw, throw, throw. 20 yards in the first half... WTF.

A group of us at the game were saying the same thing.

A new year and still the same atrocious play calling. QB never under center, run up the middle, passing to sidelines. Each game it is crazy to see just from team to team how much their play calling varies, while here we still are doing what we’re doing.

[vbfan19]

Crap from coworkers if there were tickets available at work saying I wasn't a true fan. Crap from friends saying "you didn't go to UNI, I know you're really an Iowa fan, I hardly ever see you at UNI games, you haven't been to a game since I took you last year", crap at church saying "i know you were in Iowa City last week, why were you in Cedar Falls yesterday", crap from family members saying "Why do you hope to make it to a game this year? We're there every week, we don't see you there"

I know some of it was in jest and good natured ribbing, but it wore on me after awhile.

that's hardly specific to the UNI fandom. That's just sports fans in general

[Blue42]

That D2 rule has been gone for a couple years now - 4 I think.

D2s now “count”. They don’t help anymore than beating a SWAC, MEAC, PFL, NEC but they now longer acricely count against you.

the win total rule is also gone. Notice how 6 D1 win teams have gotten in recently?

Yep...techically can qualify with a DII win.

But realistically, your chances of getting a bid with 6 DI FCS wins and a DII win are really small.

And given UNI's history of not getting at large bids, a 6-FCS + 1-DII win season would leave us home for Turkey Day with near certainty.

I'd much rather have another chance at an FCS win than counting on the committee to cut us slack with a DII win as our 7th. It won't happen.

The coaching staff needs to figure out how to beat decent/good non-con FCS teams early in the season.

[12thFloorBender]

The night game will make it hard because the environment will be crazy. Also, we're not going to get any help from officials or calls going our way. And no I'm not making that an excuse, I just know what Farley has been told by officials during past close games in Iowa City, and I don't expect to get treated any differently this time around.

Who did you hear that from about the officials?

[12thFloorBender]

Iowa’s pressure really hurt UNI. Several times the Panthers had open WRs but the QBs were flushed out of the pocket or were forced to throw inaccurate passes. I was pretty pleased with the WR play as they were beating the Iowa secondary and linebackers. That front 4 for Iowa is just damn good and were too big and strong.

[vbfan19]

But realistically, your chances of getting a bid with 6 DI FCS wins and a DII win are really small.

Back when the playoffs were 16 team, that was the case. But since the expansion (and the rise of the MVFC in recent years), the chances of a 6 DI win team from the Valley getting in are actually quite good.

And given UNI's history of not getting at large bids, a 6-FCS + 1-DII win season would leave us home for Turkey Day with near certainty.

Any examples of UNI football getting slighted in terms of an at-large bid?

[BCPanther]

Yeah, there's no anti-UNI conspiracy theories. We didn't get at Large bids because we didn't deserve them.

[Spathicle]

"Alright guys, I think we are wearing them down, let's try to run it up the middle again"
-Mark Farley

I remember when coaches accepted that we were giving up some size and athleticism so we used a varied and creative playbook. When was the last time we threw a halfback pass??

Sigh

[unifan]

Side note: Iowa and Kinnick Stadium know how to engage the fans for a football game. For somebody who doesn’t go there unless UNI is playing, and who absolutely does not support the U of I, their gameday experience is light years ahead of what the Dome brings us currently. Even by taking The Wave out of the equation, the music and everything was just better than what we ever have.

[clenz]

UNIs game day ops, atmosphere building, fan engagement, social media presence, etc. is horrific compared to peers.

hell. Try to find a media guide for this year. I dare you.



You wont. There isn’t one.

Theyll blame staff turnover as a reason fir no guide. As if other programs never have turnover on the staff side that does media guides. MVSU has a mediaguide for those year. They have an entire AD budget of less than our football budget alone. Look at the promo stuff that D2s like NWMSU and any of the IIAC (screw off if you want me to call it the new name) schools do. Go to a Wartburg game and you’ll be blown away at the fact they have better game day engagement and what not than UNI. You’ll also get to see what a program that has real leadership looks like.

Soccer has one. Volleyball has one. Every fall sport has one. Football doesn’t. Make sense of that.

This program - top to bottom through the entire department - is a mess

[BCPanther]

I don't know. I heard we just got a new Jock Jams cassette and that we might play songs from this new band called Guns and Flowers or something like that.

[in_the_stands]

Without looking back, there were several seasons we finished 7-4 and didn't get in, when it sure seemed we were better than several of the 8-3's that did. Our fault for not getting 8 those years ourselves, of course. Just a case of one too many WTF performances in those seasons.

[vbfan19]

Without looking back, there were several seasons we finished 7-4 and didn't get in, when it sure seemed we were better than several of the 8-3's that did. Our fault for not getting 8 those years ourselves, of course. Just a case of one too many WTF performances in those seasons.

2013 could probably be considered a snub.
Finished 7-5 (including a win at Iowa State), but having 5 conference losses really hurt (even though 3 of those losses were in OT or double OT, and another one was a 1-point loss at NDSU during one of their national championship years).

Had 7 D1 wins in 2006, but also had a loss to a D2 team, which isn't going to impress the committee.

And in any case, comparing pre-playoff expansion to post-playoff expansion is apples and oranges in terms of the "7 win threshhold".

[clenz]

2013 we finished 3-5 in conference play and in 8th place. No 8th place team from any conference deserves to be in.

2006 was also a 16 team playoff and while we finished tied for second we had 7 wins and a D2 loss and 3 Gateway teams has at least 9 wins.

[Blue42]

Back when the playoffs were 16 team, that was the case. But since the expansion (and the rise of the MVFC in recent years), the chances of a 6 DI win team from the Valley getting in are actually quite good.

Is it possible to get in with 6 from the MVFC? Yes.

Has it happened? Yes.

Are the chances "quite good"? No....no they're not.

DII games are NOT our path to the post season.