What are Iowa States Chances Really

[BigRedPowerWagon]

Ive been watching Cys optism for a while now and living in the hawkey/cyclone state i hear it daily. So im askin. What are iowa states chanses really like this year. Im thinkin theyll b 6 - 6 which would be an improvement. I just dont think they have the program to back it up. And nebraska loosing to isu. That is the one game i get to attend this year and i dont want to lose in ames. I want to be able to rub it in my inlaws face.

 

P.S. I think Cy answers the all time question about can a sideline offical truly be bias to either team

[dustinl15]

I could see ISU going 6-6 this year real easily. Correct me if I am wrong but they do not have to play Texas or Oklahoma. They do have to play some good north teams but if they have a decent non-conference record they should realistically go 6-6 IMO.

[dbetz23]

They lost to Kent St. and Northern Iowa last year. They need help in Ames.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I would say 6-6 at best, but that is an improvement over last season. I think Chizik has them headed in the right direction, but the biggest problem is recruiting people to come to Ames. ISU has to compete with Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, and Kansas State in this immediate area. ISU's facilities compared to these programs isn't even close. They are trying to get them there, but I think it's going to take them awhile to get it there. Chizik is kinda in a no win situation.

[Cy the Cyclone]

Is Jayhawk here? He is? 12-0! !2-0! NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!!

 

...is he gone yet? Good!

 

With ISU in 2008 it could realistically go 5-7, 6-6 or 7-5...probably no better than that and possibly lower. I'm thinking they go 3-1 or 4-0 during non-conference (SDSU, Kent, Iowa and UNLV) with Iowa being the wild card. I think Baylor is a win and there is a good chance of taking out KSU. After that, it'll be a toss up to see if they can take out CU in Colorado (probably not...), or pull out a home win vs Nebraska, Kansas or A&M...I'm thinking the Nebraska and A&M match ups are going to be real even.

 

ISU's strengths are the O-Line, the receivers, the running game (finally) and the defensive secondary. The D-line will be strong outside but inexperienced in the middle and the situation with the LB's is pretty much like Nebraska's LB situation...but Jesse Smith will still knock some heads rolling if he can find opponents dumb enough to run into him...he's not a fast guy.

 

Anyway, the most questionable part of the team is special teams where the Clones have two new freshmen kickers vying for #1 along with a bunch of return guys who tend to drop the ball frequently. If they shape that crew up and one of the kickers comes though things will be a lot more promising. The QB situation is another one that's still up in the air. Arnaud and Bates are about even (Arnaud throws better...Bates is the better runner) as dual threat QBs...but don't count Chizek burning Tiller's red shirt and getting him in there if he looks as good as they say.

 

I think like with Nebraska, 2008 is going to be a growing year for the Cyclones with a lot of the growing pains associated with it. They'll be better simply because they know the system Chizek has in place now along with what his expectations of them are...but the youth is going to make things interesting. 2009 will be the breakthrough year!

 

What? Jayhawk is back? 12-0! !2-0! NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!

[HuskerTrucker]

7-5 is a real stretch for Iowa State in any case. ISU has gotten better thanks to scholarship limitations put on other bigger name schools to create parity, but ISU has a long way to go. But then I never thought a few years ago that Kansas would be where they are either. I say ISU will be 6-6 this year, and that might be a little generous. Sorry Cy.

[JGS30]

Iowa State will go 4-8, with 1 Big 12 win VS Baylor.

[clone]

Iowa State will go 4-8, with 1 Big 12 win VS Baylor.

 

 

4-8 with a little luck along the way.

[HSKRNOKC]

Moved to correct forum.