Iowa - Glorying In the Nepotism of the Ferentz Family

[closetojumping 62746]

Look, if there is an Iowa thread, I didn't find it. 

Anyway, this thread is to celebrate the futility of Brian Ferentz and mostly a vehicle to highlight the funniest use of AI I have seen yet. Holy shit.

Kirk Ferentz fell under considerable criticism for nepotistically promoting his son to OC. He did so unapologetically. Iowa fans have suffered for 6 seasons helplessly, as the longest tenured coach in CFB watched his son do everything he could to burn the Iowa program to the ground.

Anyway, after last season, with the heat being too much for Kirk to weather without changes, they updated Brian's contract to require his offense in 2023 to average 25 points a game. They've called it the "Drive for 325" due to needing 25 points in 13 games.

Through the first 2 games this year, while Iowa stood at 2-0, they were 6 total points off the 50 points necessary to stay on pace for "The Drive". Then they played Western Michigan and scored 41. 

After that game, Brian Ferentz appeared to have gone a bit nuts at a press conference. Media picked up this tweet and ran with it:

 

Alas, it was a well done deep fake. And hilarious. 

Next up? Penn State. 

This entitled piece of shit, who makes $850,000/year and runs his mouth constantly, helped Iowa do the following:

-Iowa was shutout for the first time since 2000

-76 yards of total offense

-1/9 on third downs

-4 first downs total

This was a Shawn Watson versus Arkansas level of embarrassing performance. The guy never should have been hired. He should have then been fired years ago. He really should have been fired and forced to fly commercial while still in Happy Valley on Saturday night. 

Anyway, deepfake strikes again with one of the most hilarious sports-related trolls I've ever seen. I'll be damned if it doesn't seem real. Anyway, enjoy:

 

Also, the same deepfake guy did this one for Matt Campbell last week, which is also excellent. 

 

And this:

 

 

[cmontexas 3272]

Hot seat guy lmao he's a Cyclone legend

[Asithappens 974]

No doubt Iowa will find a way to Ferentz it up. 
 

They are making aggy look smart. 

[Helobious 9462]

Do we really want teams like Iowa and Wisconsin to have good offenses? Part of their charm is knowing you’re going to watch a shitty QB and some cornfed white boys try to grind out a W using field position and field goals every Saturday. Nice change of pace from the rest of the sport. 

[horn_of_the_morning 978]

On Cover 3 podcast, Bud Elliot said he talked to someone on Iowa staff and it looks like they dont even try. Ferentz may be intentionally giving the middle finger to the Iowa Administration. As a group, their receivers have caught 14 passes through 4 games combined and at pedo, they had only 4 receivers available. 

This is coaching malpractice if such a thing exists. 

From 56 min mark in below:

 

[Dennis Taylor 18830]

Are they longing for the glory days of GDGD?

[closetojumping 62746]

1 minute ago, Dennis Taylor said:

Are they longing for the glory days of GDGD?

I know @SydneyCarton does. They should be, probably.

[Pam Cummings 9645]

I legitimately wonder what kind of dirt Kirk has on higher ups at the university for them to act like this dude and his mediocrity are worth celebrating.

[Horn of Gabriel 1616]

Ferentz must have a Mack Brown-Texas Football level hold on that administration.  Iowa is a decent brand, maybe they feel like high-floor low-ceiling is their best case and are willing to give the keys over to Kirk to retire on the job while getting his kids paid?

[Hermanator 7107]

Iowa and the Dallas Cowboys. 

Running large institutions like backwater convenience stores. 

[Pam Cummings 9645]

Well there's two teams i never thought i'd hear compared in the same sentence. But the nepotism angle definitely works.

[WBT 20614]

The one about the defense not scoring hits a little close to home

[Hermanator 7107]

4 minutes ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

Ferentz must have a Mack Brown-Texas Football level hold on that administration.  Iowa is a decent brand, maybe they feel like high-floor low-ceiling is their best case and are willing to give the keys over to Kirk to retire on the job while getting his kids paid?

They should throw an aggy contract at Deion. Bring gold chains, gold thrones, and 60 transfers a year to the corn fields. That would be must see

[The Dog 44062]

[Js1 85408]

I guess Iowa is no longer one of your playoff dark horses? 

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

1 hour ago, Pam Cummings said:

I legitimately wonder what kind of dirt Kirk has on higher ups at the university for them to act like this dude and his mediocrity are worth celebrating.

Iowa fans are perfectly fine winning just enough to go to a bowl game in a place that's warmer than Iowa between Xmas and New Year's.  As long as they usually win against us.

Ferentz has checked those boxes very well in the past decade, in large part because the Big 10 West makes the Big 12 North look like murderer's row, and Matt Campbell refuses to actual try and beat Ferentz.  The one time he did was essentially by accident and a result of Spencer Petras being possibly the worst P5 QB ever.

Until Iowa fans start voting with their wallet, which probably isn't going to happen, the University has absolutely no incentive to conduct themselves any differently.  Iowa fans are all pissed off this week, but look at their schedule.  They will win out, go to the Big 10 Championship game, get their heads absolutely stoved in by whomever wins the East, and then end up in the Cap One Bowl or maybe even an NY6 game where they won't really care about the result, they'll just be glad to have an excuse to visit Florida in the dead of winter.

[Wilcox Cummingtonite 3025]

Is there anything more depressing than watching midwestern football? 

Thank God we are going to the SEC. 

[Brothahorn 10087]

Look, if there is an Iowa thread, I didn't find it. 
Anyway, this thread is to celebrate the futility of Brian Ferentz and mostly a vehicle to highlight the funniest use of AI I have seen yet. Holy shit.
Kirk Ferentz fell under considerable criticism for nepotistically promoting his son to OC. He did so unapologetically. Iowa fans have suffered for 6 seasons helplessly, as the longest tenured coach in CFB watched his son do everything he could to burn the Iowa program to the ground.
Anyway, after last season, with the heat being too much for Kirk to weather without changes, they updated Brian's contract to require his offense in 2023 to average 25 points a game. They've called it the "Drive for 325" due to needing 25 points in 13 games.
Through the first 2 games this year, while Iowa stood at 2-0, they were 6 total points off the 50 points necessary to stay on pace for "The Drive". Then they played Western Michigan and scored 41. 
After that game, Brian Ferentz appeared to have gone a bit nuts at a press conference. Media picked up this tweet and ran with it:
 
[/url] Alas, it was a well done deep fake. And hilarious. 
Next up? Penn State. 
This entitled piece of shit, who makes $850,000/year and runs his mouth constantly, helped Iowa do the following:
-Iowa was shutout for the first time since 2000
-76 yards of total offense
-1/9 on third downs
-4 first downs total
This was a Shawn Watson versus Arkansas level of embarrassing performance. The guy never should have been hired. He should have then been fired years ago. He really should have been fired and forced to fly commercial while still in Happy Valley on Saturday night. 
Anyway, deepfake strikes again with one of the most hilarious sports-related trolls I've ever seen. I'll be damned if it doesn't seem real. Anyway, enjoy:
 
Also, the same deepfake guy did this one for Matt Campbell last week, which is also excellent. 
 
And this:
 
 

Thank you. I've been trying to figure out what the 25 nonsense was.

[ztejas 43475]

9 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Iowa fans are perfectly fine winning just enough to go to a bowl game in a place that's warmer than Iowa between Xmas and New Year's.  As long as they usually win against us.

Ferentz has checked those boxes very well in the past decade, in large part because the Big 10 West makes the Big 12 North look like murderer's row, and Matt Campbell refuses to actual try and beat Ferentz.  The one time he did was essentially by accident and a result of Spencer Petras being possibly the worst P5 QB ever.

Until Iowa fans start voting with their wallet, which probably isn't going to happen, the University has absolutely no incentive to conduct themselves any differently.  Iowa fans are all pissed off this week, but look at their schedule.  They will win out, go to the Big 10 Championship game, get their heads absolutely stoved in by whomever wins the East, and then end up in the Cap One Bowl or maybe even an NY6 game where they won't really care about the result, they'll just be glad to have an excuse to visit Florida in the dead of winter.

This guy Iowas.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

8 minutes ago, ztejas said:

This guy Iowas.

I know Hawkeye fans better than they know themselves.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

17 minutes ago, Wilcox Cummingtonite said:

Is there anything more depressing than watching midwestern football? 

Thank God we are going to the SEC. 

Being emotionally invested in it.

[Hermanator 7107]

27 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

Ferentz has checked those boxes very well in the past decade, in large part because the Big 10 West makes the Big 12 North look like murderer's row

That's no longer the case next year. 

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

3 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

That's no longer the case next year. 

I have little doubt in my pessimistic heart that they'll continue to draw bafflingly easy schedules on a regular basis even with the end of divisions.

They'll somehow always end up with healthy doses of NW, Rutgers, Indiana, Purdue, and Maryland on top of their guaranteed games with Minnesota and Nebraska.

[fellside 1114]

Iowa has 29 active players in the NFL, good for 13th overall.  They're good at developing big guys. I get why a school like Iowa is content. They see what Nebraska is like with their constant upheaval. It's basically like a parallel universe where Nebraska never gets rid of Pelini and is content with the 9 win seasons.

So I get Kirk Ferentz. I do not get Brian Ferentz. 

[closetojumping 62746]

43 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I guess Iowa is no longer one of your playoff dark horses? 

Well, that's why they were dark, man. 

I actually listed them as number 9 in my top 10 to start the season. They miss OSU and Michigan and their schedule is pathetic outside of the PSU game. But, as we know, Brian Ferentz can ruin any designs on a 10 win season. My hopes are probably dashed.

37 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

Until Iowa fans start voting with their wallet, which probably isn't going to happen, the University has absolutely no incentive to conduct themselves any differently.  Iowa fans are all pissed off this week, but look at their schedule.  They will win out, go to the Big 10 Championship game, get their heads absolutely stoved in by whomever wins the East, and then end up in the Cap One Bowl or maybe even an NY6 game where they won't really care about the result, they'll just be glad to have an excuse to visit Florida in the dead of winter.

And this, Js1, was my logic.

[MrBig 5414]

2 hours ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

Ferentz must have a Mack Brown-Texas Football level hold on that administration.  Iowa is a decent brand, maybe they feel like high-floor low-ceiling is their best case and are willing to give the keys over to Kirk to retire on the job while getting his kids paid?

No shit. The Section 8 controversy, the racism settlement, and the ex-strength coach almost killing a dozen players hasn’t raised any red flags for the administration. 

[JBJ 3655]

They will manage to go 4-5 in conference play and still make the title game.

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

5 minutes ago, fellside said:

Iowa has 29 active players in the NFL, good for 13th overall.  They're good at developing big guys. I get why a school like Iowa is content. They see what Nebraska is like with their constant upheaval. It's basically like a parallel universe where Nebraska never gets rid of Pelini and is content with the 9 win seasons.

So I get Kirk Ferentz. I do not get Brian Ferentz. 

Because at this point Brian Ferentz is a side effect of Kirk Ferentz.  If you force out Brian, you lose Kirk, and if Iowa makes the wrong hire, they could head to a very dark place.

4 minutes ago, MrBig said:

No shit. The Section 8 controversy, the racism settlement, and the ex-strength coach almost killing a dozen players hasn’t raised any red flags for the administration. 

Do you even Outback Bowl, brah?

[Nicole44 22061]

@Al_4_ISU you posted one of the coolest pictures I think during the Iowa State v OU game where y’all won…you were out there in your badass tractor harvesting. Listening to the game. It was a cool pic. I thought I’d saved it but I hadn’t. Then we all thought you’d driven your tractor into a barn or ditch because it was a cool win and you disappeared for a stretch that night.
 

 

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

[mention=1238]Al_4_ISU[/mention] you posted one of the coolest pictures I think during the Iowa State v OU game where y’all won…you were out there in your badass tractor harvesting. Listening to the game. It was a cool pic. I thought I’d saved it but I hadn’t. Then we all thought you’d driven your tractor into a barn or ditch because it was a cool win and you disappeared for a stretch that night.
 
 

The last time we beat OU, the cornhead took a shit at half time and I raced back to town and watched the 4th quarter live. It was a great day!

[Tex Pete 20399]

2 hours ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

Ferentz must have a Mack Brown-Texas Football level hold on that administration.  Iowa is a decent brand, maybe they feel like high-floor low-ceiling is their best case and are willing to give the keys over to Kirk to retire on the job while getting his kids paid?

In my opinion, they feel like they do well enough and are afraid of being terrible. Seriously, their scheduling is aggy-level. The "success" they have is mostly just coating along. Never too low and certainly never too high.

My in-laws are in Iowa. One brother in-law in particular is a dyed in the wool Hawkeye who goes to every home game, most bowl games, and in some years travels to all away games.

Earlier in the year I invited him to Texas-OU, but he passed because Iowa plays Purdue at home that day. I asked again yesterday since they played like such shit on Saturday. He reiterated that he never misses home games. Allrightee then. 7-4 got really boring to me a long time ago, but you do you.

All that to say, they don't like Brian Ferentz but they're afraid the alternative could be worse.

[Davis Lane 5587]

It all looks real to me god dammit!!!!!1111.

[Deej 76830]

24 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

@Al_4_ISU you posted one of the coolest pictures I think during the Iowa State v OU game where y’all won…you were out there in your badass tractor harvesting. Listening to the game. It was a cool pic. I thought I’d saved it but I hadn’t. Then we all thought you’d driven your tractor into a barn or ditch because it was a cool win and you disappeared for a stretch that night.
 

 

Oh shit, Nicole is saving your photos. Stay away from Rainey Street. 

[Not a cat 5660]

My son is at Iowa and says the heat on Brian is getting turned up.  The students start chants about how much he sucks.

But one nice thing about the Iowa suckitude is it keeps him cheering for Texas.  Text from him after the games this weekend that did not upset me.

['stache 21819]

1 hour ago, The Dog said:

My freshman year at OSU was in 2000. Bob Simmons was coach and his son was the starting running back (yay nepotism). Our longest rushing play the entire season went for 12 yards. We used to chant:

Down the middle! Down the middle! Down the middle! Punt!

Down the middle! Down the middle! Down the middle! Punt!

Also that season we counted down the clock at the end of the 6th loss of the year (it was an 11 game season so the end of bowl possiblities) and let out a huge cheer that it was finally basketball season. We had made the Elite Eight the year before, Eddie Sutton was basically a god, and the expanded Gallagher Iba Arena opened that fall. 

Oh the memories.

Edited September 26, 2023 by 'stache

[WhatTheBuck 28788]

3 hours ago, Pam Cummings said:

I legitimately wonder what kind of dirt Kirk has on higher ups at the university for them to act like this dude and his mediocrity are worth celebrating.

I think they saw what happened to Minnesota when they fired Glen Mason and don’t want that to happen to them. They probably also saw what happened when Nebraska fired Frank Solich. And they keep tying themselves to Ferentz with massive buyouts so they can’t afford to fire him during periods of piss poor performance. 

[ClubWhatever 12145]

2 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I think they saw what happened to Minnesota when they fired Glen Mason and don’t want that to happen to them. They probably also saw what happened when Nebraska fired Frank Solich. And they keep tying themselves to Ferentz with massive buyouts so they can’t afford to fire him during periods of piss poor performance. 

The fact is, when he leaves they probably will be Nebraska for decades and they know it in their bones.  That buys you a lot of buyout and nepotism.  

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

2 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I think they saw what happened to Minnesota when they fired Glen Mason and don’t want that to happen to them. They probably also saw what happened when Nebraska fired Frank Solich. And they keep tying themselves to Ferentz with massive buyouts so they can’t afford to fire him during periods of piss poor performance. 

On top of that, they have a very relevant in-house case study of wanting too much.

In 2001 or so, they fired Dr. Tom Davis their long time basketball coach (well, actually they just refused to renew his contract - it was the most Midwestern passive aggressive way to fire someone) because he couldn't get past the Sweet 16 and never won the Big 10.

Their basketball team hasn't done jack shit in the tournament since.  They hired Steve Alford who had some talented teams that completely flamed out and shit the bed.  Then they hired Todd Lickliter (Brad Stevens' boss at Butler) who sucked aggressively and who's tenure culminated in his comically short and unathletic son getting minutes at PG.

They've tolerated Fran McCaffery being slightly above average because they're fucking terrified of being terrible.

The whole thing is really quite Iowan if you understand the psyche of the state.  ISU fans aren't any different.  Matt Campbell could lose out this year and his job wouldn't be in jeopardy because we're just thankful for being decent in 5 straight seasons.

[Pam Cummings 9645]

@Al_4_ISUand @WhatTheBucki now understand. Thank you.

[4th&Five 41558]

 

[Rockethorn1978 6093]

I love Midwest slugfests of 9-6 and 7-5. 

[closetojumping 62746]

This thread was at least partly supposed to be humorous. Reading the outlook on life from an Iowan perspective has me downright depressed. Where's the tylenol?

[Al_4_ISU 12464]

14 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

This thread was at least partly supposed to be humorous. Reading the outlook on life from an Iowan perspective has me downright depressed. Where's the tylenol?

Quite the contrary, honestly.  Because we don't expect much, our football games are just big parties where people aren't there because they really need the team to win, but because they just want to have a good time with friends and family while rooting for their schools.  Both schools have great tailgate scenes.  We don't get anywhere near the handwringing, misplaced emotional attachment, and general psychotic fan behavior that really high levels of success tend to create.

Who's had more fun with their football program in the past decade:  Iowa State fans or Texas fans?  You guys are perpetually disappointed and disgruntled because you know what the mountaintop looks like, and you aren't there yet.  We don't know what the mountaintop looks like, we know we can't get there, and we're fine with that.  We're going to have fun anyways.

When we crack about the team ruining our lives, it's a joke.  It seems like with a lot of blue blood fanbases, it's closer to reality.  Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and all that shit.

[Ignatius 4017]

5 hours ago, Helobious said:

Do we really want teams like Iowa and Wisconsin to have good offenses? Part of their charm is knowing you’re going to watch a shitty QB and some cornfed white boys try to grind out a W using field position and field goals every Saturday. Nice change of pace from the rest of the sport. 

And somehow have 10 NFL draft picks at OL/TE from two teams that go a combined 16-10…

[Beau Vine 54254]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I actually listed them as number 9 in my top 10 to start the season. They miss OSU and Michigan and their schedule is pathetic outside of the PSU game. But, as we know, Brian Ferentz can ruin any designs on a 10 win season.

Ah, the Beano Cook method of ranking teams by how bad their opponents are expected to be rather than ranking a team by how talented it is!  Awesome!

[Beau Vine 54254]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

On top of that, they have a very relevant in-house case study of wanting too much.

In 2001 or so, they fired Dr. Tom Davis their long time basketball coach (well, actually they just refused to renew his contract - it was the most Midwestern passive aggressive way to fire someone) because he couldn't get past the Sweet 16 and never won the Big 10.

Their basketball team hasn't done jack shit in the tournament since.  They hired Steve Alford who had some talented teams that completely flamed out and shit the bed.  Then they hired Todd Lickliter (Brad Stevens' boss at Butler) who sucked aggressively and who's tenure culminated in his comically short and unathletic son getting minutes at PG.

They've tolerated Fran McCaffery being slightly above average because they're fucking terrified of being terrible.

The whole thing is really quite Iowan if you understand the psyche of the state.  ISU fans aren't any different.  Matt Campbell could lose out this year and his job wouldn't be in jeopardy because we're just thankful for being decent in 5 straight seasons.

Yeah, to me, continuing to employ McCaffery is more mystifying than Ferentz.

 

[Francisco 2.0 32395]

 

Those of you who don't do Twitter; introducing Sickos Committee.  It celebrates football (especially bad football) and to honor Brian Ferentz and Iowa, they started the Climb to 325 graphic this season.  Here's the Week 3 and Week 4 entries; click play and have the volume up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John80 157]

It's ridiculous to give so much money and power to a coach that no other P5 school is interested in. I can't imagine an athletics director trying to sell that 1950 offense to a fanbase. If Iowa had some bad years there would still be good attendance because there's nothing to do in Iowa. I would tell Kirk that you can't hire your son and if that bothers you feel free to explore other options which I know you don't have.

[Hermanator 7107]

3 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

 

All that to say, they don't like Brian Ferentz but they're afraid the alternative could be worse.

So to understand Iowa football you have to put yourself in the shoes of the milquetoast middle aged software developer whose wife is a raging bitch who contributes nothing to the household, but he's afraid to kick her out because then he might be lonely. 

[Carl Spackler 3486]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Quite the contrary, honestly.  Because we don't expect much, our football games are just big parties where people aren't there because they really need the team to win, but because they just want to have a good time with friends and family while rooting for their schools.  Both schools have great tailgate scenes.  We don't get anywhere near the handwringing, misplaced emotional attachment, and general psychotic fan behavior that really high levels of success tend to create.

Who's had more fun with their football program in the past decade:  Iowa State fans or Texas fans?  You guys are perpetually disappointed and disgruntled because you know what the mountaintop looks like, and you aren't there yet.  We don't know what the mountaintop looks like, we know we can't get there, and we're fine with that.  We're going to have fun anyways.

When we crack about the team ruining our lives, it's a joke.  It seems like with a lot of blue blood fanbases, it's closer to reality.  Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and all that shit.

Yeah, but we haven't been rooting for our respective teams for just the past decade.  

Feel depressed now?