If it was easy, we wouldn’t be Cyclone fans.
We knew Northern Iowa would be a tough game, it always is. Yet many fans are in panic mode. We knew it would be an uphill battle to build the program up, yet some fans expected all our problems to be fixed in game one. With what we have, we should have known that was unrealistic. Strap in, we are in for a ride this season, whichever way that rides goes we should all be on board.
When Paul Rhoads was fired, we saw many players leave the program due to injuries and moving on in their lives. We knew that depth would be an issue and it showed a lot at times on Saturday. We also knew that Iowa State would have to play a perfect game each and every week to come out on top. They failed to do that, but that is how young teams learn.
Saturday night Iowa State made simple mistakes and silly penalties. Lots of mistakes that are correctable, but are commonly made by young teams. Our depth chart is full of freshman; we should have expected these mistakes in game one. Experience will only help the cause.
I hate to bring in our lovely friends to the east into this, but Kirk Ferentz started his career at Iowa with a record of 4-19. His talent was raw and his depth was depleted. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Matt Campbell has shown he can recruit — we just need to allow time for the transformation to take place.
It’s not going to happen overnight, Cyclone fans. It sucks and it hurts going through falls like we have the past few years, and I know you have all been patient for a long time. You’ve done it this long, you can keep doing it. Maybe at least for another year. It will make the future success taste that much sweeter.
Chris Williams said it best,
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. You didn’t pick ISU because it was easy, you picked ISU because it’s awesome. Better days ahead.
— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) September 4, 2016
Buckle up cyclone fans, it’s going to be a bumpy ride, but there’s no reason to hop off the bus yet.