And few folks were complaining about O'Keefe when Stanzi led the Hawkeyes to an Orange Bowl win or when Banks guided the team to the Rose Bowl in the 2002 season.
I know I drank a lot that season, but I don't remember the Rose Bowl Brian Bennett seems to remember. Granted it was against a PAC-10 USC squad, but the mother-ship should have caught that.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/45113/ken-okeefe-leaves-iowa-for-nfls-dolphins
[Emphasis added]
Not to mention that Bennett is just flat wrong about “few folks” complaining during that season. We can go round and round about the chicken or the egg between Kirk and Ken, but many of us could tell what play call Ken was going to make, except on a handful of notable occasions. Bennett is on the below average end of “fine”.
txhawkeye - February 5, 2012
Well, sure, but were you calling for his head when they were going to a BCS bowl?
I think that’s the point he’s making.
rupertj - February 5, 2012
There were people who were doing so
First, calling deep balls into the wind against Indiana, even if it’s part of the system was obviously a bad idea. But we kept doing it. Second, a lot of people were confused/befuddled/angered when it came out that JVB got NO reps with the 1st string. Something that may have cost Iowa a Rose Bowl berth in hindsight (no loss to jNW, the OSU game is irrelevant). Also, that team was clearly a defensive juggernaut. The meme before the MSU game was can the offense come from behind instead of just having the defense hold on to a lead? The answer was 7 got 6. But then the Indiana and jNW games happened and it was grrr KOK but we’re in the OB so yay!!
So yes, people were calling for his head. Personally, I was upset at some of his decisions, but didn’t want him fired. The beginning of the 2008 season is a different matter…
PackerHawk - February 6, 2012
Yes.."some." There are always some. But in general, the fan base wasn't calling for firing anyone after that season in my memory
rupertj - February 6, 2012
I remember plenty of people sticking to their "Fire KOK" guns, actually
therealCatnuts - February 6, 2012
09 OSU game was never irrelevant.
the NW game was actually irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. OSU lost to Purdue that year, and USC out of conference. Big Ten first tie breaker was based on head to head record. If we beat NW that week but lost to OSU the next both teams have one Big Ten loss. OSU has the tie breaker and gets the Rose Bowl.
Argulor - February 6, 2012
I stand corrected
PackerHawk - February 6, 2012
Maybe if they had Vandy ready he would have won both.
99FormationsButFourWideAin'tOne - February 7, 2012
Uhhh, I don't remember a Rose Bowl under KF
We played in the friggin Orange Bowl in 2002.
99playsNAblitzaint1 - February 5, 2012
No kidding
Nefarious - February 6, 2012
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