Reasons To Be Cheerful:

Foremost among them:

1.  PSU is our next Ferentz Signature Game.  And it's at home.  PSU is not better than Texas a few years ago.  And Wisconsin held them to 3.x yards per carry.  Oh, and we get them the week after they play OSU.  Let's hope that they beat OSU and then ... who knows?

2.  Greene is *still* only 80-90%.  He will be 100%, though, for the Zook.

3.  KOK introduces two new plays!!!  One so flabbergasts the Wisconsin D that we go 34 yards for six!!! (That was the pitch sweep to Who Else.)  And, mirabile dictu! Another new play!  We run out of the shotgun!  Shades of June Jones!  Do you think .... maybe .... there's season enough remaining to introduce another New Play?  So we could have Three New Plays for the season?  A Season of New Plays?

4.  I think the players are having fun.  Perhaps it has to do with beating the living shit out of each team they play, or perhaps it is just good coaching.  But it's been *years* since I've seen an Iowa team play with the sort of joy and abandon we're seeing out there.  I mean, you can giggle just watching the blocking.  The linemen are 10 yards downfield, burying people who then take an injury timeout. 

5.  We killed them but we actually weren't that sharp: 1/10 on third down, 7 penalties.  On offense, we didn't, actually, execute, according to the Ferentz usage of the term.  It didn't matter.   Maybe these coaches are wondering why they didn't adapt their offense to Shonn a few years ago, before he learned how to be "efficient in our system, and execute."

6.  Does King play outside linebacker in a 3-4 in the pros?  He's that quick.  (cf. Roth)

7.  And, I have to admit it: a little schadenfreude.  Bulimia couldn't give us credit for kicking their butts ("Wisconsin beat Wisconsin"), so schadenfreude is the order of the day.  Well, the guy is in trouble.  He's an inarticulate, self-centered, bloviating coat-tail man.  He's 7-8 in his last 15.  He's a blame-shifter.  He's a defensive coach and his guys don't tackle.  His guys are playing scared.

8.  Was this game so good that we are at risk of overlooking Illinois, in anticipation of PSU?

Reasons To Be Skeptical about Being Cheerful:

1.  Our demented OC is apparently devoted to achieving a Perfect Game.  That's why we work on stuff that we don't need in order to win, or why we don't risk a busted play by doing things with more innovation.  It's fascinating but also excruciating to watch D-I football turned into a clinic or scrimmage.  I've no doubt, someday, our offense will throw a Perfect Game.  (I actually had money down a few years ago that Tate would be 20/20 some Saturday.)  In the meantime, I hope we shake shit up and get Greene the ball in the broken field.  More.

2.  We do not have the anticipatory safety play needed in the cover-2.  

3.  Illinois scored 55.  They have reasons to be cheerful too.