Because you can't say things haven't really been the same since with that season in there even if trying to call it an exception. It is too big to be intellectually honest.
Certainly not trying to be intellectually dishonest. Just seemed like the run we got off that 2009 team, with 26 NFL players the following year, didn't last long. And if I can point to an event/game which really set that team spiraling, it was the Wisconsin game. That's all. There's really a small difference between good and bad with Iowa football.
I agree with you and more pointing out what Lime is saying that Iowa continues to follow a pattern. The post 2010 era hasn't been great, but it isn't as awful as people think. It seems that way because 2012 was such a disaster due to new staff and Greg Davis putting in something that didn't fit.
2011 - 7 wins in the regular season and decent bowl game. Was sort of expected after how much they lost from 2010. They won a game they shouldn't have (Pitt) and lost 2 games they shouldn't have (Iowa State and Minnesota).
2012 - 4 wins. Terrible season, but they hilariously blew games against Iowa State, Central Michigan, Indiana and Purdue. Awful year.
2013 - 8 wins and competitive bowl game against a much better LSU team.
2014 - 7 wins and fucked away too many games to count. Forced changes and lit a fire under Ferentz.
2015 - 12 wins and a Rose Bowl. Great year.
2016 - Could end up with anything from 6 wins to 8 or 9 wins. They gave away 2 wins early in the season.
I don't see anything going on that isn't textbook Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. The only difference is instead of having a backslide in 2003 or 2004 they sustained it to have a rare 3 year run. That is the problem, I think 2002/2003/2004 is the real outlier in the equation, not anything that has happened post 2010.