because with great qb play we are elite
I happen to find that an extreme oversimplification.
Iowa has had seasons with great qb play. It didn't make them an elite program. It made them probably just a tick below elite in those particular seasons.
But it seems you mean, "elite", as a program.
And I'm not sure that "great qb play" is all that realistic on a consistent (year to year) basis. How many programs are actually getting that?
But even in its simplicity, if we are to accept that Iowa would be an elite program with great qb play, the problem is this narrative has been, and is again being presented as a complaint.
And when a very high percentage of the programs across the country would kill to be Iowa, complaining about Iowa football only goes so far.
Imagine what some of those programs, many getting good qb play, would do with a D and ST that were worth a darn.
The fact is, Iowa does so many things better than all those programs. Perhaps we're in agreement on that. But just because that makes it easier to narrow down what Iowa doesn't do great, doesn't mean what it narrows down to should more easily equal a complaint against the program.
In the end, it means Iowa is more praiseworthy, as a program. In the end, being a victim of one's own success, can only go so far. Because these other fan bases aren't able to complain about the one missing element that would make them elite. Because they aren't good enough to.
In the end, it's just really hard to complain about a program that obviously getting the most out of its resources, without looking really silly.
The only way it's even possible to almost always be better than your peers, but consistently remain a level below the blue bloods, is by not having blue blood resources, but having elite coaching.
Pretty sure we've gone over this a couple times over the years