a DL and OL the BTN thought looked like B1G lines. We always said if IU had a decent OL IU would improve quite a bit. Now with a DL that really got BTN crew's attention, the combination of the two could change IU's fortunes.
how do you see the team doing with
- Thread starter vesuvius13
- Start date
Oh man, I don’t know. I feel like Charlie Brown this time of year. Then Lucy inevitably shows up.
Hope springs eternal for any IU football with any longevity. This will be year 60 for me. Go Hoosiers!
I don’t know if I put much stock into anything that the BTN bus crew says.
In 2019, we went 8-4 and the whole crew pretty much said that IU and Rutgers were at the bottom while they gushed over Maryland. Maryland went 3-9 that year. Dinardo also said that OSU wouldn’t go undefeated in league play. They didn’t lose a game that season until the college football playoff.
Last edited:
Hope they are right but don't put much stock in what they say.
At least the lines look the part
At least the lines look the part
Last edited:
I just need the lines to be good enough to get us to 6-6 and a bowl win.
Ask the question again after the 9/2 game. It's hard to say where this team will be since none of us have seen them in game action. Don't most teams make the biggest jump from game one to game two? So if we have a good showing against OSU then I think they have a decent year. I look at 9/16 against Louisville as the key to the season. Come out of that stretch 3-1 and anything is possible. Come out of it 2-2 and we are watching bowl games rather than having a shot at playing in one.
Getting overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage was the problem the past two seasons.
Just being competent will be a big improvement.
A few years ago, the Terps caught lightning in a bottle and beat the Longhorns with team speed, in Austin.
IU has enough speed to be home run hitters, and should pull off an upset or two with 3 Q1 scores, provided the OL keeps the QB upright. Last year we gave the advantage back with TOs, often in minus territory.
Competent OL play should keep the defense fresh. It looks like IU got enough portal talent there. Getting QB pressure may be needed for all the new DB faces. #44 won’t have to get it done by himself.
Let’s hope the BTN crew is right and the OL took a step up.
Just being competent will be a big improvement.
A few years ago, the Terps caught lightning in a bottle and beat the Longhorns with team speed, in Austin.
IU has enough speed to be home run hitters, and should pull off an upset or two with 3 Q1 scores, provided the OL keeps the QB upright. Last year we gave the advantage back with TOs, often in minus territory.
Competent OL play should keep the defense fresh. It looks like IU got enough portal talent there. Getting QB pressure may be needed for all the new DB faces. #44 won’t have to get it done by himself.
Let’s hope the BTN crew is right and the OL took a step up.
QB or LOS, QB or LOS, QB or LOS, QB or LOS?
Just mediocre execution from both can be refreshingly successful compared to the last 2 seasons. But the QB is probably the bigger deal. I think the addition of new coaches pay dividends and brings more W's along. Also have a little tick related to ST's and depth. Still betting on better coaching bringing about improvement.
Just mediocre execution from both can be refreshingly successful compared to the last 2 seasons. But the QB is probably the bigger deal. I think the addition of new coaches pay dividends and brings more W's along. Also have a little tick related to ST's and depth. Still betting on better coaching bringing about improvement.
Well, you generally need good play from your OL in order to have good QB play..so I lean towards OL being most important.
Last edited:
If they have...look the heck out because that means this DL is for real. I am getting pretty fired up about this defense.
You're right. 9/2 will tell us a lot more about our upcoming season than these guys ever could
Andre Carter made the Bednarik list and Aaron Casey made the Butkus list. Front 7(6) should compete.
You are totally right...I should have included the LBs. Timing and trust for that front 7 is coming along nicely.
This is Randolph’s and Wilt’s second year together in the 4-2-5 attacking scheme. They should be in sync this year. I think this year‘s talent may be better than last year’s, overall, when you consider Cam Jones’ injuries. The DL would appear to have more depth.
At the end of the day it's going to come down to competent QB play. Lines both very well may be improved this year, but if IU can't consistently challenge downfield it's not going to matter.
https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2023/8/14/football-quoted-fall-camp-edition-running-backs
The RB run down suggests IU will have multiple options at RB, unlike 2021, to run behind a revamped OL.
The RB run down suggests IU will have multiple options at RB, unlike 2021, to run behind a revamped OL.
We will see...got to make it happen on Saturday or it's all potential. BUT, I do believe it will be vastly improved. Namely because I do not think the B10 OL has seen anything this athletic. It will translate well.
I will be watching the game and the DL in particular along with the OL. I hope we surprise all the B1G teams and make a couple that we don't beat at least make the other sweat trying to win the games.
https://indiana.rivals.com/news/rev...u-tailbacks-it-s-been-better-because-of-them-
This wasn’t behind a pay wall. May there be holes v. O$U
But so far, the reports out of camp indicate that things are different in that unit. The latest vote of confidence came Monday when the players who run behind them – the Indiana running backs.
"I think the O-line has made such a big jump this year, this offseason," fifth-year senior running back Josh Henderson told reporters on Monday. "We put a big emphasis on them, and they've made the running – it's been better because of them."
"Man, Bob Bostad changed the running game tremendously," Lucas said at Big Ten Football Media Days in late July. "The run game has opened. As soon as I look up, it's like a hole."
This wasn’t behind a pay wall. May there be holes v. O$U
But so far, the reports out of camp indicate that things are different in that unit. The latest vote of confidence came Monday when the players who run behind them – the Indiana running backs.
"I think the O-line has made such a big jump this year, this offseason," fifth-year senior running back Josh Henderson told reporters on Monday. "We put a big emphasis on them, and they've made the running – it's been better because of them."
"Man, Bob Bostad changed the running game tremendously," Lucas said at Big Ten Football Media Days in late July. "The run game has opened. As soon as I look up, it's like a hole."
Yes, the naysayers about the talent on the OL may have their eyes opened up this year. It is good hearing other coaches and players saying they can see the difference in the OL this year. I was looking at pictures from practice and the OL pad levels were much better now. I am very excited about this team and can't wait to see how they do against OSU.
Last edited:
Yes, OL has to seek leverage and deliver the blow to the DL. Otherwise, they will be ineffective, when they get stood up and shed.
I'm not yet at the optimism level as the preseason DeBoer arrived but it is leaning toward that direction.
I’d be happy with an IU team that actually plays for 60 minutes, regardless of the score and shows some pride. That’s been missing for 2 years and it falls on Allen. And I’m a big Allen fan. You can get your butt kicked 50-0 but still fight and play for 60 minutes vs what some of the games have looked like.
I'm looking for 6-6. Anything less is backing up. K
Well says he's seeing big holes vs our defense. Is OL better or our DL that bad? We will see
I think our RBs know enough to realize it is better blocking and not weaker DLs but we will see against OSU.
We saw Allen’s team play 60 minutes v. MSU late last season.
Helps to be less than 3 scores behind.
And have a full complement of reserve players, to keep everyone fresh.
There is a focus to finish and win the 4th quarter this year.
Run the ball effectively and limit the opponent’s ability to do the same . . . Those are the keys. Bell wants to run it first and play at tempo to keep defenses off balance. Obviously, an improved O line is a huge part of that, and we’re thin there. Injuries happen, but we can’t have many or we‘re in trouble. And our quarterbacks have to be part of the running game, because throwing it is going to be challenging this year. If we can do all of that, we’ll have a chance to compete with many teams on our schedule. If we can’t, we’re going to have another tough season.
Defensively, we need enough depth up front to compete at the line of scrimmage. If we don’t have that, it will be a challenge. They want to be aggressive, but that is risky, especially if we struggle to keep teams out of our half of the field. So many new faces on D make it hard to know how that side will mesh and play.
Hats off to Coach Allen on the roster. It’s obvious he looked at the performance over the last two years, as well as the likely returning players, and realized we didn’t have the talent to compete in the Big Ten, which is why we have so many newcomers. The lean has been toward addressing the defense, but a quick run through the two deeps on both sides shows how many of our guys started college somewhere else. It’s incredible. Not sure if the overhaul will fix things, but he took action to try and address it, and there’s a lot to be said for that.
Defensively, we need enough depth up front to compete at the line of scrimmage. If we don’t have that, it will be a challenge. They want to be aggressive, but that is risky, especially if we struggle to keep teams out of our half of the field. So many new faces on D make it hard to know how that side will mesh and play.
Hats off to Coach Allen on the roster. It’s obvious he looked at the performance over the last two years, as well as the likely returning players, and realized we didn’t have the talent to compete in the Big Ten, which is why we have so many newcomers. The lean has been toward addressing the defense, but a quick run through the two deeps on both sides shows how many of our guys started college somewhere else. It’s incredible. Not sure if the overhaul will fix things, but he took action to try and address it, and there’s a lot to be said for that.
This team's season seems to depend on how the QB plays as OL, RB, and receivers are upgrades; having a young QB step in like he belongs on the field will go a long way to having a winning season at IU this year. If coach Bell is a good QB coach our young QBs will be ready.
We have been burnt by IUFB the past two years; it doesn't mean this team will do the same thing. I see differences with this team and people outside of the program have commented on the changes, so I think they are real. We won't know for sure what this team will be this year until we see how they play OSU.
We have been burnt by IUFB the past two years; it doesn't mean this team will do the same thing. I see differences with this team and people outside of the program have commented on the changes, so I think they are real. We won't know for sure what this team will be this year until we see how they play OSU.
Last edited:
hopefully OSU can make a game of it. I wouldn't want to embarrass them too badly 
jj
jj
I'm sure with Bostad our OL is way better.
Last edited:
I guess the question is has the OL improved enough to make a significant difference
Maybe…but OSU may be a difficult gauge of where we are at. Remember that in 2019, we went 8-4 in tbe regular season but lost to OSU at home by a score of 51-10. The game was 30-10 at halftime.
But OSU did that to a lot of teams that year. The 2020 season, we were down 28-7 at half.
They weren’t omens for the rest of the year.
2021 - the omens came early with the Iowa loss and then too-close-for-comfort games against teams we should have beaten handily.
