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Driving in Chicago:

So yesterday, I was shuttling my kid and one of his teammates from one hockey game in Willowbrook to Fifth Third Arena. About 4 pm. On 290. Hell.

At Mannheim, there's always stoppage. And there is a big merge from those coming in from 88 and 294 and Mannheim. It always turns into a big parking lot with a guaranteed 10-15 minute delay. Without fail, since 2020, people start using the right shoulder as a high-speed passing lane which pisses me off to no end.

So we're stopped there. I'm in the far right lane, and it starts happening. We start to go, and the car in front of me speeds up, I follow, then they slam the breaks. I stop, too, but I also edge over to the right shoulder to ensure I'm not going to hit the dude's bumper. As a result, I now am a foot into the right shoulder and stuck. Some asshole trying to pass me on the shoulder starts honking. I just sit there. So he edges up right along side me, and its clear he has some crappy car--broken driver side mirror, broken rear driver side panel. But he's kinda stuck, and still pissed I haven't moved. And I'm pissed, too, and now not giving an inch.

I just stare over at his window, then he lowers it, and his head pops out and he's got on a military style balaclava (not a chunky knit one, more neoprene?) and he just glares at me. Black kid, maybe in his early 20s? I glare back. Then he raises his hand out the window and he has something in it. I'm thinking it's a gun. Fvck. And I've got two kids in the car.

But it's not. It's a tape measure. He waves it around as if he's going to throw it at my car, and I'm just staring him down, and I put up both hands like "WTF do you want?" He looks at my kid in the front seat, yells something (I think, couldn't see his mouth), and then rolls up his window and squeezes by me and races away at 50 or 60 MPH on the shoulder around all the stopped traffic.

I guess I need to start packing in the car, no? Should I get a 25' or 30' tape measure? Plastic or metal?

From the Zips:

zeke4ahs said:

As a 9 seed playing Notre Dame in South Bend. Would love that. But unless ND loses to Southern Cal, they are going to be higher than an 8.

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If we can’t get a home game, this is probably the next best thing. While tickets may not be plentiful for IU, weather permitting, would be a great scene for IU folks to show up by the thousands in SB. Been years since have been to a game there, but do they still show the game on big screen in the basketball arena?

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IUFan4Lifer said:

Anyone know what Cig said to Day on the field at the end of the game?

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It did not look to be an angry exchange.

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kurt cloverdales said:

might be a better team but won't go 11-1 everything broke perfect this year

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Uhhh…this is a program that has averaged 4 wins a year.
If Cig has us just winning 8+ games a year, it’s already like Jesus “walking on water” time in Bloomington. Build him a gargantuan statue.
I think this year only fuels the potential for higher level recruits coming here. The guy is a household name now and on interviews all over the country each week. I’d say we could get to this again in the next 10 years he’s coaching.

Not that Cig wasn’t aware of their talent beforehand, after all he was the recruiting coordinator and a position coach for Saban at Alabama for four years, but he’s now witnessed it first hand and knows what he needs to win against the top teams in the country.

I’m sure he’ll make good use of this knowledge. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Crossblock said:

Let's look at some of the positives from yesterday.
1. We had control of the game early. A 3 and out for osu on their first series followed by our Touchdown Drive. And then the turning point for the Defense. We let Them out of a 2nd and 35 from around midfield and let Them convert a 4th and 10. Even though We held Them on downs without a score, that is the sequence that turned the field position in favor of Ohio State.
2. We started the next drive from the One Yard Line, got two first downs and had the ball around the 35 with 3rd and One. That's the play where Bomba got called for illegal procedure, We lost 5 yards, and the Offense never recovered. pick up that first down without the Penalty and Who knows.
3. The punt unit gave Ohio State 2 Touchdowns - one following the dropped snap and the other on the Punt Return. The first one right before the half, the second following a 3 and out by Us to start the 2nd half on the punt return. two Touchdowns given up in less than 3 minutes of clock time. Ouch.
4. The Defense gave up yardage in the Second Half but didn't play terribly. In fact the biggest chunk of Yardage came on that run by Henderson following the onside kick when the game was decided. If You ignore that final junk TD scored by Ohio State , and attribute 2 TDs to the Punt Team mistakes, the Defense gave up up 17 points.
5. Concern for the Defense. After the first 2 OSU Offensive Series, They never got consistent pressure on Howard and He completed a huge percentage of passes. Concern for the Offense. For the second game in a row, the Opponents Defense figured out how to disrupt our pass protection schemes and nullify our passing game.

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We also had 3 costly pass drops.......unfortunately, that is starting to look like a trend. The WRs haven't showed up for the last 2 games.

DiPrimio

Let's look at some of the positives from yesterday.
1. We had control of the game early. A 3 and out for osu on their first series followed by our Touchdown Drive. And then the turning point for the Defense. We let Them out of a 2nd and 35 from around midfield and let Them convert a 4th and 10. Even though We held Them on downs without a score, that is the sequence that turned the field position in favor of Ohio State.
2. We started the next drive from the One Yard Line, got two first downs and had the ball around the 35 with 3rd and One. That's the play where Bomba got called for illegal procedure, We lost 5 yards, and the Offense never recovered. pick up that first down without the Penalty and Who knows.
3. The punt unit gave Ohio State 2 Touchdowns - one following the dropped snap and the other on the Punt Return. The first one right before the half, the second following a 3 and out by Us to start the 2nd half on the punt return. two Touchdowns given up in less than 3 minutes of clock time. Ouch.
4. The Defense gave up yardage in the Second Half but didn't play terribly. In fact the biggest chunk of Yardage came on that run by Henderson following the onside kick when the game was decided. If You ignore that final junk TD scored by Ohio State , and attribute 2 TDs to the Punt Team mistakes, the Defense gave up up 17 points.
5. Concern for the Defense. After the first 2 OSU Offensive Series, They never got consistent pressure on Howard and He completed a huge percentage of passes. Concern for the Offense. For the second game in a row, the Opponents Defense figured out how to disrupt our pass protection schemes and nullify our passing game.

Wiedersehen said:

I’d love to play in Indianapolis and play for the BigTen title, even if it means we’d be out of the playoff if Oregon beats us like OSU did.

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I'm pretty down at this point. If we couldn't get the O fixed with a week off I don't like out chances either in a BT championship game or in a playoff game.

As far as OSU-Michigan, you'd think 'no way' after the way OSU looked against us....but that 50-6 over NW was very interesting........did getting up for us turn their team around?

CO. Hoosier said:

There are two kinds of people in this world; captains and stokers.

Tandem Bicycles Terminology Guide - Are you are Captain or A Stoker?

The Tandem Bicycles Terminology Guide explains the roles of the 'captain' and the 'stoker' plus the configuration choices for your pedals, cranks and gears.

www.bicycle-and-bikes.com

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You need to buy your wife one of those shirts.

mcmurtry66 said:

Last year I was going down the road and the guy in front of me took an entire bag of McDonald’s and threw it out his car window. Then we got about a mile down the the road and he threw out his soda. The cup hit the ground and the lid and straw popped off.

I was in actual tears I was laughing so hard. It was like going back in time

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This reminds me of a very effective campaign from the last 70s, early 80s. I was in elementary school, and we listened to some talk about how bad littering was, how easy it was to find a trash can, etc. They made all us little kids sign a "No Litter Bug Pledge" that we would always throw things away in the garbage and if we saw stray litter on the ground, we would pick it up and throw it away, to make our country that much cleaner.

To this day, I stop and pick up random trash I see on the ground if I can, and think of signing that pledge like some type of blood oath. Weird.

ElMeson said:

No, OSU had 8 guys who could be in the NFL now, come back for 3 goals. 1. To beat Michigan 2. To win the Big Ten 3. Win a National Title. The end of the game was a shot at IU but the beating was focus on a goal that without a victory over IU they wouldn’t have been able to achieve. It was more about the narrative that Day and OSU can’t win top 5 matchups or that he’s a terrible coach. The guy was literally a missed targeting call on MHjr or missed FG vs Georgia from a NC.

Look, I hope this becomes a rivalry! Is Day is dick? Maybe but Cig is too. I’m 32 and my entire life, Hell… My father’s entire life, OSU has been a national title contender. To become a rival means you are their equal.

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Are you an IU undergrad but OSU post-grad?
I think you indicated that before?

Anyway, yesterday was my first trip over there in decades. The stadium itself….hasn’t changed a bit. The concourses under the stands are absolutely disgusting. I was shocked. I thought there would be some kind of amenities and overhaul but they looked like they haven’t invested a dime since 1940. Dirty. Pipes running overhead. Terrible lighting. The people at the concessions were ver, vety nice but the concession “stands” if you want to call them that, were tiny. Essentially cutouts in the side of the walls. The interior guts underneath the stands were absolutely archaic and not what I expected from a top shelf football school. I have been overly critical of Memorial Stadium and things like the t.v.’s but The Shoe and it amenities, or lack thereof, make IU’s stadium look like the Ritz-Carlton. I mean, it was mind boggling how bad it is there. Seating is fine but the aesthetics need a ton of work.

Maryland has the worst coach in the conference. With the talent they have on that team they easily should have been a bowl eligible team this season. Hope he gets a lifetime contract. Michigan is far below usual this season and while I do not expect them to hang with the bucknuts, I would truly enjoy it if they somehow found a way to win.

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crazed_hoosier2 said:

I always thought the notion of Putin marching beyond Ukraine into NATO was far-fetched.

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Not far fetched considering Trump has expressed his desire to withdraw from NATO and questioned defending NATO countries.

IUNorth said:

I think both SMU and Miami will get in, at this point.

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IUNorth said:

I don’t think this should happen, for what it’s worth. But if Bama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M all win next week and finish with 3 losses. I think, in a weird way, that opens the door more for a 3 loss SEC team to get in. Similar concept to Clemson beating South Carolina, and making the debate about more teams in the ACC increasing the pressure to put 2 ACC teams in. I think with more 3 loss SEC teams, with them having to consider them now in all likelihood, it “legitimizes” the 3 loss teams more.

And I know it shouldn’t be this way, but I do think they’ll be lumping a 1 loss IU team in with 2nd ACC teams and then the 3 loss SEC teams.

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IUNorth said:

I think both SMU and Miami will get in, at this point.

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I think that, as bad as we looked, the committee will be searching for ways to screw us over.

I also think they will be searching for ways to get 4 SEC teams in. Problem for them is...its hard to see how.

They'd LOVE to get Bama in. But, Bama's loss was probably even worse than ours. There's no evidence after OK's win that they can even throw the ball with their present QB. They beat Bama by running the ball.

Before yesterday we were $5 and Bama was #7. I would think that with the respective losses there's still a 2 spot gap between IU and Bama. If they kill Auburn at home and we play like crap v. Purdue, it could happen.

The only other logical SEC candidates would be Ole Miss and A& M. Ole Miss lost at home to UK and before yesterday were 4 spots behind us. They look to be out.

A&M would be interesting if they beat TX. Their losses are a close loss to ND at home, at Auburn, and at S. Carolina. I guess some would look at Auburn as a bad loss, but Auburn's not that bad. IF they beat TX I think they'd probably be in EXCEPT that they would then be in the SEC championship game, which presumably they will lose to GA. No way they get in with 4 losses. IF they beat TX and GA they deserve to be in, imo.

So..........on the face of it I don't see how they get 4 SEC teams in. It will be interesting to see how they get it done. Maybe South Carolina, if they rout Clemson? Their best wins in that case would be at OK soundly, at UK soundly, at Clemson, Missouri at home, and A & M soundly at home. Not bad. Their losses would be LSU and Ole Miss at home, and at Bama. And I believe they had some injuries during the year.

If there are only 3 SEC teams, 2 ACC teams doesn't leave us out...unless Clemson rolls South Carolina

Oregon
OSU
PSU
IU
TN
GA
TX
Boise St
ND
Big 12 champ
SMU
Miami

Clemson??
South Carolina??

If Miami beats SMU we look to be in in any scenerio.

We need more depth on the lines and another Top 20 game, earlier in the season, would have prolly prepared us a bit. But, NE had a good dline, UM had a great dline. Both of those games were home games. That tells me the noise may have had a bigger part in this than we think. I don't know, I am just playing armchair today...

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