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5-7 to 8-4

CC Mac

All-Big Ten
Aug 19, 2002
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The 3 game swing was a nice surprise and due in part to winning games that in the past we found a way to lose.
Purdue,Maryland and Nebraska all came down to the end and we were able to pull out.
Thinking back to the Maryland game a couple years ago that we lost to a third string QB that cost us a bowl game.
It wasn’t always pretty this year but we found a way to win the 50/50 games for a change.
I really don’t care where the bowl game is,I’m hoping it’s against a team with some tradition that we can beat.
9-4 sure sounds a lot better than 8-5.
 
The 3 game swing was a nice surprise and due in part to winning games that in the past we found a way to lose.
Purdue,Maryland and Nebraska all came down to the end and we were able to pull out.
Thinking back to the Maryland game a couple years ago that we lost to a third string QB that cost us a bowl game.
It wasn’t always pretty this year but we found a way to win the 50/50 games for a change.
I really don’t care where the bowl game is,I’m hoping it’s against a team with some tradition that we can beat.
9-4 sure sounds a lot better than 8-5.
Sometimes you hear coaches say, following a disappointing season, that "we were [fill in the number] plays away from winning [fill in the number] games." It sounds like a loser's mentality, but it's often factually accurate. There's a fine line, sometimes, between success and failure.

I'm reminded of the 2015 season. That team featured an elite offense, even better than this year's excellent O (nice work, Kalen DeBoer) but, on D, we couldn't stop a clock and it cost us against Rutgers, Michigan and Duke in the bowl game. And that was the difference between six wins and nine. This year's team, while hardly great on defense, was capable of making stops at opportune times.
 
But the HS Coach has to fix the defense.

Sorry. Some of this stuff is hilarious. Our roster depth isn't where it needed be this year and we won 8 games. The next 2 weeks recruiting are huge for this program and then hopefully a Florida Bowl game.


Simple as:
  1. Minnesota (West road game) in 2018 was better than Nebraska this year.
  2. Iowa (West home game) in 2018 was better than Northwestern this year.
  3. Rondale Moore was hurt.
5-7 turns into 8-4.
 
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Simple as:
  1. Minnesota (West road game) in 2018 was better than Nebraska this year.
  2. Iowa (West home game) in 2018 was better than Northwestern this year.
  3. Rondale Moore was hurt.
5-7 turns into 8-4.
Scheduling and injuries will always play a part in a teams record.
My point is,in the past we would have still found a way to lose the 3 games I mentioned above.
 
Oh, I agree.

We took care of business when we needed to.

I actually think we should have beaten Maryland, Nebraska, and Purdue by 20+ points if we would just play a "close to flawless" game. I feel like we played "meh" in the first two, and "bad" against Purdue, and still won. That's talent. That's winning despite not having your "A" game. That's progress we haven't had in a long time.

That said...if you look at it technically...last year we beat a good (now ACC Divisional Champion) Virginia team, and drew a harder West draw...could be as simple as that.

I understand that we don't make the B10 schedules, but our schedule from last year isn't an apples to apples comparison to this year.

I'd think we can enjoy this success, with complete understanding that we got a good draw. This isn't "Mission Accomplished" or "Breakthrough" by any means (at least for me), until we start going better than 2-4 in the East.
 
Tegray you are correct we are still along way from the CFP or the Rose Bowl. But we are heading in the right direction. More depth on O and D line. More speed on defense. A consistent pass rush. Lockdown Corner. Better technique in Secondary. Iron out some schemes. A real burner at wide receiver.
All in all I love where we are now as opposed to the past.
 
Definitely. The areas we need in recruiting is OL and DL. That's what separates. If we can flip Jalen St. John from Missou that would be huge. We need more Matthew Bedford's and Mullen's. Getting Demarjhe Lewis was huge. Need a safety and a RB also. Have to capitalize now.

Tegray you are correct we are still along way from the CFP or the Rose Bowl. But we are heading in the right direction. More depth on O and D line. More speed on defense. A consistent pass rush. Lockdown Corner. Better technique in Secondary. Iron out some schemes. A real burner at wide receiver.
All in all I love where we are now as opposed to the past.
 
I'd think we can enjoy this success, with complete understanding that we got a good draw. This isn't "Mission Accomplished" or "Breakthrough" by any means (at least for me), until we start going better than 2-4 in the East.
I'm wondering if you predicted 8+ wins prior to this "good draw" season.

Sometimes a big part of the reason an opponent has had a crappy season is because you beat them.

Breakthrough: 1) a sudden, dramatic and important discovery or development; 2) an instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity.

With respect to the breakthrough that you say isn't a breakthrough, this is just the eighth time Indiana has won 8 or more games in 132 years of playing football. This is the first time in a generation we've had a winning record in conference play. Sounds like the dictionary definition of a breakthrough for IU football. And we move from "breakthrough" to "historic" if we win nine games, tying the program record for single season victories.
 
THANK YOU! WELL SAID!

But the HS coach has to fix the defense.


I'm wondering if you predicted 8+ wins prior to this "good draw" season.

Sometimes a big part of the reason an opponent has had a crappy season is because you beat them.

Breakthrough: 1) a sudden, dramatic and important discovery or development; 2) an instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity.

With respect to the breakthrough that you say isn't a breakthrough, this is just the eighth time Indiana has won 8 or more games in 132 years of playing football. This is the first time in a generation we've had a winning record in conference play. Sounds like the dictionary definition of a breakthrough for IU football. And we move from "breakthrough" to "historic" if we win nine games, tying the program record for single season victories.
 
I'm wondering if you predicted 8+ wins prior to this "good draw" season.

Sometimes a big part of the reason an opponent has had a crappy season is because you beat them.

Breakthrough: 1) a sudden, dramatic and important discovery or development; 2) an instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity.

With respect to the breakthrough that you say isn't a breakthrough, this is just the eighth time Indiana has won 8 or more games in 132 years of playing football. This is the first time in a generation we've had a winning record in conference play. Sounds like the dictionary definition of a breakthrough for IU football. And we move from "breakthrough" to "historic" if we win nine games, tying the program record for single season victories.

Frequently is also not just who you draw in a season, but also when you play them during the year. Looking at this season, I feel like that had the dates of the MSU and Mich games been swapped, IU could be sitting at 10 wins right now.
 
Yes I loved D Lewis’ motor and love that he always shows up in the film. Really seems to lack technique does not use hands well in the game I watched. Sometimes no technique is better than bad technique. Also heard to to teach effort sometimes and he plays with great effort. Definitely like him more than Sparks.
 
I'm wondering if you predicted 8+ wins prior to this "good draw" season.

Before the season, Nebraska and Northwestern were both ranked by varying publications. If you had told me..."we get new-HC Maryland, Rutgers, and the three worst teams in the West" (8 total wins between 5 teams :D)... then yes, I would expect 8-4 as "Par".

Don't be obtuse. We luckily drew the three worst teams in the West....a statistical anomaly and the major difference between this year and last year.

Our OOC was easier with the loss of Virginia.

In the "apples to apples" (B10 East) games, we were 2-4, just like last year.
 
Before the season, Nebraska and Northwestern were both ranked by varying publications. If you had told me..."we get new-HC Maryland, Rutgers, and the three worst teams in the West" (8 total wins between 5 teams :D)... then yes, I would expect 8-4 as "Par".

Don't be obtuse. We luckily drew the three worst teams in the West....a statistical anomaly and the major difference between this year and last year.

Our OOC was easier with the loss of Virginia.

In the "apples to apples" (B10 East) games, we were 2-4, just like last year.

Absolute bull. Had you been told 3 worst in West you would have said 6-6 is minimum....8-4!? Laughable when most before the season were predicting 6-6 as the ceiling...with 5-7 the next most likely record.
 
Before the season, Nebraska and Northwestern were both ranked by varying publications. If you had told me..."we get new-HC Maryland, Rutgers, and the three worst teams in the West" (8 total wins between 5 teams :D)... then yes, I would expect 8-4 as "Par".

Don't be obtuse. We luckily drew the three worst teams in the West....a statistical anomaly and the major difference between this year and last year.

Our OOC was easier with the loss of Virginia.

In the "apples to apples" (B10 East) games, we were 2-4, just like last year.
I don't disagree with your general premise, but I do think this year's IU beats last year's Minnesota and Michigan - and possibly last year's MSU. From that standpoint, I think we are significantly better this year than last. On the contrary, I think we have really missed Tom Allen running the defense personally - though we probably benefitted in other ways. Either he has to take a more direct, in-game and game scheming role with the defense next year, or Wommack is going to have to be much better. If not, we won't be better on that side of the ball and that is going to be a serious deterrent to making that next step up.
 
Donovan Hale and Nick Westbrook came in as the 2 key WR cogs but Whop, Fryfogle and Ellis were right with them. So aside from a couple O-Line departures, we hopefully will get Cronk back to help offset that, plus add depth with players getting a year older (maybe even a new frosh). I see this offense being scary good in year 2 under DeBoer. But we are still needing to confirm we have the depth necessary to overcome what we know will be a litany of injuries. It's just something EVERY team has so we have to count on that happening.

Defensively, Raekwon, Burgess and Bryant are losses but Fitzgerald, Layne and Cam Jones amongst others will help fill those gaps nicely. Whitehead returns as the P and Campbell looks more than qualified to slide into PK.

You add all of this to go with the scheduling lining up nicely for possibly 6-8 games we will be favored in.....We could have a really fun year next year.
 
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Burgess is a redshirt sophomore.

We lose Stallings,

Donovan Hale and Nick Westbrook came in as the 2 key WR cogs but Whop, Fryfogle and Ellis were right with them. So aside from a couple O-Line departures, we hopefully will get Cronk back to help offset that, plus add depth with players getting a year older (maybe even a new frosh). I see this offense being scary good in year 2 under DeBoer. But we are still needing to confirm we have the depth necessary to overcome what we know will be a litany of injuries. It's just something EVERY team has so we have to count on that happening.

Defensively, Raekwon, Burgess and Bryant are losses but Fitzgerald, Layne and Cam Jones amongst others will help fill those gaps nicely. Whitehead returns as the P and Campbell looks more than qualified to slide into PK.

You add all of this to go with the scheduling lining up nicely for possibly 6-8 games we will be favored in.....We could have a really fun year next year.
 
I don't disagree with your general premise, but I do think this year's IU beats last year's Minnesota and Michigan - and possibly last year's MSU. From that standpoint, I think we are significantly better this year than last. On the contrary, I think we have really missed Tom Allen running the defense personally - though we probably benefitted in other ways. Either he has to take a more direct, in-game and game scheming role with the defense next year, or Wommack is going to have to be much better. If not, we won't be better on that side of the ball and that is going to be a serious deterrent to making that next step up.

Just bring in a Deboer on defense, or at least someone marginally competent. Problem solved.
 
But the HS Coach has to fix the defense.

Sorry. Some of this stuff is hilarious. Our roster depth isn't where it needed be this year and we won 8 games. The next 2 weeks recruiting are huge for this program and then hopefully a Florida Bowl game.


Bottom line is.........we were very lucky this year but we were about 20 years overdue for some good luck. We can debate forever how/why we got here, but this is a huge opportunity. Biggest upside is the possibility of 3-4 relatively big-time recruits in the next 10 days we wouldn't have had if Purdue had won.....surely we will get 2-3 of the guys visiting on 12/6. Next, go to a nice bowl, with a nice IU crowd, and try not to get embarrassed. Show up, win or lose, and we have a better recruiting class next year.
 
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We have a lot of studs visiting this weekend.

Bottom line is.........we were very lucky this year but we were about 20 years overdue for some good luck. We can debate forever how/why we got here, but this is a huge opportunity. Biggest upside is the possibility of 3-4 relatively big-time recruits in the next 10 days we wouldn't have had if Purdue had won.....surely we will get 2-3 guys visiting on 12/6. Next, go to a nice bowl, with a nice IU crowd, and try not to get embarrassed. Show up, win or lose, and we have a better recruiting class next year.
 
Before the season, Nebraska and Northwestern were both ranked by varying publications. If you had told me..."we get new-HC Maryland, Rutgers, and the three worst teams in the West" (8 total wins between 5 teams :D)... then yes, I would expect 8-4 as "Par".

Don't be obtuse. We luckily drew the three worst teams in the West....a statistical anomaly and the major difference between this year and last year.

Our OOC was easier with the loss of Virginia.

In the "apples to apples" (B10 East) games, we were 2-4, just like last year.
If you don't think IU is a vastly improved team this year, particularly on offense, I don't know what you're watching.
 
Oh, I agree.

We took care of business when we needed to.

I actually think we should have beaten Maryland, Nebraska, and Purdue by 20+ points if we would just play a "close to flawless" game. I feel like we played "meh" in the first two, and "bad" against Purdue, and still won. That's talent. That's winning despite not having your "A" game. That's progress we haven't had in a long time.

That said...if you look at it technically...last year we beat a good (now ACC Divisional Champion) Virginia team, and drew a harder West draw...could be as simple as that.

I understand that we don't make the B10 schedules, but our schedule from last year isn't an apples to apples comparison to this year.

I'd think we can enjoy this success, with complete understanding that we got a good draw. This isn't "Mission Accomplished" or "Breakthrough" by any means (at least for me), until we start going better than 2-4 in the East.
Imo a win in the bowl makes the season a breakthrough. A loss and we had a good season but no breakthrough yet. Although if we lose to Nebraska they’d be 6-6, just like MSU. If we beat MSU they’re 5-7 and no one is impressed with the win despite the fact we’re 9-3. That’s just how it works
 
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I was just reading the final column on the Bottom 25 and the part listing Kansas said that the Jayhawks were 21-99 this decade, so just an average of slightly over two wins per season. That led me to investigate whether we ever had a decade that bad. The answer is no, with the 1950s being the closest at 28-59-3. We only had 19 wins through 1957, including my opinion that 1957 was the worst season we ever had at 1-8 and being shut out five times. If we hadn't finished at 5-3-1 in 1958 and 4-4 in 1959 that could have challenged Kansas of the 2010s.
 
I was just reading the final column on the Bottom 25 and the part listing Kansas said that the Jayhawks were 21-99 this decade, so just an average of slightly over two wins per season. That led me to investigate whether we ever had a decade that bad. The answer is no, with the 1950s being the closest at 28-59-3. We only had 19 wins through 1957, including my opinion that 1957 was the worst season we ever had at 1-8 and being shut out five times. If we hadn't finished at 5-3-1 in 1958 and 4-4 in 1959 that could have challenged Kansas of the 2010s.
Funny how some of the resident "negative Nancy's" here were convinced that a marquee hire like Les Miles was going to immediately turn Kansas into a contender and that hiring Tom Allen "on the cheap" would plunge IU back to bottom feeder status. How's that working out now.
 
Tom Allen walked into a much better stuation than Les Miles
Funny how some of the resident "negative Nancy's" here were convinced that a marquee hire like Les Miles was going to immediately turn Kansas into a contender and that hiring Tom Allen "on the cheap" would plunge IU back to bottom feeder status. How's that working out now.
 
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Funny how some of the resident "negative Nancy's" here were convinced that a marquee hire like Les Miles was going to immediately turn Kansas into a contender and that hiring Tom Allen "on the cheap" would plunge IU back to bottom feeder status. How's that working out now.
Please quote someone saying it or bump the thread where you allegedly saw it. Nobody said anything remotely close to this.
 
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