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A Dose of Reality

staxawax

Redshirt
Aug 12, 2005
121
117
43
It was gut-wrenching. It was a train wreck. It was 8 months of hopes and expectations flushed down the drain in a heartbeat.

It also may be the best thing that could happen to this program.

And the best thing to happen to a runaway train of a fanbase that was convinced we had already passed every B1G school except the one in Columbus, Ohio.

Of course I embellish. Most are not part of that train..... but many rode it at least part way. IU was never as good as they appeared last season, and they are a lot better than they showed Saturday in Iowa City. Things just seemed to steam roll last year, starting with the miracle comeback against Penn State. We will never know how each school was affected by Covid last year. Maybe none, maybe more. We do know for the most part IU came out pretty well. They earned every win. They were prepared and expected to win.

Were they as prepared for Iowa? We thought they were. Coach Allen says they were not. Or perhaps our opponents now have our attention and are more prepared for IU than ever before.
The reality is every team is going to be more prepared than before. We are going to get the best Penn State, the best Michigan, the best Michigan State, and the best of every one. Every game, outside of Idaho and perhaps WKU, should be a dogfight. If you don't believe that after last Saturday, then you are still on that fantasy train.

Coach TA has taken this program on giant leaps, but you can't erase 35 years or so of mediocrity in just a few seasons. Recruiting is better, but still lags behind most in the B1G east. Which means depth, or quality depth, especially on the offensive line, is lacking. It's going to take a few more years.... that's the reality. Doesn't mean we can't see success in the interim. We can, but it's not going to be championships or Rose Bowls. 7-5, 8-4 seasons should be the hope and expectation. A key injury or 2 would knock that record down to 6-6 very quickly. That's the reality.

Having said this I firmly believe coach will have them prepared for Idaho and I firmly believe we will battle Cincinnati tooth and nail in front of that sellout crowd. It's time to prepare for war. Go Hoosiers!
 
It was gut-wrenching. It was a train wreck. It was 8 months of hopes and expectations flushed down the drain in a heartbeat.

It also may be the best thing that could happen to this program.

And the best thing to happen to a runaway train of a fanbase that was convinced we had already passed every B1G school except the one in Columbus, Ohio.

Of course I embellish. Most are not part of that train..... but many rode it at least part way. IU was never as good as they appeared last season, and they are a lot better than they showed Saturday in Iowa City. Things just seemed to steam roll last year, starting with the miracle comeback against Penn State. We will never know how each school was affected by Covid last year. Maybe none, maybe more. We do know for the most part IU came out pretty well. They earned every win. They were prepared and expected to win.

Were they as prepared for Iowa? We thought they were. Coach Allen says they were not. Or perhaps our opponents now have our attention and are more prepared for IU than ever before.
The reality is every team is going to be more prepared than before. We are going to get the best Penn State, the best Michigan, the best Michigan State, and the best of every one. Every game, outside of Idaho and perhaps WKU, should be a dogfight. If you don't believe that after last Saturday, then you are still on that fantasy train.

Coach TA has taken this program on giant leaps, but you can't erase 35 years or so of mediocrity in just a few seasons. Recruiting is better, but still lags behind most in the B1G east. Which means depth, or quality depth, especially on the offensive line, is lacking. It's going to take a few more years.... that's the reality. Doesn't mean we can't see success in the interim. We can, but it's not going to be championships or Rose Bowls. 7-5, 8-4 seasons should be the hope and expectation. A key injury or 2 would knock that record down to 6-6 very quickly. That's the reality.

Having said this I firmly believe coach will have them prepared for Idaho and I firmly believe we will battle Cincinnati tooth and nail in front of that sellout crowd. It's time to prepare for war. Go Hoosiers!
I basically agree with this posting. We tend to forget other teams give scholarships as well and that other teams have competent coaching. Other teams are improving. The competition is tough and we won't sneak up on anyone this year.

How to fix? The defense didn't set the edge on one play but that is fixable. The defense is not responsible for TWO pick-sixes. The main problem was the offense and I think the OL is the main problem with the offense. Penix would have played better with a better OL performance.

A lot of people on this forum said our OL would be better this year. I think the OL was worse on Saturday. Like last year they couldn't run-block but unlike last year they couldn't pass-block either. I think they have taken a step backwards. Long-term they probably need better OL recruiting and coaching which takes time. In the meantime coaches TA, Sheridan and especially Hiller need to "coach them up" and do a fast repair job.

Fiddler
 
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It was gut-wrenching. It was a train wreck. It was 8 months of hopes and expectations flushed down the drain in a heartbeat.

It also may be the best thing that could happen to this program.

And the best thing to happen to a runaway train of a fanbase that was convinced we had already passed every B1G school except the one in Columbus, Ohio.

Of course I embellish. Most are not part of that train..... but many rode it at least part way. IU was never as good as they appeared last season, and they are a lot better than they showed Saturday in Iowa City. Things just seemed to steam roll last year, starting with the miracle comeback against Penn State. We will never know how each school was affected by Covid last year. Maybe none, maybe more. We do know for the most part IU came out pretty well. They earned every win. They were prepared and expected to win.

Were they as prepared for Iowa? We thought they were. Coach Allen says they were not. Or perhaps our opponents now have our attention and are more prepared for IU than ever before.
The reality is every team is going to be more prepared than before. We are going to get the best Penn State, the best Michigan, the best Michigan State, and the best of every one. Every game, outside of Idaho and perhaps WKU, should be a dogfight. If you don't believe that after last Saturday, then you are still on that fantasy train.

Coach TA has taken this program on giant leaps, but you can't erase 35 years or so of mediocrity in just a few seasons. Recruiting is better, but still lags behind most in the B1G east. Which means depth, or quality depth, especially on the offensive line, is lacking. It's going to take a few more years.... that's the reality. Doesn't mean we can't see success in the interim. We can, but it's not going to be championships or Rose Bowls. 7-5, 8-4 seasons should be the hope and expectation. A key injury or 2 would knock that record down to 6-6 very quickly. That's the reality.

Having said this I firmly believe coach will have them prepared for Idaho and I firmly believe we will battle Cincinnati tooth and nail in front of that sellout crowd. It's time to prepare for war. Go Hoosiers!
You put time and thought into this analysis, and it's clear you're a loyal fan. That said, I respectfully disagree with almost all of it.

First, the Penn State win last season was not a "miracle comeback." We led for almost the entire game until Penn State took the lead late in the 4th. Down by 8, Penix engineered a perfect drive, capped by a two-point conversion, and then he won it with "the reach" in OT. Make no mistake, it was a great win and Penix's heroics were memorable, but it's not unusual for teams that are down one score to come back and win.

Next, the argument that we're now, finally, going to get our opponents' best effort doesn't fly. We were 8-5, and nationally ranked for a time, two seasons ago. We lost a heartbreaker to a good SEC team in the Gator Bowl, one of the most watched games of the bowl season. Ranked 11th nationally in returning production going into the 2020 season, people who closely follow college football knew we'd be good last season. Accordingly, this is the second season where we're getting our opponents' full attention, not the first.

Further, I didn't read CTA's post-game comments. If, as you've indicated, he said we weren't prepared, that's extremely troubling. How is a team not prepared for a much anticipated season opener against a conference opponent, particularly after the team is coming off a "sh*t the bed" performance against an inferior opponent with one of the worst defenses in the country (Ole Miss) in a bowl game?

Next, you stated that every game this season (except for two non-conference opponents) should be a dogfight. On this point we agree. Saturday's game was expected to be a dogfight. Vegas had us +3.5. With home field worth 3 points, it was basically a pick 'em game. It was expected to be a dogfight and it should have been a dogfight, but it was anything but. To say we were not competitive would be an understatement. We were pulverized, embarrassed and never in the game. Why do you think this kind of a performance "may have been the best thing that could happen to this program?"

Finally, our offensive line is putrid. Unless and until that gets fixed, we're going to struggle to score points. If this Saturday's game against Idaho is a dogfight, this is destined to be a surprisingly difficult - - and long - - season.
 
Iowa couldn't afford back to back 0-2 starts to kick off season. On 9/11, Iowa has a bigger game, opponent, then IU.

The podcast on this Rivals network suggested this game was more important to Indiana, then Iowa.

LOL, the bigger game is Ohio State in Bloomington. You can lose a cross-over. You can't afford to lose a in division game.

In 2019, Iowa was 10-3. Iowa played USC and IU RB Stephen Carr.

It has been 6 seasons, since Iowa was in Indianapolis. The past 3 seasons, Iowa is second to Ohio State in B1G wins.

Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Northwestern are next. Two of those programs are not going to be down in 2021.

Minnesota and Indiana are 13-13, after losses to #1 Ohio State and #2 Iowa in Week 1.

But, Iowa has fallen short, despite the 23 games holding opponents to 24 or less points now.

Iowa faces a huge game in Ames this week. ISU coach Matt Campbell is 0-4. He has beat OU, Texas and every Big Twelve team, but Iowa has won five straight in the CyHawk Game.

Iowa has won four straight now against IU.

Iowa has won 8 of last 9, with a 4-8 Iowa team losing a close game in 2012.

The game on Saturday was a good first start for Iowa. Unlike the Northwestern game last year, opened 17-0, Iowa had fans in the stands against the Hoosiers.

One game doesn't make a season. Nebraska won 52-7 on Saturday against Fordham, after the ugly 30-22 loss in Champaign.

It is also a long season. Best wishes to IU in 2021.
Just curious. What is the point of a post like this? It couldn't possibly be more disjointed.

You won. We lost. Please move on - - to another board.
 
Iowa couldn't afford back to back 0-2 starts to kick off season. On 9/11, Iowa has a bigger game, opponent, then IU.

The podcast on this Rivals network suggested this game was more important to Indiana, then Iowa.

LOL, the bigger game is Ohio State in Bloomington. You can lose a cross-over. You can't afford to lose a in division game.

In 2019, Iowa was 10-3. Iowa played USC and IU RB Stephen Carr.

It has been 6 seasons, since Iowa was in Indianapolis. The past 3 seasons, Iowa is second to Ohio State in B1G wins.

Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Northwestern are next. Two of those programs are not going to be down in 2021.

Minnesota and Indiana are 13-13, after losses to #1 Ohio State and #2 Iowa in Week 1.

But, Iowa has fallen short, despite the 23 games holding opponents to 24 or less points now.

Iowa faces a huge game in Ames this week. ISU coach Matt Campbell is 0-4. He has beat OU, Texas and every Big Twelve team, but Iowa has won five straight in the CyHawk Game.

Iowa has won four straight now against IU.

Iowa has won 8 of last 9, with a 4-8 Iowa team losing a close game in 2012.

The game on Saturday was a good first start for Iowa. Unlike the Northwestern game last year, opened 17-0, Iowa had fans in the stands against the Hoosiers.

One game doesn't make a season. Nebraska won 52-7 on Saturday against Fordham, after the ugly 30-22 loss in Champaign.

It is also a long season. Best wishes to IU in 2021.

The last three times IU has played Iowa in basketball, Iowa has been ranked in the top 25 (the last two times, in the top 10), while IU has been unranked and has beaten Iowa all three times. As a matter of fact, in the last seven games that IU and Iowa have played where Iowa has been ranked in the top 25 and IU has been unranked, IU has gone 5-2 against the Hawkeyes. Overall, IU leads the basketball series 107-74 and is 7-3 against Iowa over the last 10 games. Despite missing the NCAA tournament the last 5 of the last 10 years, IU still has more NCAA tournament victories, (6) than Iowa (4) in that span and has appeared in the Sweet 16 3 times during that period while Iowa hasn't made it past the 2nd round since 1999, (you have to go back to 1987 for Iowa's last Elite 8 appearence and 1980 for the last time they made it to the Final 4). IU also has 2 Big 10 regular season titles in that time (2013 and 2016) while Iowa's last regular season title was in 1979. IU's coaches over the last decade, Tom Crean and Archie Miller, went a combined 12-7 against the Hawkeyes (Crean was 7-5 and Miller went 5-2). When it comes to getting players in the NBA, IU has had more success recently. As of the end of the 2020-21 season, there are 7 former Hoosiers currently on NBA rosters, while there would be ZERO former Hawkeyes in the league in Garza hadn't been drafted in the late 2nd round of this year's draft.
 
Just curious. What is the point of a post like this? It couldn't possibly be more disjointed.

You won. We lost. Please move on - - to another board.


He doesn't mean anything by his posts. He posts like this on Iowa's board as well. You had maybe two rude Iowa posters on here, and that was after some of your posters invaded the Iowa board in a fairly arrogant manner.

Most of the posters on each side have been respectful. CID always posts history, and has an obvious Iowa slant, because, well, becuase he's an Iowa fan. I can't speak for him, but I know he truly wants Indiana to do well this year.

I've been posting on here for years, watching the growth of Indiana football. A lot of my posts which are accurate, have been deleted by your mods. I guess becuase they don't like accurate.

Anyway, Indiana wasn't ready. It was the first game, so that's not uncommon for any team. I'd move on to the rest of the season. I know it's tough, but you have 11 more games.
 
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You put time and thought into this analysis, and it's clear you're a loyal fan. That said, I respectfully disagree with almost all of it.

First, the Penn State win last season was not a "miracle comeback." We led for almost the entire game until Penn State took the lead late in the 4th. Down by 8, Penix engineered a perfect drive, capped by a two-point conversion, and then he won it with "the reach" in OT. Make no mistake, it was a great win and Penix's heroics were memorable, but it's not unusual for teams that are down one score to come back and win.

Next, the argument that we're now, finally, going to get our opponents' best effort doesn't fly. We were 8-5, and nationally ranked for a time, two seasons ago. We lost a heartbreaker to a good SEC team in the Gator Bowl, one of the most watched games of the bowl season. Ranked 11th nationally in returning production going into the 2020 season, people who closely follow college football knew we'd be good last season. Accordingly, this is the second season where we're getting our opponents' full attention, not the first.

Further, I didn't read CTA's post-game comments. If, as you've indicated, he said we weren't prepared, that's extremely troubling. How is a team not prepared for a much anticipated season opener against a conference opponent, particularly after the team is coming off a "sh*t the bed" performance against an inferior opponent with one of the worst defenses in the country (Ole Miss) in a bowl game?

Next, you stated that every game this season (except for two non-conference opponents) should be a dogfight. On this point we agree. Saturday's game was expected to be a dogfight. Vegas had us +3.5. With home field worth 3 points, it was basically a pick 'em game. It was expected to be a dogfight and it should have been a dogfight, but it was anything but. To say we were not competitive would be an understatement. We were pulverized, embarrassed and never in the game. Why do you think this kind of a performance "may have been the best thing that could happen to this program?"

Finally, our offensive line is putrid. Unless and until that gets fixed, we're going to struggle to score points. If this Saturday's game against Idaho is a dogfight, this is destined to be a surprisingly difficult - - and long - - season.
Like I said, some of you will choose to remain on that fantasy train!
 
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Like I said, some of you will choose to remain on that fantasy train!
Maybe I missed them, but I don't recall posts from you - - prior to the Iowa game - - telling everyone to tamp down their expectations for 2021.

I wasn't predicting a 12-0 season. I knew, with this schedule, we were going to lose some games. However, I did expect that we'd be competitive in every game we played, which is what most would expect from a Top 20 team. I know CTA certainly expected that. If you want to summarily dismiss this as "fantasy," have at it, but you don't know what you're talking about.

This team has an experienced offensive line that played like sh*t yesterday and for much of last season. It's holding back what is otherwise a quality team. If Hiller doesn't somehow engineer a quick fix, we're going to regress this season. If you're okay with that, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you're just waiting until basketball season.
 
It was gut-wrenching. It was a train wreck. It was 8 months of hopes and expectations flushed down the drain in a heartbeat.

It also may be the best thing that could happen to this program.

And the best thing to happen to a runaway train of a fanbase that was convinced we had already passed every B1G school except the one in Columbus, Ohio.

Of course I embellish. Most are not part of that train..... but many rode it at least part way. IU was never as good as they appeared last season, and they are a lot better than they showed Saturday in Iowa City. Things just seemed to steam roll last year, starting with the miracle comeback against Penn State. We will never know how each school was affected by Covid last year. Maybe none, maybe more. We do know for the most part IU came out pretty well. They earned every win. They were prepared and expected to win.

Were they as prepared for Iowa? We thought they were. Coach Allen says they were not. Or perhaps our opponents now have our attention and are more prepared for IU than ever before.
The reality is every team is going to be more prepared than before. We are going to get the best Penn State, the best Michigan, the best Michigan State, and the best of every one. Every game, outside of Idaho and perhaps WKU, should be a dogfight. If you don't believe that after last Saturday, then you are still on that fantasy train.

Coach TA has taken this program on giant leaps, but you can't erase 35 years or so of mediocrity in just a few seasons. Recruiting is better, but still lags behind most in the B1G east. Which means depth, or quality depth, especially on the offensive line, is lacking. It's going to take a few more years.... that's the reality. Doesn't mean we can't see success in the interim. We can, but it's not going to be championships or Rose Bowls. 7-5, 8-4 seasons should be the hope and expectation. A key injury or 2 would knock that record down to 6-6 very quickly. That's the reality.

Having said this I firmly believe coach will have them prepared for Idaho and I firmly believe we will battle Cincinnati tooth and nail in front of that sellout crowd. It's time to prepare for war. Go Hoosiers!
Agree with everything but, "They will fight Cincinnati tooth and nail. " We will get rolled. There are "real deals" and "pretenders." I'm not sure we even qualify as a "pretender". The super hero mask was removed by Iowa and Joe Shmo was behind it. The Cincinnati game will be brutal.





be brutal.
 
This dose of reality, started last January in the bowl game, IU lost and it doesn’t look like they have improved! Dolson will make changes very fast!
 
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I haven't been as depressed about a loss since 2006. That was when we had smashed Michigan State for our fifth win and just needed one more for a bowl. My aunt died early the next week, and after the funeral on Thursday we immediately headed up to Minneapolis. We expected a win and also many of the people in Minneapolis also felt that way. Instead, our pass defenders didn't even show up and we allowed 63 points and didn't win again that season.

I separate being depressed as meaning our performance was unexpectedly terrible. I have been disappointed many other times since then, such as our Tennessee bowl game, when we played well but threw again the game, or Michigan games in 2009 and 2010.
 
I haven't been as depressed about a loss since 2006. That was when we had smashed Michigan State for our fifth win and just needed one more for a bowl. My aunt died early the next week, and after the funeral on Thursday we immediately headed up to Minneapolis. We expected a win and also many of the people in Minneapolis also felt that way. Instead, our pass defenders didn't even show up and we allowed 63 points and didn't win again that season.

I separate being depressed as meaning our performance was unexpectedly terrible. I have been disappointed many other times since then, such as our Tennessee bowl game, when we played well but threw again the game, or Michigan games in 2009 and 2010.
I feel your pain.

Every knowledgeable fan knew this was a tough opponent in a hostile environment, and that an L was a distinct possibility. My dismay is not due to the fact that we lost, but how we lost. We were crushed and never in the game.

This is now two big games in a row where we've looked unprepared and the offense has played poorly. The fanbase excuses on Jan 2 were that Penix was out, Tuttle had a bad shoulder (yet the coaching staff still had him throw the ball 45 times), it was very warm in Tampa, missed practices because of Covid messed us up, etc. (Never mind that Ole Miss was missing several key players because of opt outs, illness and injuries, and had the worst total defense in the country last season). The excuses for Saturday were that Penix was off, the officiating was terrible, we weren't used to a big crowd, it was the first game, it's just one game, etc.

Enough with the excuses. Our OL is awful. The coaching staff needs to quickly come up with a fix while the season's still young and the preseason goals remain in play. Go Hoosiers.
 
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