Analysis of IU Talent VS. Peers (IA, MD, NW, PU)

[IUCX9]

OK, so I'm recently retired and have more time than I know what to do with, so here goes...

I took Rivals data from '14 to '18 for our peer B1G programs and compared them. Here is what I found:

Team. - B1G Rk - # of 4* - Avg Stars

MD - 7.4 - 23 - 3.01
IA. - 9.4 - 8 - 2.85
IU. - 9.6 - 3 - 2.75
NW - 11.6 - 6 - 2.87
PU - 13.0 - 1 - 2.50

First of all, I was surprised at the number of 4* players MD has brought in, but they have been so mediocre! 23 4* players is too many not to bowl every year, IMO. Durkin could recruit, but he couldn't coach on GameDay and had terrible luck with injuries and character issues. What a waste.

Second, Fitz is the best coach of the bunch at identifying talent to fit NW academic standards and DEVELOPING them over the years. What he has done is amazing. I hope CTA can become our version of Fitz.

Third, I can see why Purdue got eviscerated by Auburn in their bowl. Their classes were just awful. They have very little talent and almost no quality depth. Anyone who says Purdue has more talent than IU doesn't know what they are talking about. There is no gulf that IU needs to close. Instead, IU needs to continue separate from Purdue in terms of talent.

Fourth, IU, is just about in the middle. CTA is building quality depth with a few stars sprinkled in. I firmly believe, based on recruiting talent and on field performance, that IU is more talented than the record indicates. It's up to the coaches to win with the talent they develop.

Bring on 2019!!!!

 

[Bill4411]

OK, so I'm recently retired and have more time than I know what to do with, so here goes...

I took Rivals data from '14 to '18 for our peer B1G programs and compared them. Here is what I found:

Team. - B1G Rk - # of 4* - Avg Stars

MD - 7.4 - 23 - 3.01
IA. - 9.4 - 8 - 2.85
IU. - 9.6 - 3 - 2.75
NW - 11.6 - 6 - 2.87
PU - 13.0 - 1 - 2.50

First of all, I was surprised at the number of 4* players MD has brought in, but they have been so mediocre! 23 4* players is too many not to bowl every year, IMO. Durkin could recruit, but he couldn't coach on GameDay and had terrible luck with injuries and character issues. What a waste.

Second, Fitz is the best coach of the bunch at identifying talent to fit NW academic standards and DEVELOPING them over the years. What he has done is amazing. I hope CTA can become our version of Fitz.

Third, I can see why Purdue got eviscerated by Auburn in their bowl. Their classes were just awful. They have very little talent and almost no quality depth. Anyone who says Purdue has more talent than IU doesn't know what they are talking about. There is no gulf that IU needs to close. Instead, IU needs to continue separate from Purdue in terms of talent.

Fourth, IU, is just about in the middle. CTA is building quality depth with a few stars sprinkled in. I firmly believe, based on recruiting talent and on field performance, that IU is more talented than the record indicates. It's up to the coaches to win with the talent they develop.

Bring on 2019!!!!

Based upon that PU and NW have really overacheived.

 

[jcg_94]

I think we all forget how bad and how little talent the Hazel teams had. Not surprising how bad Auburn exposed them. If they lay eggs like that next year though, I’d really start to question Brohm if I were a pu fan.

 

[76-1]

The good news is that, by my early analysis [based on 24/7's numerical player ratings]), adjusted for actual numbers of recruits each team has so far in this years class, we are sitting tied with several other teams at 7th (out of 14) teams in the Big Ten; and with a really, really strong finish could end up as high as 5th...

Now in most rankings of any competition 5th to 7th is Not where you want to finish but Recruiting Class rankings for the Big Ten are a very different breed of cat.

You can simply figure that unless a very large meteor splits in half just prior to impact, with each half landing on the respective football offices of Michigan and "the" Ohio $tate, those two teams will occupy the 1st and 2nd spots..., as a matter of routine.

P$U is another routine lock at the 3rd position, with WI, IA, & M$U rotating as a group, within a group, at 4th, 5th & 6th...

With that reality understood, then 5th to 7th is the current gold standard for us with future aspirations (after a couple of winning seasons) for 4th... (and wild dreams of 3rd "someday")...

So..., the point of all that gibberish is that (from my perspective), things are looking up talent wise (given we often end up 10th or lower).

Also, from my perspective: Jimmies & Joes are more important than X's & O' by a factor of 3-1...

That's just my opinion but I'm sticking with it...

Don't waste your time, or mine, ripping me about where the rankings have us currently (10th I believe) because I'll simply refer you to my first paragraph (this is MY analysis not anyone else's)...

 

[lUCX9]

The good news is that, by my early analysis [based on 24/7's numerical player ratings]), adjusted for actual numbers of recruits each team has so far in this years class, we are sitting tied with several other teams at 7th (out of 14) teams in the Big Ten; and with a really, really strong finish could end up as high as 5th...

Now in most rankings of any competition 5th to 7th is Not where you want to finish but Recruiting Class rankings for the Big Ten are a very different breed of cat.

You can simply figure that unless a very large meteor splits in half just prior to impact, with each half landing on the respective football offices of Michigan and "the" Ohio $tate, those two teams will occupy the 1st and 2nd spots..., as a matter of routine.

P$U is another routine lock at the 3rd position, with WI, IA, & M$U rotating as a group, within a group, at 4th, 5th & 6th...

With that reality understood, then 5th to 7th is the current gold standard for us with future aspirations (after a couple of winning seasons) for 4th... (and wild dreams of 3rd "someday")...

So..., the point of all that gibberish is that (from my perspective), things are looking up talent wise (given we often end up 10th or lower).

Also, from my perspective: Jimmies & Joes are more important than X's & O' by a factor of 3-1...

That's just my opinion but I'm sticking with it...

Don't waste your time, or mine, ripping me about where the rankings have us currently (10th I believe) because I'll simply refer you to my first paragraph (this is MY analysis not anyone else's)...

Nice assessment! CTAs 2018 and 2019 classes are undeniably showing a sharp uptick in recruiting. The 2019 class can close even higher - definitely top 25-30 potential, which would be the best in IU modern history!

However, I would have to disagree with you regarding the jimmies and Joe's VS coaching. I think you're valuing player talent too much at 3:1 over scheme. Granted, you can't win at chess when all you have are pawns. But you need to deploy your pieces properly of you'll get picked apart. Personally, I think Jimmy's and Joe's are valued 2:1 over coaching, plus culture. IMO, successful programs are made up of 50% talent, 25% coaching, 25% Culture.

Case in point: IU under Wilson had good players, bad coaching, bad culture. Wilson had bagged some pretty good talent in 2012-15. Guys like Feeney, Spriggs, Howard, Sudfeld, Dom Booth, Coleman, Allen, Scales, Fant, Latham, Big Ralph, Kenney etc. However, it wasn't until CTA came in 2016 that all that defensive talent was properly coached and mentored. I wonder what kind of effect CTA would have had on Antonio Allen if he was here 3 years earlier - I'd like to think a very positive one. From all accounts, Wilson had a pretty toxic culture, which resulted in poor play and eventually caused him to be fired.

I believe CTA is loading up of jimmies and Joe's (50%), and he's establishing a culture all Hoosiers can be proud of (25%). I know a lot of people here mock LEO, but culture cannot be overstated, or you'll be dealing with character issues all the time.

What's left for CTA to work on is the last 25% - coaching. He's got to learn to be a full time HC and all the responsibilities that go along with that. Everyone knows my opinions toward Debord, so I won't belabor that.

I think 2019 is the year it all fits together. The path to 6+ goes through the "school" up north. The great Brohmbardi and his band of misfits are going to hit a wall, I think. They're losing too many seniors on offense, and that atrocious defense is returning everyone (which is bad bad bad for the boilees). Brohmbardi's top-25 class isn't going to help for another 2 years, at which time Brohm will either be fired or left for the SEC. Everyone could see the look of jealousy and yearning on his face for those SEC athletes during the epic beatdown - the caliber of players that will NEVER play for him in East Laughyette.