I'm Sorry, but I Just Can't Understand...

[SixthFlagComing]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

Rant on brother, I am right there with you!

 

[ILikeTDs]

Great post! Really puts things into perspective.

I think people are so anxious about a breakthrough season and they know we can do better, that they look for anything to complain about.

We are 4-1 heading into October!

 

[i'vegotwinners]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

it's the internet.

don't assume everyone here is an IU fan, regardless of their username or claims.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

I think the offense is a cause for concern. You can spin stats all you want but we have played one conference game against the worst team and it didn't go very well. We will see how it goes but it only gets tougher from here.

 

[Walt542]

I think the offense is a cause for concern. You can spin stats all you want but we have played one conference game against the worst team and it didn't go very well. We will see how it goes but it only gets tougher from here.

Some people just have to be negative. They seem to think they are balancing or something but it truly is negativity. This is a game that is only entertainment for us unless you are one of the coaches. You can choose to enjoy the team or you can choose to be negative and keep yourself upset while we are actually winning games. God lord people why do you want to make yourself miserable over your chosen form of entertainment?

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

Some people just have to be negative. They seem to think they are balancing or something but it truly is negativity. This is a game that is only entertainment for us unless you are one of the coaches. You can choose to enjoy the team or you can choose to be negative and keep yourself upset while we are actually winning games. God lord people why do you want to make yourself miserable over your chosen form of entertainment?

I am enjoying the hell out of being 4-1. And guess the score on Saturday when the game kicks off is going to be 0-0. Which means we have a chance to win the game. You guys can say I am crazy it that is fine but I am going to watch the game enjoy and after the game I will still be a Hoosier fan and be thankful we have Tom Allen as our coach and not Urban Meyer I have been there before also being a gator fan.

 

[dahldc]

I think the offense is a cause for concern. You can spin stats all you want but we have played one conference game against the worst team and it didn't go very well. We will see how it goes but it only gets tougher from here.

Define concern for me.

While I'm sure it isn't the power house of several years ago, I'm not sure I would define it as a concern. It's a middle of the road Big Ten offense. I don't claim that to be a concern, it just isn't as high octane as we've seen in the past.

 

[YOTHN]

I think the offense is a cause for concern. You can spin stats all you want but we have played one conference game against the worst team and it didn't go very well. We will see how it goes but it only gets tougher from here.

One conference game? What was MSU? It (Rutgers) went very well and IU let up in the second half. That happens. We didn't let up against Ball State so we have the ability. Patience my man, patience.

 

[YOTHN]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

Some people enjoy barking and waiting for disaster so they can win no matter what happens. If IU loses than they slam their chest as if they were amazing prognosticators. If IU wins, great, IU won. It allows their mind to rest easy....

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

I’m new here and just want to know who to put on ignore. Some of the posters are negative/pessimistic towards IU in every one of their posts. They’re the kind of fans that you don’t invite to the tailgate and just leave them at home.

Welcome and Go Hoosiers!!

 

[Bowlmania]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

There is no bigger IU football fan than me, and I am definitely not one of the Negative Nellies who often appear here. The Rutgers game, while only one game, was a red flag for me, though. It was a flat, uninspired performance that I didn't expect following the tough loss to MSU the week before. The OL was ineffective, we were unable to score in the second half, and we struggled to beat the worst team in the conference. Our second half offensive woes haven't been limited to the Rutgers game, and we're going to start losing games in bunches if we're unable to generate anything offensively later in games.

Also, many fans are longtime fans who have seen a number of fast starts fizzle. You can't blame them if they're somewhat skeptical and are thinking that they've seen this movie before.

You make a lot of good points in your post, though (although I think the stated opinions of the Columbus media are disingenuous and/or irrelevant) and there is certainly, at this point, a lot to be happy about. I hope we're even happier in late November.

Win six. Go Hoosiers.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

One conference game? What was MSU? It (Rutgers) went very well and IU let up in the second half. That happens. We didn't let up against Ball State so we have the ability. Patience my man, patience.

Oops. I was thinking more along the lines of games we should win. Anyway, I am far from a negative Nellie. I think we have enough skill on O we should be better. I have tried not to post a lot since I have this feeling if dread. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Bowlmania]

Oops. I was thinking more along the lines of games we should win. Anyway, I am far from a negative Nellie. I think we have enough skill on O we should be better. I have tried not to post a lot since I have this feeling if dread. Hope I'm wrong.

I hope you're wrong, too.

I don't think the OSU game is much of a barometer. In other words, after that game we're not going to know a whole lot more in terms of how things are going to play out than we do now. The Iowa game, though, will be very telling.

 

[ORG]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

Thank you for reminding me!!!!

 

[h20pls]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

Here are a couple of observations I'd like to add:

• Recently and historically...this program has found ways to lose one or two of the four games that currently reside on the "W side of the column."
• We are (nodding now at #8) playing a lot of young players. Players who will be back next year...and the year after that...shoot...in some cases three more years.
• We are playing a lot of kids. We're playing two and sometimes three deep on the roster. When has IU had the ability to do that? Sometimes we did it out of necessity...but not out of the head coach's belief that he could sub fresh talent with an expectation of good results.

This is clearly a team, coach and staff worthy of support in the Hoosier Nation.

 

[oldcougar77]

Here are a couple of observations I'd like to add:

• Recently and historically...this program has found ways to lose one or two of the four games that currently reside on the "W side of the column."
• We are (nodding now at #8) playing a lot of young players. Players who will be back next year...and the year after that...shoot...in some cases three more years.
• We are playing a lot of kids. We're playing two and sometimes three deep on the roster. When has IU had the ability to do that? Sometimes we did it out of necessity...but not out of the head coach's belief that he could sub fresh talent with an expectation of good results.

This is clearly a team, coach and staff worthy of support in the Hoosier Nation.

I agree that we are a year away from being a team to be reckoned with. I can't say that I had been frustrated with anything until the second half of the Rutgers game.

I was very pleased with our first game on the road against a quality opponent in S. Florida heat. Especially with how we moved the ball. The Va. game was just a case of survival and using limited weapons in that awful weather. I never felt doubt in the outcome. We dominated BSU in every way.

The MSU game was a terrible situation for us. They had two weeks to get healthy and fix their problems. Their early struggles helped them to focus on us while I'm sure that at 3-0 our players might not have been acutely aware of the step up in competition they were facing. We knew they had a great front seven so I was not surprised we struggled to run. Still, we were down a touchdown with 3+ minutes to play and with all of our timeouts. Confusion on the part of a third-string guy led to the clinching score, with a fake field goal the balance of the difference. We still competed very well.

I was worried that we would be flat at Rutgers and struggle but we punched them in the mouth in the first half. I expected a big win to result but we dropped off a cliff offensively in the second half. That has me concerned. Letting Rutgers get pressure and the failure to score the entire second half should be cause for some alarm. Hopefully we rebound.

As others have said here, I don't know what we might find out Saturday. We are on the road with a serious talent discrepancy. I just want us to compete and stay healthy. Anything absent a blowout and serious injuries I think will be a win for us. I still like the fact that Iowa, Md., and PUke are all at home. I think that is a huge advantage. I am confident that we would have won both of those games last year had they been in MS. I think Minny is very beatable even on the road.

As I have said before, as long as we have to endure being in the B1G east, I will never complain if we can manage 6 wins and make a bowl.

 

[IUCol]

...the constant negativity of many posts. Specifically, I can't understand:

1. We have one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the conference and people are calling for him to be benched

2. We have an offensive coordinator who is capitalizing on his players strengths and people are calling on him to do things that are their weaknesses

3. We have an incredibly young defense that is now ranked in the top 25 in the country, yet our strength of schedule is questioned

4. We have beautiful new facilities yet people complain it's not football only

5. We are playing with our 3rd/4th string running backs who are true freshmen and have found a way to get to a 4-1 record, in spite of bad blocking

6. We played Rutgers with a depleted WR corps, as well as the aforementioned depleted RB corps, on the road, got a WIN and people are complaining

7. Coach Allen went for it on fourth down, AND IT WORKED, and somehow he's accused of being amateurish.

8. Recruiting is as strong is it has ever been for IU football and somehow people on this board desperately want to overpay for some washed up, has been of a national coach instead of an up-and-comer like Coach Allen

We are 4-1 heading into a game at OSU in which the Columbus media are saying things like, "OSU had better not take IU lightly" and "this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes".

There are so, so many positive things happening with IU football. Goodness gracious. Be happy.

Rant complete...forgive me, please.

Most of what you say is true...however...it isn't where we are that matters and long time IU FB fans know that all too well. If they sound worried or concerned is because we have started well before only to hit the B10 schedule and BANG! So when they look at the obvious problems showing from a victory...cut a little slack. How many times has a good start ended well? Yeah, not many. SO careful with your pointing fingers, some are pointing back at you...vbg...IU fan have right, no responsibility to worry about every aspect of our games and program. It doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the victory...silly concept in general that because of one the other must be true...predicate calculus this aint...

Lets see how optimistic everyone is in 3 games from now. That will tell the tale...

 

[Bowlmania]

Lets see how optimistic everyone is in 3 games from now. That will tell the tale...

Disagree that that will "tell the tale." I don't know that any team in the country has a tougher three game stretch coming up than we do. I think we have a shot against Iowa (at a minimum, I want to see a hard-fought, competitive game) but it's quite possible - - and, actually, probable - - that we'll be sitting at 4-4. And, with our schedule, there'd be no shame in that. The tale of 2018 will be told by what happens in the final four games of the season.

Win six. Go Hoosiers.

 

[turney333]

I agree that we are a year away from being a team to be reckoned with. I can't say that I had been frustrated with anything until the second half of the Rutgers game.

I was very pleased with our first game on the road against a quality opponent in S. Florida heat. Especially with how we moved the ball. The Va. game was just a case of survival and using limited weapons in that awful weather. I never felt doubt in the outcome. We dominated BSU in every way.

The MSU game was a terrible situation for us. They had two weeks to get healthy and fix their problems. Their early struggles helped them to focus on us while I'm sure that at 3-0 our players might not have been acutely aware of the step up in competition they were facing. We knew they had a great front seven so I was not surprised we struggled to run. Still, we were down a touchdown with 3+ minutes to play and with all of our timeouts. Confusion on the part of a third-string guy led to the clinching score, with a fake field goal the balance of the difference. We still competed very well.

I was worried that we would be flat at Rutgers and struggle but we punched them in the mouth in the first half. I expected a big win to result but we dropped off a cliff offensively in the second half. That has me concerned. Letting Rutgers get pressure and the failure to score the entire second half should be cause for some alarm. Hopefully we rebound.

As others have said here, I don't know what we might find out Saturday. We are on the road with a serious talent discrepancy. I just want us to compete and stay healthy. Anything absent a blowout and serious injuries I think will be a win for us. I still like the fact that Iowa, Md., and PUke are all at home. I think that is a huge advantage. I am confident that we would have won both of those games last year had they been in MS. I think Minny is very beatable even on the road.

As I have said before, as long as we have to endure being in the B1G east, I will never complain if we can manage 6 wins and make a bowl.

PuntJohnPunt has a pretty good breakdown of the 2nd half against Rutgers

http://puntjohnpunt.com/2018/10/02/a-deeper-dive-into-the-conservative-2nd-half/

And basically, the biggest difference between "punching them in the mouth" in the first half and "dropping off a cliff" in the 2nd could be summed up by 3rd down conversions. Playcalling/success on 1st/2nd downs wasn't all that different between halves, but while we converted about 80% of 3rd downs in the 1st, we only converted 50% in the 2nd, and that was on top of Scott's fumble on what looked to be a solid drive.

 

[fkfootball]

UK is ranked #13.


We might not make a bowl game.


Tired of the excuses with this program.

 

[fpeaugh]

I’m cautiously optimistic for the rest of the year. I’m reserving judgement until it’s completed.

You lost me a bit saying Tom Allen went for it on 4th down and it worked. Just because Rutgers couldn’t execute to make it hurt us doesn’t mean it worked. It failed miserably. That’s like leaving your car unlocked in a bad neighborhood with $10k in cash on the dash and if it doesn’t get stolen in the first hour you tell everyone it was safe because you left the doors unlocked. No, you took an unnecessary risk and got lucky that time. It was safe despite you, not because of you. Doesn’t mean it’s going to work in the future.

There are a lot of positive things happening though. The real schedule starts now. Need 2 more!

 

[turney333]

I’m cautiously optimistic for the rest of the year. I’m reserving judgement until it’s completed.

You lost me a bit saying Tom Allen went for it on 4th down and it worked. Just because Rutgers couldn’t execute to make it hurt us doesn’t mean it worked. It failed miserably. That’s like leaving your car unlocked in a bad neighborhood with $10k in cash on the dash and if it doesn’t get stolen in the first hour you tell everyone it was safe because you left the doors unlocked. No, you took an unnecessary risk and got lucky that time. It was safe despite you, not because of you. Doesn’t mean it’s going to work in the future.

There are a lot of positive things happening though. The real schedule starts now. Need 2 more!

Obviously most recent games are top of mind, but most college football teams are somewhat inconsistent week to week.

Maryland was looking like a top 25 team, then get routed by Temple, scoring ZERO offensive points
VT got beat Old Dominion, but have otherwise looked really good
Last year, Iowa blasts OSU, then loses to Purdue
in 2014 IU follows up a home loss to BG with a win on the road against Missouri

Examples like this are easy to find. The hope is that the Rutgers game was the floor to our performance, and not an average/representative one

 

[YOTHN]

I’m cautiously optimistic for the rest of the year. I’m reserving judgement until it’s completed.

You lost me a bit saying Tom Allen went for it on 4th down and it worked. Just because Rutgers couldn’t execute to make it hurt us doesn’t mean it worked. It failed miserably. That’s like leaving your car unlocked in a bad neighborhood with $10k in cash on the dash and if it doesn’t get stolen in the first hour you tell everyone it was safe because you left the doors unlocked. No, you took an unnecessary risk and got lucky that time. It was safe despite you, not because of you. Doesn’t mean it’s going to work in the future.

There are a lot of positive things happening though. The real schedule starts now. Need 2 more!

If we could somehow figure out a way to win 2 of the next 4, which isn't out of the realm of possibility..........that would be amazing.

@osu
iowa
psu
@minny

Being bowl eligible and going into a bye week with home vs Maryland, @UM and home vs PU left to add to the resume, would be amazing.

 

[fpeaugh]

If we could somehow figure out a way to win 2 of the next 4, which isn't out of the realm of possibility..........that would be amazing.

@osu
iowa
psu
@minny

Being bowl eligible and going into a bye week with home vs Maryland, @UM and home vs PU left to add to the resume, would be amazing.

Agree that would be amazing. We need at least 1 at a minimum. I don’t want to rely on beating both Maryland and Purdue if we’re on a 4 game losing streak. This is a big stretch.

 

[IUCol]

Disagree that that will "tell the tale." I don't know that any team in the country has a tougher three game stretch coming up than we do. I think we have a shot against Iowa (at a minimum, I want to see a hard-fought, competitive game) but it's quite possible - - and, actually, probable - - that we'll be sitting at 4-4. And, with our schedule, there'd be no shame in that. The tale of 2018 will be told by what happens in the final four games of the season.

Win six. Go Hoosiers.

Its how we come out of this stretch that will determine our season...as I said...come out healthy and we might still have a nice season. Come out hurt at key spots and demoralized, what do you think will happen? Was it that hard to figure out what I was saying?

 

[YOTHN]

Agree that would be amazing. We need at least 1 at a minimum. I don’t want to rely on beating both Maryland and Purdue if we’re on a 4 game losing streak. This is a big stretch.

I would agree. Losing all 4 wouldn't eliminate us but it would be demoralizing to say the least. We would essentially be back to where we typically are. Our backs against the wall and needing to finish really strong to have a chance. Win one of those four and suddenly we have an opportunity to beat Maryland at home (after a bye) for a bowl clinching 6th win with two games still to go. That would guarantee the season was a success because its been a very long while since we went into the PU game with a bowl bid already in hand. Next year our team has a lot of weapons to further the progress.

But you know what, lets go out and win on Saturday and re-write our entire forecast....

 

[Indianaftw]

UK is ranked #13.


We might not make a bowl game.


Tired of the excuses with this program.

You would have called for Stoops head along with 50% of this board had he started like he did with uk. He would be coaching somewhere else. Give CTA that long and lets see what he does.

 

[Bowlmania]

Its how we come out of this stretch that will determine our season...as I said...come out healthy and we might still have a nice season. Come out hurt at key spots and demoralized, what do you think will happen? Was it that hard to figure out what I was saying?

Sorry, your point wasn't entirely clear to me. I guess I don't have your intellect.

 

[Bligedy]

I agree that we are a year away from being a team to be reckoned with. I can't say that I had been frustrated with anything until the second half of the Rutgers game.

I was very pleased with our first game on the road against a quality opponent in S. Florida heat. Especially with how we moved the ball. The Va. game was just a case of survival and using limited weapons in that awful weather. I never felt doubt in the outcome. We dominated BSU in every way.

The MSU game was a terrible situation for us. They had two weeks to get healthy and fix their problems. Their early struggles helped them to focus on us while I'm sure that at 3-0 our players might not have been acutely aware of the step up in competition they were facing. We knew they had a great front seven so I was not surprised we struggled to run. Still, we were down a touchdown with 3+ minutes to play and with all of our timeouts. Confusion on the part of a third-string guy led to the clinching score, with a fake field goal the balance of the difference. We still competed very well.

I was worried that we would be flat at Rutgers and struggle but we punched them in the mouth in the first half. I expected a big win to result but we dropped off a cliff offensively in the second half. That has me concerned. Letting Rutgers get pressure and the failure to score the entire second half should be cause for some alarm. Hopefully we rebound.

As others have said here, I don't know what we might find out Saturday. We are on the road with a serious talent discrepancy. I just want us to compete and stay healthy. Anything absent a blowout and serious injuries I think will be a win for us. I still like the fact that Iowa, Md., and PUke are all at home. I think that is a huge advantage. I am confident that we would have won both of those games last year had they been in MS. I think Minny is very beatable even on the road.

As I have said before, as long as we have to endure being in the B1G east, I will never complain if we can manage 6 wins and make a bowl.

The speed of the captain is the speed of the crew......

CTA and crew set the tone from the very beginning of the second half. 3 runs. Nothing particularly creative or urgent. The players played like the staff coached.

Maybe I'm wrong but I was more concerned with the coaching than the players.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

The speed of the captain is the speed of the crew......

CTA and crew set the tone from the very beginning of the second half. 3 runs. Nothing particularly creative or urgent. The players played like the staff coached.

Maybe I'm wrong but I was more concerned with the coaching than the players.

The defense is well coached, the rest of it............

 

[muubell]

I didn't see the game live, and saw some of the criticism before watching it on DVR. I didn't think we looked that bad in the second half, and the link below supports that notion.

Play by play breakdown from PuntJohnPunt blog, quote and link below:

"There’s been a lot of criticism, including here, about the 2nd half offense by Indiana against Rutgers. That IU went super-conservative which allowed Rutgers back into the game.

In a closer look, I’m not exactly sure that’s the case. Yes, Indiana ran it a lot more than the first half. But situation (down, distance, time, lead) seemed to dictate some of it."

http://puntjohnpunt.com/2018/10/02/a-deeper-dive-into-the-conservative-2nd-half/#more-7844

 

[brebelle3]

I'm hoping they are competitive this weekend against OSU, because if there is a little energy next weekend, I think they'll take Iowa at home. It'll be about a pickem on the line.

Gotta stay/get healthy.

 

[Hoosier009]

The speed of the captain is the speed of the crew......

CTA and crew set the tone from the very beginning of the second half. 3 runs. Nothing particularly creative or urgent. The players played like the staff coached.

Maybe I'm wrong but I was more concerned with the coaching than the players.

I agree... we do not have the OL talent level to just run and move the sticks. We needed to continue mixing in our short passing game. PR makes good decisions and completes a high percentage of his passes. A 4 yard completion keeps the clock running the same way as a run.
When we got the ball after halftime and went 3 and out that was bad news. Bad choice by coaching staff. We needed to put points on the board during Q3 and put the game out of touch.

 

[Bowlmania]

The defense is well coached, the rest of it............

The defense is exceptionally well-coached, and I'm so glad Tom Allen is our guy.

Hiller and DeBord need to show more over the second half of the season.

 

[Pigalow]

I’m new here and just want to know who to put on ignore. Some of the posters are negative/pessimistic towards IU in every one of their posts. They’re the kind of fans that you don’t invite to the tailgate and just leave them at home.

Welcome. You might wanna' stay away from the Basketball boards. If you think there's negativity in here, it's literally a small fraction of the negativity on those boards. They make it an art form, it's diabolical.

 

[mattndallas]

Four "toss up" games (at this point)...

Iowa (because it's here)
Minnesota (because Maryland killed them)
Maryland (because it's here and although they beat Texas and Minny, they lost to Temple)
Purdue (still think this will be tougher than expected...thank goodness it's in Btown).

We need to go 2-2 there to make a bowl. Simple as that.

We somehow sweep these four (a possibility, but not a certainty)..would be a VERY successful season.

I'd like to go 3-1 or 4-0 in these, but also pick off one of the remaining "Big 3" we have on the schedule. Not sure who, but one can dream.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

]I'm hoping they are competitive this weekend against OSU, because if there is a little energy next weekend, I think they'll take Iowa at home. It'll be about a pickem on the line.

Gotta stay/get healthy.[/QUOTE]


I agree with this. In fact, I think the Iowa game is almost a 'must win' for the health of this program.

I, for one, don't look at this as CTA year two.....rather, it's 6th/7th year of the Wilson/Allen rebuild. With no significant victories last year, if Allen can't beat a MSU or Iowa at home at this point, when even Wilson was able to beat MSU & PSU with a less competitive roster....let's just say it's not a good sign.

Fight the good fight against OSU & PSU, and beat Iowa, by hook or by crook, and we'll be in good shape for those last 4 games.

Those of you who go on & on about winning 6 games......how many fans give a damn about going 6-7 with wins over FIU, BSU, Virginia, Rutgers, Minnesota & Maryland? Now go 7-6 by adding wins against Purdue or Iowa (I assume we'd lose a bowl game....we always do)....that's more like it.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

The speed of the captain is the speed of the crew......

CTA and crew set the tone from the very beginning of the second half. 3 runs. Nothing particularly creative or urgent. The players played like the staff coached.

Maybe I'm wrong but I was more concerned with the coaching than the players.

What bothered me was not so much losing the 2nd half v. Rutgers, but that Coach Allen wasn't PISSED that we lost the 2nd half v. Rutgers. He even made the 'a win is a win' comment ala some of the posters on here. The "we just have to finish" mantra is just meaningless verbage when you apply it to Rutgers, for God's sake. We could use a little more urgency and fire, imo

 

[td75]

Hardcore fans are ready for 7 win seasons, coupled with an 8th win in the bowl game. Hardcore fans DESERVE it...they've paid their dues!! Hardcore fans want to see IU occasionally whip up on Michigan and Ohio State, too.

This idea of playing for 6 wins and excepting getting your ass kicked against the big three is a loser's mentality, it really is....Kick Ohio State in the nuts!!!!!!!