IU leaps to 26 in ESPN FPI
- Thread starter TomEric4756
- Start date
If Cignetti makes that much impact right away, we might finally have our chance to go on one of those 10 year type of runs like Tiller did at Purdue. Do that and we actually have something to build on.
With a 12.5% chance to make the playoff. 👀
Yes, Beat MI to go 10-0 might do it … still long odds.
I am like coach Cignetti, don't limit what IU can do this year. Go Hoosiers!
Best chance, albeit miniscule, would be to beat Michigan but lose to OSU, miss the B1G championship game, and sneak in the back door.
Beat UCLA out there and some of those prognostications might mean a little something...
They're fun to read but I want to see us beat a Big Ten team for starters and then start stacking W's on top of that one...
Jury is still out on this team... We haven't played anyone approaching the caliber of a Big Ten team yet...
Big test coming up...
They're fun to read but I want to see us beat a Big Ten team for starters and then start stacking W's on top of that one...
Jury is still out on this team... We haven't played anyone approaching the caliber of a Big Ten team yet...
Big test coming up...
This sounds familiar. Go 2-0 in pre conference. Get all excited. Then, big ten play begins. Then, …….
This is exactly the same team we knew we had preseason. Did anyone predict a loss yet? No. Most were predicting a win over UCLA. Which is still probably about the same odds.
But I guess the UCLA win predictions were 'most' 'here on this forum' and certainly not all. Outside the forum we were being given no credit, like last in the B1G. I heard a michigan radio personality call us right before the season, his 'sleeper' pick, and then predict 4-5 wins which was way under the betting markets of 5.5 wins ... So stupid, 'my sleeper I predict less success than everybody else is'...
Now outside ratings doing a little bit of their job. But no real change to us here, mostly. We already have a couple important injuries too. I've counted a win in this upcoming game since at least spring, but it still looks like a tough one that either team could win. I feel good that we'll be better on the season, but they're at home.
Now, I think with good officiating (meaning no blown calls that seriously affect the game) we'll handle them solidly. But that may be a bit of my crimson colored glasses.
But I guess the UCLA win predictions were 'most' 'here on this forum' and certainly not all. Outside the forum we were being given no credit, like last in the B1G. I heard a michigan radio personality call us right before the season, his 'sleeper' pick, and then predict 4-5 wins which was way under the betting markets of 5.5 wins ... So stupid, 'my sleeper I predict less success than everybody else is'...
Now outside ratings doing a little bit of their job. But no real change to us here, mostly. We already have a couple important injuries too. I've counted a win in this upcoming game since at least spring, but it still looks like a tough one that either team could win. I feel good that we'll be better on the season, but they're at home.
Now, I think with good officiating (meaning no blown calls that seriously affect the game) we'll handle them solidly. But that may be a bit of my crimson colored glasses.
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IU just opened as a 1.5 pt favorite against UCLA and have seen the line move 1-2 points at various books in IU’s favor. So it certainly appears more than just this forum believe IU can win next Saturday. If IU gets the UCLA version that struggled to beat Hawai’i last week, they’ll return to Bloomington as a 3-4 TD victor.
Yeah, now, outside this forum. Of course.
I'm was talking before the first games, preseason. People predicting last in the B1G and 4-5 wins weren't counting a very possible UCLA win for Indiana.
But as I said, no 'odds' have really changed. We had these rosters already and same coaching staffs.
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Not to rain on the Parade, but remember the old saying, "You are never as good as You look when You win, or as bad as You look when You lose." Let's enjoy it while it's there, but let's take the ride one week at a time and see where it takes Us.
And to generate this excitement we only had to pay Louisville a million dollars. If this excitement is real there was no reason to buyout the Louisville game.
I recall the Hoosiers being 4-0 and in the top 20 and then losing every conference game….
I recall the Hoosiers being 4-0 and in the top 20 and then losing every conference game….
Perhaps what did change …
QB Coaching: Jackson looked composed and confident throwing those pretty looking balls … more than just older is wiser. Rourke is running plays and concepts from film study of a QB with similar skills. He’s not being asked to do things to fit the system. I don’t think Sorsby and Jackson were treated as well, last year.
Player attitude: Led by the JMU transfers, looks better.
Of course these intangibles were in the preseason roster and coaching staff.
Didn’t watch all of it, but MSU made MD look bad, especially running the ball.
Yeah what changed was perception of Cig and staff from - "This cocky blowhard Cignetti thinks Elon and JMU is the same as winning at Indiana! Good luck with that. LOL!"
To seeing early returns where now it may be - "Hey, maybe this cocky coach and staff who won elsewhere, are better than Tom Allen. Maybe these top 10 JMU players are pretty good. " (My own perception changed a bit on them and the other sun belt level transfers already. Less worry. )
Looking forward to Saturday! Go Hoosiers!
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To seeing early returns where now it may be - "Hey, maybe this cocky coach and staff who won elsewhere, are better than Tom Allen. Maybe these top 10 JMU players are pretty good. " (My own perception changed a bit on them and the other sun belt level transfers already. Less worry. )
Looking forward to Saturday! Go Hoosiers!
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In total offense and defense (ypg), IU is 3rd on defense and 5th on offense.
There's schools out there who did better than 108 to 10, and 1121 yards? Wow. I gotta check if Alabama scheduled my high school.
The business-like approach and attention to detail aspect between this staff and the prior staff is night and day. That’s my biggest takeaway after 2 weeks of playing inferior opponents. IU had 9 penalties week 1 and cut it to 2 this Friday. Guarantee you that was a point of emphasis all week in practice. Tom Allen had some of the most undisciplined teams I’ve ever seen and it never changed week to week. There’s not many teams (in my opinion) who are going to outwork and outcoach IU under this current staff. There will be some games this season and in the future where the talent gap between IU and its opponent is just too big to cross, but Indiana will never be unprepared going into a game.
I was less confident after FIU than I am after WIU. And it has nothing to do with the scores.
After getting to the big lead against FIU, it felt like IU coasted. Just played flat. And never felt like what it could have/should have been.
WIU, the first team didn't let up and the 2nd team came to play too. They kept hitting and executing and tackling and running hard. I have no illusions that they're going to have any blowouts like Friday night, but to maintain determined intensity throughout. Coach Cig said in his post game that they didn't play down to the competition and they maintained focus, which is all we can ask for.
This weekend is going to be the first real test and I'm excited. After catching highlights from the first two Northwestern games, IU could come out of the first bye week very realistically with no losses, or 1 and with very winnable games against Nebraska & Washington at home and at Michigan State.
I hate to compare to a Legend but Cignetti reminds Me of Bob Knight in one respect. Knight always said We aren't playing against our opponent, but We are playing against ourselves and our standard of the Game. Nobody has ever played a perfect 10 and Nobody ever will. It didn't matter Who was in the game or what the score was, Knight was Coaching to the final whistle making notes about things that needed to be addressed. Cignetti seems to have that same intensity and Coaching approach on the sideline. He is confident in what He does and the Players have confidence in Him and themselves.
The only thing I will say is that Cignetti could smile now and then and enjoy the moment rather than looking like He is being prepped for a root canal. Sometimes that level of constant intensity gets a little heavy for those around You. You don't want to step over the line where the intensity is so strong and constant that it takes the fun of playing away from the Players.
If Tom was coaching he would have won by 14 and acted like it was the National Championship game.
The more I listen to him talk the more he reminds me of Knight.
Apart from Ohio State and possibly USC right now, the whole conference appears to be pretty open. MSU and Maryland both had a lot of shoddy play.
That was a pretty significant loss for Maryland at home against the team with a new coach and quarterback. I watched the Oregon game last night against Boise State. They have been struggling in their first two games. Running back for Boise State is the real deal. Cam Camper gets playing time and makes catches. Most people were writing off USC at the beginning of the year, but they look pretty solid. Hard to tell anything at this point with anybody.
I think this team is better coached, more mentally prepared, tougher, mentally and has a better chance at being consistent than if Allen were running the show. His coaching style proved one thing and that is you can only run on adrenaline and excitement for so long in these meat grinder games. Eventually, you get to be playing so out of control that your team makes crucial errors at the worst points in the game. You have to stay even keel with consistent play. Play your game and run your system, be level. Don’t let one bad play totally impact you mentally just keep playing through it. You have a better chance.
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I thought Nebraska looked really good last night. Both their lines manhandled Colorado. Still early and that was a rivalry game.
I might question the Nebraska game. They looked pretty strong last night.
Yes … it’s almost reminiscent of Big 2 and now little 16 with SC and OSU as this year’s Big 2.
IU and others have yet to play their way to being threatening contenders.
What’s the point of this?
CTA is a high character man who represented IU very well. He had two really good years that brought a lot of excitement to the program.
He’s moved on. So should you.
Speaking of Colorado.....I wonder if Khalil Benson is regretting his decision?
Don't cry for Tom Allen. He left IU with several million dollars in his pocket from a job he probably didn't deserve in the first place.
They aren’t that well-coached but Deion brings them a lot of attention due to his personality and bring in 50k fans each game. Their stadium is absolutely picturesque..
They won’t bring in 50k if they keep losing.
I’m not crying for Tom Allen but let’s not pretend it was all bad. He led us to back to back January bowl games.
And lost both. A decent assistant not head coach material.
The point was to agree with the comment that I quoted (which is why I quoted it).
Neither of us said anything about either man’s character.
I don’t dislike TA, he was just in over his head. CCC may be too for all we know, but I still strongly prefer his approach (besides the yelling at the bball game bit).
Too early to have any sort of realistic hope that we'll go 8-4.
But if we do, I strongly think Coach Cig will be at one of many "bigger football schools", that could be looking for a new coach after this season...next fall.
There are a ton of reasons why he wouldn't. But he's been a program builder, and so far, he's always left those programs for bigger/better ones. He worked under Saban, I gotta think finishing his career at more of a football historical program would entice him. If Florida, or even a school like Virginia Tech, comes seriously calling. I predict he'd leave. And the sub 20K fans in the seats after half time games will have had more than a little to do with it.
