I don't really care about ND joining a conference or getting a bye.
I follow college football. Watch more Texas games than ND.
Not a lot of Love From the "Experts"
- Thread starter larlane
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I follow college football. Watch more Texas games than ND.
Asking about reversible jacket is, in fact, name calling. Everyone knew what you meant.
I was a realist at the beginning of the season and would not have predicted 11 wins. The word realist does not mean infallible.
Notre Dame is a very good team...they're essentially a better version of IU and I don't mean that as a slight. They're disciplined, they don't turn the ball over, and fundamentally sound in all three phases. If there's one knock on ND this year it's probably their offensive balance. That needs to be the one area IU exploits. Cannot let them comfortable with 4,5,6 yards a run.
I figured as much. If ND was in a conference & dealt with the rigors of being in a conference & the grind of what that is, you wouldn't be on here "talking them up" as you've done today. Like you, I'm just being "realistic" in what I say.
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Two or three of this group of pundits pick ND to reach the final game.
Think about what we have to kick around...this season will be/is already the best year in the history of IU Football...and I have this suspicion CCC is no flash in the pan. The entire CFP is in turmoil, and an IU Team has succeeded beyond anyone's expectations!
Thanks to Scott Dolson and P. Whitten for their leadership and going All In on IU Football!
That's some kind of insight!
Are these the same "experts" who picked us to finish 17th in our 18-team league?Looks like ESPN's analysts are seeing us lose against ND-some by a huge margin. Looks like locker room fodder to me.
We made score picks for every postseason CFB game -- 11 Playoff matchups and 36 bowls
We made predictions on the final score of every bowl matchup. Check back to see how we fared.www.espn.com
I don't think he's ever projected anything. I've never seen him on the football board before.
Most non IU people discount our 11 wins. A first year coach at the losingest program in the history of major college football. Are the "experts" even considering that?Looks like ESPN's analysts are seeing us lose against ND-some by a huge margin. Looks like locker room fodder to me.
We made score picks for every postseason CFB game -- 11 Playoff matchups and 36 bowls
We made predictions on the final score of every bowl matchup. Check back to see how we fared.
How does what the experts are focused on impact the game?
Obviously IU has to be play well to win. I just don't think this is some hugely daunting challenge for IU. CFP game, on the road, in a place like South Bend, in December...always gonna be tough, for anyone. But IU doesn't need some crazy special performance, or any miracles. I think toe to toe, IU is the better football team.I doubt that, but I guess we're about to see. This site has them ranked as a top 5 DL in the country:
Indiana vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Can Kurtis Rourke Keep It Close?
It’s been 33 years since these two Hoosier State rivals last met on the field. Here’s who we’re backing in our Indiana vs. Notre Dame prediction.collegefootballnetwork.com
Re our best football, I mean, they're ranked #3 in the country. I think we do have to play at, or near, our best to win.
I think 4, 5, 6 yard runs aren't the end of the world. If we don't give up the 20+ yard runs, I think IU gets home enough on Leonard, and then maybe causes enough turnovers, that we can get off the field more often than not, even if they're getting a fair amount of 4-6 yard runs.
Because we can’t compete with a team that lost to Northern Illinois? I think we go in and put it to them. Feeeman is going to the bears anyways.
Those 4,5,6 yard runs turn into the 20+ yard runs over the course of the game. Need to force Notre Dame into obvious passing downs to give the defense the chance to get off the field.
You figured I watched a lot of college football and watch Texas more than ND? Good for you.
Re "talking them up as I've done today," they're the #3 team in the country. If we beat them, it will be our best win of the year. They have 4 and 5 star DLinemen. Those are all facts.
Weird emotional reactions here. We're the underdog. We should be based on all the objective measurables. It will make a win that much sweeter if it happens.
I can see those lopsided predictions. Let’s face it, IU’s weakness against top teams is our O-line and no matter how much we want to compete we just can’t match up to those top tier teams when it comes to that. Our skill players can match up and even our defensive front seven can hold their own, but our O-line, when playing the top level teams, can’t stop their front seven from getting to Rourke and hasn’t shown that we can have a ground game that can rush for 100-150 yards (OSU & Michigan held us under 100 yards),Looks like ESPN's analysts are seeing us lose against ND-some by a huge margin. Looks like locker room fodder to me.
We made score picks for every postseason CFB game -- 11 Playoff matchups and 36 bowls
We made predictions on the final score of every bowl matchup. Check back to see how we fared.
I’m happy we’re in and if we don’t make mistakes I think we can find a way to beat ND, but frankly it’s gonna take Cig 2-3 more years to get an O-line that is ready for prime time and have a chance to beat the best.
No turnovers we win. We're just better, that's all
We’ve faced top tier offensive lines in OSU & Michigan and neither of those two teams ran the ball all that well, so I’m confident we can slow them a bit. I’m most worried about our offense being able to run and give Rourke time enough to throw.
I agree with you this isn't as tough a game as OSU on the road, and we don't need miracles to win. Vegas has us at ~27% chance to win. I think it's closer than that.
I'd venture to say ND's run blocking is every bit as good as OSU and Michigan as is their rushing attack. Both their feature backs average 7+ ypc and their QB isn't far behind. Need to run the ball successfully on 1st and 2nd down to prevent ND from pinning their ears back. Their LB's are very good.
Our RBs ran for 141 yards vs OSU. Evans snafu and the sacks made it look like we didn't run the ball well, but we did.
I disagree - even in today's environment of "unrestricted free-agency". O-line is the place of greatest scarcity. It is a place where intellect is as important as athleticism. And it takes 5 of them working cohesively on every single snap. The top programs historically are where they are because they manage to get the best of the best at those positions. Very few players are physically and mentally ready to be great O-linemen directly out of high school. Not only does IU have to be able to recruit with the best teams in the country for these players, it has to develop them as a unit. Even with transfers, it takes time to build at this position. And one or two key injuries can mean serious setbacks and drop-off in play. The guys who play this position get no individual glory, so they can't be lured as easily by promises of being "featured". The best want to play for teams who win at an elite level. We have to prove we can do that consistently and demonstrate that we can put O-linemen in the league.
I'm not saying we can't, and we are closer to that now than we've been in a long time - maybe ever. But you can't go get one elite offensive lineman, like a program-changing QB, or running back, or receiver, or pass rusher, or stud linebacker and significantly elevate your team.
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But ND doesn't have the threat of Smith and Egbuka, so you can commit a little more to the run...which will be necessary since Leonard can be like an extra RB.
If the braintrust comes up with a way to slow the type of rush Michigan second half and Ohio State all game except two drives, put on us, we can win. It's unsettling, because for three halves in a row we had little answer. It wasn't just the noise, otherwise how did Michigan do it?
But, the good part is, now our players are familiar with heavy pressure from that level of talent. And I'm sure our guys are determined to make the defense pay this time.
I feel good about the defense, but I think our offense wins this game.
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But, the good part is, now our players are familiar with heavy pressure from that level of talent. And I'm sure our guys are determined to make the defense pay this time.
I feel good about the defense, but I think our offense wins this game.
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Well, you’re not going to be able to rebuild your entire O-line from the portal. Those top linemen mostly are staying put if they’re with a top program. Might have to do most of the work via luring top HS recruits and that’s gonna take time. Frankly, it’s the separation between the SEC and most of the rest of us. They notoriously have the top linemen and win games by winning the line of scrimmage battle. OSU & Michigan can get them and this is why they can win national titles.
I'd argue the noise had a lot to do with it. Is it as loud at ND? I don't know, only been there for soccer. My guess is it's not, partly because a lot of the OSU noise was from blaring speakers on the south end pre-snap
They 100% have those athletes.
Xavier Watts at safety (reigning defensive player of the year and arguably having a better season in ‘24); Jeremiyah Love at RB is PFF’s #2 RB behind Jeanty; Jadarian Price at RB is capable of a house call every time he touches the ball; freshman Leonard Moore at CB has replaced All-American Benjamin Morrison and the pass D hasn’t skipped a beat.
This isn’t your 2012 era ND team. I watched this team make Texas A&M’s SEC athletes look slow.
Anyway, anyone underestimating this team’s athleticism is in for a big surprise.
Only people underestimating is ND. My neighbor is a ND legacy and we watched every single game. Stop elevating a ND team that had the 57th ranked schedule. It’s not like either team played a gauntlet.
Let's be honest, they've played two teams that you'd classify as 'passing teams'
Right....they averaged 6.3 yds per carry this year v. 5.0 for OSU and 5.2 for PSU.
I'm gonna guess that you've never coached football.
Also, played against 3 of the worst P4 teams in the country and 4 G6 teams. Their only opponents with the types of players (physically) that we have were AM, Lou, UVA, GT and USC.
Cig certainly brought in a lot more than 2-3.
