Post PSU - Fair Assessment

[IndyIUFan66]

I thought IU would cover +12, because I thought Penix/offense had confidence from WKU game.

Offense to me is 85% of why IU has lost the three games it has, as offense has NOT gelled, period. Seemingly it is a combo at the core of OC scheme + weak OL play, which then appears to trickle down into drops, 2-yd runs and frustration when throw an incomplete in third & long.

I thought Penix had confidence back post WKU & no turnovers, but he looked like “bad Penix” most of the night until he got injured again. While I hope he can get himself healthy, believe Allen HAS to turn page now to Tuttle.

NOT going to say Tuttle is like Brady replacing Patriots QB to start making us look like top 10 team delusional. But can anyone argue the offense didn’t look better and somewhat moving the ball under him? He probably threw a bad ball with his pick in end, but it was very late in game, down 24 trying to make a play and believe could have been some on WR route running too.

I remind the board, he seems to be quite liked by his teammates and has shown to be a strong, optimistic leader. He also has a nice ball and was a 4-star QB. I think given the reigns he may surprise us, and think the time is now. With 2-weeks to prepare I believe IU can beat MSU with him running the offense and our Defense doing its thing.

Our defense. Again believe they played well enough to win the game tonight if they had an offense matching their efforts. But when get lot of three and outs, midfield starting position for PSU and can’t convert 4th & 1 inside 10, it is going to wear out and demoralize a defense by 2nd half. Can only expect them to save us so many times.

The goal line stand late in game was all heart, and I respect the hell out of that.

McFadden, Jones, Anderson, New N ILL DT transfer, CB Williams & Payne, Matthew’s & Fitz…they were all gritty as hell tonight!!!

Special teams is to me 15% of why we are losing and tonight had a 2nd half collapsed line lead to a blocked FG and had to burn a key Timeout bc had 12 men on field for a FG attempt by PSU. (The latter reminds me of guy lining up over center which allowed Cinci to be 4th & 1, get first down and then a TD. It’s basically inexcusable to not know which 11 guys go out on an opposing team FG attempt! Or to know not to line up over center. Or to give up a TD KO return in 4th on next play after going up on Cinci. Or for that matter to concede kick off returns to fair catch only?)

Though I normally like them to come later in season, this bye week is at a perfect time. Think many dinged up on D can get back to healthy and ready for MSU. Think giving Keys to offense to Tuttle for two weeks gives him time to make offense his team and work with WR. And yes, gives McCully time to get more snaps as new back up QB too.

I hate to be in excuse making business as results are results. But FACTS are we have 3 losses to three Top 5 & 10 teams. Our defense played well enough to win all three (I say that even about Iowa) but offense & special teams are a mess, not executing at all in those losses.

But I don’t think season is lost and having non-top 10 teams ahead will be nice. MD, Rutgers, Purdue are far from top 10. I don’t think MSU or MN are unwinnable at all either. It’s easy to say IU “just sucks” but we have lost to some damn good teams. (Cinci handled ND easier than it did IU, and it still kills me we lost that winnable game.)

We can’t fully judge a season until after the season! But hope we stay with this team, let them have the bye week to re-settle and get back on track with MSU and final stretch.

If Tuttle can be tighter, and offense can muster some drives/points, feel like defense can keep us in most all rest of games. But IU will need to focus, regroup and stay United as this is when it gets hard losing again and struggling.

But damn, with a more highly functioning offense, we would be having a very different conversation about IU. We may still have 2 losses, but doubt Iowa & PSU would have been nearly as lob sided.

Take the two weeks to clear the head and let’s go get the mojo back vs Sparty!

 

[vesuvius13]

Yes a team's season isn't determined by five games with several against top 1-10 teams. Still this offense and STs need to get straightened out if IU has a shot at a decent season this year.

 

[Euro]

Question that our D played well enough to win. Their QB reminds me of Peyton Ramsey but not as accurate. Giving up 400 yards is not that great

 

[td75]

We need far better QB play, period. The Big Ten East is a tough outfit but high level QB play can neutralize some of these top teams.

Hopefully Tuttle quickly shows why he was rated so highly.

 

[Hoosiers47614]

Question that our D played well enough to win. Their QB reminds me of Peyton Ramsey but not as accurate. Giving up 400 yards is not that great

They were on the field almost all game long.
Our longest drive lasted 8 plays, and that was in garbage time.
Outside of garbage time, the longest drive we had was six plays long and ended in a pick.

They were going to wear down and start giving up plays after a while.
I mean, they kept it within two TDs until very late in the 3rd quarter.
You can't ask them to hold up forever with almost no rest or momentum.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Yes a team's season isn't determined by five games with several against top 1-10 teams. Still this offense and STs need to get straightened out if IU has a shot at a decent season this year.

We've now lost to the number 3,4 and 5 teams in the nation.

Our schedule is ranked 2nd in the nation so far.

In terms of the offense, I'm not in the mindset that Sheridan is the whole problem. Penix has been absolutely horrible and he just doesn't have the confidence he's had the prior two seasons that we need him to have. It doesn't matter what play Sheridan calls right now, if it's a pass, Penix is probably throwing a incompletion. It doesn't help that receivers aren't getting open and when they do, they are dropping balls. It'll be interesting to see if Penix's shoulder injury gets CTA out of a decision on whether to make a switch or not. At this point, I'd personally go with Tuttle, and I've been in the Penix camp.

Our defense has been good enough for us to win games. Our offense needs to now catch up and not waste this opportunity.

 

[Euro]

They were on the field almost all game long.
Our longest drive lasted 8 plays, and that was in garbage time.
Outside of garbage time, the longest drive we had was six plays long and ended in a pick.

They were going to wear down and start giving up plays after a while.
I mean, they kept it within two TDs until very late in the 3rd quarter.
You can't ask them to hold up forever with almost no rest or momentum.

They played with effort and guts but don't think well enough to win the game

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

We've now lost to the number 3,4 and 5 teams in the nation.

Our schedule is ranked 2nd in the nation so far.

In terms of the offense, I'm not in the mindset that Sheridan is the whole problem. Penix has been absolutely horrible and he just doesn't have the confidence he's had the prior two seasons that we need him to have. It doesn't matter what play Sheridan calls right now, if it's a pass, Penix is probably throwing a incompletion. It doesn't help that receivers aren't getting open and when they do, they are dropping balls. It'll be interesting to see if Penix's shoulder injury gets CTA out of a decision on whether to make a switch or not. At this point, I'd personally go with Tuttle, and I've been in the Penix camp.

Our defense has been good enough for us to win games. Our offense needs to now catch up and not waste this opportunity.

Our defense has had some breakdowns and not as many turnovers but still heads and shoulders above most defenses I’ve seen at IU in my life.
With just a serviceable QB who plays smart, it will give IU a chance in several remaining games.
We cannot win games with a kid who is disoriented back there throwing the ball at guys feet.
The offense we saw last night won’t win games for any team.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Our defense has had some breakdowns and not as many turnovers but still heads and shoulders above most defenses I’ve seen at IU in my life.
With just a serviceable QB who plays smart, it will give IU a chance in several remaining games.
We cannot win games with a kid who is disoriented back there throwing the ball at guys feet.
The offense we saw last night won’t win games for any team.

I wonder how fresher our defense would be of our offense could get drives going instead of continued 3 and outs over and over. We hardly ever stay on schedule and I sometimes wonder if we run so much on first down because Penix has been so erratic so Sheridan would rather get yards then be 2nd and 10.

Still, if it were me, I'd shift to Tuttle and see what he's got. He can't be any worse at this point.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

I wonder how fresher our defense would be of our offense could get drives going instead of continued 3 and outs over and over. We hardly ever stay on schedule and I sometimes wonder if we run so much on first down because Penix has been so erratic so Sheridan would rather get yards then be 2nd and 10.

Still, if it were me, I'd shift to Tuttle and see what he's got. He can't be any worse at this point.

Absolutely. Any defense who repeatedly gets put out there is going to wear out. And, I’m thinking the staff somewhere along the line was trying to protect Penix’s psyche. There are series where Penix wasn’t even close to the WR and it was every down in the series. Recipe for disaster: mix 1 part immobile QB with a line that cannot block.
Our defense covered WRs too but the difference was that Clifford can get out of it and run.

 

[Fpeaugh2]

Can we please stop making the excuse of we lost to 3 very good teams? We didn’t just lose. We got beat like a drum mercilessly into submission. Like tuck tail and go cry on momma’s lap beat.

Ball St put up 13 at PSU. Villanova scored 17. We didn’t just lose on last second FGs. Playing this way will get us a nice 3-9 year.

 

[Sophie1970]

Yes a team's season isn't determined by five games with several against top 1-10 teams. Still this offense and STs need to get straightened out if IU has a shot at a decent season this year.

Only way we have a decent season is to score points. Defense is incredible, offense sucks.

 

[Nihilist Rodgers]

Question that our D played well enough to win. Their QB reminds me of Peyton Ramsey but not as accurate. Giving up 400 yards is not that great

It’s myopic.. the fact is Iowa and psu have better d’s than Indiana ever has.

it’s like ole miss saying they could have beat bama if their d could have stopped them on 5 of those 6 td drives.

I like iu’s d, but your best offense was during covid when you had spring ball and mich, psu, and msu did not. Last year was a fluke, Micah parsons is prob nfl rookie of the year, and he didn’t even suit up for us. Don’t believe me?- look at how bad northwestern is now that things are somewhat normal again.

 

[TMFT]

It’s myopic.. the fact is Iowa and psu have better d’s than Indiana ever has.

it’s like ole miss saying they could have beat bama if their d could have stopped them on 5 of those 6 td drives.

I like iu’s d, but your best offense was during covid when you had spring ball and mich, psu, and msu did not. Last year was a fluke, Micah parsons is prob nfl rookie of the year, and he didn’t even suit up for us. Don’t believe me?- look at how bad northwestern is now that things are somewhat normal again.

Yeah, those 3 days of spring ball really gave IU a leg up last year.

Maybe, and I’m just spitballing, it was causing all of the turnovers and relatively high rate of success on chunk plays on offense.

 

[goodbyebobby]

Who do you all think is better? PSU or Iowa?

Curious of the opinions of people who have seen both as opponents.

 

[TMFT]

Who do you all think is better? PSU or Iowa?

Curious of the opinions of people who have seen both as opponents.

I think Iowa, nothing about PSU really "wowed" me. Good team, but I don't feel they have whatever "it" is. Iowa's game against IU is a poor example of their offense because once they got out into the lead, they just killed time to get the game over with, so hard to compare there. They weren't looking to run up the score.

I think Iowa's defense is at least in the same league as IU's, so I would expect them to be able to hold PSU in check to some extent. And their offense can be efficient & score some points. I don't think PSU's defense was anything spectacular so much as it was poor execution & play calling on IU's part.

 

[Palmbeachhoosier]

Who do you all think is better? PSU or Iowa?

Curious of the opinions of people who have seen both as opponents.

I am a huge Mike Yurcich fan. But I think the Iowa offense might be better. I also think the Iowa defense is probably better. Home field would be huge advantage and probably the difference maker.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

Who do you all think is better? PSU or Iowa?

Curious of the opinions of people who have seen both as opponents.

Interesting question.

I think Iowa has a slight edge defensively, PSU a slight edge offensively.

Offensively, Clifford's a little better than Petrias. And Iowa doesn't have a Dotson.

On the other hand, Iowa has been near perfect this year in terms of efficiency.....so few mistakes.

So I'd give Iowa a slight edge at home....probably PSU a slight edge if it was a neutral field.

Should be a great game to watch.

 

[goodbyebobby]

I think Iowa, nothing about PSU really "wowed" me. Good team, but I don't feel they have whatever "it" is. Iowa's game against IU is a poor example of their offense because once they got out into the lead, they just killed time to get the game over with, so hard to compare there. They weren't looking to run up the score.

I think Iowa's defense is at least in the same league as IU's, so I would expect them to be able to hold PSU in check to some extent. And their offense can be efficient & score some points. I don't think PSU's defense was anything spectacular so much as it was poor execution & play calling on IU's part.

Our D is in at least the same league with IU?

 

[TMFT]

Our D is in at least the same league with IU?

Yeah, meaning that I think they'll be able to keep PSU in check if IU was able to run with them.

Take a compliment bud, Iowa's good but they ain't the '85 Bears.

 

[Champs1976]

We need far better QB play, period. The Big Ten East is a tough outfit but high level QB play can neutralize some of these top teams.

Hopefully Tuttle quickly shows why he was rated so highly.

Agree, I think the game was lost after the early pick of Clifford and IU failed to get a first down or score points. Penix took the dive a yard and a half short of the first down marker when a QB playing with abandon would have put down his shoulder and driven for the extra couple of yards which was clearly there. WhenCTA again didn't take the sure points (completely pisses me off) to at least get something, the game was over.

Tuttle at least would have probably been less afraid of getting hurt and would have gotten the extra, needed, couple of yards.

 

[Champs1976]

We've now lost to the number 3,4 and 5 teams in the nation.

Our schedule is ranked 2nd in the nation so far.

In terms of the offense, I'm not in the mindset that Sheridan is the whole problem. Penix has been absolutely horrible and he just doesn't have the confidence he's had the prior two seasons that we need him to have. It doesn't matter what play Sheridan calls right now, if it's a pass, Penix is probably throwing a incompletion. It doesn't help that receivers aren't getting open and when they do, they are dropping balls. It'll be interesting to see if Penix's shoulder injury gets CTA out of a decision on whether to make a switch or not. At this point, I'd personally go with Tuttle, and I've been in the Penix camp.

Our defense has been good enough for us to win games. Our offense needs to now catch up and not waste this opportunity.

Maybe the play calls and the scheme are at least partially responsible for the receivers not being open. Funny how with kalen Deboer calling plays, receivers were open all over the place.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Maybe the play calls and the scheme are at least partially responsible for the receivers not being open. Funny how with kalen Deboer calling plays, receivers were open all over the place.

Right now, we don't have 3 better receivers on our roster then Westbrook, Whop and Hale, who were the top 3 that year I believe, so not a fair comparison.

 

[Nihilist Rodgers]

I am a huge Mike Yurcich fan. But I think the Iowa offense might be better. I also think the Iowa defense is probably better. Home field would be huge advantage and probably the difference maker.

Iowa has only scored 4 drives from their side of the 50. They have young it’s and their o numbers are pure stench.. look them up. They had less than 50 yards rushing vs Colorado state.. and their ab is a spastic lamp post.

 

[goodbyebobby]

Iowa has only scored 4 drives from their side of the 50. They have young it’s and their o numbers are pure stench.. look them up. They had less than 50 yards rushing vs Colorado state.. and their ab is a spastic lamp post.

Our qb is fine and CSU is the closest opponent to resemble a true BT team we have faced this season.

 

[daddyhoosier]

We've now lost to the number 3,4 and 5 teams in the nation.

Our schedule is ranked 2nd in the nation so far.

In terms of the offense, I'm not in the mindset that Sheridan is the whole problem. Penix has been absolutely horrible and he just doesn't have the confidence he's had the prior two seasons that we need him to have. It doesn't matter what play Sheridan calls right now, if it's a pass, Penix is probably throwing a incompletion. It doesn't help that receivers aren't getting open and when they do, they are dropping balls. It'll be interesting to see if Penix's shoulder injury gets CTA out of a decision on whether to make a switch or not. At this point, I'd personally go with Tuttle, and I've been in the Penix camp.

Our defense has been good enough for us to win games. Our offense needs to now catch up and not waste this opportunity.

I agree with you. There are people that seem to think Penix is playing badly because Sheridan is bad. And if Sheridan were better Penix would magically be himself. I'm not saying Sheridan is perfect and above the fray but the view that completely absolves Penix is laughable and I don't take it seriously. Penix has been bad at a level that cannot be explained away by bad OC-ing. Period. End of discussion. Hate that the kid got hurt. You never want to see that. But it is part of the game unfortunately and I am looking forward to seeing a more functional offense out there.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

I've said it before and I'm not trying to be annoying and repeat myself. But, Allen very much gives me the vibe of an opposite Kevin Wilson: defense is pretty solid, doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground regarding offense. Not the end of the world. But, Allen has to delegate offense to a good coordinator and have good position coaches on offense, and offense just isn't getting it done right now: I'm looking at Sheridan and Hiller. I understand IU has played good teams, but that is life in the Big Ten East.

0 points ain't gonna beat anybody, and keeping the D on the field the whole game spells disaster. The Penix situation is heartbreaking, but it is time to move on.

 

[vesuvius13]

I've said it before and I'm not trying to be annoying and repeat myself. But, Allen very much gives me the vibe of an opposite Kevin Wilson: defense is pretty solid, doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground regarding offense. Not the end of the world. But, Allen has to delegate offense to a good coordinator and have good position coaches on offense, and offense just it getting it done right now: I'm looking at Sheridan and Hiller. I understand IU has played good teams, but that is life in the Big Ten East.

0 points ain't gonna beat anybody, and keeping the D on the field the whole game spells disaster. The Penix situation is heartbreaking, but it is time to move on.

Both of those coaches need to be replaced this off season.

 

[Hatchets7times]

Still think we're on our way to 4 or 5 win season period...
We have W.R. that never get separation..R.B. is avge at best..And the O.L. is subpar...I'll give some props to the defense of late..
It's no excuse..But it is..
Our schedule is built for more of a stud SEC school ..
I'm all for scheduling sister's of the blind until the conference starts.
Maybe play one type of team that's a mid pack team in say the Pac12 or ACC ..To somewhat get you ready.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

Still think we're on our way to 4 or 5 win season period...
We have W.R. that never get separation..R.B. is avge at best..And the O.L. is subpar...I'll give some props to the defense of late..
It's no excuse..But it is..
Our schedule is built for more of a stud SEC school ..
I'm all for scheduling sister's of the blind until the conference starts.
Maybe play one type of team that's a mid pack team in say the Pac12 or ACC ..To somewhat get you ready.

4-5 looks pretty pessimistic unless the team tanks, which could happen because of the disappointment so far and the remaining games v. MSU, OSU & Michigan. Absent a give-up situation, we already have 2 wins with 4 very winnable games left in RU, MD, Minnesota & Purdue, and a puncher's chance against MSU & Michigan. So I see either 5 or 6 wins as most likely.

 

[TMFT]

Still think we're on our way to 4 or 5 win season period...
We have W.R. that never get separation..R.B. is avge at best..And the O.L. is subpar...I'll give some props to the defense of late..
It's no excuse..But it is..
Our schedule is built for more of a stud SEC school ..
I'm all for scheduling sister's of the blind until the conference starts.
Maybe play one type of team that's a mid pack team in say the Pac12 or ACC ..To somewhat get you ready.

That's what they THOUGHT they were doing with scheduling when they put Cinci on the schedule however many years ago. I assure you they weren't trying to schedule a top-5 team for the OOC.