After we lose to Nebraska and Northwestern, the PSU game becomes pretty much irrelevant. It'd be nice, it would've been a marquee win, but my dream season of 9-3 or 10-2 is no longer possible. The difference between 7-5 and 6-6 is just not that important to me, with the exception of what a win against a #10 ranked team would have meant to this program. It definitely would have been a statement win.
But I feel like we should be used to this by this point. We shoot ourselves in the foot more impressively than Plaxico Burress. I don't have any issues with the play calling, but we should take this season for what it is, a complete and utter blown opportunity. We have now committed 17 turnovers, and we're -9 in turnover margin. Our Big Ten kicker of the year had become a liability. We're fourth to last in FBS in 4th down conversions. We are dead freaking last in FBS in red zone conversions.
Despite this, we'll still be a bowl team. And most analysts will tell you that TO margin is luck, so let's say we're plus 9 next year instead of minus 9, or even just even. Let's say we have decent FG play, 4th down conversions and red zone conversions. That makes me realize, we've still managed to be a bowl team and think about, if get our sh#% together next year, we're right there with anyone in the conference. We seriously would have a shot at a Big Ten title. With the way Lagow looked today, we will have the best QB in the conference. Lagow can straight up win us games with what he can do, and he will only improve, especially with a year of experience in the system. We will have 80 percent returning starters plus a list of players returning from injury.
It sucks we lost today, but you can't commit 5 turnovers and expect to win. What encouraged me today, and why I don't feel so bad, is that besides all those ridiculous mistakes, we actually played at the same level as PSU. If we stop ourselves from ourselves, we seriously have a shot at a Big Ten title next year. I honestly thought we'd get beat by 2 TDs today because I thought Barkley would run all over us. That was clearly not the case and it was extremely encouraging. I thought, with the exception of turnovers that did decide the game, we just outplayed a team that has an outside shot at the Big Ten title, and we're only going to get better.
Guarantee opposing coaches will say the best up and coming team next year at Big Ten media days will be IU football.
But I feel like we should be used to this by this point. We shoot ourselves in the foot more impressively than Plaxico Burress. I don't have any issues with the play calling, but we should take this season for what it is, a complete and utter blown opportunity. We have now committed 17 turnovers, and we're -9 in turnover margin. Our Big Ten kicker of the year had become a liability. We're fourth to last in FBS in 4th down conversions. We are dead freaking last in FBS in red zone conversions.
Despite this, we'll still be a bowl team. And most analysts will tell you that TO margin is luck, so let's say we're plus 9 next year instead of minus 9, or even just even. Let's say we have decent FG play, 4th down conversions and red zone conversions. That makes me realize, we've still managed to be a bowl team and think about, if get our sh#% together next year, we're right there with anyone in the conference. We seriously would have a shot at a Big Ten title. With the way Lagow looked today, we will have the best QB in the conference. Lagow can straight up win us games with what he can do, and he will only improve, especially with a year of experience in the system. We will have 80 percent returning starters plus a list of players returning from injury.
It sucks we lost today, but you can't commit 5 turnovers and expect to win. What encouraged me today, and why I don't feel so bad, is that besides all those ridiculous mistakes, we actually played at the same level as PSU. If we stop ourselves from ourselves, we seriously have a shot at a Big Ten title next year. I honestly thought we'd get beat by 2 TDs today because I thought Barkley would run all over us. That was clearly not the case and it was extremely encouraging. I thought, with the exception of turnovers that did decide the game, we just outplayed a team that has an outside shot at the Big Ten title, and we're only going to get better.
Guarantee opposing coaches will say the best up and coming team next year at Big Ten media days will be IU football.
Last edited:
