Even though it is just as likely, and maybe even more so, that this year is the fluke for Indiana.
The arc of the program had been curving upwards for a full decade, and last year and 2019 are easily seen as a a continuation of that.
Yes, there were two 5-7 setbacks, but those were Allen’s first ever as a head coach, and they were followed with two winning seasons that continued the upwards curve from the start of the decade, from 1-11 level, to 3-9/4-8 level, to 5-7/6-6 level and beyond that Wilson started. The improvements didn’t come from nothing and frankly could have easily been predicted if anyone in national media bothered to care about IUFB.
Following multiple consecutive bowl and near-bowl years with an 8-4 2019 and what would have been a similar record in a normal year last year fits the pattern and curve of an improving program with talent and recruiting increasing and solidifying the footing underneath of it, which is exactly what was happening in the 2010s.
The 2-10 bottoming out that appears all but assured at this point is what is anomalous, there is nothing in the trendline of the program that predicted this result. It is just as likely that this year is the blip on the radar as it is that last year and 2019 were. But that sure won't be the way the media is going to treat it. The good news is that this program tends to thrive when there is no expectation or belief, so there's every opportunity to teach them a lesson again next year, especially with a much softer front half of the schedule as opposed to the meat-grinder that killed the team this year.
The arc of the program had been curving upwards for a full decade, and last year and 2019 are easily seen as a a continuation of that.
Yes, there were two 5-7 setbacks, but those were Allen’s first ever as a head coach, and they were followed with two winning seasons that continued the upwards curve from the start of the decade, from 1-11 level, to 3-9/4-8 level, to 5-7/6-6 level and beyond that Wilson started. The improvements didn’t come from nothing and frankly could have easily been predicted if anyone in national media bothered to care about IUFB.
Following multiple consecutive bowl and near-bowl years with an 8-4 2019 and what would have been a similar record in a normal year last year fits the pattern and curve of an improving program with talent and recruiting increasing and solidifying the footing underneath of it, which is exactly what was happening in the 2010s.
The 2-10 bottoming out that appears all but assured at this point is what is anomalous, there is nothing in the trendline of the program that predicted this result. It is just as likely that this year is the blip on the radar as it is that last year and 2019 were. But that sure won't be the way the media is going to treat it. The good news is that this program tends to thrive when there is no expectation or belief, so there's every opportunity to teach them a lesson again next year, especially with a much softer front half of the schedule as opposed to the meat-grinder that killed the team this year.
