The Last Domino

[cshartle123]

I have been excited about the Indiana football rebuild since we hired Wilson in 2010. Glass was making a statement with his hire. Since then we have made tremendous improvements to our facilities, and blew open the budget for staff and recruiting. Although we aren’t consistently in the top half, we have pulled ourselves out of the basement in recruiting. I believe the last domino for this program is a 7-5 season where we beat everyone we should, and one key win over a top ten team. I think that would finally help us bring in a high quality recruiting class, and give us a chance to get something rolling in Bloomington. Maybe 2018 is the year.

 

[Indianaftw]

I have been excited about the Indiana football rebuild since we hired Wilson in 2010. Glass was making a statement with his hire. Since then we have made tremendous improvements to our facilities, and blew open the budget for staff and recruiting. Although, we aren’t consistently in the top half, we have pulled ourselves out of the basement in recruiting. I believe the last domino for this program is a 7-5 season where we beat everyone we should, and one key win over a top ten team. I think that would finally help us bring in a high quality recruiting class, and give us a chance to get something rolling in Bloomington. Maybe 2018 is the year.

Hopefully your right as far as the 7-5 or better record. As far as recruiting we just had a really good class. If we got to around 25 or so and stayed there that would be great. I don't know if it will get better than that.

 

[IUgradman]

We have the lowest paid coaching staff in the conference and every school has upgraded facilities. Are things better than during the DiNardo and Lynch years? Yes, but we still have a ways to go to not be a joke of a program.

 

[76-1]

We have the lowest paid coaching staff in the conference and every school has upgraded facilities. Are things better than the DiNardo and Lynch years? Yes, but we still have a ways to go to not be a joke of a program.

Let's hope our opponents feel the same way... They're about to get an education if they think we're still a joke of a program as do.

Do we have a lot of loose ends to tie up. Sure.
I don't agree with everything Fred and friends do or don't do (detail-wise) but it appears to me that even though he's clearly a basketball guy, he's made a more than fair effort to help Indiana Football get better. Big Ten cash or not, no one has, or could have, forced him to put that money toward football facilities.

We are now usually in games even against the perennially top 15 types these days. Couldn't always say that in the past.

We've learned to crawl. Next we have to stand up on our hind legs and walk. Who knows, maybe by "19" we'll learn how to "run" over some of those teams...

 

[UncleMark]

I believe the last domino for this program is a 7-5 season where we beat everyone we should, and one key win over a top ten team.

I've said that for years, if we just beat everyone we should on paper, and steal one every once and again, I'd been happy. It's been a long time since I've been happy.

 

[Andy06]

The two games that really stick with me that there is no excuse for id Maryland and Purdue.

We were more talented than PU and handed them the game with mistakes. And if we can't beat Maryland and their 3rd srting QB we won't beat them for a while.

I thought the floor for this year was 5-7 and 8-4 was the ceiling. I predicted 5-7 because I let the pessimist on me win out.

I think both of those numbers drop by 2 next year. FIU and Virginia are no pushovers. Hoping for a breakthrough, but expecting a 4 win season.

I think my sports depression deepens. As an IU, Reds, and Colts fan I am on a massive postseason drought.

 

[fkfootball]

The two games that really stick with me that there is no excuse for id Maryland and Purdue.

We were more talented than PU and handed them the game with mistakes. And if we can't beat Maryland and their 3rd srting QB we won't beat them for a while.

I thought the floor for this year was 5-7 and 8-4 was the ceiling. I predicted 5-7 because I let the pessimist on me win out.

I think both of those numbers drop by 2 next year. FIU and Virginia are no pushovers. Hoping for a breakthrough, but expecting a 4 win season.

I think my sports depression deepens. As an IU, Reds, and Colts fan I am on a massive postseason drought.

We will be better on Offense.

 

[76-1]

I think we make a Bowl this year probably just by the skin of our teeth... Whether we win it our not depends on the matchup.

That prediction was made by my operating under the hope that our OL will stay relatively healthy, and find a way to gell as a functional two deep unit, our QBs understand that it's better to take a sack than throw an INT and that our RBs learn to hang onto the football..., and we also find a way to reconstitute our Defense.

Several ? marks there on D but Allen has proven that he knows how to build a D so I feel comfortable that by the time we play M$U we'll be ready.

The key to whole season will be staying healthy and that's where our new Strength & Conditioning staff will hopefully prove themselves... Could be a razors edge type deal but I like "something" about this group.

The season I'm really hopeful about is the one after this one, in 2019. That just might be the year we really surprise some folk with a few key additions in that "19" recruiting class...

Hope I'm right...

 

[mobilehoosier]

I've said that for years, if we just beat everyone we should on paper, and steal one every once and again, I'd been happy. It's been a long time since I've been happy.

See Iowa. That’s what they do.

 

[oldcougar77]

The two games that really stick with me that there is no excuse for id Maryland and Purdue.

We were more talented than PU and handed them the game with mistakes. And if we can't beat Maryland and their 3rd srting QB we won't beat them for a while.

I thought the floor for this year was 5-7 and 8-4 was the ceiling. I predicted 5-7 because I let the pessimist on me win out.

I think both of those numbers drop by 2 next year. FIU and Virginia are no pushovers. Hoping for a breakthrough, but expecting a 4 win season.

I think my sports depression deepens. As an IU, Reds, and Colts fan I am on a massive postseason drought.

Both of those games were on the road late in the season. We did piss away our chance with early mistakes in both of those games - special teams errors at Md. and a pick at Purdue. But we were a team beat to hell by our early schedule. That was the difference maker in no bowl vs. bowl. Being in the B1G East it's always going to be a huge challenge for us to get to 7 wins. We just have to get deeper and get better O-line and QB play.

 

[UncleMark]

See Iowa. That’s what they do.

Exactly. I'd love to be Iowa.

 

[RBB89]

The two games that really stick with me that there is no excuse for id Maryland and Purdue.

We were more talented than PU and handed them the game with mistakes. And if we can't beat Maryland and their 3rd srting QB we won't beat them for a while.

I thought the floor for this year was 5-7 and 8-4 was the ceiling. I predicted 5-7 because I let the pessimist on me win out.

I think both of those numbers drop by 2 next year. FIU and Virginia are no pushovers. Hoping for a breakthrough, but expecting a 4 win season.

I think my sports depression deepens. As an IU, Reds, and Colts fan I am on a massive postseason drought.

I honestly don’t understand why you even follow sports if it makes you that miserable.

The PU and Maryland games were on the rôad. We get them at home. We beat UVA by two touchdowns on the road. FIU isn’t bad, but come on. They lose most of their offense.

Last year’s team was virtually identical to the 2015 and 2016 teams except they screwed around one too many times and it cost them. People seem to have this bizarre logic that if our win total decreases by one, then it will continue to decrease every year for all eternity. Or if we lose to a team, we will continue to lose to them every year for all eternity. (Just watch: after we lose our first game next year, there will be multiple predictions that we will not win another game the rest of the year. Which implies to me that people legitimately have the expectation that we will go undefeated?) That’s not how it works. Unless you’re just looking to be miserable, which it seems like you kind of are.

My biggest beef is that there are a significant number of people here who just assume that every other team in the country will get better next year, but we won’t. We aren’t allowed to improve. All the teams that you don’t follow particularly close will improve, but somehow we will not. Like I said earlier, it’s like a lot of people just want to be miserable.

 

[Chriselli]

I honestly don’t understand why you even follow sports if it makes you that miserable.

The PU and Maryland games were on the rôad. We get them at home. We beat UVA by two touchdowns on the road. FIU isn’t bad, but come on. They lose most of their offense.

Last year’s team was virtually identical to the 2015 and 2016 teams except they screwed around one too many times and it cost them. People seem to have this bizarre logic that if our win total decreases by one, then it will continue to decrease every year for all eternity. Or if we lose to a team, we will continue to lose to them every year for all eternity. (Just watch: after we lose our first game next year, there will be multiple predictions that we will not win another game the rest of the year. Which implies to me that people legitimately have the expectation that we will go undefeated?) That’s not how it works. Unless you’re just looking to be miserable, which it seems like you kind of are.

My biggest beef is that there are a significant number of people here who just assume that every other team in the country will get better next year, but we won’t. We aren’t allowed to improve. All the teams that you don’t follow particularly close will improve, but somehow we will not. Like I said earlier, it’s like a lot of people just want to be miserable.

Conversely, there are a bunch of people that think we are the only team returning starters or having a decent recruiting class. I was at the Maryland game and we were in total control. Leaving the stadium I said that I can let this one go as long as we win six and beat Purdue. Then the team came out for that game with ZERO effort or enthusiasm and got their tails handed to them...not that they cared. That was the unforgivable takeaway for me from last year.

I agree that anything is possible next year. The schedule (as tough as it is) is more favorable than last as we get our "matchup opponents" (Purdue, Maryland, and Virginia) at home and our easiest conference opponent on the road. Our offense is no longer a guarantee after two mediocre seasons and we lose a ton of starters and talent on D. Ultimately, I think it ends with trying to claw out six wins. I am just grateful that we're not really getting blown out anymore.

 

[Bowlmania]

we still have a ways to go to not be a joke of a program.

This is a ridiculous mischaracterization of the state of our program.

 

[Andy06]

I honestly don’t understand why you even follow sports if it makes you that miserable.

The PU and Maryland games were on the rôad. We get them at home. We beat UVA by two touchdowns on the road. FIU isn’t bad, but come on. They lose most of their offense.

Last year’s team was virtually identical to the 2015 and 2016 teams except they screwed around one too many times and it cost them. People seem to have this bizarre logic that if our win total decreases by one, then it will continue to decrease every year for all eternity. Or if we lose to a team, we will continue to lose to them every year for all eternity. (Just watch: after we lose our first game next year, there will be multiple predictions that we will not win another game the rest of the year. Which implies to me that people legitimately have the expectation that we will go undefeated?) That’s not how it works. Unless you’re just looking to be miserable, which it seems like you kind of are.

My biggest beef is that there are a significant number of people here who just assume that every other team in the country will get better next year, but we won’t. We aren’t allowed to improve. All the teams that you don’t follow particularly close will improve, but somehow we will not. Like I said earlier, it’s like a lot of people just want to be miserable.

I was joking about the sports depression comment. I hope I am 100% wrong and it's a terrific season next year.

I am normally unnecessarily optimistic, especially toward IU football. I really like what we have at RB and WR for next year.

I also love the dline and secondary.

However... I think oline, QB, and linebacker are massive question marks.

If we would have had Purdue's schedule we would have been much better off last year, but we didn't. I think the BIG East will be harder than last year too.

If i am wrong I will gladly eat a smorgasbord of crow and come back for seconds.