Agreed...but you must look closely at those...particularly Gerry...
The next 4 games will define CTA's era
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You are spot on. If ever there was a "down" B1G, this is the year. Everyone sees it. Allen has not won more than 2 B1G games in a season. This year, he has a shot at 4, or 5, or 6! There is a window of opportunity for IU to win not just 6, but 7 or 8 and maybe even 9 games. How often has that ever happened for IU? Not in 25 years. How many times will that happen again for IU? Maybe not in another 25 years, unless the team can take advantage and earn what it's due. Perhaps all us old timers have seen history, and would prefer history not repeat itself yet again, hence all the "have to" statements. When a goal is within reach, you "have to" achieve it, or what the hell are we all here for then?
It’s all words until someone kicks the door down. We have been down this road before. No game is for sure win. It has to be coached on the field and executed. Players have to tackle
Love the enthusiasm, but talking about nine wins this season is kind of crazy. Until IU can show the ability to make key and timely defensive stops against a quality Big Ten team, it's irrational to have such lofty expectations.
Yeah, the Big Ten is down, but we need to be up - - defensively. I haven't seen that yet, at least not against a good team.
I don't expect to win 9 games. That's crazy.
I expect to win 6.
That should be possible given 9 possible wins.
Anything is still "possible" if taken one game at a time. Do see Rutgers win #4. If play well can win at MD #5. What if Martinez is still injured at NE? That then becomes more winnable, and what if Penix still playing well and Def improves - #6 And NU at home is still not a gimme as they are a smart team who's been able to beat us a lot last 10 yrs. But this may not be there year. #7
Then Bye Week - recharge, get healthy, ready for last three and already bowl eligible. Go to PSU - not delusional, it's not likely. But if we have confidence and they have an injury? UM could be down, not as strong as year's past and we've gone OT with them last two times in Bloomington. ??
Then Bucket game, they are depleted this year and we may be playing for a better bowl and with confidence. There could be #8
I'm a one-week at a time fan, but why be totally low bar, low expectations only? I think we're bowling this year for sure. But maybe it won't be the no name Detroit special but something bigger? Why not!
Then Bye Week - recharge, get healthy, ready for last three and already bowl eligible. Go to PSU - not delusional, it's not likely. But if we have confidence and they have an injury? UM could be down, not as strong as year's past and we've gone OT with them last two times in Bloomington. ??
Then Bucket game, they are depleted this year and we may be playing for a better bowl and with confidence. There could be #8
I'm a one-week at a time fan, but why be totally low bar, low expectations only? I think we're bowling this year for sure. But maybe it won't be the no name Detroit special but something bigger? Why not!
You never win all the games you "should" win. If we were 4-2 after Rutgers, and had a 70% chance of winning each of the next 6 games, the chance of winning all 6 is only 12%. The expected # of wins would be only be 4.2 out of 6.
Fans don't think this way. I know I don't. Objectively, I'd estimate our chances at winning the last 6 as:
MD.......55
Neb......30
NW.......60
PSU.....10
Mich.....25
Pur........60
If you add it up, I should expect 2.4 more wins after RU....either 6 or 7 wins, at most. But most fans expect their teams to be better than they really are.....so, no way I'd be happy with 6.
Winning #4 against Rutgers is the first step to many winnable games this year. NU looked like they didn't belong on the field with MSU. Maryland has only looked good against down teams so far this year. Nebraska hasn't been the world beaters predictors anticipated before the season started. Another bye week sitting at 7-2 and it is time to focus on the last three weeks.
Just a few too any what-ifs there...but I cant blame you. Even a glimmer of hope sets our imaginations on fire. No harm in that...as long as everyone remembers who we are and what our history is...something you cant escape overnight.
But I have hope too...just give me a bowl this year...please...and the healing can begin...talk will never do it...only winning...imo
Both close games that ended in PU favor. PU grads like to tell a different story.
Landing two of the top three rated classes in IU history will not be a reason should TA's seat warm up. Uninformed.
The only game left on our schedule that should be a win is Rutgers. The rest will be up to that particular days effort and coaching on the field. We have enough offense to get where we want to go. It’s going to be up to our defense as to if we beat these teams on the road the next few weeks. Improvement in coaching on that side of the ball as well as tackling will be how successful we will be.
The only game that matters right now is Rutgers. Period.
As for last year's Bucket game, IU did a very good job defending Rondale Moore except for two plays. Both TDs. The play that haunts me still from the game was Markell Jones carrying Marcelino Ball 5+ yards into the end zone. It also hurt watching Brohm milk the clock starting mid 3rd quarter when they went up 21-7 and our D not getting the ball back quickly. They wanted the game more, plain and simple.
As for last year's Bucket game, IU did a very good job defending Rondale Moore except for two plays. Both TDs. The play that haunts me still from the game was Markell Jones carrying Marcelino Ball 5+ yards into the end zone. It also hurt watching Brohm milk the clock starting mid 3rd quarter when they went up 21-7 and our D not getting the ball back quickly. They wanted the game more, plain and simple.
They’ve really controlled both of the last two games, with the scores making them look closer than they were.
Very painful game to watch, for sure. I felt IU did play hard. It just seemed to me they lacked confidence. It just felt the whole game like all of the fans and both teams knew Purdue was going to win, and that IU was giving it a good fight, but that Purdue would take over in winning time.
As an example, when Moore caught the 1st long TD, was there ever any doubt that there would be a 2nd? Nope. And the play with Jones carrying Ball just reflects, to me, the difference in knowing you're going to win and playing balls to the walls v. playing as hard as you're able under the circumstances.
We just had no one on that team capable of making a game-changing play in crunch time...Purdue had two....a QB & a WR.
Think Penix and Whop can be that duo for us? I just keep thinking back to the fake bubble that they just missed. I keep saying how studs make plays, studs would have made THAT play. Hopefully they will soon.
Offense was a joke vs. PU.
Penix has the factor that gives the offense confidence.
Penix has the factor that gives the offense confidence.
The final scores didn’t indicate how the games played out. Purdue was in control of both games and the final outcome was never in doubt.
That is so true and what I have been saying. IU and PU had similar talent but PU people have a different take and they had Moore who was the difference.
Brohm took Allen behind the woodshed both games with far inferior teams. It was a clinic on Brohm’s part and a mockery by Allen. That’s the reality. Hopefully that changes this year.
Can you be any more melodramatic?
You need better definitions of "woodshed" and "clinic".
Both games were decided by a single touchdown. Decidedly NOT woodshed or clinic.
Neither game was close.
2 years ago we were down 31-10 with 6 min left and scored a couple garbage time TDs
Same story last year. 2 4th quarter TDs made it look close when we never had a chance.
Fpeaugh always appears to be a boiler lover/hoosier hater, but I can't deny IU's 7-pt games were mainly due to last minute scores to make it closer, not a true "nail biter" game throughout.
That's better.
Neither game was in doubt for PU. But neither were they of the "woodshed" variety.
Purdue never trailed in either game and held double digit leads in both until IU scored late to reduce the final margin. “Woodshed” and “clinic” are subjective, but anyone who saw those games knows how they played out. Hopefully, it’s a different story this year.
So what your saying is fourth quarter scores don’t count?
Iu may be no.1 if rated by scoring efficiency when down 1-3 Tds in the 4th qtr. Once it gets tied or takes a small lead, iu never scores. Thats all mindset. Its a big hurdle iu has to overcome if it wants to be good.
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That is your opinion and nothing more.
That was my biggest problem with our former OC. When we fell behind he would open up the offense and we would catch back up and then he would shut it down and wait for the other team to lose the game.
IUs problems are mental and effort related.
When do they ever keep their composure at the end of a big game? When do they come out and just flat out out-work the other team? IUs biggest issue is that our culture flat out stinks. I won’t be suprised if NW comes in and beats us because of that “Cardiac Cat” culture. Teams like that just “find a way.” IU doesn’t know how to do this. Never has. It has cost us many more Bowl opportunities the last 20 years.
When do they ever keep their composure at the end of a big game? When do they come out and just flat out out-work the other team? IUs biggest issue is that our culture flat out stinks. I won’t be suprised if NW comes in and beats us because of that “Cardiac Cat” culture. Teams like that just “find a way.” IU doesn’t know how to do this. Never has. It has cost us many more Bowl opportunities the last 20 years.
We were the "cardiac kids" long before anybody called Northwestern the "cardiac cats."
But, more importantly, you're once again mischaracterizing things in your ongoing crusade to trash the program. IU's problems haven't been "mental and effort related." They've been talent and depth related. But that's changing (thank you, Tom Allen).
good post, and spot on about the cardiac kids.
that said, this whole thread was started by a troll for the sole purpose of trying to paint IU into a corner, and as a platform for the other troll regulars to pile on.
feeding them is like feeding a mogwai after midnight.
That's not entirely true.
Mental toughness, confidence, and effort has been a pretty consistent issue with this program spanning several years and coaches. Tom Allen as the coach hasn't changed that. At all.
How are you able to gauge the mental toughness of dozens of kids you don't even know? You're pulling that argument from a place where the sun doesn't shine.
Talent and depth, though, are a whole lot easier to objectively assess. For years we ranked at or near the bottom of the Big Ten in recruiting, and we lacked depth almost across the board. A compelling argument can be made that we were collapsing in the fourth quarter not because of a lack of mental toughness or effort but because our guys were in for too many snaps and were utterly gassed. Or, when a Number 1 went down to injury, the Number 2 was vastly inferior. Also, when you're fielding a team in the Big Ten with nothing but two and three stars, you're going up against guys every week who are exponentially better. If Vince Lombardi himself was resurrected and coached a MAC team, he wouldn't be able to beat Ohio State. He might be able to hang with them for a while, but the end result would always be the same.
I don't know what impact, if any, Tom Allen has had on the "mental toughness" of our current roster. I do know, though, that he's recruiting at a higher level than IU fans had ever before seen in the recruiting rankings era. That's not a claim I'm pulling out of my ass, and this fact gives many of us hope. Haters are gonna hate regardless, though.
The 2013, 2014 and 2015 classes were ranked 38th, 38th and 48th, while Allen’s classes are 45th, 38th and 56th for 2018, 2019 and 2020 (two months shy of the initial signing period). So I’m not sure the re recruiting is as unprecedented as some believe.
IU fired Lynch after 3 seasons as HC.
He was interim coach the year before, when Hep died, when he had a winning record. The last one in 12 years.
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