Agreed but we also need to give him more than 2 seasons and allow his classes become upperclassmen
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Two Months 'Til Opening Day: What Do you Think?
- Thread starter Bowlmania
- Start date
Allen is currently 6-6 against power 5 teams other than OSU, UM, PSU, and MSU.
I do believe the conference schedule is still very challenging. It seems we always catch the western teams a year too late. This past season should have been the year we had Nebraska and even Northwesters even though they won the west this season.
Agree on the Purdue losses, just pointing out that winning half our toss up games isn’t a consistent path to bowling. It might be in some years, but based on the last 2 years, it leaves IU just short because of schedule difficulty (yes that that 6-6 includes 2 wins against Rutgers, but also losses to a 13-1 Wisconsin and 9-4 Iowa)
Nobody's happy with 5-7 seasons. And I'm sure the guy who's most bothered by them is the head coach. But, from where I sit, it looks like he's making important strides as he builds the program. A team needs talent and depth before winning seasons are realistic, and Allen is methodically addressing both. And the DeBoer hire could be huge.
Look, it's your right to dislike CTA. I don't get it, but you're entitled to your opinion. That said, how many ways and times are you going to make the same point? Allen isn't on any kind of hot seat, and isn't going to be for the foreseeable future. Foreboding comments like "he has to show something this year" (and what does "something" mean?) are pretty silly. If you're truly a fan, seems to me like you should be celebrating the recruiting successes and supporting the coach and the team as we move closer to fall ball and the season.
That is true, but your point was that if we won half our toss up games, we'd make a bowl. I was just pointing out that those 2 things don't necessarily overlap. You tried to set a low bar for what it takes to make a bowl game, but failed to realize we were already meeting that bar.
The highest ranked IU class is only 8th in the B1G. Puts it back into perspective how bad the past was. 5-7. No bowl unfortunately once again.
No question, this is a big year for the program. I think we need six wins to maintain recruiting momentum and buzz. But I'm telling you, and no matter how much you might wish this wasn't the case, short of an utter failure to compete on Saturday afternoons, there will be no hot seat nor any HC change after just three years. Nor should there be.
I agree but looking at pictures of players this year and the changes in size and strength I bet we win six or more games this year.
CTA has 5 years minimum without being fired, even if he goes 5-7 each year.
But that doesn't mean his seat won't get uncomfortably hot if we lose to a certain team 4 years in a row AND miss out on a bowl. A lot of people got spoiled after winning 4 buckets in a row and going to two bowls. Winning is addictive, as it should be.
Agree. F purdue F the past. Just win.
IU was fortunate enough in those four years to play Hazell coached teams and we barely squeezed out two of those wins. I want IU to beat PU but it is much tougher now. Coach Allen hasn't stayed pat except coming up short so even he isn't satisfied.
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You are absolutely right. But perception is sometimes stronger than reality.
See this picture:
I guarantee that at the moment the sentiment among most Hoosier fans was that the football program had transcended Purdue's and would continue to do so for foreseeable future. I sure did.
How many of those people would have believed that the next two years, we would not only have lost two games straight, but failed to lead Purdue for even a second in either game? I sure did not.
Perception vs reality.
The big issue I have with the current two game losing streak to PU is the fact that IU had the better team both years!! That's the big issue I have with TA. It really bites when IU had the better team both years.
He needs to figure out a way to trump PU. It's his job!!!
He needs to figure out a way to trump PU. It's his job!!!
You ignore that PU brought in 6 graduate players in Brohms first year and had experienced QBs with stronger arms than Ramsey. The real fault was DeBord and his play calling along with Ramsey checking down too often.
In 2017, Ramsey was injured and Lagow was the QB for the Purdue game. I’m also of the mindset that had Ramsey played that game, IU would have won. The biggest factors in that were that Lagow throwing an INT the first play of the game giving Purdue the ball inside the 5 yd line and Purdue’s DL (which wasn’t deep but had a very good first string) absolutely dominating IUs OL preventing any kind of run game and giving Lagow no time to throw until their DL worn done in the second half. Ramsey’s legs would have negated that advantage.
What it really boiled down to is that Indiana was very best up two years ago and last year teams were pretty equal but Purdue had the best player on the field and a young defense had no answers for Moore.
Another way of looking at it was that Purdue was favored in both games and they won both games. On to next season.
I don't know Palm. Last year our OL was dominating their DL (especially since their #1 DT blew out his knee in Q1). Stevie was running over 5 YPC and even Ramsey had a long TD.
Yet DeBord dialed up 51 passes for Ramsey and only 21 runs for RB's!!
As an OL coach, I'm sure you know the value of running the ball, eating clock and keeping a potent offense (Moore) on the bench. I'm with @vesuvius13 that it was DeBord that cost us the game with imbalanced play calling and poor game planning.
How many games are we favored in the east? I see your point but good coaches win games as underdogs. CTA has legitimate excuses.... The east is a murderers row, roster depth and lack of support by fans. The schedule and support is what it is. Depth isn’t a issue however. CTA can’t have a Minnesota collapse game.
Bottom line, good coaches win games as underdogs. To be successful, CTA has to beat a few of the “big four” on a consistent basis or this team will never be more than a 6-7 win team. Losing to Purdue with our schedule isn’t a option if he is going to sustain success here.
With the talent and depth DeBoer has to work with, we will score plentu. I know he will have a good game plan to attack Purdue' s weakness against the run and they have below average LBs except the Baily kid. The Oline should dominate, RB's should be able to run and deep shots to Westbrook and Hale should spread the defense allowing TEs to carve up the middle. We should score and score often.
I'm more worried about the Defense. Specifically dline pass rush and run defense. If we can't pressure the QB, Moore will eat us up again. Good thing their RB's are gone, but seeing as though they didn't get drafted, it seems their production against us was due to their system vs ours than overall talent. So it's likely plug and play another RB and up to us to stop them.
Might be a shootout. But I'm hoping D steps up. We'll see. However, I think we win thanks to Deboer scoring early and running clock to keep Moore and the offense on the bench.
There will always be excuses. In 2017, Blough was out with a broken ankle and Sindelar was in his 3rd game playing on a torn ACL. Frankly, we just didn't get it done.
I watched the replay of that game recently, and our OL was in no way dominating. And while the final run-pass ratio was very pass heavy, IU started out more balanced. It was 33 passes and 21 RB runs to start the game, but that got IU in a 21-7 hole. Abandoning the run is what got IU back into the game. And while Scott had good ypc, his passes blocking was terrible, which directly lead to a sack or 2, and multiple hurries on Ramsey
There were 2 issues that TA had no control over in last years Purdue game that were major factors. The roughing the passer call, where Blough was barely touched (purdue kept the ball and I think went on to score) and the throat slash call on one of our db's when we had them near their goal. That got them out of a huge hole. As I recall both teams played a competitive game and we had the better stats all around but 1 or 2 plays can make a difference in a game like that.
Nice analysis! But if Stevie can't pass block, then hand him the ball! Haha. I still maintain a more aggressive running game. Should have been 30 run 20 pass at the point you mention. Maybe we don't score more, but perhaps we limit their opportunities on O. I could see being down 14—7 instead ov 21-7.
Yes it is good to run the game but when you fall behind by 2 touchdowns and looks like you may go down by more you need to do what it takes to stay within striking distance.
Well, Wisconsin was behind 2 TDs but still ran the ball, caught up, and eventually beat Purdue. I'm not saying we are Wisconsin, but they sure laid out the game plan for beating them. Wisconsin had 51 carries vs 24 pass attempts. They were patient, had a good game plan, continually attacked a weakness and eventually pulled it out. That's what I hope for our offense next year.
Wisconsin is built to run the football. Have been for a long time. IU trying to head that way not there yet.
They also believed their defense would make stops to get back into it. Hopefully IU defense matures and gets to that point also.
You can't have a real issue with TA -- the players now have their names on their jerseys. Right?
82 that is a great point that IU was not favored in neither of the last 2 games.
PU isn't ready to be considered an automatic loss for us. I don't see them having a dominating advantage.
This is the time of year that I have to guard my optimism. I like getting Scott back for a second year. I think he will be more prepared to be a featured back. Hopefully our depth stays healthy and we see others contribute.
Our QB situation makes it impossible to know just how much we can improve. If Ramsey is the starter, I doubt we see much improvement based on the Spring game. Penix and Tuttle will have to show they are ready to start the season ahead of Ramsey. Allen doesn't like to throw interceptions or fumble. I could see CTA pick experience over youth unless the talent difference makes the choice obvious.
For now, I will assume Ramsey is the starter and we will be a more competitive team but still finish 5-7. If Penix or Tuttle are able to start, I will assume we have increased our performance at QB and a 6-6 record is possible.
IMO, it's not the least bit comforting to know that we were not favored in either game despite having the advantage in talent. If anything, it's like salt in the wound. In 2017, we were coming off of back-to-back bowls while Purdue was fresh off the worst 4-year stretch in their history.
Whoever starts the season at QB (and it's likely that will be Ramsey) won't necessarily be the starter at the end of the season. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but I love to say it because this has been such a rarity at IU - - we are really deep at QB. CTA and CKD are going to go with the guy who gives us the best chance to win, and there may not be complete clarity on this until several games in.
Everyone just assumes we had better talent. In 2017 we had some injuries on the Oline, Ramsey was hurt. They had a better quarterback with or without Ramsey. They had 2 better running backs. We still should have been better on oline.
In 2018 we had had comparable talent they still had equal or better quarterback they had best player on the field in Moore. We had a very young and somewhat inexperienced front 7. We did get Robinson back who had not played for awhile.
