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We all lived long enough to see IU FB make "The Big Dance" .........

I believe the winner of the 7/10 game plays the 2 seed in the Rose Bowl. Win and we are there.
The quarterfinal sites aren’t set to a seed. They try to consider historic bowl ties to the better seed.

If Oregon stays #1, they’ll get Rose.

I imagine Boise would get Fiesta?

Texas Sugar?

SMU Peach?

 
I'm well into my 8th decade. I've been 7 decades + of experiencing some cherished highs and strings and strings of lows. Just check the chain hanging out of the Bucket. This is better than having a thick wallet at 20 years old, sitting in a brand new convertible with an experienced girlfriend beside you headed west on Route 66 and hoping like hell the evenings motel is not far away. Yup, damn close call but better.
 
When they went to 12 teams I saved the bracket back in the summer.
With our schedule and hiring Cig I had a sneaking suspicion that we were going to be here.
I didn’t dare say anything on here about it,knowing I’d be accused of being cuckoo.
I had an appointment with my urologist in Bloomington yesterday.
Knowing he was a season ticket holder the conversation quickly turned to the football season.
We talked for about 15 minutes before he asked me how was doing? Haha
 
I witnessed the 67 season sitting in the Knothole section. Saw the Rose Bowl and still have the ticket, a game program and a transistor radio with a leather case Rose Bowl 1968 embedded it in. (Radio still works 9v battery) Indy Star Sunday newspaper with John Pont leaning next to roses. But this season was beyond belief. I did tell a fellow IU grad and old friend up the street last summer "I think this team wins 8 for sure possibly 10 ..." He suggested he still had a medical friend that he could make an appointment for me to check for any brain damage.

What makes this team different. They POUND teams, they DON'T PANIC, great FUNDAMENTALS and make plays when they need to. (minus the OSU game)

Don't be surprised how far this team can go in the playoffs. One game at a time and NOBODY outside of Indiana thinks they can win.
 
I'm well into my 8th decade. I've been 7 decades + of experiencing some cherished highs and strings and strings of lows. Just check the chain hanging out of the Bucket. This is better than having a thick wallet at 20 years old, sitting in a brand new convertible with an experienced girlfriend beside you headed west on Route 66 and hoping like hell the evenings motel is not far away. Yup, damn close call but better.
I've been a die hard fan for over 50 years. I don't think I'd go that far, but I never thought I see the day. Not even close.
 
I witnessed the 67 season sitting in the Knothole section. Saw the Rose Bowl and still have the ticket, a game program and a transistor radio with a leather case Rose Bowl 1968 embedded it in. (Radio still works 9v battery) Indy Star Sunday newspaper with John Pont leaning next to roses. But this season was beyond belief. I did tell a fellow IU grad and old friend up the street last summer "I think this team wins 8 for sure possibly 10 ..." He suggested he still had a medical friend that he could make an appointment for me to check for any brain damage.

What makes this team different. They POUND teams, they DON'T PANIC, great FUNDAMENTALS and make plays when they need to. (minus the OSU game)

Don't be surprised how far this team can go in the playoffs. One game at a time and NOBODY outside of Indiana thinks they can win.
That's the thing, when looking at the schedule, both WHO they played and WHEN they played them, I had this as a 10-2 season. The games got progressively more difficult and they had the chance to keep winning & play with supreme confidence.

I did NOT necessarily think that would mean we were an exceptionally better or more talented team than last year. Just we might flip some/most of the 50/50 games that we kept losing in years past. To that extent, BOY WAS I WRONG. This team has been relentless almost all year. They have overall severely limited mistakes. They just keep grinding on teams. They haven't relied on gimmicky, lucky, or otherwise "big" plays. Just methodical offense with shot plays thrown in & a very salty defense when they can stay somewhat fresh. As you said, that's super dangerous in how far they can go.

With that said, we saw it in the 2nd half vs. Michigan and a big chunk against OSU. When they play with mistakes & penalties, it can collapse in a hurry for a variety of reasons.

If they play mistake free, sky is the limit. I think the Nebraska game was the perfect example of that. Nebraska isn't bad. But IU played that game damn near perfectly & just dismantled them.
 
I wondered as the years went by if I would ever see a season like this. I hope to last another 10 - 20 years but didn't think IU would make the decision to become a football school in my lifetime but they have. Now we will get to enjoy this for as long as it last.
 
When they went to 12 teams I saved the bracket back in the summer.
With our schedule and hiring Cig I had a sneaking suspicion that we were going to be here.
I didn’t dare say anything on here about it,knowing I’d be accused of being cuckoo.
I had an appointment with my urologist in Bloomington yesterday.
Knowing he was a season ticket holder the conversation quickly turned to the football season.
We talked for about 15 minutes before he asked me how was doing? Haha
There were a couple of posters who predicted 9 or more wins. I don't remember names but I think they were credible posters, not sunshine pumpers. I wish they'd come forward with their posts from August so they can take a bow.
 
This season now makes me wonder ... will IU fans be happy with 9-3 or 8-4 seasons in the future? Too many variables to predict. One thing I looked at last summer ... I thought based on what I read, that our coach with an intact staff was better than teams with a new coach .. UCLA, Washington, MSU, Michigan and then the teams with coaches in their 2nd year ... Nebraska at home, Northwestern ... so with that I was at 9 wins, Purdue 10 wins ... Maryland 11 wins and lose at OSU.

Also a factor, I thought Cignetti's team would win those close games, 1 score games that Tom Allen teams lost in 2023.
 
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I have, in my will (well not specifically in my will but in some papers that accompany it) that I wish to have my ashes spread where we tailgate...so that I can be present for a great IUFB team. Now I can adjust those papers and do something else with my ashes... :)
 
Really hard to believe it happened, it's really an exciting time to be an IU FB fan & it's really amazing all at the same time. :) 👍


The Nebraska and Purdue games were the most "fun" games I've ever attended. I wouldn't say "best" because IU-PU in '67, Michigan in '88(?) had more drama........but just for laugh your ass off fun, they can never be beat. Throw in the Big Noon/College Game Day stuff and its been quite the trip.
 
I wondered as the years went by if I would ever see a season like this. I hope to last another 10 - 20 years but didn't think IU would make the decision to become a football school in my lifetime but they have. Now we will get to enjoy this for as long as it last.


Yes...over the years we'd seen every "dog" have its day.....NW., Purdue, Kansas, KSU, Cincy....those once in 30 years seasons. Well, we waited longest, but we got a once-in-a-lifetime season out of it.
 
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