You can blame Defense all you want....

[82IUGraduate]

but our offensive schemes and lack of overall talent and depth (especially on D) leads us to a bad combination. Corso, Wyche, Cameron, Lynch and now Wilson have all tried to outgun the other teams with their higher powered offenses. The one coach that had some success ( in the last 40+ years) played a more run oriented , ball control style and put an emphasis on Defense, (Hep might have led us to some success but sadly we will never know). Maybe could be something to that argument. Hey, I love to watch a high scoring game. It is more exciting to watch a 52-49 game, but if we are on the losing end 70-80% of the time it gets real old... like Kenny Rogers singing "You got to know when to hold em" at a poker game old. VBG

I will admit I don't necessarily want to see Wilson sent packing. I would love for us to win out and get to a bowl game, but if we do make a change, I want to see us go after Ken Niumotololo of Navy or even Troy Graham of Air Force. Those guys know how to coach and get the most out of lesser talent. They coach a scheme that will give the BIG fits and they and their full staffs would probably be more apt to come to B-Town than most any other established coach. We have to face the facts that we are never going to get the kind of talent that OSU, MSU, Mich or Penn St gets on a big enough scale to make this high powered stuff work. If we switched to one of these guys I'll bet it doesn't take them 5-7 years to starting winning and get us to a bowl game. The fact that we are in one of the toughest Conferences and Divisions would probably deter most decent coaching options. I don't even know if one of these guys would come either but I would at least give them a shot. Maybe Georgia Tech will get stupid enough to let Paul Johnson go after one bad year. He would be another guy I would love to see on the IU sidelines.

I'm just tired of this same old shoot yourself in the foot strategy that IU has tried over and over and over again. If there is a new regime, let's try something different for a change. Even though most people don't like the option style of football just remember that winning is never boring. The coaches I have mentioned know how to win... period. I have been a long suffering fan since the early Corso days. I want to see us at least start getting to Bowls on a semi regular basis before I check out of this old world.

82

 

[IUHartselCol]

but our offensive schemes and lack of overall talent and depth (especially on D) leads us to a bad combination. Corso, Wyche, Cameron, Lynch and now Wilson have all tried to outgun the other teams with their higher powered offenses. The one coach that had some success ( in the last 40+ years) played a more run oriented , ball control style and put an emphasis on Defense, (Hep might have led us to some success but sadly we will never know). Maybe could be something to that argument. Hey, I love to watch a high scoring game. It is more exciting to watch a 52-49 game, but if we are on the losing end 70-80% of the time it gets real old... like Kenny Rogers singing "You got to know when to hold em" at a poker game old. VBG

I will admit I don't necessarily want to see Wilson sent packing. I would love for us to win out and get to a bowl game, but if we do make a change, I want to see us go after Ken Niumotololo of Navy or even Troy Graham of Air Force. Those guys know how to coach and get the most out of lesser talent. They coach a scheme that will give the BIG fits and they and their full staffs would probably be more apt to come to B-Town than most any other established coach. We have to face the facts that we are never going to get the kind of talent that OSU, MSU, Mich or Penn St gets on a big enough scale to make this high powered stuff work. If we switched to one of these guys I'll bet it doesn't take them 5-7 years to starting winning and get us to a bowl game. The fact that we are in one of the toughest Conferences and Divisions would probably deter most decent coaching options. I don't even know if one of these guys would come either but I would at least give them a shot. Maybe Georgia Tech will get stupid enough to let Paul Johnson go after one bad year. He would be another guy I would love to see on the IU sidelines.

I'm just tired of this same old shoot yourself in the foot strategy that IU has tried over and over and over again. If there is a new regime, let's try something different for a change. Even though most people don't like the option style of football just remember that winning is never boring. The coaches I have mentioned know how to win... period. I have been a long suffering fan since the early Corso days. I want to see us at least start getting to Bowls on a semi regular basis before I check out of this old world.

82

Obviously you see a half empty cup...I see it half full. We are consistently competitive where in the past we were only occasionally competitive. We are closer now than at any time under Hep...he just talked it, no time to prove it. We suffered loses under him by spreads we havent come close to this season. Why some just refuse to see the improvement is beyond me.

 

[Iudanapoint]

Obviously you see a half empty cup...I see it half full. We are consistently competitive where in the past we were only occasionally competitive. We are closer now than at any time under Hep...he just talked it, no time to prove it. We suffered loses under him by spreads we havent come close to this season. Why some just refuse to see the improvement is beyond me.

IU isn't close to being able to compete on defense.

 

[IUHartselCol]

IU isn't close to being able to compete on defense.

I get so tired of this. Fact..had Antonio Allen not decided to sell drugs and get busted during the summer, we would have had an All B10 in the secondary. Not counting the other two players lost there, he alone would have us at .500. Thats really all thats wrong, minus a bit more getting to the QB. Go watch again every game we played, won or lost, and you'll find the secondary as the reason we lost...not "the defense". Without experience there, no matter what else you stop, they'll just throw on 3rd down and you're screwed. If you want to blame someone, put it where it belongs...Allen.

 

[Iudanapoint]

I get so tired of this. Fact..had Antonio Allen not decided to sell drugs and get busted during the summer, we would have had an All B10 in the secondary. Not counting the other two players lost there, he alone would have us at .500. Thats really all thats wrong, minus a bit more getting to the QB. Go watch again every game we played, won or lost, and you'll find the secondary as the reason we lost...not "the defense". Without experience there, no matter what else you stop, they'll just throw on 3rd down and you're screwed. If you want to blame someone, put it where it belongs...Allen.

It's one player who was much more of a run stopper than a pass defender. You obviously haven't watched him play since you don't know this. Your weak excuses notwithstanding, IU simply doesn't have a defense that allows them to win against good teams, in spite of a very good offense.

 

[hoosierhat]

D line is fine. Dbacks couldn't stop a high school team.
The last TD was completely uncontested,pathetic

 

[Fro]

Considering how good Michigan's D is it's pretty hard to blame this on the offense.

Could some of the play calls been better? Yes.

The D has to get stops in crunch time in passing situations. DBs can't constantly get burnt or not even turn their heads to make a play on the ball.

 

[VertigoMynd]

this is all on the defense and it's coaches schemes players...when you chose to play the db's 15 yards off the line and give the wr's a free 10 yard run anywhere you lose it's that simple! it happened to us numerous times yesterday!

 

[82hoosier]

If this was basketball it would be like the opposition making layups and dunks with no defenders even in the paint.

 

[IUHartselCol]

It's one player who was much more of a run stopper than a pass defender. You obviously haven't watched him play since you don't know this. Your weak excuses notwithstanding, IU simply doesn't have a defense that allows them to win against good teams, in spite of a very good offense.

Pathetic...you're no fan.

 

[Iudanapoint]

Pathetic...you're no fan.

It's never pathetic to state an obvious truth. As usual, you're way out of line and way underinformed.

 

[Monday QB]

I get so tired of this. Fact..had Antonio Allen not decided to sell drugs and get busted during the summer, we would have had an All B10 in the secondary. Not counting the other two players lost there, he alone would have us at .500. Thats really all thats wrong, minus a bit more getting to the QB. Go watch again every game we played, won or lost, and you'll find the secondary as the reason we lost...not "the defense". Without experience there, no matter what else you stop, they'll just throw on 3rd down and you're screwed. If you want to blame someone, put it where it belongs...Allen.

One defensive player would not be the turn around for this team...please....

 

[Sope Creek]

but our offensive schemes and lack of overall talent and depth (especially on D) leads us to a bad combination. Corso, Wyche, Cameron, Lynch and now Wilson have all tried to outgun the other teams with their higher powered offenses. The one coach that had some success ( in the last 40+ years) played a more run oriented , ball control style and put an emphasis on Defense, (Hep might have led us to some success but sadly we will never know). Maybe could be something to that argument. Hey, I love to watch a high scoring game. It is more exciting to watch a 52-49 game, but if we are on the losing end 70-80% of the time it gets real old... like Kenny Rogers singing "You got to know when to hold em" at a poker game old. VBG

I will admit I don't necessarily want to see Wilson sent packing. I would love for us to win out and get to a bowl game, but if we do make a change, I want to see us go after Ken Niumotololo of Navy or even Troy Graham of Air Force. Those guys know how to coach and get the most out of lesser talent. They coach a scheme that will give the BIG fits and they and their full staffs would probably be more apt to come to B-Town than most any other established coach. We have to face the facts that we are never going to get the kind of talent that OSU, MSU, Mich or Penn St gets on a big enough scale to make this high powered stuff work. If we switched to one of these guys I'll bet it doesn't take them 5-7 years to starting winning and get us to a bowl game. The fact that we are in one of the toughest Conferences and Divisions would probably deter most decent coaching options. I don't even know if one of these guys would come either but I would at least give them a shot. Maybe Georgia Tech will get stupid enough to let Paul Johnson go after one bad year. He would be another guy I would love to see on the IU sidelines.

I'm just tired of this same old shoot yourself in the foot strategy that IU has tried over and over and over again. If there is a new regime, let's try something different for a change. Even though most people don't like the option style of football just remember that winning is never boring. The coaches I have mentioned know how to win... period. I have been a long suffering fan since the early Corso days. I want to see us at least start getting to Bowls on a semi regular basis before I check out of this old world.

82

Curious: do you think that the types of players that get recruited into military academies are similar to the types of players that would come to IU? Think about what it takes to get an academy appointment . . . do you think that the style of coaching that works with the guys recruited into a military academy would work with the guys recruited to IU?

 

[GeniusHawk56]

this is all on the defense and it's coaches schemes players...when you chose to play the db's 15 yards off the line and give the wr's a free 10 yard run anywhere you lose it's that simple! it happened to us numerous times yesterday!

That's what you do to protect weak/young corners. You'd rather get smoked on deep balls all game long?

 

[Iudanapoint]

Curious: do you think that the types of players that get recruited into military academies are similar to the types of players that would come to IU? Think about what it takes to get an academy appointment . . . do you think that the style of coaching that works with the guys recruited into a military academy would work with the guys recruited to IU?

Uh, if you know anyone who lives in the Atlanta area (and understands even the very basics of option football), you'd have the answer to your ill-conceived question.

 

[82IUGraduate]

Curious: do you think that the types of players that get recruited into military academies are similar to the types of players that would come to IU? Think about what it takes to get an academy appointment . . . do you think that the style of coaching that works with the guys recruited into a military academy would work with the guys recruited to IU?

Paul Johnson has done pretty decent at Georgia Tech. They even beat Florida State this year. You don't need a team full of All Americans to run the option game. Wilson's system does depend on getting more talent and depth. Would love to see what KN could do if he could get better talent. I think he could give the BIG fits with that style and he is a proven winner. Navy has beaten ND a few times over the past 15 years. How many times have we beaten Mich,OSU,Penn St and Mich St in the past 20 years? Not saying that we should run KW off. Just saying I would love to see what one of the option style coaches would do here if IU does make a change.

 

[Monday QB]

Curious: do you think that the types of players that get recruited into military academies are similar to the types of players that would come to IU? Think about what it takes to get an academy appointment . . . do you think that the style of coaching that works with the guys recruited into a military academy would work with the guys recruited to IU?

It's not the players as much as the scheme. Option football creates unique mismatches. If you have a good dual threat QB with some wheels, You can be a real problem for anybody. It is just like HS coaches that run the Wing-T because it creates angles for blocking that smaller players can compete with larger players due to the blocking angles and somewhat level the field against a "superior", more athletic team

 

[Sope Creek]

Uh, if you know anyone who lives in the Atlanta area (and understands even the very basics of option football), you'd have the answer to your ill-conceived question.

If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that Paul Johnson has a roster full of his guys and is getting the snot kicked out of him in the ACC this year, at 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference. You gonna fire Johnson?

Fact is that the ACC schools have figured out Johnson's version of the option, and GA Tech can't throw well enough to keep the defenses honest. But you didn't know any of this . . . .

 

[fx400]

but our offensive schemes and lack of overall talent and depth (especially on D) leads us to a bad combination. Corso, Wyche, Cameron, Lynch and now Wilson have all tried to outgun the other teams with their higher powered offenses. The one coach that had some success ( in the last 40+ years) played a more run oriented , ball control style and put an emphasis on Defense, (Hep might have led us to some success but sadly we will never know). Maybe could be something to that argument. Hey, I love to watch a high scoring game. It is more exciting to watch a 52-49 game, but if we are on the losing end 70-80% of the time it gets real old... like Kenny Rogers singing "You got to know when to hold em" at a poker game old. VBG

I will admit I don't necessarily want to see Wilson sent packing. I would love for us to win out and get to a bowl game, but if we do make a change, I want to see us go after Ken Niumotololo of Navy or even Troy Graham of Air Force. Those guys know how to coach and get the most out of lesser talent. They coach a scheme that will give the BIG fits and they and their full staffs would probably be more apt to come to B-Town than most any other established coach. We have to face the facts that we are never going to get the kind of talent that OSU, MSU, Mich or Penn St gets on a big enough scale to make this high powered stuff work. If we switched to one of these guys I'll bet it doesn't take them 5-7 years to starting winning and get us to a bowl game. The fact that we are in one of the toughest Conferences and Divisions would probably deter most decent coaching options. I don't even know if one of these guys would come either but I would at least give them a shot. Maybe Georgia Tech will get stupid enough to let Paul Johnson go after one bad year. He would be another guy I would love to see on the IU sidelines.

I'm just tired of this same old shoot yourself in the foot strategy that IU has tried over and over and over again. If there is a new regime, let's try something different for a change. Even though most people don't like the option style of football just remember that winning is never boring. The coaches I have mentioned know how to win... period. I have been a long suffering fan since the early Corso days. I want to see us at least start getting to Bowls on a semi regular basis before I check out of this old world.

82

So, your solution is not to score points? To try and not score so the clock runs down. I think your view of the amount of control a team has over what happens on the field is distorted. Even Saban at Bama and Dantonio at MSU don't get upset when they score too much too soon.

Not to recruit good offensive players? I would bet that they are trying just as hard to find good defensive players as they do offensive players.

 

[Sope Creek]

It's not the players as much as the scheme. Option football creates unique mismatches. If you have a good dual threat QB with some wheels, You can be a real problem for anybody. It is just like HS coaches that run the Wing-T because it creates angles for blocking that smaller players can compete with larger players due to the blocking angles and somewhat level the field against a "superior", more athletic team

Yeah, I know. I was an advocate of Paul Johnson for the IU job when he was at Navy, but now that I've seen his GA Tech teams up close for a couple of years . . . they're either very, very good or very, very mediocre to bad, and that's at a school with significant football tradition and lots of fan support and financial backing. Recruiting can be difficult at GA Tech, as it is a premier engineering school that traditionally has required student athletes who can pass a bunch of math, but I think that's been modified over the years.

The passing game either is big play rich (requiring a Calvin Johnson or Demaryius Thomas to be at all effective) or nonexistent (Zander's arm looks like Tom Brady's compared to Justin Thomas' this year). And if the line isn't hitting the timing of their blocks just right . . . like I said, they're either very good, or very mediocre/bad.

 

[Sope Creek]

Paul Johnson has done pretty decent at Georgia Tech. They even beat Florida State this year. You don't need a team full of All Americans to run the option game. Wilson's system does depend on getting more talent and depth. Would love to see what KN could do if he could get better talent. I think he could give the BIG fits with that style and he is a proven winner. Navy has beaten ND a few times over the past 15 years. How many times have we beaten Mich,OSU,Penn St and Mich St in the past 20 years? Not saying that we should run KW off. Just saying I would love to see what one of the option style coaches would do here if IU does make a change.

Paul Johnson is 3-7 and 1-5 this year, with a roster of guys he recruited.

I get the appeal; I was an advocate of Johnson getting the IU job when he was a Navy. But I've watched his teams a lot over the last several years, and the passing game is a crap shoot while the running game is either feast or famine. On top of that, I think a lot of HCs in the ACC are starting to figure out how to defend the option, especially when GA Tech doesn't have a Calvin Johnson or Demaryius Thomas to bail out subpar QB arms. If Johnson were at IU with the team he has this year, the always dissatisfied on this board would be pining for a regime change and looking to find a coach who runs the pistol . . . .

 

[Monday QB]

If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that Paul Johnson has a roster full of his guys and is getting the snot kicked out of him in the ACC this year, at 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference. You gonna fire Johnson?

Fact is that the ACC schools have figured out Johnson's version of the option, and GA Tech can't throw well enough to keep the defenses honest. But you didn't know any of this . . . .

Sope, let's be honest, Johnson has lost this year, but he's not "getting the snot kicked out of him". GT loses a lot like IU, lots of close ones. They lost by one score or less to ND, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and beat Florida State. The only team to really beat them badly is Number 1 ranked Clemson. And like IU, many of their fans are spouting, "losing close", but they still lost. If we can shout out "IU is losing better than before", Why not give them the same courtesy? Johnson may be finding out that the option works well in the mid-major programs better than it does at the ACC level where there are athletes all over the field. Don't mistake too Georgia Tech is a tough place to recruit to. Academic Standards plus, the campus is in a crappy area of Atlanta that they tried to upgrade during the Olympics, where they try to keep the surrounding areas "OK for college kids" not quite the draw of other college locations

 

[Sope Creek]

Sope, let's be honest, Johnson has lost this year, but he's not "getting the snot kicked out of him". GT loses a lot like IU, lots of close ones. They lost by one score or less to ND, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and beat Florida State. The only team to really beat them badly is Number 1 ranked Clemson. And like IU, many of their fans are spouting, "losing close", but they still lost. If we can shout out "IU is losing better than before", Why not give them the same courtesy?

I hear you . . . but the differences are (1) GA Tech has a very solid football tradition, and IU simply doesn't, so it's gonna be harder and take longer at IU than it would at GA Tech, and (2) while the scores look competitive, whenever an opponent has needed to stop GA Tech they've either been able to do so pretty much at will (except FShoesU, granted) or GA Tech has gratuitously stopped themselves, and GA Tech's defense hasn't been able to get stops when they've needed to. It's been a very IU-like season at GA Tech. GA Tech fans expected this to be a great season, one where they could establish dominance over UGA . . . only to get nothing like that.

One more question: Do you think that Navy's success is purely the result of the scheme, or perhaps they found lightening in a bottle with Keenon Reynolds, who has more touchdowns than anybody ever in college football? In other words, will Navy be anywhere close to as good once Reynolds is gone?

(And why is it that IU plays unknowns who become world beaters, like Philip Rivers at NC St. and Reynolds at Navy?)

 

[Monday QB]

I hear you . . . but the differences are (1) GA Tech has a very solid football tradition, and IU simply doesn't, so it's gonna be harder and take longer at IU than it would at GA Tech, and (2) while the scores look competitive, whenever an opponent has needed to stop GA Tech they've either been able to do so pretty much at will (except FShoesU, granted) or GA Tech has gratuitously stopped themselves, and GA Tech's defense hasn't been able to get stops when they've needed to. It's been a very IU-like season at GA Tech. GA Tech fans expected this to be a great season, one where they could establish dominance over UGA . . . only to get nothing like that.

One more question: Do you think that Navy's success is purely the result of the scheme, or perhaps they found lightening in a bottle with Keenon Reynolds, who has more touchdowns than anybody ever in college football? In other words, will Navy be anywhere close to as good once Reynolds is gone?

(And why is it that IU plays unknowns who become world beaters, like Philip Rivers at NC St. and Reynolds at Navy?)

To answer your question in a not so definitive way, I think it is both. The scheme creates mismatch opportunities or blocking angles for Navy's generally smaller fronts which helps them be competitive. I think that may be more effective playing against teams in the AAC which may not have the amount of 6'4" 285 lb. guys who can run like the wind, as you might see at Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida State, etc in the ACC or the SEC with all their athletes. At some point, defending against it comes down to genetics...Jimmy's and Joe's not X's and O's. But a confusing scheme with decent athletes and sprinkle in a great one here and there against like competition and there you have it, a competitive team. Let's look at Navy this year for what it is too, an aberration. Since Ken Niumatalolo took over for Paul Johnson in 2007, they have been to a bowl game every year but one. Since the 2007 season when Johnson left, Navy is 57-34 through last year, with 7 bowl appearances and 3 wins. Not bad.....I didn't look it up, but I'm willing to bet Air Force has similar results, playing in the Mountain West. IU would certainly take that record.

 

[Sope Creek]

To answer your question in a not so definitive way, I think it is both. The scheme creates mismatch opportunities or blocking angles for Navy's generally smaller fronts which helps them be competitive. I think that may be more effective playing against teams in the AAC which may not have the amount of 6'4" 285 lb. guys who can run like the wind, as you might see at Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida State, etc in the ACC or the SEC with all their athletes. At some point, defending against it comes down to genetics...Jimmy's and Joe's not X's and O's. But a confusing scheme with decent athletes and sprinkle in a great one here and there against like competition and there you have it, a competitive team. Let's look at Navy this year for what it is too, an aberration. Since Ken Niumatalolo took over for Paul Johnson in 2007, they have been to a bowl game every year but one. Since the 2007 season when Johnson left, Navy is 57-34 through last year, with 7 bowl appearances and 3 wins. Not bad.....I didn't look it up, but I'm willing to bet Air Force has similar results, playing in the Mountain West. IU would certainly take that record.

Understood, and that's kind of my point; the guys playing at Navy are effective against generally 2nd or 3rd tier programs, but wouldn't necessarily transfer 1 for 1 in the BiG.

OK, let's do this a different way and speculate a little bit: What do you think Wilson's record would be with this IU team playing in the Mountain West? If this IU team were to play Air Force's schedule - could IU beat Colorado State or Utah State? Boise State? What would Air Force's record be playing IU's schedule - we know they got beat by MSU, and likely would lose to O$U, UM and Iowa, but what about Penn State and Rutgers? Maryland and PU? Would Troy Calhoun be a definitive upgrade?

Next question: If this IU team were to play Navy's schedule - could IU beat Memphis, for example, and if not would IU have a .500+ record with Navy's schedule? What would Navy's record be playing IU's schedule? Would Niumatalolo be a definitive upgrade?

Next question: If you were Ken Niumatalolo, would you take the IU job if it were offered at the end of this season?

Next question: If you were Troy Calhoun, would you take the IU job if it were offered at the end of this season?

What I'm trying to do is get to like-for-like comparisons, where we get a sense of what Wilson might be doing in "the other guy's" shoes, and how those same guys might fare if they were in Wilson's shoes.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

You guys want to know the real difference in these coaches?
Regardless of offensive output, Calhoun and Johnson give their teams a fighting chance with their defenses.

Air Force - 12th nationally in total defense.

Georgia Tech - 47th nationally in total defense.

IU - 122nd nationally in total defense.

IU would kill for those results. We are giving up 522 yards per game. I said before the season that IU would have to shave off 75 - 90 ypg to go bowling.....and we've gotten worse.

 

[oldcougar77]

You guys want to know the real difference in these coaches?
Regardless of offensive output, Calhoun and Johnson give their teams a fighting chance with their defenses.

Air Force - 12th nationally in total defense.

Georgia Tech - 47th nationally in total defense.

IU - 122nd nationally in total defense.

IU would kill for those results. We are giving up 522 yards per game. I said before the season that IU would have to shave off 75 - 90 ypg to go bowling.....and we've gotten worse.

I'm not going to make any argument that IU is not horrible on defense but I think the rankings of AF and GT may be a little skewed by the fact that they use ball-control offenses. Opponents are going to get fewer possessions, run fewer plays, gain fewer yards against teams that run the ball 80% of the time and use the play clock deliberately.

IU's issue is pass defense. Our run defense has been more than adequate. We just can't get off the field on third-and-medium or third-and-long because almost every pass on those downs is completed. There cannot be a worse secondary in the nation than ours.

 

[Iudanapoint]

If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that Paul Johnson has a roster full of his guys and is getting the snot kicked out of him in the ACC this year, at 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference. You gonna fire Johnson?

Fact is that the ACC schools have figured out Johnson's version of the option, and GA Tech can't throw well enough to keep the defenses honest. But you didn't know any of this . . . .

Pay attention to the guy who's 61-42 at Tech and one season removed from an 11-3 record and a win in the Orange Bowl? So, based on one season, you think the ACC has figured him out? You're really having trouble understanding the very basics, aren't you? Is there a Peegs concussion protocol we need to implement for you?

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

I'm not going to make any argument that IU is not horrible on defense but I think the rankings of AF and GT may be a little skewed by the fact that they use ball-control offenses. Opponents are going to get fewer possessions, run fewer plays, gain fewer yards against teams that run the ball 80% of the time and use the play clock deliberately.

IU's issue is pass defense. Our run defense has been more than adequate. We just can't get off the field on third-and-medium or third-and-long because almost every pass on those downs is completed. There cannot be a worse secondary in the nation than ours.

Honestly, the blame can be shared by the DL on much of this. Our interior is decent in plugging the middle but our DEs? They are veteran guys who don't get to the QB. There is too much time back there. That doesn't help an already bad secondary.

 

[RBB89]

Honestly, the blame can be shared by the DL on much of this. Our interior is decent in plugging the middle but our DEs? They are veteran guys who don't get to the QB. There is too much time back there. That doesn't help an already bad secondary.

The blame should be on the Marching Hundred, the ONLY band to play the opposing team's fight song. We're just making them too darn comfortable.

 

[Rangeline Fan]

It's never pathetic to state an obvious truth...

No...but evidently it can be insincere or disingenuous. I forget who told me that.

 

[Iudanapoint]

No...but evidently it can be insincere or disingenuous. I forget who told me that.

With every post, you prove my point.

 

[Rangeline Fan]

With every post, you prove my point.

Lol...pot kettle.

Keep being genuine and sincere...and remember that IU is 4-6...that is the truth. Its never pathetic to state an obvious truth.

 

[Monday QB]

Understood, and that's kind of my point; the guys playing at Navy are effective against generally 2nd or 3rd tier programs, but wouldn't necessarily transfer 1 for 1 in the BiG.

OK, let's do this a different way and speculate a little bit: What do you think Wilson's record would be with this IU team playing in the Mountain West? If this IU team were to play Air Force's schedule - could IU beat Colorado State or Utah State? Boise State? What would Air Force's record be playing IU's schedule - we know they got beat by MSU, and likely would lose to O$U, UM and Iowa, but what about Penn State and Rutgers? Maryland and PU? Would Troy Calhoun be a definitive upgrade?

Next question: If this IU team were to play Navy's schedule - could IU beat Memphis, for example, and if not would IU have a .500+ record with Navy's schedule? What would Navy's record be playing IU's schedule? Would Niumatalolo be a definitive upgrade?

Next question: If you were Ken Niumatalolo, would you take the IU job if it were offered at the end of this season?

Next question: If you were Troy Calhoun, would you take the IU job if it were offered at the end of this season?

What I'm trying to do is get to like-for-like comparisons, where we get a sense of what Wilson might be doing in "the other guy's" shoes, and how those same guys might fare if they were in Wilson's shoes.

Ok, I'll bite .... let's hit the questions and of course, these are only guesses, but that is what we do on here most of the time....
Wilson's record with IU in the Mountain West? Depends on who they play- Let's pick Nevada as a random schedule. IU loses to Arizona, Texas A&M, San Diego State. They beat UC- Davis, Buffalo, UNLV, Wyoming, Hawaii, Fresno, San Jose State. Depends on which IU team shows up for games with New Mexico (the way they're playing now) and Utah State. So my guess is they would be 7-5 to 9-3

I think IU playing Air Forces schedule would be- Wins- Morgan St., San Jose, Wyoming, Fresno , Hawaii, Army. probably Colorado St. Losses- Michigan St. Toss ups- Navy, Utah St, Boise St, New Mexico. Record- 6-5 to 11-1 (highly unlikely)

IU with Navy's schedule- IU losses to Notre Dame, Houston, Memphis, all the rest wins, except maybe a stumble against Air Force. Record- 8-4 to 9-3. Yes IU has .500 record with Navy's schedule. My personal thought is the AAC is not very good. Temple is a one year wonder and Navy, Houston and Memphis are the only teams THIS YEAR.
Not sure if Niumatalolo is an upgrade.....No, I would not take the IU job if I were him
I would not take the IU job if I was Troy Calhoun. UNLESS I was looking for an upgrade in pay

 

[Sope Creek]

Ok, I'll bite .... let's hit the questions and of course, these are only guesses, but that is what we do on here most of the time....
Wilson's record with IU in the Mountain West? Depends on who they play- Let's pick Nevada as a random schedule. IU loses to Arizona, Texas A&M, San Diego State. They beat UC- Davis, Buffalo, UNLV, Wyoming, Hawaii, Fresno, San Jose State. Depends on which IU team shows up for games with New Mexico (the way they're playing now) and Utah State. So my guess is they would be 7-5 to 9-3

I think IU playing Air Forces schedule would be- Wins- Morgan St., San Jose, Wyoming, Fresno , Hawaii, Army. probably Colorado St. Losses- Michigan St. Toss ups- Navy, Utah St, Boise St, New Mexico. Record- 6-5 to 11-1 (highly unlikely)

IU with Navy's schedule- IU losses to Notre Dame, Houston, Memphis, all the rest wins, except maybe a stumble against Air Force. Record- 8-4 to 9-3. Yes IU has .500 record with Navy's schedule. My personal thought is the AAC is not very good. Temple is a one year wonder and Navy, Houston and Memphis are the only teams THIS YEAR.
Not sure if Niumatalolo is an upgrade.....No, I would not take the IU job if I were him
I would not take the IU job if I was Troy Calhoun. UNLESS I was looking for an upgrade in pay

That's a nice post, QB. Thanks.

 

[Harrell]

IU isn't close to being able to compete on defense.

Really? Did you just start watching IU football? Because when I see IU playing 4 teams in the top 15 and we are in the game with them, I think our defense is better than it has been. If we are close in the end, I think our defense can compete. What is your definition of "compete"?

 

[Harrell]

That's what you do to protect weak/young corners. You'd rather get smoked on deep balls all game long?

Exactly. If you have coached, you don't put your young DBs in a position to get beat from the start, you give them a chance to play from a distance. And that is what we have to do this year.

 

[Iudanapoint]

Really? Did you just start watching IU football? Because when I see IU playing 4 teams in the top 15 and we are in the game with them, I think our defense is better than it has been. If we are close in the end, I think our defense can compete. What is your definition of "compete"?

Watch the games and look at the stats. They aren't Big Ten ready. IU was in each of those games because of their offense, and lost each of them because of their defense. They've been close at the end of each of them and the defense couldn't compete when they needed to.

 

[Harrell]

but our offensive schemes and lack of overall talent and depth (especially on D) leads us to a bad combination. Corso, Wyche, Cameron, Lynch and now Wilson have all tried to outgun the other teams with their higher powered offenses. The one coach that had some success ( in the last 40+ years) played a more run oriented , ball control style and put an emphasis on Defense, (Hep might have led us to some success but sadly we will never know). Maybe could be something to that argument. Hey, I love to watch a high scoring game. It is more exciting to watch a 52-49 game, but if we are on the losing end 70-80% of the time it gets real old... like Kenny Rogers singing "You got to know when to hold em" at a poker game old. VBG

I will admit I don't necessarily want to see Wilson sent packing. I would love for us to win out and get to a bowl game, but if we do make a change, I want to see us go after Ken Niumotololo of Navy or even Troy Graham of Air Force. Those guys know how to coach and get the most out of lesser talent. They coach a scheme that will give the BIG fits and they and their full staffs would probably be more apt to come to B-Town than most any other established coach. We have to face the facts that we are never going to get the kind of talent that OSU, MSU, Mich or Penn St gets on a big enough scale to make this high powered stuff work. If we switched to one of these guys I'll bet it doesn't take them 5-7 years to starting winning and get us to a bowl game. The fact that we are in one of the toughest Conferences and Divisions would probably deter most decent coaching options. I don't even know if one of these guys would come either but I would at least give them a shot. Maybe Georgia Tech will get stupid enough to let Paul Johnson go after one bad year. He would be another guy I would love to see on the IU sidelines.

I'm just tired of this same old shoot yourself in the foot strategy that IU has tried over and over and over again. If there is a new regime, let's try something different for a change. Even though most people don't like the option style of football just remember that winning is never boring. The coaches I have mentioned know how to win... period. I have been a long suffering fan since the early Corso days. I want to see us at least start getting to Bowls on a semi regular basis before I check out of this old world.

82

1. You are blaming the defense.
2. Our offense has kept us in games.
3. Troy Calhoun at Air Force, we looked at him a few years ago.
4. IU would never get the recruits to compete in the B10 to run Navy's offense.
5. I'm with you with wanting IU to win!

 

[Harrell]

Watch the games and look at the stats. They aren't Big Ten ready. IU was in each of those games because of their offense, and lost each of them because of their defense. They've been close at the end of each of them and the defense couldn't compete when they needed to.

Nope, not going to look at the stats. Don't care. We were in the game, if we weren't competing, we wouldn't be in the game. Couldn't "compete when they needed to" is competing, its not finishing.