GnarlyNormEllenberger

MartintheMopMan,   Appreciate the reply! I'm not sure I have crimson-colored glasses anymore, as much as it pains me to say.   I guess what I am trying to say (without being disrespectful to the current coaching staff) is that Gordon might be waiting to see if there's a new IU coaching staff on the bench come spring time. And that might be his opportunity to finally come to IU. I just have a hard time believing that this guy who has spent so much time on IU's campus and has so many IU ties wouldn't pick IU if he had the true and fair opportunity. So, yes, I would guess that IU would be his preferred destination with everything being equal. But that's just my opinion and I could be completely wrong.   I'll argue that Gordon was being heavily recruited by Butler, Purdue and Arizona State earlier in his career as well. So it was more than just IU giving him attention.   But again, I have no clue. Gordon might hate IU now. And believe it or not, it really doesn't matter to me. But the fact that he is opening up his recruitment to new schools seems to tell me that his recruitment is turning out differently than he had planned. A lot differently. And it used to look like (from public perception) that IU was clearly in the driver's seat. Obviously, Crean doesn't like him too much. Yet if Crean isn't here in April but Gordon is still available...   Anyway, just my thoughts. Appreciate the back-and-forth.

  I think Eron has always shown a heavy interest in IU. Both of his brothers went here and he got to witness first-hand how Eric was treated as a star. He's visited IU so many times that we probably can't even count. IU offered him a scholarship early in his high school career. He was viewed as an IU lean for several years. I think it's clear that he always viewed IU favorably.   Of course, that is the past. But I'd say he's put more time and effort into looking at IU than any other school. And it's probably not even close. Perhaps there's been a parting of the ways between he and Crean... I don't know. I doubt it, though. But it seems like random schools are now popping up on his list. Almost without any noticeable rhyme or reason to the regular public. I guarantee you that his familiarity with these schools is limited, so he'll probably want to look more into them, hence the spring signing. To me, this represents the thought process of "IU may not work out, so what else is out there?" Of course, he may fall in love with Maryland or Oregon. And if he does, great for him!   However, I think the #1 thing kids want these days is playing time. Who he's playing with (or even for what coach, in some situations) may not make a difference if he just likes the school straight-up and knows he'll get a chance to play. Would he feel that way with Maryland or Oregon? I can't answer that.   Also, read this snippet from Steve Jones from Courier-Journal from 06/11/14:   "Evan, who is helping his brother with his recruitment, said it would be "cool" and "great" if Eron decides to follow in his brothers' footsteps and play at IU, too.   "I'd never rule out a school that I think is a great school," said Evan, who earned a master's degree in sports administration at IU and is now pursuing a career as a sport agent.   "The athletic department, the coaching staff (are good). I liked (assistant) coach (Kenny) Johnson before he left and went to Louisville," he said. "(Assistant Tim) Buckley, I worked with him very closely when I was there.   "The coaching situation might change... it all just depends on the coaching situation and who's coming back and who's leaving. It all just depends on that."   You could look into that quote several different ways. Maybe they're saying if Crean (or other assistants) leave, they are no longer interested. But they might also be saying that an even better situation might arise? I don't know. But they know the coaching situation is fluid in Bloomington and that MIGHT be a reason why they're waiting until Spring to sign because they want to see what happens.

I still think there's a solid chance he ends up at IU.   I really think he's keeping a close eye on what happens at IU. He knows that he's not priority #1 for Crean, but that IU will probably have some attrition this year and that there will be openings at the guard spots. He also likely knows who Crean is recruiting and that if Crean strikes out on Rawle or a couple other guys, he might be next in-line.   Furthermore, Gordon isn't stupid. He knows Crean is definitely on the hot seat and that there just might me a new coach on the sidelines in the Spring. And that potential new coach just MIGHT need a couple of players to fill out his roster. And again, there will likely be guard spots available on the team. But Gordon is covering his bases for every possibility. As he should.   But I have nothing to base this off of except past logic and a gut feeling.

Curious, because I have respected your opinions and knowledge of the game since you were on Scout...   You really believe that guys like Sean Miller, Archie Miller or Chris Mack would be much of a step up from Crean? I know that Sean Miller can recruit and has a nice record at Arizona, but I've never looked at him and thought "there's a good, in-game coach" or "he's got his team prepared" (although it's hard to quantify that sort of thing.) His brother at Dayton has a small sample size and I have the same concerns about him as I do his brother. Mack capitalized off of Sean Miller's success at Xavier, but ever since then he's got a resume that is similar to Crean's. Not saying that none of these guys could have success here, but I think there's every bit as good of a chance we see Crean-like results.   As you said, it's a one man list. No doubt. He'd bring sustained success here. Conference championships. Conference contender nearly every year. Probably a banner or two. I am confident of those predictions and I don't normally make predictions like that. But A LOT of things would have to fall our way for that to happen as we all know.   Personally, I'd love to get an "in-game" coach. The ol' X's and O's type. In my opinion, IU basketball is still an elite brand. I think you could hire a chimpanzee and it would still bring in Top 25 recruiting classes. Also, fans will show up to watch a good, fundamental, hard-working product. We don't need a cheerleader or PR man to lead us. (The big heads just scream gimmick to me.) IU basketball still sells itself, enough. Therefore, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if a bright mind from a smaller school would ever be looked at. Your Bob McKillop idea isn't necessarily a bad one in my eyes. There may be a few others like him worth a look. Not necessarily sexy, but know how to coach a basketball team.   But I also believe that some IU guys should at least be considered. As we have found out, there's a big difference between SAYING they understand what Indiana Basketball is all about and actually abiding by those standards. No, I don't have anyone in mind, but I have a hard time believing that someone like Dane Fife couldn't at least have had as much success with us as we've had in the last few years.

This was the first game in a long time where I completely forgot to listen to the game or check the score. I seriously can't remember the last time I did that. I never used to miss one... even the cupcakes. This season just has the same feel as Davis' and Sampson's last years.   But thanks to those who are posting their thoughts on this game in the thread. The scoring numbers for Yogi and rebounds for Troy were crazy. Not sure how much it means long-term, though.

Slightly surprised at this because of his nagging injuries this year. Figured he might be able to improve his draft stock a bit if he returned. But high-level RBs rarely seem to stick around for their senior season these days, it seems. So I can't blame him. The shelf-life of a RB is only so long, at least as far as the NFL is concerned.   But best of luck to him in the NFL. We were extremely fortunate to have him on the team this year. The cards actually fell our way for once with landing him! He brought a powerful running game to our offense that we haven't seen in many years.   I'll always remember how he and our O-line absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage against Michigan. Smash-mouth football and there was nothing Michigan could do about it. Such a bruiser! Not as fast as Tevin, but if we needed 3 yards, you knew there was a great chance Howard was going to get it for us. Extremely reliable. He will be missed.

Remember the culture problems Crean spoke of when he arrived here? I'm afraid there might be more of that on the team currently than what we (or Crean himself) would care to admit or want to believe.   And if there's a culture problem on the team (whether it be players, coaches or whomever), I'm not sure that can be solved mid-season. At least not solved and still win ball games.

What I always thought IU Basketball's standards to be...   1) Represent the university with the utmost respect and class at the highest level. We claim to be a "world class" university. With such a visible representation of the university being the basketball team, we have to be one of the most respected programs in college basketball. Don't talk about it, just DO it,   2) Make NCAA Tournament every year. This is the academic equivalent of simply passing a class. The BARE minimum.   3) Down years consist of a 6th-8th place Big Ten finish. They should not happen much more than once every 4-5 years as the program should be stable enough to reload and compete at the highest level most years. We are located in the middle of a wonderful recruiting ground (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois) that produces a couple dozen Top 100 level players every year. Recruiting should never be a problem.   4) Be at least a Big Ten championship contender most years. Top 4 in the conference should be expected most years. The university spends too much money on this program to expect any less.   5) Championships ARE attainable at IU. Especially Big Ten championships. If we go multiple years without truly contending for one, something is wrong.   A few more thoughts...   - Old Friend has been saying this for years, but apathy is setting in. It really is. There are so many "used to be" IU fans out there. And they're not just Knight loyalists. They want something to be proud of. Something they can relate to. We've had that momentarily over the last twenty years or so, but never consistently. My guess is that it will take some really BOLD moves for IU basketball to ever advance past it's current state of relevance. In the mean time, I'm afraid we're slowly drifting away into just another program.   Just my opinion.

Unofficially, Sudfeld is in the midst of re-writing the passing record books at IU. With one guaranteed game remaining, here's where he stands:   Career Passing Yards: 1) Antwaan Randle El - 7,469 2) Ben Chappell - 7.251 3) Nate Sudfeld - 7,140   Single Season Passing Yards: 1) Ben Chappell (2010) - 3,295 2) Kellen Lewis (2007) - 3,043 3) Ben Chappell (2009) - 2,941 4) Nate Sudfeld (2015) - 2,834   Single Game Yards: 1) Ben Chappell (2010 vs. Michigan) - 480 2) Nate Sudfeld (2015 vs. Rutgers) - 464   Career Passing Touchdowns: 1) Nate Sudfeld - 54   Single Season Passing Touchdowns: 1) Kellen Lewis (2007) - 28 2) Ben Chappell (2010) - 24 3) Blake Powers (2005) - 22 4) Nate Sudfeld (2013) - 21 5) Nate Sudfeld (2015) - 20   Sudfeld has definitely put up some nice numbers during his time as a Hoosier. He's a major reason our offense has been so successful over the last four years. A couple more great games as a Hoosier would place him as arguably the top statistical passing QB to ever play at IU.   Great job, Suds! Finish up your career as a Hoosier with a Bucket and Bowl victory!

A few thoughts...   - First off, we got the win. That means more than anything else. Had to get it and we got it.   - Defensively... I just...I can't... it's disappointing. Guys, Maryland threw a bunch of backups and inexperienced players on the field and still put up nearly 500 yards. That's not good. Yes, the second half was better, but it's like what happens when opposing defenses see Diamont on the field. You know they don't feel comfortable throwing it. We had things fall our way for the defense from a Maryland personnel standpoint. That Cockerill kid was something like their 4th string QB. He was uncomfortable, just like the QB was for Wake Forest. They're not good players right now. You've got to really look hard to find how our defense is any better than our normal dismal state. Had they had anything resembling decent QB play, this would have been a different ball game.   - However, the offense got it together and Sudfeld did a wonderful job leading the team back to victory. 5 total TDs. Very composed. Played like a senior who knows his time as a Hoosier is coming to a close. Spirited effort. Not only did we come back, we stepped on their throats and buried them. Great job.   - Good for Andre Booker. I felt he was robbed of a great catch last week was a bogus offensive PI call. But he nabbed a couple today.   - Redding isn't in the same league as Howard, that's clear. (And I am puzzled why we continue to hand him the ball on 3rd & 8 or run him up the middle so often.) But, I think he's slowly improving. He filled in admirably this afternoon. If he can continue to be patient and wait for his blocks (something Howard excels at) he has potential to be a play-maker. He has what it takes to be our #1 RB against Purdue. And we'll need his best effort.   - Cobbs had his best game from a statistical standpoint. Showed good effort on several plays. And he has the potential to be a very good receiver. But he is going to have to be more consistent in catching the ball. Going to have to be more focused. He probably would have had over 250 yards and a TD if he would have been more sure-handed. Still, he's blossoming as a player and will be vital to our success next week and beyond. Good game today, though. He still dominated.   - I hope Howard and Feeney are able to play next week. I'm wanting to say Feeney came back out? Regardless, they're two of our top three best players. For 3rd & 2 situations, these guys are vital.   - It all comes down to Purdue. So much to play for next week. Boilers. Bucket. Bowl. Anything less than our most inspired and determined effort of the season will be a disappointment.

Just a gut feeling, but I still think Crean could nab him if he REALLY wanted him.

Some thoughts...   - Our transition offense was very good and we had it going early and often. This is our biggest strength. When it works, we look really good.   - I think there are a few players on this team that were never really asked to be a good defensive player in their prep careers and its readily apparent. Plain as day. The lack of communication, over-helping and general disengagement by some on that end of the floor is disappointing. But, it's fixable in many parts. We'll see if we correct it as the year progresses.   - Great shooting % from beyond the arc. Poor shooting % from the stripe and didn't get there often. If the three's aren't falling, we'll have to do a much better job getting to the line. Didn't have to worry about that in this game, though.   - We have so many offensive weapons on this team. There are legitimately eight guys on this team that you wouldn't mind shooting the ball on any possession. That's tough for defenses to guard.   - Another high turnover game. Don't know if it's because of the freedom of the offense or just a lack of concentration, but this seems to be a standard for us.   - Our freshman have some talent, but they are young and still adjusting to college basketball. They were over-thinking a bit last night.   - All this being said, there's only so much you can tell from defeating Austin Peay by 26. Take it all with a grain of salt. We'll find out more about what we have on Thursday vs. an improved Creighton team.

QB scouting isn't exactly my line of work, but Lagow looks solid. Reminds me of Sudfeld in his first couple of years as a Hoosier. Similar build, too. Seems like a Wilson-type of QB. I could see coach molding him into a guy who can rack up some numbers. Keep putting points on the board.   I'll gladly take him for next year. It will give guys like King and Ramsey a couple more years to refine their game (assuming they'll be patient and stick with us.)

We can beat Michigan. I think a big key for either team to win this game will be playing inspired and determined football.   As far as Michigan goes, they're the better team on paper and that's clear. Like Iowa, they're not spectacular, but are very solid in all aspects of the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With Michigan State's loss last week at Nebraska, the Wolverines find themselves still in the hunt for a Big Ten title, but several dominoes have to fall. My hope is that they think this is the "gimme" game left on their schedule with a trip to Penn State looming and Ohio State to close out the regular season. If they come into this one looking ahead, that could really bode well for the Hoosiers. The unfortunate stat is that Michigan has played REALLY well in six of their nine games where they have dominated the competition. Considering their two losses were to Utah and Michigan State, it proves they are still a very good football team. Their squeaker game at Minnesota is the one that makes me believe we still have a shot at these guys.   As for our Hoosiers, what more can be said? We're just going to have to WANT it more than Michigan. I thought we would come out on fire against Iowa and play inspired, determined football and just take it to them... but that didn't happen. I thought that sense of urgency and desire would take over and we would get the victory. We competed, we played with them. But we didn't play better than them. This sounds very silly and obvious but we just have to play BETTER than Michigan. Straight up. We have to create turnovers. We have to take care of the ball. We have to make plays when we get the opportunity but stay grounded and steady and play smart football. We played with Ohio State. We played with Michigan State. We played with Iowa. Now is the the time to play BETTER than Michigan.   I won't predict a victory like I did last week vs. Iowa. But I still have hope because I truly believe we're a significantly better football team than our 0-5 record suggests.

I'm usually not the type to make predictions on the outcome of games, especially not as bold as I'm about to make, but...   I think we beat Iowa tomorrow. And that's no disrespect to Iowa. They've defeated several good teams this year and have taken care of business in every game. But something tells me this Hoosier team is just itching to break out. We couldn't do it against Ohio St. or Penn St. because of injuries to our two most important players. The Rutgers game was a major letdown against a not-so-good team and at Michigan State just simply wasn't a time when we were ripe for upsetting them. But tomorrow is a different story. Iowa is starting to get respect with a Top 10 ranking and there's big target on their back right now. I'd like to think the pressure may be starting to wear on them because while they are a good team, I'm not sure if they're Top 10 good.   We're coming off a bye week. We've had time to rest and prepare. They have got to be hungry, you know? I think our Hoosiers come out with a sense of urgency, knowing the season is dwindling down to a few games. We've lost four in a row and need a win badly. We get 'em at home. We have our senior QB back and healthy enough to play well. Our star RB is back and I think he's due for a big breakout game, even against a stout Iowa run defense. I believe our defense has played poorly in the past couple of games and is due for an inspired performance. Not great, but one where they can come up with a few turnovers and be a nuisance. We've got enough veterans on both sides of the ball who KNOW that we can play with and beat Iowa. Some of them have already done it in their careers. And I believe they'll do it again tomorrow.

A few more additional thoughts from what I saw in addition to KelleyHoosh's breakdown...   - As mentioned, OG will probably earn minutes this year. I am critical of Crean's roster construction, but he deserves credit with the addition of OG because he seems to be exactly the type of player that Crean covets and has success with. I know that we don't really play "positions" on this team, but I could definitely see OG logging a number of minutes at the equivalent of the "4" spot this year, especially if we are interested in playing a little bit bigger with Troy at the equivalent of the "3" (more on that later.) But the trait that impresses me the most with OG is that he seems to have a great nose for the ball. He just seems to have good instincts when it comes to making a deflection or coming up with a loose ball. Those can be the types of plays that win ball games, so I think we'll see him on the floor for at least 10-12 minutes a game or so on most nights. Very excited to see him grow in the program.   - I'll echo KelleyHoosh's thoughts in regards to Max Bielfeldt's solid play. He just fits the bill of a "sound" basketball player. Unspectacular, but steady. Understands the game and knows how to play it. High basketball IQ and he schooled Bryant on a couple of different plays because of it. He'll definitely be a part of the rotation. Of course, match-ups will be key, but it wouldn't surprise me if we didn't see him at the equivalent of the "4" spot on a situational basis. He's got a jump shot that can be utilized, although foot speed may be a factor.   - Personally, I still felt that Bryant did a fine job. Yes, there were several occasions in which he was frazzled and Bielfeldt (who is 4-5 years older) and help defense got the best of him. But understand that he was keyed on by the defense on every possession. And while talented, he's still a freshman. But please also note that there were a couple of occasions when he composed himself and dominated the interior. He's learning. And I'll be very surprised if he doesn't at least put up 10 and 6 this season.   - Troy Williams still looked pretty good to me, though. Interesting to note was that he spent much of the scrimmage matched up with Yogi. This leads me to believe that we may see him a bit more on the wing this year while using Hartman, Bielfeldt and OG at the "4".   - OTHER THOUGHTS: Blackmon scored and ran some point guard. Didn't overly impress me with anything new, but part of that is because I am probably overly critical of him. Yogi was Yogi, as per usual. Very interested to see how those guys improve their efficiency numbers this season. Speaking of efficiency, Zeisloft was able to knock down a few jumpers. A couple back-to-back. Such as asset to have a guy with his shooting ability on the team. Johnson didn't have his best outing. I'll definitely be watching how he plays this year because he'll probably be one of our "go-to" guys next year due to likely attrition. Morgan showed some promise, but he's definitely a freshman. It will be important for him to find a niche on this team, using his strengths and limiting his weaknesses.   -SIDE NOTE: Really pleased that IU decided to have Haunted Hall of Hoops again this season. It's always a fun time and it allows fans to get another early look at the Hoosiers. You can definitely tell that the kids enjoy it. That's very important because those little ones will be the fans of the future. I know that finances are limited for many (including myself) and some can't afford to go to many (or any) actual games. Fortunately, this event is an opportunity to enjoy a little bit of IU basketball free of charge. Kudos to whoever made that decision. It is appreciated.

No doubt. Had he not had health problems, I would have loved him at IU. But not after what happened with Coach Hep.   Jerry Kill was a true coach. He didn't just put all his marbles in recruiting and use the talent excuse. He used what he had and won with it. Whether it was at Saginaw Valley State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois or Minnesota, he won and won a lot. He knew what he was doing in an era of coaching when many do not. In my opinion, he was one of the most under-rated coaches in the nation.   Best wishes to him on his health and his retirement. He's had a highly successful career that he and his family can be proud of.

Didn't get to read through the whole thread, but here's a few thoughts from my perspective...   - Troy Williams seems to have improved his shooting touch. He doesn't rise too much on his jumper, but seems to have developed a nice touch. This should bring out his defenders a lot more this year (i.e. Purdue, MSU.) I could see him having an Oladipo-type OFFENSIVE game this season. Like Victor, he has a great "nose" for the ball. We'll have to see how well of a defender he's become, but he's becoming a very good college player while still oozing potential. In my opinion, he's easily one of our two best players on the team. Easily.   - Thomas Bryant was a man among boys against our other post players. I would have been more interested to watch Bielfeldt guard him as opposed to Morgan, but still. Very impressive. Strong and aggressive. I'll be watching his conditioning as the season rolls along. I noticed he was substituted quite a bit in the short scrimmage, so we'll see what happens in the future. Like we were with Zeller and Vonleh, we're a completely different team with Bryant on the floor.   - None of Yogi, Blackmon, Johnson or Zeisloft looked all too spectacular to me from the scrimmage. But honestly, I wasn't focusing as much on them because we already know who they are and what they're capable of. They'll challenge for the title of being the best backcourt in the conference this year. (Side note: I have never really noticed how much Blackmon jumps forward with his jump shot. But looking at some of his highlights from last year, I guess he does it with some regularity.)   - OG and Morgan are definitely young, but both may have promise for the future. At a first glance, I am a bit more impressed with OG. Has a nice frame to work with and plenty of room for growth. Could be an athletic and versatile "4" that Crean seems to covet. I'm a bit more unsure as to where Morgan fits at the moment. He may have to same sort of potential that OG has, but Hysteria featured him in the post as more of a "5" and I'm not sure he's anywhere near ready for that position from a size or skill standpoint. However, he did seem to run the floor nicely for a post player, which will be effective when we're able to push the pace. The key will be slotting these two players in positions where they can succeed. I'd hate to see either at the "5." Just make sure Bryant and Bielfeldt stay healthy so we don't have to worry about that.   - Priller had a very nice "and 1." But I would be extremely surprised if he logs any significant minutes this year.   As of now, I think we see a starting lineup of Yogi, Blackmon, Johnson, Williams and Bryant. You'll see Zeisloft, Hartman and Bielfeldt off the bench every game. Therefore, I think we're "8 deep" in the sense that we can throw those guys out there and never be overmatched. The key will be how quickly OG and Morgan develop and if they can find an effective role, perhaps something a la Hartman or Holt last season.

A few thoughts... two days after the fact:   - I mentioned this right after Game #1 this year... there will be a few games when we look pretty good and there will be a few games where we look horrible. We just needed to play well in the "toss up" games because that would determine whether we were going bowling or not. We played well enough versus Western Kentucky and Wake Forest. And we absolutely killed ourselves in the 4th quarter of a very important game vs. a not-so-good Rutgers. IU football has little margin for error and it's so disappointing to see how one quarter of football can COMPLETELY change the outlook of the program.   - That being said, don't be a bit surprised if we don't give MSU, Iowa or Michigan a good game. I'll venture a guess that we'll play (at least) one of them very close. We've got a solid offense, especially when Howard returns and like I said vs. SIU, we don't have THAT bad of a defense normally. One of those squads will overlook us and we'll give them a scare. Unfortunately, playing close with these teams isn't good enough like it was vs. Ohio State. We need wins now. Gotta have wins.   - This means that Maryland and Purdue become what might be "must-wins." And we can still win them both. Yes, we looked horrible with how we lost to Rutgers. But have you watched Maryland and Purdue this year? They are capable of playing every bit as bad as we have played (and they have.) So the season is not over, yet.   - Some personnel observations: Really liked seeing Majette as an H-back sort of guy. Brings much needed speed and burst to the backfield that we have lacked this year. But he's a change of pace guy, not a run-up-the-middle type... Sudfeld had a great first three quarters. Amazing that he fell apart in the 4th... Good to see the receivers make some plays. Nice to see Fuchs catch a couple of TDs... Happy that Redding broke a long one. People have gone from saying "he's great" to "he stinks" but he's somewhere in the middle now and really needs a confidence boost (as do the rest of the team.)... The punt team has not been special all year and played a role in losing the game.   - One more note... there are some people who get so upset when people won't support IU Football after going 4-0 like we did or when we were 4-2. Games like Rutgers are why. These sort of things have plagued this program for a while. People don't want to invest their time in something when they know there is a good chance they'll get let down. They use the past as a predictor of the future. Is it always fair? No. But can you really blame them? They certainly look justified at this point in time. I'm a fan and I'll always be a fan of this football team. But with the gut-wrenching feeling I had leaving Memorial Stadium Saturday night, I can understand why others don't want to subject themselves to it.

Rutgers got their star receiver, Leonte Carroo, back last week after being held out a couple of games for legal issues. He has 14 receptions for 315 yards and 6 TDs in only three games this season. He will be a stiff test for our secondary, without a doubt.

I would be surprised if our #1 QB for next year is currently on the roster.   I have a feeling we'll see coach hit up the JUCO ranks and at least get someone in the Cam Coffman mold.   I do believe that both Diamont and Cameron still have some potential, but I think they'll need to be seasoned veterans in their 4th or 5th year of the program to be anywhere near as effective as we need them to be. King may have a bright future, but I believe he still needs a few years in the program to really be comfortable running the offense effectively.   The problem is... QBs want to play. And if they don't, they leave.

This team reminds me a little of Jerry Kill's Minnesota teams, where we don't necessarily win pretty, but we find a way to win.   One thing I can promise you, there isn't one person in Columbus who actually thinks Ohio State will lose to IU on Saturday. I guarantee you that. They haven't lost to us since 1988. They may say all the PC things about making sure they're prepared for us, but they're not worried at all about losing. I promise you... OSU players will see that IU only defeated Southern Illinois by one point and they'll think this is a gimme game. And maybe it will be for them.   But something else I know is this... our boys can play with house money and throw the kitchen sink at them. If there was ever, EVER, a time in the last 20 years when IU had the slightest chance of going toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the nation, this is it.

A few thoughts...   - We milked away the last six minutes of the game. And WKU had three timeouts to use. When was the last time we've been able to do that? The Mallory/AT days? Anyway, we earned this victory.   - Jordan Howard is the best player on this team. Yes, Sudfeld is the leader. Jones is coming on as a receiver. Redding looks solid. Our O-line has a couple gems. But Howard is just such a strong, powerful back. It takes so much to bring him down. He's just on a higher level than most RBs. If he was at Notre Dame, he'd already be a Heisman candidate.   - Pass defense is poor. But we started pulling a few LBs back in the second half and it helped a bit. Crawford made some good reads on the ball. And our D-line kept them from getting much on the ground, making them one-dimensional. All in all, the D did just enough to win against an offense that would probably be middle of the pack in the Big Ten.   - This was a good win. WKU looks to be an 8+ win team this year. If people want to complain about playing Southern Illinois so close, that's legitimate. But WKU is a GOOD mid-major. The kind that can beat Power 5 teams (see Vanderbilt this year.) I'll gladly take a 3-point victory. Gladly.   - @Wake Forest becomes a HUGE opportunity for this team. A 4-0 start would be so beneficial for this team. And it's certainly feasible. I think it would allow the players to be a little more loose and play with more confidence. However, 3-1 would possibly stunt our growth and make our path to 6 wins less certain. And with Ohio State looming, our momentum could be lost.

It does. I hope that all athletic departments (including our own) take note of this example and the repercussions that follow.

One thing we know from the last couple of years is that we're not a consistently "good" football team every week. Some weeks we look alright, some we look dismal. What really matters (for bowl eligibility) is that we play well in the games where we have a legitimate chance to win. Personally, I don't think we've played well in either of our first two games, so I would hope that we have a few "good" performances (i.e. '14 vs. Missouri, '13 vs. Penn State) in the tank for the season.   Yes, the next two are important. But let's not pretend that our whole Big Ten schedule is chocked full of definite L's. Yes, Ohio State and Michigan State could be categorized as such. But let's look at a few more...   October 10th: @ Penn State. They got blasted by Temple and earned a "meh" victory over Buffalo. They look mediocre at-best. While winning there would be difficult (we've never done it), they are not THAT much better than us. Look at our last two meetings with them as proof.   October 17th: vs. Rutgers. They just lost at home to Washington State. Not a horrid loss, but not a game that inspires confidence in the team's abilities. They weren't projected to be that good to begin with. And they just suspended their star WR for off-the-field troubles. This one is winnable.   November 7th: vs. Iowa. Yes, Iowa looks better this year than what some may have projected. But, they don't look to be world-beaters. Maybe a middle of the pack Big Ten team. And we normally play them well at home (and even on the road.) Again, a win here shouldn't come as a MAJOR surprise.   November 14th: vs. Michigan. This will be tough because I expect them to improve significantly as the year progresses. But they aren't conference title contenders, either. This one has the potential to be similar to '13 vs. Penn State, in my opinion. Do I expect a win? No. But Wilson's teams have shown they can win a game like this.   November 21st: @Maryland. Bowling Green just beat them in Maryland by three touchdowns. Which goes along with early projections that Maryland is rebuilding this year. Road games are tough for us, but again, don't tell me we don't at least have a shot of taking one in their place.   November 28: @Purdue. Purdue is better this year. But not enough to think we can't win here. And if a bowl game is on the line here, I'd like to think our guys will go "all out" to get a W here.   Now, we may lose ALL these games. And to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me. My point is that some people want to think that our defense will always look as bad as they did against Southern Illinois or it is now going to be as solid as it was against Florida International. IU football can play very well in one week but lay an absolute egg in the next week. We've seen that play out over and over again. You watch, we'll get destroyed in at least one of those games listed above. I'll almost guarantee you. We're inconsistent. But we can also be "good" from time to time. This post just attempts to explain that we have a team that, if they play well, COULD (meaning it's not too difficult to fathom a victory) knock off any of those teams listed above.