MartintheMopMan

Love it. Am admittedly starting to feel like the team will be 90% WR.

Oh and I found this sick picture of Kamara's punt block. It's not related to the topic on hand, but it's still pretty great.

Well, I looked at a few thousand getty images instead because I had that open and don't know any equipment team's IG page. Nice pictures of the whole process of slapping those stickers on before the championship, no pictures of other teams doing the same. Some of touching up paint eg:

No way, really? I mean, the every program part. I already figured the guy wasn't a player because look at him! But, I refuse to believe OSU has some dude applying new decals to new helmets a couple hours before each game or each playoff game or whatever the timeline is supposed to be. Yeah, each position group has their own helmet type. Each player's helmets are also custom fit to their head. I don't see why those facts would be expected to lead to "applying stickers a few hours before the game."

Yeah, you know, he played at IU, Iniversity of Undiana.

I was browsing Getty for the Champs and came across this one. They have apply their own crappy Indiana decals? They really just come off a sticker sheet!

I don't know how long I'ma stick around once the afterglow of football wears off and the reality of basketball sets in, but you used the correct name "Rutger" for the school, so I'll participate this time: Champion-adjacent team: 76 Imposters wearing Big Ten logo found in nearby landfill: 64

Including commercials arrrrggh! Worth it to answer all sorts of gum-related questions about CCCC.

Cigcam is an amazing feature whose existence I will refuse to acknowledge while I finish up the last 4 games of the Cig Cut because I will not be tempted into extending this project further. The Youtube channel itself has all the special streams from the playoffs! I don't know how it has made it a month already without being taken down, but it looks like I need to start clearing some hard drive space to make sure this resource is not lost to the DMCA. https://www.youtube.com/@collegesportsarchive

I'm planning on a trip to Bloomington to go with my Buckeye FIL and family. Very excited and expect it to be disorienting. We have never all gone to an Indiana-OSU game where Indiana is the favorite before or one where we're surrounded by Indiana fans, come to think of it. Though the plan is to buy through OSU, so maybe that part will stay the same. Now I just hope the Washington game won't be on Oct 10 or 24.

It's actually even cheaper ($55) direct from the source (and I checked, still free delivery): https://www.legendsneverdieinc.com/product-page/indiana-hoosiers-2025-national-champions-12-x15-mendoza-dive

But if I listen to my post-championship podcasts then the season will really be over.

Rings, like in the NFL, I think.

Miami's series at the end of the half was weird in general. Maybe showing a lack of confidence setting in already. Or supreme confidence, I guess. To not take a TO before the 2-minute warning says they are either already worried about leaving Indiana any time on the clock (on 2nd and 8) or don't think they need the whole 2 minutes to go the last 38 yards. Then they had seemingly already decided not to go for it on 4th when they ran a pass play on 3rd. We had stuffed Fletcher his last 3 tries, but even so, they had only had 1 successful pass over 8 yards the whole half and it was the previous play so we weren't going to immediately get burned again. They set up that pass by using Fletcher 4 times in a row to move 10 yards, so no reason to think he couldn't do it regardless. But even after getting it to 4th and Fletcherable, they had already decided to run the clock down and kick it. I wonder if they make a different choice if Indiana stops the clock with 1:15 left. Now Miami has 2 TOs to complete the drive (if they get 2 yards) and it all starts to seem a lot more plausible. And Indiana would only have 1 TO for any response drive, worst case. It's certainly what I would have done if Indiana gifted me the opportunity. I mean, your kicker's last attempt was also a missed 51-yarder. He hit a 49-yarder against OSU but only 50+ once all season. (Edit: He is a 71% kicker with 6 misses on the season all but 1 coming in the playoffs). You're going to trust him to get you 3 points before trusting Fletcher to get you 2 yards? No way. Overall, I think CCCC not calling the TO then was the smart move. It only becomes boneheaded with the mismanagement of our 33 seconds. Run for 6 yards, 27 seconds left, then no time out? Trying to beat ourselves on that one. We could have then squeezed an extra 2 or 3 plays out, at least. At the time, I was too excited I had predicted the last play of the half was going to be from the 50-yard-line to notice how bad it was, but then we didn't have Franke anyway so even that ended up being a waste.

Good news; you're both right! The win probability was going down because IU was constantly leading and the amount of time available to Miami to change that fact was dwindling. I don't know how OT would have turned out (and am glad I never had to learn), but it was plain that Beck was trending toward making a serious mistake either way. While we're playing "what if," I think if Franke was 100% then CCC would have let him try for a 60-yard FG to end the half (in that improbable situation that I predicted perfectly) and we could have been up two scores by the end. But then does CCC go for it on 4th down twice in Fernando's hero drive? Who knows? That's why what if games are silly.

I have the advantage of really not liking the official natty merch so my strongest temptations have been the bomber jacket and retro shirts from Homefield. Maybe a license plate cover too since I have been using mine upside down for the last decade+ (Oregon registration stickers go on the bottom corners). People can still read it, it counts! Bad Knees has some cute stuff, but I think I'm just going to send a Bloominite there to hoover up some stickers for now.

Overheard one of the legal assistants talking to another lawyer about me this morning: "I've never seen it before; he's actually happy!"

How could you not? Just the sudden relief of so much tension would get a lot of people halfway there. Then everything on top of that! I'm so proud of and happy for Cig and everything he has done to prove himself over the last few decades; Fisch who has always believed in the team and never had the option of turning a bad game off; the Tom Allen recruits, JMU recruits, and other misfits whom no one believed in; Tom Allen and Kevin Wilson who played a critical role in keeping Indiana's head above water just enough to stay alive; Mendoza and his coaches, including those at Cal, who helped mold him and supported him all the way, even after he transferred; the fans who have watched IU piss it away for decades and new fans who came out for the team without that long-time bond; and of course Coach Hep who made us believe we could play 13 (then 14, 15, and 16). It almost makes me cry even now in my office at work!

We're living in a 90s sports movie, yall, I'm telling you!

Mendoza being so tough versus Beck letting the moment get to him despite all of his experience was one of the major themes of the game. Mendoza's ability to keep coming back and doing the same thing over-and-over without losing confidence or fire is one of his most underrated talents.

I told my wife he has to be big enough to hold Hep's Rock.

Guess Franke wasn't up for it.

That's why they make the Dolphins play there.

This bag is as surprised to be there as you are.

He winks like someone who had it described to him once over the phone.