Old Friend

He would be better off handing the head coaching job to someone else and remaining the defensive coordinator. Let's face it. Indiana has a ceiling. In the Big Ten East, there's just not much upside. Save anomalies, we start the season 0-3 about every year. Yeah, the other 9 are all winnable in a perfect world; but there's just no margin for error. Until that reality changes, I truly believe Indiana has decided to spend money on general facilities and make sure men's basketball (which is their obvious bell cow) stays solvent and at the top of its game. I think that's a part of why Crean was let go a year following his second Big Ten title. On paper, at another school, he probably should have kept his job. But not here. I am resigned to Indiana just not having the desire to spend money on a football coach because IU is not a destination. It's a stepping stone for younger coaches. Allen at least gives the program stability and I know he's a hard worker. That doesn't qualify him for anything, but at least he has recruiting connections in Florida and in Indiana. We're at a plateau to be sure. I just don't know (meaning I'm not convinced) there's a lot more upside to this program in the Big Ten East.

I have never met a recruit who made a decision based on what a team looks like without him on it. What UCLA does this year and what they look like a year before he'll make a difference on a college campus likely has no bearing on his decision. He can like what he sees; be happy they're having success, etc. But he (like all recruits) is interested only in what a team will look like that includes him and how he will be used on THAT roster.

Happened all year. And last year. That's all on Allen.

They have spent millions on athletics. Archie Miller is one of the top 10 paid basketball coaches in the country. We're ranked #1 nationally in soccer. I think they aren't doing football the justice they should; but I think they care about sports.

We are vanilla, undisciplined, and soft. It's getting very, very old. Someone. ANYone...make a damned play. We have to throw screen passes against long yardage because our QB can't throw it down the field today. We get roughing the passer penalties. Chop blocks. Personal fouls. Undisciplined garbage. This team frustrates me SO much. I know it's not all Ramsey... Allen needs to really be taken to task after this season. His team looks horrible.

I'm trying. I'm really trying to be objective. But I can't. Peyton Ramsey is awful. And playing like he's scared. How many open receivers does he have to miss in favor of a checkdown? Purdue gets into a 1st and 20....and gains 18 yards. Ramsey immediately throws a horizontal pass and gains an inch. (Yes...others were running routes...that was Ramsey's decision for those who will blame DeBord). He is not yet playing well today and averaging a pathetic 5.1 yards per attempt. That's an abysmal number.

I don't have any idea how you can judge someone's character based on one night, one game, and when kids....kids have played their 3rd game in 6 days in a brand new season. You can question their effort. I get that. But these are the same kids who gave great effort before; so all of a sudden their character changes? I disagree with you. If it continues? If it becomes a pattern? Then I would agree you can begin to challenge their character. But..I haven't seen a pattern. And I think a 3rd game in 6 days with 3 freshmen and a big man clearly not yet in shape is a valid reason for a one game anomaly.

So you can judge character based on what you see? I don't know anyone else who can do that. (You have to know someone to know their character) Yeah..if you're going to attack character, you need to stick with that. Character is who someone is. That doesn't change. You can go after effort on a given night; but you also have to be objective; and if you don't believe these kids (three of them freshmen and another kid who hasn't played in a year) aren't fatigued, I wonder why you feel that way.

I don't know you, my man....but this is a pretty big step you're taking with kids YOU don't know. Indiana played 3 games in 6 days with basically no bench. Attacking the character of these guys after what you saw against Marquette is a low blow. If you're going down that path, I hope you're willing to stay with it all year because character isn't something that comes and goes; and this perspective will be as unpopular as it is inaccurate.

Duke 91 IU 71

We're playing with one real point guard, a big man off the bench who's coming off a debilitating injury, starting a kid in Durham, forced to play 38 minutes and shouldn't play more than 10 (and you sure as hell can't play him 38 minutes if he's not going to get a single assist); plus giving minutes to Anderson who's clearly not ready. You cannot...in any league at any level...successfully play a series of games where starters are playing 36-40 minutes every night. That said, you also can't have bagels off the bench. 0 points, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers, an assist, and just 4 shot attempts from your bench? That can't happen. You also can't have 11 assists as a team and one kid gets 8 of them. You can't have a negative assist:TO ratio. You can't keep missing 1/3rd of your FT's. You can't play an offensive style that has no flow. You can't rely on Morgan to make five 3's every night and as a team shooting 59% from out there. Room for concern? Absolutely. Health and fatigue as a huge reason for the problems? Definitely.

Indiana 82 UCD 55

You get fatigued when you need a breather and can't get one. Muscles fatigue. Lungs max capacity and your body doesn't get the oxygen it needs to perform to its capacity. Needing a breather is one thing. Needing one and not GETTING one causes fatigue. In this case, UTA was not a bad team at all. Very middle of the pack according to Sagarin, but better than that given the eyeball test. I'll take that win, run with it, and hope the kids get healthy so we can avoid fatigue and get better. Playing short handed is tough; especially against teams that can speed you up a little bit.

I'll take 21.5 and wager whatever you want. If we're healthy. If we're not, all bets are off.

And Purdue gets some middle of the pack nobody like Florida State or Clemson. Be happy we're Indiana and they're....Purdue. Let the complex grow. Even if it costs us a game. Indiana is a blue blood program....and your point proves it. We were 16-15 a year ago and we draw Duke? There's only one reason, it's because we are INDIANA. Anyone who has argued that we are no longer a prominent national program should think of this example....we draw Duke or North Carolina almost every year....regardless of how good we are or are not. Yeah, we are a nationally relevant program

You could see him wavering on it. Whether to call it or not. I'd have saved it too; but if the ball comes off long or deep and gets tipped and you don't grab it cleanly, you never get the timeout. Tough call either way and I don't necessarily blame him. Indiana lost that game for many reasons. This really isn't one of them.

Indiana 92 UCD 53

No way to ever predict this game, but we get the bounces... IU 33 PU 25

IU 96 UTA 53

Anderson's was awful. Completely agree. A lob with no chance.

I don't think he wanted to wait. I think he wanted to attack when he had the opportunity and he got a good look. Davis makes that put back, we're having a different conversation about a freshman point guard being confident and aggressive; and I don't think he made a freshman mistake at all.

Yep. I think so, too.

I actually loved that he didn't call a timeout there. Trust in your kids is built with moments like that, and we got a decent look and a terrific opportunity for a put back. We wouldn't have done a lot better than that even with a timeout. Too early? Yeah....I can agree with that. But I'm not blaming Archie for no timeout. I might for playing Durham for 36 minutes; and I might put some blame on Justin Smith for giving us almost nothing today; but I don't mind not calling a timeout there. Edit : This loss will not hurt Indiana at all come Selection Sunday. Not one bit. It's not a good loss; and it's one we can learn from; but were short handed and simply didn't play well. If I'm Archie Miller; I can't WAIT to show them the film and can't WAIT to talk about missing 5 of 15 free throws and having 18 turnovers. I HATE losing; but if there's one we can grow from, that was it.

We do, but the kid who made the most dumb plays is a junior.

Condescension aside....what he did yesterday, on back to back plays, was dirty. Regardless of what happened before. Football is a very grey game. But...that doesn't justify two straight reactions that cost your team.