VPC

I’m on day 8 of no power down here. Sub freezing temps every day. I’ve moved the family, including the pup, around to 3 different places, and likely to a 4th tomorrow. My zip code is scheduled to be back up on Feb 8th. My friends have commented on how crazy it is that we aren’t falling apart (yet) and I’m not kidding in the slightest when I say this natty run and the joy it brought is doing absolutely elite work on my mental state. This thread can’t die yet b/c I am oh so very close to being daunted, but currently remain never daunted. 

Farewell post from Waffle House.  Mr. Backshoulder.
He had so many huge catches for us.  My favorite was probably the go-ahead score vs OSU.
 

Best seat in the house.

One of the greatest catches in college football history. 
Be great in the NFL, Coop -- and thanks for the memories. 
 
 

That is an awesome foundation!
Hopefully some of the younger guys on the roster have developed and will be able to step in for depth. 

Love the solid group returning.  

Got to be a team player!

I think its more of just a way to say thank you and get that message out there.  And its cool for these guys (especially for JMU and lower rated guys) to be able to say they are declaring for the draft. 
Just a little extra moment for them to have.  And they deserve it. 

Young man is an absolute legend. Nothing but the best for this kid. But I do hope what’s best is another year in Bloomington.  

As he should!
Here's to DeAngelo Ponds, the best pound for pound football player in the history of IU, and maybe the best pound for pound football player in the history of college football.
 

LlHoosier, Thanks, for the fun and excellent job…so well done of running the Prediction Thread.

Nick Saban’s takes have been dogs!t this entire season. And if the greatest, smartest, and most accomplished college football mind can’t tell his @$$ from his face when assessing IUFB under Cignetti, then there aren’t any pundits whose opinions are worth two cents (sans College Football with Sam, BuffedinPrime, and maybe Joel Klatt).
I’ve already forgotten who won the championship 8 years ago. This team/season will be talked about for decades, maybe longer, because this was bigger than the game (to use a cliche). We just pantsed a billion dollar industry with a ballsier performance than Babe Ruth calling his own shot. 
They can hate us all they want, make up whatever excuses they want, etc. The fact remains that there isn’t a single coach in this sport’s history who could’ve done what Cignetti did.
All these programs that have poured hundreds of millions into their teams, sold out 100k stadiums for decades, and then here comes little old Indiana winning a championship before many of them, and one that was purely settled on the field. We didn’t get a narrative bump to make the playoffs. We didn’t duck anyone on our path. We didn’t have any luck on our side or benefit from an opponent’s injury to a star player. We didn’t cheat. There were no questionable calls that went our way. We weren’t a bubble team that got hot at the end. And the real kicker is we did it with 0-3 star recruits, all while playing a longer season and more arduous schedule than any champion in history.
This isn’t supposed to happen, but it also wasn’t a fluke. I think most casual CFB fans were behind us on this one. But the ones that weren’t, and probably for the reasons you stated, they can make all of the excuses they want to. Nothing like this will ever happen again in CFB, even if Cig wins another one here. 

One of the enjoyable things about winning a natty is reliving the great moments of the game, forever, on YouTube. 
One of the annoying things is listening to various pundits providing postmortem assessments that to me sound short sighted and dumb.
Since Monday night, I've heard:
* IU benefitted greatly from Cuban's backing
* Had older, more experienced players 
* Will never duplicate what they did this year
* Gamed the system
* Got lucky bounces
* Still isn't a destination for most 4 and 5 star recruits
* Gives hope to every school in the America that they too, can win a natty.
What utter BS.
While bits and pieces of the above may be true, we won it all because we have the best coach in college football, aided by an outstanding set of assistants, led by a great AD and President, and forged by putting together precise measures of brains, passion, athleticism, desire, grit, and determination. I don't see anyone else pulling off what we did this year, unless it's us again.

Guessing the Alberto to Georgia Tech news breaking today indicates this has been in the works for a while. 
Wish the young man well. It'll be sad to lose our connection to the Mendozas. Great family! 

Now that you mentioned that ,I think I remember Coach saying he already knew who was leaving or staying but I  was tired and did not really think much of it . I trust the staff and all but boy am I curious about the QB situation .

Wish nothing but the best for the young man. He’s rep’d the school very well. I still feel like Cig would love to grow his own QB’s but since he’s clearly never conceding to the idea of a rebuilding year, and at his age why would he, it’s gonna take a pretty unusual kid to be good enough to play somewhere and yet willing to possibly spend an extended period of time not playing until they believe he’s the Guy from pretty much the 1st day he steps on the field. That’s a tough needle to thread.

Sad for us, but totally understandable from Alberto’s view. Hate losing the Mendoza family, too. What classy people who have taught and supported their boys well.
Nothing but the best, Alberto. Godspeed!
#NeverDaunted

IU - 38
Ducks - 14
Not in Oregon, not 5 OL false stats, O-Line is healthy and now has more experienced depth.

I’ve grown to like the Oregon fan base. Regardless of the outcome, they I have my respect.

IU - 38
Ducks - 14
Not in Oregon, not 5 OL false stats, O-Line is healthy and now has more experienced depth.

One thing is for sure…Nick Marsh is definitely more open than Marsh Supermarkets. 

Call me crazy but I predict Pavia will sue the NCAA, to get his 11th college season, enter the portal and become IU’s next starting QB.

Nope because I think the same thing

Am I the only one thinking, "No thanks"

N-Duk-We Trust !!!