Aaron

See above. COVID.

Sounds like it is COVID per Jeff Goodman. While that sucks, better than an injury. Unless he has a severe case of it (which is not seen that much anymore) he should be back next game. Also no testing of asymptomatic people anymore. Even if he passes it on, unless teammates shows symptoms, it shouldn't take whole teams down at once like it did a couple years ago. Back then, everyone was tested nearly daily so they would catch a ton of asymptomatic cases which won't happen now. No matter how you feel about the virus, it is treated the same as influenza at this point by the medical world. I am not saying this is right or wrong and want to leave the politics out of it, but this is how society has treated it now for better or worse.

Maher and Bacharach are gone. McDonald could still decide to return despite being drafted.

TBD. Josh was supposed to be here this year and deferred to 2024. Not clear if he ever makes it to campus as a top 30 prospect or goes straight to pros.

I told everyone this was going to happen when I looked at the roster for next season on last page. Him and Bacharach by going to MLS Camp had told you they are leaving. Would not be surprised if everyone else who has eligibility and contributes returns (and Oduro and Miller have confirmed they will) but need official confirmation of that from guys like Harms, Sarver, and Mihalic who have pro prospects. If I had to choose now I would say goalie is Harms with defense being Demian, Barger, Miller, and maybe Josh Maher if he actually makes it to campus and takes his older brother Joey's spot. If Josh doesn't make it to campus than maybe a portal guy or Jackson Lindemore who is a highly ranked recruit. Midfield if everything goes according to planned is Mihalic, McDonald, Waggoner, Shreffler. Up top at forward would be Sarver and Oduro. Also, a player to watch is Michael Nesci who is a top-100 recruit and could slot in as a goal scorer immediately similar to Victor Bezerra or Masoy Toye a few yrs ago. Still a title contending team. Key is to start better so you get a more favorable bracket come NCAA Tourney. Been an issue since COVID. Got really high seeds in 2016-2019 since team was strong from get go and they need to get back to that.

Gone way to far back. The 2015-2016 team in Yogi's senior year was undefeated at home. Women were as well that season. Combined 31-0 (17-0 men+14-0 women). Last year was also very close to perfect with just two home losses for men (NW, Iowa) and none for women till NCAA Tourney loss to Miami for combined 32-3.

Did you see who they have beat in the last three? None are very good at all. Rutgers also has a blowout loss to (albeit a solid mid-major) Fairfield at home as well as Auburn and Seton Hall with the latter two being the ones IU is most closely related to in talent and profile. This game is all about the Hoosiers. If the team brings the top effort and passion they have had at home and on neutral sites they win easily. If they bring the level of intensity they did to the first two road games it will go to the wire. Scarlet Knights have one really good player in Kaylene Smikle who could start anywhere in country (think of her like Sara Scalia when she was on Minnesota but with different skill set), and then a bunch of others who really are not good enough to be playing at this level. Focus on shutting down Smikle or let her score 25 and keep everyone else in check and this game should be no problem.

Be careful. I have tried that once or twice and ended up with viruses on my computer after. As a result would rather pay the small fee as the price to wipe a hard drive is much more than any streaming service costs.

I thought he was done but either way him going to MLS camp along with Maher 90% means they are gone.

I was pretty confident Maher was leaving and this confirms it. Bacharach, Bejbej, Goumballe, Helmer, and Henderlong have used ever bit of eligibility they have. Beyond that not sure if Sarver, Mihalic, Oduro, McDonald, Harms, Barger, and Miller will come back or go pro early. Also, Clay Murador, Justin Shreffler, Noah Joseph, Jack Waggoner, and Joel Demian all showed promise as reserves and should be back. Besides that, four freshman are of interest and in top-200 with stars. They are forward Michael Nesci (Top-100 and four-star), defender Jackson Lindimore (top-150 and three-star) , midfielder Miles Imparto (top-100 and four-star), midfielder Charlie Heuer (Top-200 and three-star). The other four players have regional rankings but no stars or national ranking. The rankings in soccer are a crapshoot. Three wild cards: 1. Luka Bezerra has plenty of eligibility but so far has failed to live up to the hype in a couple seasons despite being a top recruit. Not sure if he stays and still plays sparingly, transfers down, or finally reaches his potential. 2. Josh Maher (Joey's brother) who was supposed to be in the last class but deferred a year. Being a top-30 recruit he could be here in spring and fall or never make it to campus. He is still listed in 2024 class on Top Drawer for whatever that is worth. He has no stars or ranking for this class due to the late reclassification but he was a five-star and top 30 in 2023. Those guys rarely make it to campus anymore at any school so that would be a huge coup even for a year. Last guy this highly ranked to make it to campus was his older brother Jack Maher who is now a pro and was a stud here for a couple years. Those guys that high are almost always sure fire hits if you can get them the campus and always have been here. You can have a rare four-star top-100 who fails to live up to the hype (see the current Bezerra and Emerson Nieto who transferred down) but they generally do if they get to campus. After that it is somewhat of a crapshoot. This is particularly true with so many foreigners coming to college now who have never been scouted. 3. Transfer portal like any sport works exactly the same in soccer in terms of who leaves and comes. Only difference is they have always had the one-time rule with immediate eligibility.

Here is what happens a group of students on campus take the big football game this weekend a little to seriously. Admire their devotion but this is really sad and takes the hatred of your opponent a little to far: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39021124/dead-longhorn-found-oklahoma-st-frat-big-12-title-game

TV rights are always with the home team. American East (and most non-power five leagues) has a contract with ESPN. All postseason events (outside of March Madness) are contracted with ESPN. All holiday tournaments are contracted to ESPN. Big Ten and Big East have contract with Fox. It is annoying but bottom line is anything postseason (outside of March Madness) or a road game not involving Big Ten or Big East is likely to be on an ESPN network. Anything involving Big Ten or Big East being home is likely to be on a Fox or NBC Network (BTN, BTN+, Peacock, FOX, NBC, FS1, FS2, ETC.). Bottom line is you need lots of different subscriptions right now which is annoying but it is the new reality. Sports fans unfortunately are going to have to decide if they want to shell out for several different services (which can be cancelled month to month) or not watch. That is the absolute truth that I am no happier to type than anyone else.

No tournament as expected with an RPI in the 70's in a much weaker Big Ten than usual. However, more interesting is Coach Aird was on with the Hysterics today and he actually addressed the infamous article with the allegations that now in retrospect look silly and paints the IDS in a bad light: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iufb-coaching-search-coach-steve-aird/id1609450696?i=1000636765470 https://specials.idsnews.com/indiana-volleyball-steve-aird-culture-fear/index.html

Charlie Creme has IU all the way up to a 2 seed in his latest bracketology. Iowa a 1, OSU a 3. Everyone else in conference approaching bubble. Also has Tennessee and Princeton as 6 seeds and Stanford a 1. https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2024-women-college-basketball-projections

For what it is worth both Bob Kravitz and Jim Coyle have said after today's game they believe Allen is being fired. They may not have sources per se, but have to have heard something to write that.

Just an FYI that Eastern Illinois is in contention to win their league and about no. 150 similar to Florida Gulf Coast on men's side. Lopsided difference in score Tuesday and tonight is difference between a team with almost all new players they are working in and a veteran side with national championship aspirations. Lipscomb, Princeton, Bowling Green also in that boat among IU's mid-major opponents on women's side picked to compete in their league. Stetson, Evansville, Maine, and Murray State are really bad and Stanford and Tennessee are fellow elite squads.

Just to be clear, anything above 40 should get you in but team would be playing on Thursday for third time in a couple decades with no first round bye. However, a first round Big Ten Tourney loss would drop you enough spots where you would be in 40's and likely out. If you can get it to 20 to 25 (aka pull the double and win Big Ten Tourney) you might sneak into top 16. Otherwise zero wins=bubble but probably out, 1 win=bubble but probably in and playing Thursday, 2 wins=definitely in and playing Thursday, 3 wins=auto bid and fringe top 16.

Great "homecourt" when every game is 50% or more opposing fans. I think they could be good, but to say their homecourt is great is pretty disingenuous. Been there twice and every game is basically a neutral NCAA Tournament environment. Very good atmosphere with the dueling chants and small venue, but certainly not the best environment to egg Northwestern on to a win.

All I know is recruiting is only place where 'stealing' is not a crime. LOL. Coaches steal prospects from each other all the time legally. Any other business stealing gets you in legal trouble. I hope IU can do to Maryland what UK did to IU with Boogie. However, being back in the big time recruiting has reminded us all it is a dirty business with all these top prospects being enticed to change mind at last minute. Glad IU is playing the game again but recruiting definitely involves doing things that would be questionable in any other line of society.

Volleyball with a nail biting win over Ohio State to improve to 16-7 and 6-4 at the halfway point of Big Ten play. Every set was close and the Hoosiers took the final one by the narrowest margin possible at 15-13.

No one including me has any clue what Liam was 'expecting'. I am just using logic based on what has been happening all fall.

Don't feel bad for a 5* kid who made a choice where he KNEW he might be alone for now. McNeely is not backing out. I swear every bit of bad news IU gets leads to our fans thinking program is doomed and every bit of good news will lead to banner 6. The truth lies in between. Things are never as good or as bad as they seem in the moment and everyone for good reason is acting emotionally right now.

There is zero chance McNeely backs out. Everyone nationally has been saying all along IU would win the McNeely recruitment and lose the others. McNeely knew he might be going at this alone and that has been a real possibility based on everyone's sentiment. McNeely may have committed HOPING to bag the other two but he knew it was possible he might be only one. Don't let losing out on Boogie give you that irrational thought.

One very good player. It is a start for the spring which is where Woody lives and first time he has landed an elite prospect prior to that so in that sense he is ahead of where he has ever been.

I would disagree. Beating Self for McNeely was no small task. It may have been less successful then hoped, but any fall that brings in a 5* recruit is a win to some extent. Fall 2023 was indeed not great. Fall 2024 was mild success but not the major success everyone hoped.