craigyv88

CTA's win pct is indeed better, but that also implies that you are what your record says you are. That's not always the case. I do appreciate 2019-20 but it has to be kept in proper context. The 8 teams IU beat in 2019 had a combined record of 25-71 for a win pct of only 0.26, and none won more than 5 games. Also, 2019 IU was annihilated by both OSU and Michigan. KW nor BL ever had a season with a pathway to 8 wins like that, and I feel multiple KW teams could have done the same and possibly better if given the same runway of beatable teams. Still a very nice season, and indicative of what can happen with a good offense and actually getting a scheduling break for once. 2020 was a little better in terms of strength of victories, but opt outs, no spring ball, and no crowds seemed to level things out some and helped IU. Especially with PSU not having Micah Parsons and MSU and RU both having 1st year coaches with very little time to prepare. Very odd year and to me the further we get away from it, the less special it was. If you feel different that's cool. Outside of those two seasons, I've found CTA's teams to be frustrating, undisciplined, and too limited offensively. I could also do without the CTA shtick and bravado. His teams are a little more balanced as you pointed out, problem being though they were balanced outside the top-100 in both offense and defense for two straight years and currently are at 115th in offense this year. If you have found a way to enjoy IU football from 2021 to now I respect that and more power to you. But in the words of Hulk Hogan, that don't work for me brother.

Akron - 9 IU - 30

I did like the offense in 2019 and 2020. But in terms of the best offenses in recent IU memory, both of TA's predecessors had years that were as good or better than 2019-20 and when looking at whole tenures both put notably better offenses out on average. 2019 was the best offense under TA at a total team ranking of 42nd in FBS, while that mark was surpassed twice under Wilson and also once under Bill Lynch. That includes two top-25 offenses with Wilson. The bottom falls out after 2020 and some of the worst offenses under Lynch and Wilson were not markedly different than the average offensive ranking of 82nd under TA. Also, over the course of 2012-2016 Wilson’s offense led the conference in passing yards per game, was second in total yards per game, and third in points per game.

You're absolutely right about Allen improving the defense once he got there, which speaks to his strength as a defensive mind and I always give him credit as much. However he didn't get there until KW's final year in 2016. Allen improved the team defense ranking from 117th in 2015 to 57th in 2016, but personally I feel the two best all-around teams KW had were 2014-15 which was still Brian Knorr at DC. I mentioned my thoughts on 2015 and 2014 was also promising until Sudfeld went down. Heck, even with freshman Zander Diamont who started spring as the 5th string QB in 2014 that team still found ways to move the ball down the field (Tevin Coleman helped a lot there) and that team had a second half lead on the road at eventual national champion OSU with Diamont at QB. Additionally, by 2015 IU had 11 future NFL roster guys, 7-8 of which were on the two-deep. That's pretty impressive for IU and that was all pre-TA. Regarding DeBoer and Penix, we know now how special of a duo that is but we experienced an incredibly small sample size of it. DeBoer was a fantastic hire by Allen but we only had him for 2019 and Penix was only healthy enough to start 6 of the 13 games that year. I did enjoy 2019 but the best wins were at 5-7 Nebraska and at 5-7 Maryland, and I definitely recall being miserable in the stands surrounded by drunk Buckeye and Wolverine fans while we were getting beat down by those teams because we simply couldn't compete.

Correct, I would definitely prefer an offensive oriented team if we can only have one or the other, as I feel that better correlates to the modern college game and it's just more enjoyable to watch in my opinion. Also I believe it's more conducive to pulling off upsets when going against the big boys. I'm being a bit sentimental here because I simply liked the KW era better and also went to more games during that time, but the difference is almost every week I felt it was at least possible for IU to win, probably because those teams could score with anybody, and I simply don't get that feeling anymore. KW didn't actually beat OSU, PSU, or Michigan any more than TA but I also got the sense we could at least get Harbaugh's khakis in a bunch. It felt possible to me. I don't think I can give you a concrete answer in terms of bowls because my expectations aren't directly linked to one. What I want most is competitiveness every week, creativity and a dynamic offensive attack, winning/maintaining the bucket, and at least being able to scare the powerhouses and occasionally knocking one off. From a record / bowl eligibility standpoint I guess that would land us wherever it lands us. The disconnect between that and where the TA era has trended is that since 2020 the collective score of games against OSU, PSU, and Michigan is 259-55 and I don't feel the program is consistently achieving those other initiatives either. Also hurts that IU is 1-7 against Maryland, Rutgers, MSU, and Purdue in that time (I like to think of those as 50/50 games). I'd like to be wrong and we'll see how the rest of the year plays out, but I don't see things changing as-is and I simply like the potential from any of the names I mentioned previously versus the actuality of where things stand under TA.

I understand where you're coming from on all that. I'm thinking perhaps more stylistically rather than in terms of bowl qualification by any way possible, but playing any 13th game has basically been the specific goal at IU as long as I can recall. I absolutely understand. I may have been all over the place previously and I don't think Iowa is really a comp for what I'm getting at, and after thinking more I'll give a much better example of my expectation and why I believe it's quite obtainable. That's because we had it, and not long ago at all. Give me 2014-16 IU football back. The 2015 team was 6-6, went to about as cool of a bowl game as a 6-win team can (imo), had a top-25 offense, and was a 4th down stop against top-15 Michigan and any one of about ten things not happening vs Rutgers away from being 8-4. In addition, they took #1 Ohio State to the final play of the game with both Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard injured in the 2nd half, and beat a really solid Jeff Brohm-coached Western KY team that won 12 games that year. I will take that every single year at IU, plus or minus a win here and there. Further, the IU team before that won a road game against a team that went to the SEC title game, and the IU team after went back to another bowl game. I'm keeping it strictly on-field here as I don't know confirmed details about off the field stuff with KW and I'm not opining for him to return. But strictly from an on-field perspective I think those years made for a better program, or certainly one I enjoyed and could get behind more. Agree with you in that it's definitely subjective to an extent. Also, I would point to Kentucky, Duke, UNC, and Kansas. All schools without traditional football success, or very little anyway, who have it going pretty well currently. They seemed to make coaching moves as needed until they got it right, and if he leaves, he leaves. Even Vanderbilt had James Franklin for a while. It's on the admin to make another good hire if a guy makes an upward move and continue building. Cutcliffe eventually was out at Duke and they turned around and immediately made another good hire in Mike Elko. I refuse to believe that status is off limits to IU.

That's a fair question, I think it depends on what fashion that bowl appearance would come by. If it's taking care of Akron then barely beating the four worst teams the rest of the way and going to the Quick Lane Bowl, my mind doesn't change. However if the defense is more consistent, Tayven continues to improve, and the team wins at least one game they really weren't supposed to I would reconsider. Rather than expecting a specific win total, I just want to see the team play consistent, competitive, smart, and be fun to watch. The program feels pretty flat under Allen and finishing 123rd in 2021 and 100th in 2022 in total offense will do that (115th so far this year). Allen is a good defensive mind and I appreciate his passion for the program but I feel the sample size amply points to it not working out. And in context 2019 and 2020 seem to mostly indicate what can happen with top notch coordinators, actually getting a break in the schedule, and some other non-recurring factors. Micah Parsons opting out of the 2020 PSU game didn't hurt anything either. Also, not directly related to your post but I disagree with the general notions that IU can't do any better or that we should throw our hands up in the air because no one else has won here either. For various reasons I think Justin Frye, Manny Diaz, Kane Wommack, Jason Candle, Sean Lewis, Tyson Helton, and Ryan Grubb would all be upgrades imo that would realistically take the IU job. I would also be in favor of trying Randle El purely for the buzz it could inject into the program.

Absolutely. The media refuses to learn anything because Purdue is a program they like. Purdue is running it back with the same group that won 8 games by 5 points or less with the easiest conference schedule, no injuries, the biggest physical advantage in college basketball, an officiating style that mostly caters to it, and ultimately suffered no better than the second worst loss in NCAA Tournament history. Edey comes back and they bring in a one-man recruiting class (although I do like Colvin), and they are magically off the hook and right back at the top of college basketball.

UL - 33 IU - 21

On one hand I feel if not for the fumble this would be going about as we anticipated, but on the other hand I feel if ISU had their normal starting quarterback this might be an interesting game.

Idaho actually got $1.2 million in 2021 and $1.3 million for the return trip last year. I'll take any easy non-con games we can get, but man $2.5 million for 2 wins is a hefty price tag. Why Indiana is paying an FCS school $1.2M to play Saturday (usatoday.com)

IU - 35 ISU - 9

I was going to post something similar in the Fire Tom Allen thread but I think it's relevant here too from a program perspective. Duke has had six winning seasons since 2013 and just smacked Clemson, Kansas was a top 20 team at one point last year and was one win away from being in the national title game in 2007 (that would have been weird), UNC is competitive frequently, and UK has a good football program also. Even Vanderbilt had James Franklin for a while and won. Not only is the constant losing frustrating but it's made worse by the notion that IU is one of if not the only P5 program that consistently can't figure something out in football.

OSU - 51 IU - 17

I think it was more of an homage to his brother and what he did at the place Dylan was at the time. Sort of an "I'm bringing that same type of energy to where I go" type of thing. Would be very strange to blatantly troll a school you bothered to put in your top 3 while on a visit at that school, although it could be taken that way.

It's his daughter. I immediately knew that name sounded familiar but I had to read up to remember Evan. She has a twin brother as well but I don't think he's nearly the prospect that she is.

More benefits for Michigan playing absolutely no one in the non-conference for three straight years. Harbaugh will miss East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green, and then the first conference game against...Rutgers. Report: Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh expected to be suspended to start the season (yahoo.com)

This recruitment has been hard to read at times so there could certainly be details and previous efforts from Duke I'm not aware of, but it pretty much sounds like they showed up to the party at the 11th hour and said "Duke's here" and immediately went to the front of the line. I won't be sad if that level of clout dissipates under the new regime there, as it seems to already have a little bit at UNC.

Sorry if this was already mentioned earlier in the thread, but didn't this same turn of events with credits not being accepted also happen to Nojel Eastern in 2020?

While this does seem to be the space Purdue typically works in from a rankings perspective, I can't decide if their recent recruiting is anything that will elevate them beyond the kings of January or if they are just getting lucky with the "my dad is in your athletic department's hall of fame" thing. That well can't be that deep.

Purdue fans during regular season winning streaks: "We do this with 3-star kids that had no other big offers. We rarely get a sniff from top-60 kids. This is all about our strong culture and how awesome we are. We don't need 5-stars." Also Purdue fans during recruiting: "I think pretty much every guy we've offered or may conceivably want is going to commit, as long as we decide we definitely want them. I think everybody wants to come to Purdue."

Not sure if the staff was or would be interested, but Logan Imes has also asked for a release from his LOI w/ Penn State. Whoever takes over there is going to have quite the blank canvas to start from.

I think that would be fantastic, pending portal pieces. He was definitely impressive against Bidunga who got 8 of his 19 pts with Doughty out of the game for about 3 or 4 minutes after getting his 3rd foul. They had to get him back in quick. Doughty plays hard and has a bit of a chippiness (in a good way) to his game that I like. I'm also in the camp that it makes sense to take a chance on a kid once in a while since no one plays more than about 9 or 10 anyway. It's all 20/20 in hindsight, but it used to drive me nuts when the previous staff would bank scholarships, especially when kids like Pack, LaRavia, and Sparks were in state and almost assuredly would have came straight to IU if a chance was granted.