Game Thread - Outback Bowl vs Ole Miss Sat 1/2/21 12:30pm ABC

[Naturalhoosier 15,353]

Let's talk Outback Bowl.  Perspective is a funny animal.  If you told me we'd be playing in the Outback Bowl at the beginning of the season, I'd be stoked.  But considering the circumstances it sucks.  Regardless, I hope IU goes in and smacks Ole Miss and smack 'em hard.  They have a stealthy, quick-scoring offense and a reciprocating defense that is ripe for the quick score.  IU opens as 7 point favorites and my money is for IU to cover by double that and I'd take the over (currently 67). 

Go Hoosiers.  Kick the piss out of Ole Miss.

[HoosierAloha 29,885]

I want the HOOSIERS to be the one issuing the beating in a bowl game. I want Ole Miss to cry uncle in the first half. I want to see the defense absolutely embarrass the $EC and the CFP committee. I want to hear their coach say they didn’t deserve to be on the same field as the Indiana Football Hoosiers.

Take the earmuffs and blinders off boys. Beat the absolute dogshit out of this opponent then spend strut around the field like you own it. I want a win more than anything but I want them to prove a point.

Beat Ole Miss for the fact you were given zero respect by the CFP committee.

Beat Ole Miss because the Big Ten front office is a bunch of cowards willing to get on their knees for O$U.

Beat Ole Miss because you didn’t get the chance to clown your rival on your home field.

Beat Ole Miss because your teammates deserve the opportunity to show out in their hometown.

Beat Ole Miss to prove their choice to put you in this bowl game was the wrong one.

Beat Ole Miss so bad that you end the season in the top 5 of the coaches and AP polls.

Beat Ole Miss so the entire country can mock the CFP and Ole Miss.

Beat Ole Miss to give Fred Glass another chance to tell the other Big Ten ADs they’re clowns.

**** the Big Ten and the CFP committee!!


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[LamarCheeks 16,805]

What really bugs me about this game  -- and there are several things -- is that we're in a no-win situation. If we win -- well, we're playing a 4-5 team that's what we are supposed to do. If we lose, it could be seen as justification for knocking us all the way back to the Outback in the first place. 

[Chips&Dipo 1,448]

1 hour ago, LamarCheeks said:

What really bugs me about this game  -- and there are several things -- is that we're in a no-win situation. If we win -- well, we're playing a 4-5 team that's what we are supposed to do. If we lose, it could be seen as justification for knocking us all the way back to the Outback in the first place. 

Strong disagree here.

IUFB hasn't won a bowl game in almost 30 years. If we handle Ole Miss, it is a HUGE win for the program and good foundation and motivation for this team going into next year (they disrespected us, we beat the snot out of an SEC team, lets go into this year with a huge chip on our shoulders).

If we lose to a sub .500 Ole Miss team, we prove the committee right.

[Leo 437]

Previewing Ole Miss:

https://hoosierhuddle.com/hoosier-blog/2021-matchup-preview-outback-bowl-game-vs-ole-miss/2020/12/22

[NashvilleHoosier 3,633]

5 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

What really bugs me about this game  -- and there are several things -- is that we're in a no-win situation. If we win -- well, we're playing a 4-5 team that's what we are supposed to do. If we lose, it could be seen as justification for knocking us all the way back to the Outback in the first place. 

This is it right here. We simply have no choice but to win, and even a big win will not get us any credit. Though I also agree with @Chips&Dipo that we need to go out and win simply to get that bowl win we haven't had for so long and carry the momentum in to next season.  

[NashvilleHoosier 3,633]

I also can't stand the fact that I won't be there. I told my wife last year, even though she was very supportive of me going to the Gator Bowl, that if we make a really good bowl game, she should just expect that I'll be going, even if it overlaps with any holiday plans we may have. We can do holiday plans any other time. Of course, f@#$ 2020....I ain't going b/c my in-laws are coming to town on that day and we had to lecture them about not going to do anything stupid and bring it in to our house. Traveling to FL for a football game wasn't going to fly after that. Good news is I'll just save the money for traveling to the Big Ten championship game, semifinal, and national championship next year. 

[mamasa 14,818]

Ole Miss fired their D line coach

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/report-lane-kiffin-fires-ole-miss-assistant-coach/ar-BB1c9pqX?li=BBnb7Kz

[Aaron 4,147]

Semi-related to game but apparently Iowa fans are as salty at Gary Barta for betraying his own school as we are at him as Hoosier fans. They think that by Barta keeping IU out over Iowa St (and there's strong evidence he lobbied for Iowa St. over IU) it hurts them a lot more since that is an in-state rival who could hurt them in recruiting a lot more than Hoosiers getting into New Years 6 from same conference. Also by not putting IU in, it knocked Iowa down a bowl and they would of been in Outback had he advocated harder for IU.

Barta sounds like kind of an idiot in general. To stick it to a team in his own conference (IU) in a way that hurt the very school he is athletic director for in a couple ways says he is not good at his job. 

Be curious if Iowa people have more to say to him about this, as that will be a lot more powerful and hurtful than anything we can do to him as Hoosier fans.  

[LamarCheeks 16,805]

7 hours ago, Chips&Dipo said:

Strong disagree here.

IUFB hasn't won a bowl game in almost 30 years. If we handle Ole Miss, it is a HUGE win for the program and good foundation and motivation for this team going into next year (they disrespected us, we beat the snot out of an SEC team, lets go into this year with a huge chip on our shoulders).

If we lose to a sub .500 Ole Miss team, we prove the committee right.

Strong disagree right back at you.

I just don't see beating a 4-5 team as being HUGE for the program. Even though it's a bowl, college football fans aren't stupid. They know what it is -- it's playing a Rutgers or an Illinois instead of playing a Penn State or a Michigan or an Ohio State.  

The only way we gain any cachet from this game is if we win pretty big -- by four or five touchdowns. Something like 42-14. Even then ... it's still a 4-5 team.

I just don't see there being a whole lot to gain from this -- we won't get much bang for our buck. If we win, we won't be seen as Outback Bowl champs; we'll be seen as someone who beat a 4-5 team (unless, as mentioned -- it's a massive rout). 

And if we lose -- well, let's just hope that doesn't happen. 

 

 

 

[Chips&Dipo 1,448]

26 minutes ago, LamarCheeks said:

Strong disagree right back at you.

I just don't see beating a 4-5 team as being HUGE for the program. Even though it's a bowl, college football fans aren't stupid. They know what it is -- it's playing a Rutgers or an Illinois instead of playing a Penn State or a Michigan or an Ohio State.  

The only way we gain any cachet from this game is if we win pretty big -- by four or five touchdowns. Something like 42-14. Even then ... it's still a 4-5 team.

I just don't see there being a whole lot to gain from this -- we won't get much bang for our buck. If we win, we won't be seen as Outback Bowl champs; we'll be seen as someone who beat a 4-5 team (unless, as mentioned -- it's a massive rout). 

And if we lose -- well, let's just hope that doesn't happen. 

 

 

 

You said this was a "no win situation". If we lose, it would be really bad for the momentum we built this year. If we win, we get a huge monkey off our back (those same college football fans know IUFB's history) and would be Outback Bowl champion (I don't really understand "we won't be seen as Outback Bowl champ". If you win the Outback Bowl, you are the champion). That is good for the program moving forward and clearly better than losing. Would it have been better to play a higher bowl game? Sure, but you have to play the cards you are dealt. That doesn't mean a no win situation. Win the game and carry this years momentum to next year.

[RaceToTheTop 23,537]

2 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

 

The only way we gain any cachet from this game is if we win pretty big -- by four or five touchdowns. Something like 42-14. Even then ... it's still a 4-5 team.

 

 

 

This is the thing....Ole Miss played two New Year's six teams and lost 51-35 to Florida and 63-48 to Alabama.  16 points is their largest loss and they've averaged 37 ppg and gave up 36 ppg.  Their biggest loss is by 16.  The odds of anything resembling a 42-14 score is pretty slim.  They are likely to score some points but they are also going to make our offense look pretty good.  It's probably good for Tuttle.

[cthomas 5,917]

They carry a much bigger football reputation into this game than we do. I would think that football fans generally consider Ole Miss a better program in a better conference than us regardless of the records. My opinion is that we have MORE to gain than we have to lose. This season is for all practical purposes over. The most important thing for our program is what we do next season. Can we back this great year up with another one. Do that and respect will start to come. As far as the bowl game is concerned, I can't wait to see this team on the field one more time.

[johnsoniu 6,064]

Nobody remembers who lost bowl games. Who lost last years Outback Bowl? Hell I’m a die hard college football fan and I had to look it up.
Win the game and bring the trophy home and we won’t have to explain to recruits that Ole Miss was only 4-5 that year. They’ll see the hardware from a respectable bowl that is played in warm weather in January.
We got screwed. Move on and keep beating who they put in front of us until they can’t ignore us any longer.

Go Hoosiers


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[JaybobHoosier 11,821]

I thought I heard a few players for Ole Miss have opted out of this game, and I think it was one of their top WR’s and a top TE for them. Help take some of the zip out of their scoring punch.
Either way, I hope (fully expect them too) they come out and just knock them out in the 1st quarter. Make it 14 or 21-0 and just keep pressing!!!


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[MemphisHoosier 1,914]

12 hours ago, JaybobHoosier said:

I thought I heard a few players for Ole Miss have opted out of this game, and I think it was one of their top WR’s and a top TE for them. Help take some of the zip out of their scoring punch.
Either way, I hope (fully expect them too) they come out and just knock them out in the 1st quarter. Make it 14 or 21-0 and just keep pressing!!!


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Moore is a fairly big loss - second best receiver in the SEC & a semifinalist for Biletnikoff Award.

https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2020/12/17/elijah-moore-kenny-yeboah-opt-out-remainder-of-2020-ole-miss-football-season/

[AKHoosier 6,547]

It's ridiculous to call the Outback Bowl a no-win situation for IU football.

We haven't won a bowl game since 1993, so that monkey needs off our backs immediately.  I don't care what bowl, or who it's against.

Throw out the records of each team; the history books will say (if we win) we beat an SEC team in a January bowl game in the state of Florida.  That is positive momentum for the program, especially since Tom Allen is trying to expand the footprint of our program and recruit in SEC territory, specifically Florida.

[Lebowski 1,835]

I think the running game will be a big factor in this game.  If our beloved Hoosiers are able to stop the run on D and run the ball on O I like their chances to bring home the hardware.  I think IU's blitz package will confuse the crap out of Matt Corral and his front 5 just like they've done with every opponent they've faced.  However, having said all that this game will probably be close. (I hope not!)  That's just how the Hoosiers play football.  It was rare to see blow outs by this squad.  That's no knock on them.  That's just how they play.  They fight and have grit so they'll show up like they have all season long.  

I think Auburn runs a 4-2-5 like Indiana and Ole Miss was held to 28 pts that game.  Obviously completely different athletes on the field etc. etc. to make the comparison but the scheme itself is something not 'traditional' when it comes to packages etc. etc..  Does anyone on here know of any other SEC school that runs 4-2-5?

Best of luck to the Hoosiers!

[johnsoniu 6,064]

Does anyone on here know of any other SEC school that runs 4-2-5?
Best of luck to the Hoosiers!

LSU ran a variant of it, but Bo Pelini is an idiot and tended to scheme more towards a straight nickel. Which as a base defense in the SEC will get you fired.
I saw South Carolina toy with it, but that was more muschamp trying anything to save his job.


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[jmsgws 2,030]

On 12/23/2020 at 1:41 AM, cthomas said:

They carry a much bigger football reputation into this game than we do. I would think that football fans generally consider Ole Miss a better program in a better conference than us regardless of the records. My opinion is that we have MORE to gain than we have to lose. This season is for all practical purposes over. The most important thing for our program is what we do next season. Can we back this great year up with another one. Do that and respect will start to come. As far as the bowl game is concerned, I can't wait to see this team on the field one more time.

I think this is the right answer.  IU fell out of the NY 6 because of a century plus of football futility.  There is no consistent brand other than negative.  

I will grant that we played OSU better than anyone else this year, but all anyone can think of is that the conference was awful this year.  Three of the four biggest names in the conference simply sucked this year.  

I don't see any way we blow Ol Miss out of the stadium.  I think IU will win, but it will be by less than 10 points.