Interesting - Sagarin

[Old Friend]

http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

Indiana at 47.  Look at strength of schedule.  Did anyone ever think Indiana University would play the toughest schedule in the country?  And we have Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State left.  No way we drop very far in that category.   

Indiana, for all the success and positive energy/direction cannot consistently win playing a schedule like we're forced to year in and year out.  The Big Ten divisions are a complete joke.  I don't know what can be done and know nothing WILL be done, but I said a long time ago 7-5/8-4 was likely Indiana's consistent ceiling save an anomaly from time to time.    This is crazy.  SOS in football, IU #1 roughly half way through the season.   Wow.

[Lebowski]

If CTA keeps up with the recruiting and builds depth, 8-4 isn't the ceiling. It would be the norm and the consistent ceiling would be 10 wins or more, in my opinion.  IUFB is lacking depth at the moment. But CTA is building something special that takes time and depth.  IUFB will be much like Iowa just so long as the recruiting is consistent and CTA stays. 

[Hovadipo]

As things stand from this week’s AP poll, we play #s 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 10 in the country. Not a single program in the country surviving that schedule. 

[Alford Bailey]

Hope the league finish’s strong 

[Old Friend]

7 hours ago, Lebowski said:

If CTA keeps up with the recruiting and builds depth, 8-4 isn't the ceiling. It would be the norm and the consistent ceiling would be 10 wins or more, in my opinion.  IUFB is lacking depth at the moment. But CTA is building something special that takes time and depth.  IUFB will be much like Iowa just so long as the recruiting is consistent and CTA stays. 

I'd love to agree, but I just don't.   OSU, Michigan, PSU will always have stadiums that seat 105,000 people and will always get top recruits.   We see now how quickly Michigan and PSU have come back from being below their own expectations.  I don't think Indiana can ever win against those teams consistently and I said "consistent ceiling."   Once in a while, sure.   But we haven't beaten Ohio State since 1988, only beaten Penn State twice and Michigan once since then.

Once in a while better than 8-4 is possible, but how anyone can believe we can do that consistently surprises me, regardless of how well we recruit because even now with the best recruiting classes in our history, we're getting four or five 4-star kids.  Those other schools are getting fifteen 4-star kids and four or 5 5-star kids.

[Lebowski]

12 hours ago, Old Friend said:

I'd love to agree, but I just don't.   OSU, Michigan, PSU will always have stadiums that seat 105,000 people and will always get top recruits.   We see now how quickly Michigan and PSU have come back from being below their own expectations.  I don't think Indiana can ever win against those teams consistently and I said "consistent ceiling."   Once in a while, sure.   But we haven't beaten Ohio State since 1988, only beaten Penn State twice and Michigan once since then.

Once in a while better than 8-4 is possible, but how anyone can believe we can do that consistently surprises me, regardless of how well we recruit because even now with the best recruiting classes in our history, we're getting four or five 4-star kids.  Those other schools are getting fifteen 4-star kids and four or 5 5-star kids.

That's cool man.  The only way IUFB is going to make you think otherwise is win football games.  Which should be the case.  

Personally, I like where this program is going and how not only the players are buying into the culture but after only one successful season of beating two of those schools on your list (with zero 5 star and a handful of 4 star recruits) above they've landed some recruits that will add depth. Adding depth is key to the success and being able to compete with the big three year after year.  Iowa isn't landing 5 5-star kids year after year either.  But they're somehow ranked 2nd the nation.  Depth and development.  CTA has proven he's been able to develop.  Now he just needs the depth.  This takes time. Or not, now that there's free agency aka the transfer portal and NIL. And if CTA sticks around just like Iowa's coach has I'm really optimistic for the future of IUFB.  But that's just me.

[VPC]

I agree on your continued optimism Leb. but to carry the momentum this season, next week is a must win against MSU. My gut feeling anyway. Really need 7 wins this year.

 

[Lebowski]

31 minutes ago, VPC said:

I agree on your continued optimism Leb. but to carry the momentum this season, next week is a must win against MSU. My gut feeling anyway. Really need 7 wins this year.

That's going to be tough hill to climb.  I'd be happy if they win 6 games at this rate.  But I don't think they'll get that.  Maybe 5 wins. That front 5 is the Achilles' heel of this football team. I really hope to eat crow on my season wins thought here.  

[VPC]

1 hour ago, Lebowski said:

That's going to be tough hill to climb.  I'd be happy if they win 6 games at this rate.  But I don't think they'll get that.  Maybe 5 wins. That front 5 is the Achilles' heel of this football team. I really hope to eat crow on my season wins thought here.  

I agree our O Line has to play much better consistently. MSU's defense is looking strong and their offense far less anemic than in recent times. I still think they're beatable but, a tough win does a world of wonders for this IU team. I still have hope that seven wins is in the realm of possibility. Only 5 wins is a face plant IMHO.

[Southside]

On 10/10/2021 at 2:09 PM, Old Friend said:

http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

Indiana at 47.  Look at strength of schedule.  Did anyone ever think Indiana University would play the toughest schedule in the country?  And we have Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State left.  No way we drop very far in that category.   

Indiana, for all the success and positive energy/direction cannot consistently win playing a schedule like we're forced to year in and year out.  The Big Ten divisions are a complete joke.  I don't know what can be done and know nothing WILL be done, but I said a long time ago 7-5/8-4 was likely Indiana's consistent ceiling save an anomaly from time to time.    This is crazy.  SOS in football, IU #1 roughly half way through the season.   Wow.

I agree they should realign the B10. But if we're honest, IU is getting a huge boost from Cinci who is non-conference and not a traditional power house, Iowa who is mediocre more times than good and from the West side, and PSU who can be up and down. MSU and UM are likely both overrated this year, but that will wash itself out. Most years, the SECW has the most big guns. B10 is just having an "up" year right now, which is spiking IU's SoS along with Cinci's good year.

I do agree on current ceiling though, but I think that can and should be improved. Need to take full advantage of NIL and the transfer portal. And hopefully the admin will continue to spend on FB. 

[RaceToTheTop]

On 10/10/2021 at 1:09 PM, Old Friend said:

http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

Indiana at 47.  Look at strength of schedule.  Did anyone ever think Indiana University would play the toughest schedule in the country?  And we have Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State left.  No way we drop very far in that category.   

Indiana, for all the success and positive energy/direction cannot consistently win playing a schedule like we're forced to year in and year out.  The Big Ten divisions are a complete joke.  I don't know what can be done and know nothing WILL be done, but I said a long time ago 7-5/8-4 was likely Indiana's consistent ceiling save an anomaly from time to time.    This is crazy.  SOS in football, IU #1 roughly half way through the season.   Wow.

And we haven't played Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State yet.

The split was always uneven.  And why is it that the Illinois teams and Michigan teams are in the same division, but when it comes to Indiana they are split?  The Big Ten championship games are typically a bore, looking to see what West team will lose to the East team.

[RaceToTheTop]

1 hour ago, Southside said:

I agree they should realign the B10. But if we're honest, IU is getting a huge boost from Cinci who is non-conference and not a traditional power house, Iowa who is mediocre more times than good and from the West side, and PSU who can be up and down. MSU and UM are likely both overrated this year, but that will wash itself out. Most years, the SECW has the most big guns. B10 is just having an "up" year right now, which is spiking IU's SoS along with Cinci's good year.

I do agree on current ceiling though, but I think that can and should be improved. Need to take full advantage of NIL and the transfer portal. And hopefully the admin will continue to spend on FB. 

IU put the Cincinnati game on the schedule in July of 2014;  at that time, Cincinnati was coming off of 29 wins in a three year period and were certainly a program on the rise. Also it's not like Cincinnati's year this year was an fluke -- they only lost one game last year.  And while the Big Ten schedule so far has boosted our SOS, we still haven't played two top ten teams on our schedule -- Ohio State and Michigan -- which ARE traditional powers.

[Alford Bailey]

44 minutes ago, brumdog45 said:

IU put the Cincinnati game on the schedule in July of 2014;  at that time, Cincinnati was coming off of 29 wins in a three year period and were certainly a program on the rise. Also it's not like Cincinnati's year this year was an fluke -- they only lost one game last year.  And while the Big Ten schedule so far has boosted our SOS, we still haven't played two top ten teams on our schedule -- Ohio State and Michigan -- which ARE traditional powers.

MSU is in the top ten as well

[DChoosier]

2 hours ago, Alford Bailey said:

MSU is in the top ten as well

They are in the top 10 but it is interesting that we have played 3 of the top 5 teams in the country while 6-0 MSU has not played a team in the current top 25. This week will give a good indication of how good we each are.

[Southside]

On 10/11/2021 at 8:38 PM, brumdog45 said:

IU put the Cincinnati game on the schedule in July of 2014;  at that time, Cincinnati was coming off of 29 wins in a three year period and were certainly a program on the rise. Also it's not like Cincinnati's year this year was an fluke -- they only lost one game last year.  And while the Big Ten schedule so far has boosted our SOS, we still haven't played two top ten teams on our schedule -- Ohio State and Michigan -- which ARE traditional powers.

A decent program yes, on the "rise" yes, but still a G5 team with no huge wins (at the time they were added). My point is, we lucked out due to their current status in terms of SOS. They are a good team, not saying they aren't. But it's a bit of an outlier all things considered. And not really trying to diminish this year's SOS, but teams are currently outperforming expectations (over the norm). We are in one of the tougher P5 divisions, but I'm not going to complain too much.

 

I do think the B10 should realign. PU and IU should actually swap if you want to "real" as it pertains to E and W, but IMO what really should happen, is that Michigan should swap with either NW or IL.

[Lebowski]

10 hours ago, Southside said:

I do think the B10 should realign. PU and IU should actually swap if you want to "real" as it pertains to E and W, but IMO what really should happen, is that Michigan should swap with either NW or IL.

I've been a fan of creating a North-South division alignment looking like this.

North: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan and Michigan St.
South: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio St., Penn St., Rutgers, Maryland and that other school remaining. 

While IUFB would still be facing OSU and PSU they'd eliminate Michigan and MSU.  Also this type of divisional alignment is a little more aligned full of parity within each division.  The current alignment isn't, in my opinion.

Regardless, it doesn't appear any kind of realignment is coming in the future, unfortunately.  It is what it is.  IUFB is just going to have to get better and I think they're on the right track of doing just that.  It just takes time.

[Alford Bailey]

Best chance for any realignment come if/ when we become a super conference 

[Hovadipo]

I think we’re closer to re-alignment than some realize. It’s been at least discussed in conference meetings as recently as this past winter. 

[Old Friend]

44 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

I think we’re closer to re-alignment than some realize. It’s been at least discussed in conference meetings as recently as this past winter. 

I'm unfamiliar with this.  Has it really?  That's good news.

I'd be for a more hybrid schedule every year.   It does affect recruiting; and I suppose the argument can be made whether it affects it positively or negatively; but PU can tell recruits they have a legit chance to win that division every so often.  We can't do that (and I know what some will say, but look at the last 75 years.  Bill Mallory was a far better coach than Tom Allen and he never made it to a Rose Bowl, beating Michigan only once and tOSU twice during their worst couple of years in the last 100).   Indiana having to play Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State every year and likely a Wisconsin or Iowa too gives it  2-3 game hole vs. its main rival.  Rutgers faces an almost impossible climb in the BTW.  

I'd be in favor of a mixed bag schedule every season without schedules tied to divisions.

[Hovadipo]

2 minutes ago, Old Friend said:

I'm unfamiliar with this.  Has it really?  That's good news.

I'd be for a more hybrid schedule every year.   It does affect recruiting; and I suppose the argument can be made whether it affects it positively or negatively; but PU can tell recruits they have a legit chance to win that division every so often.  We can't do that (and I know what some will say, but look at the last 75 years.  Bill Mallory was a far better coach than Tom Allen and he never made it to a Rose Bowl, beating Michigan only once and tOSU twice during their worst couple of years in the last 100).   Indiana having to play Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State every year and likely a Wisconsin or Iowa too gives it  2-3 game hole vs. its main rival.  Rutgers faces an almost impossible climb in the BTW.  

I'd be in favor of a mixed bag schedule every season without schedules tied to divisions.

You’ll have to trust me on that because it’s nothing public, but if I remember correctly it was actually James Franklin leading the charge on it. The discussions were based around a rotating schedule like you mentioned with protected rivalries.

I love everything about it and agree divisions are unnecessary, there’s other ways to get 2 teams into the B1G title game.  Also agree that we have no shot at winning the B1G as things currently stand unless another pandemic happens and we fix one bad half of football in Columbus this time.