Jump to content

Thanks for visiting BtownBanners.com!  We noticed you have AdBlock enabled.  While ads can be annoying, we utilize them to provide these forums free of charge to you!  Please consider removing your AdBlock for BtownBanners or consider signing up to donate and help BtownBanners stay alive!  Thank you!

Dalton26

2016 could be Indiana football's turning point. Or it won’t be.

Recommended Posts

I can't think of anything more overplayed in Football Talk than "turning points" and "momentum." Most of the time it's just narrative, an analyst looking back to see when something changed and applying causation to it. A critical interception is the moment that wins a team a game, until their quarterback fumbles the snap and turns it right over. Usually it's not quite what it seems.

This, though, could be an exception. 2016 could be a massive turning point for Indiana University football, and it could be a season that makes (or breaks) the program for the foreseeable future.

Indiana played in a bowl game last year – the tenth ever. The last was in 2007. The one before was in 1993. IU football hasn't appeared in the postseason two seasons in a row since 1990 and 1991, and we haven't had a coach reach multiple bowls since Bill Mallory.

So it should be clear that if Kevin Wilson’s program wins six this year and becomes bowl-eligible, that would be a pretty big deal.

 

But this same program also hasn’t won a bowl game since 1991 (though, of course, The Kick Was Good). If we can not only get to a bowl but actually walk out winners, with whatever pseudo-trophy the organizers dream up, that's a massive step forward for this program.

Yeah, often it's overly simplistic to talk about momentum. But when you're trying to attract people to your team, winning helps. Being in bowl games helps. Winning bowl games helps. Players want to be part of successful teams, that's no secret; losing isn't a lot of fun and if you can make a choice to avoid losing, usually you'll do that. Fans don't want to go watch crap teams either.

Going to a bowl game once can be a fluke. Going twice in a row could be, but it's way less likely – especially after losing your quarterback and RB1 to the NFL. Going twice in a row is a step to going three times in a row, and that's a step toward being a winning program. It's been a long time – decades – since you could call Indiana a winning program, but we could be on the cusp of it right now.

 

Great reward comes with great risk, though. If IU fails to take a step forward – if Richard Lagow can't adequately replace Nate Sudfeld, if there's no New Jordan Howard, if the defense can’t figure out a way to not be a massive tire fire – well, there’s probably going to be a regression. Regression is bad. Regression sends the signal that this is still Indiana Football, with all that entails; that players like Sudfeld are rarities and good seasons are flukes. Regression doesn’t mean that the promised land of consistent success is impossible, but it does give the pessimists a lot of ammunition.

For the first time since Terry Hoeppner walked the Memorial Stadium sidelines, I’m excited about IU football. For the first time in a while, I feel like good things are coming. If we don’t screw it up, of course.

 

http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/8/29/12673976/indiana-university-football-preview-turning-point-kick-was-good

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Watching last night I was reminded of the struggles in 2015 against FIU, Wake Forest and the fourth quarter collapse against Rutgers.

I also was thinking about how this team stuck with what they were doing and the way they handled their business against Maryland and Purdue.

While we made a bowl game, we were still somewhat flawed, with the imbalance between our offense and defense.

While I am not sure what the total number of wins will be this year, I am confident that we have moved beyond being a team that consistently has 1, 2, 3 or 4 wins a season.  It appears we are ready to become a consistent 5, 6 or 7 wins a season team. Not where we want to be, but a solid step forward to get us to where we want to be.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been preaching patience for the long step-by-step process Wilson started when he got here and burned the thing down.

We didn't become historically bad and the subject of ridicule overnight; for us, the road just to mediocrity has been long. The road to becoming viewed as a consistently good team remains longer.

We're getting there.

Go Hoosiers!

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It's different this year, Coach Allen is the real deal. Along with Coach Hagen, we've never had this level of quality coaching on the defensive side of the ball. Kudos to CKW for helping out with the offensive position coaches and trusting Coach Allen with the defense so we can have an extra defensive coach.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Can we all just take a second and appreciate how this team finished out that game last night? Down one headed into the 4th quarter and we held them scoreless and scored 22 unanswered points. Total dominance. That is not something we have seen in a long time (not in my lifetime) from an IUFB team. Finishing a game strong. Usually we were giving up 22 points and allowing a massive come-from-behind victory for the opposing team. Last night we saw both sides of the ball come up big and give us a comfortable win. I'd just like to sit here for a bit and appreciate that. It feels good. Let's do this more often, ok?


That's great perspective right there.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×