You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
field, apparel. Welcome back to Crimson gasp.
Kalin clavius got Caulfield. Join any of the 13th of
November, there's snow on the ground and Bloomington.
And I you football is now pretty much Bolin eligible, I guess.
Technically, they could still make a bowl at five and seven,
but if you think that's happening, I might have some
news that I need to share with you.
We're going to talk about that. As India to comes off a big loss
yesterday to the Ohio State Buckeyes, which in and of itself
is not surprising. Although perhaps the details
might hold some surprise, so we're going to talk about that a
little bit. We got Scott Caulfield joining
us again. Scott the co-host here, Crimson
cast. It's good to see you again.
How are you doing? I'm doing well, doing very well.
It's funny you mentioned the November thing.
It's like up here at Indy. I'm sure you got some snow to.
We got like maybe you know, half an inch to almost an inch of
snow yesterday. It's cold and like we went over
to some neighbors house last night to have a couple drinks,
play some games and they spent the day putting up.
Up all of their Christmas decorations, including their
Christmas tree. So it's like, we're walking over
and I'm like, just tell my wife like man feels just like weird.
This feels like, you know, mid-January and I don't like
that and we get in their house and it's like all Christmas
stuff and I'm like, all right, this is like, this is way too
early. Like we're nice.
I stop. Let's stop.
We don't need that right now. No, it's true.
It's like the it was 74 75 degrees down here in Bloomington
on Thursday and even Friday wasn't terrible from a
temperature. Spective is probably in the 50s
and then to wake up yesterday and again the kids are excited,
they're outside. There's about an inch of snow on
the deck, maybe two inches and it kept falling all morning and
I'm just like, I'm not ready for this.
Like, it felt like NFL playoff season, you know, and and I
think tonight, the low here in Bloomington is going to be 18
degrees Fahrenheit. And it's just like, what?
Like what are we doing? Like how now it's going to
little, it's not going to be like a If we cold all week, but
I am with you, like my mind needs a little bit more
transition period to get to the point, where I'm like, okay,
yeah, there's Christmas decorations up.
There's like, there's signs in my neighborhood for like,
professional Christmas, light installation and you combine
that with the snowfall and everything else, and it's too
much, too soon. I really can't deal with it.
So yeah, it's it's it's been a bit rough on the bright side
that Does make it feel like basketball season.
We are going to talk about basketball in a separate podcast
later today. So it dub, but but even there
it's like this is almost like February, not November 12th,
November 13th. So there are some problems that
we need to suss out with all of that, where it talked about it
in a little bit. But anyway, before we get to the
podcast, is to remind her that we are part of the back home
network about whom do you. Yeah, let's try that again.
The back home network is brought to you by home field apparel
your place to go for the finest Collegiate apparel Scott did.
You get the bomber jacket? Did did that work out?
Did you end up? Make placing an order for it.
I place the order it came in yesterday.
Mine did as well. Yes.
So this is epic. It's an epic.
I'm wearing it. I'm just like, I'm thinking,
like, you know, the real, the only questions that I have are,
you know, do I break it out for North Carolina?
Do I take it to Vegas? The answer to those was probably
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But that it's like am I going to be one of many wearing it
against North Carolina, which is Probably fine but Noah came it's
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heard you mention this on, I think what your podcast with
Tony, it's funny how few people make good Indiana apparel,
especially for the one thing that still out there is like the
shooting shirt. Right.
That Indiana. Where's I mean that's a great
just like you know a red shirt you know collared with buttons
like you could wear that in a variety of Settings not to be
sold like it was sold at one point.
I think on the Adidas store for like two and a half weeks,
because I see a couple people to Assembly Hall floating around
and I'm like oh where'd you get that?
They're like I was available for like six and a half weeks and
too bad and it's like it's almost again.
It's very much like IU football fan them.
It's like they're teasing you and it's like no you're you're
not good enough to get the good stuff.
Now we're just going to give you bad logo athletic gear so it's
really I love that. Home-field apparel.
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Um, yes I have it, it's fantastic.
It's in the closet. We're good, that's great.
Yeah, I know I've got mine as well.
I know a lot of people didn't and I know I talked to the home
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Like, like they had thought they had a huge demand, they bought
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as well but that's The kind of thing you got home-field
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home-field magic going yesterday.
As I also got this, Tulane Green Wave crewneck, It's a delightful
crewneck. It's got the angry wave on it
and all of that but Tulane turned around and lost which was
not part of the script. I was very disappointed for to
way but most of the time home field magic can help your team
out if you purchase a piece of apparel, I let you stay because
I paired mine with the Colts the Colts Hood.
And so maybe it's not the same but you know, in the time that I
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That's home-field apparel.com. All right, Scott.
Let's talk IU football. As the Hoosiers, drop 2 3 and 7
on the campaign they lose in decisive fashion.
I think would probably be the kindest way of putting it
yesterday. They drop another game to Ohio
State, and that losing streak. I think extends 225 now 56 to
14. Final score.
This was a game that got off to a I guess.
A slightly slow start in that both teams went three and out on
their first drive but then Ohio state scored and then they
scored again and then they scored again.
And even though Indiana did manage to get a touchdown on the
following possession, the game was effectively over at that
point. Not a dissimilar script too many
Ohio, State Indiana games that we've seen over the years Scott.
But another game where Indiana just looked like they were on a
different planet from their opponent.
In terms of preparation, execution, Personnel all of that
defense really struggled in this one and that was probably the
most unfortunate aspect of the game but you even had a blocked
punt. You know, you had the James
Evans, the punter, you know, taking the block punt aside
hunted for 500 yards. Yesterday, which I mean, that's,
that's an accomplishment, I don't know what the record is,
but I do give James Evans credit because he maintained a pretty
good average with that 45 and a half yards, a punt.
But that when you're punting is The Shining Moment
statistically, you got some problems and unfortunately,
Indiana had a bunch of them in this game.
I mean, there's no real point in going through drives or talking
about like some of the individual elements of the game.
I mean, Ohio State just Had their way with Indiana.
And in terms of the running attack, 43 rushes for 340 yards,
a seven point nine yards per carry average, and that was mine
Williams, came out, rushed fifteen times, four hundred, and
forty seven yards had a touchdown, and then got injured,
you know? And they had to start going down
the depth chart, and it didn't matter down.
Hayden comes in 19, carries 102 yards, Xavier Johnson, that was
confusing. No, confer converted, I think
wide receiver. One Rush. 71 yards for a
touchdown, it was basically just Open Season.
You could have driven, you know, vehicles through the holes, that
Ohio State's line was generating and Scott, you know again it's
one of those things where we see Ohio, this Ohio State team
dominate opponents quite a bit. So it's hard to get like too
upset about the lack of performance.
But I think what's fascinating to To me, at least from the
defensive performance. Is how like poor Indiana looks
from a technique perspective from an effort perspective.
I mean it, you know, would there have been a chance to stop Ohio
state with greater technique and greater effort, perhaps, not,
but it really looked like Indiana kind of gave up the
ghost very early in this one. And that's been a troubling
Trend with this defense all season.
Yes, let's talk basketball. No, I agree with all of that,
know it. I have two thoughts.
I'll start with this game first and I like to go bigger picture
against our Ohio State Games. And, you know, it's I'll come
back to this, but you do have to just like in the end, it's like,
this is, this is a different League of team at Ohio State is
versus Indiana. But here's what I started doing
in the third quarter because I think it's a little bit unfair.
They met at Ohio, State's really good?
Like how do you expect Indiana to compete?
And on one hand, that's true on the other hand.
It's like well they are in our conference, they have to we have
to play them like Alabama gets beaten here and there, Ohio
state gets beaten here and there.
So I started looking at Ohio and this is just like this is what a
sad. I you football fan, does during
games, how many three and outs teams have had against Ohio
State this year, so I'm just going to go down the list and a
lot of these are not three and outs, but R like to plays and
then Ohio, State forces, a turnover because, you know, Ohio
State's really good. Notre Dame had for Arkansas
State, a team that I feel like should be, you know, a level
below. Indiana had 53 announce with one
turnover Toledo, had six three and outs.
One turnover Wisconsin had for Rutgers had 42 of those return
overs. Michigan, state had six, Iowa
Stellar performance, 73, and outs of which 4 were turnovers.
Just, it's almost not even fair to call it a 3 out when they're
like intercept. Fumbling on the first play Penn
State have three with three tall.
All three were three turnovers Northwestern had for Indiana
have 92 of those with turnovers and so it's a little bit yes.
Ohio State's better than Indiana.
Yes, we don't need to dig into the details, but when you're not
even able to move the ball against Ohio State, you're
getting nine, three and outs Arkansas state only had five,
they were able to get a couple of plays here and there.
It, that's the troubling part is sure there's a gap and sure
you're not as good as Ohio State, but it's like it sucks
that you're like, you're the worst team they played, and
you've been able to do the least against them compared to anybody
out there. And honestly, one of the last
drives that we had Dexter Williams ran for a first down.
And then we went out with three more plays later, like, we had
kind of a, almost three and out ish at the end of the game where
I bet. If Ohio State's defense was
totally locked in, it might have been 10.
But to me, that's the part that I look at is like compared to
the other teams. This year that Ohio state is
manhandling, they met in handled us the absolute worst.
And to me, that's, that's very concerning.
Well, and that's the thing. I mean, there's two separate
issues here. I think the defense to me, my
big problem with the way the defense is playing right now, is
that they just have looked bad pretty much all season and this
was not supposed to be how it was.
I mean, you know, Tom Allen taking the Defense back over
again, was supposed to fix the problems that the defense had
last year and and frankly, the defense is worse this year than
it was last year. There was an interesting piece
in the daily. Hoosier written by Patrick Felts
that pointed out that, you know, defensively speaking.
This was the first time since 2018 that I you had allowed more
than 40 points in back-to-back games.
And 2018, of course, was also So I think it's important to keep
in mind, a Tom Allen LED defense.
He was coaching the defense that season as well over the what was
it over the past 11 quarters since taking a 14-0 lead against
Rutgers? I'm quoting from this piece.
The Hoosiers have been outscored 125 to 31 and so it's not just a
defensive failure, it's certainly a total systems
failure for IU but this defense is supposed to be stocked with
really good talent. You know Talent that's developed
over. Overtime talent that has be
considered to be old. Big Ten may be in consideration
for All-American and yes, they did lose cam Jones halfway
through the year but overall the defense has been incredibly
disappointing and that, you know, certainly, I think Ohio
state is a poor measuring stick. Because Ohio, State's made a lot
of teams, look bad. They made Iowa look, bad.
They made Wisconsin, look bad by similar margins.
But again, Comes down to this idea of what are you expecting
out of Indiana? You would have expected them to
be able to, you know, perhaps do something more than they did
defensively in this game. And it's just been a trend that
we've seen out of this Indiana team, over the course of the
whole season basically. And, you know, you go through
and you look at what Indiana's done over the course of the last
several games, you know, they've, since since game two,
when they held Idaho to 22 points.
Yay. They've allowed 3045 3531 3824
to Rutgers 45 and 56 points and 0 on the season.
So far, this Indiana defense has given up the third most points
of any power 5 team, only Vanderbilt and Colorado have
given up more points than Indiana, so far this season and
that's not good. That's a real problem.
Especially when you consider that you're playing in the Big
Ten, which does not have a Talk of high level offenses the way
that the Pac-12 does or the SEC does.
And so that is a concern. Now, I do want to move over to
the offense. The offense, it keeps coming
back to this issue of the offensive line.
You know, you go and you look at the numbers from this game.
And again Indiana's, just essentially incapable of getting
anything going on offense. That doesn't have to do with
Dexter Williams, running the football.
All and that is not really a designed play that you have been
able to rely on the course of the Season Williams was only
able to throw 20 or scuse me 19 times on the game.
He completed six of them. Now, one of them was a really
nice throw down the field and other was a nice touchdown
throw, but the offensive line continues to be just an absolute
disaster in terms of blocking for either the passing game, or
the running game. And You know, Scott when I think
about this team, now it comes down to what like what decisions
are being made and it's clear at least in this game that Dexter
Williams. Provided a spark of sorts he
come. He doesn't start the first
couple of drives that there's an early hook for Basil.
Lack Williams comes in, has a really nice first drive.
I you starts to show a little life now that died off quickly,
but even showing what we saw there from Williams, it does
kind of make you ask the question.
If Williams is able to make something out of nothing on
these plays where the blocking breaks down, which is
essentially every play. Then it makes the last few weeks
of IU season, make even less sense, like why was he not the
first quarterback Off the Bench? When basil Act was in air quotes
injured? Why did he come out like come in
last week? After Brandon sores?
Be, you know why? Like, why didn't he start this
game? There's there's a lot of
question marks here, because I think, certainly Dexter
Williams. It's hard to judge him,
effectively, given the lack of blocking just like it's hard to
judge how. Well Connor base lights been
doing or not doing due to the lack of blocking, but it's clear
that this young man has some Talent at the quarterback
position. He has a decent arm, he can
move, he's a little more, Michael pain, excision terms of
you know, being athletic. Why has he not been playing like
this season is over essentially and it's been over for a few
weeks you know the writings been on the wall the decision making
process on the quarterback situation in particular.
I find baffling to a point that I'm having a hard time
describing it to people who ask me, why hasn't Dexter Williams
and playing. Do you have an answer on this
that you can provide? No this was my other point that
I was gonna bring up a lot of the same things you just hit,
none of it makes any sense and so I'm going to it reminds me
similar and then there's also a huge caveat here.
If you haven't subscribed to bite-sized bison by Taylor lame
and it's just, it's fantastic. You've had him on, I've
subscribed to a sub stack, it's great but he had, I'm trying.
Search for it. While we're talking, I am not
going to get the number here, but he he basically went through
basil acts like average yard per throw and it's like three or
four yards, like it's one of the worst in college football.
Maybe can look it up while I'm talking about.
Like that was it was the kind of the point of his last article to
the last article and it's it's borne out by what I saw on the
field and but it is it's wild that it reminds me a little bit
of like the 2018 2019. Are aware, you had Peyton Ramsey
playing quarterback and said he would throw these very short
passes and then penix would come in and we'd be like bombing it
down. It's a why aren't we doing that
with, with Ramsey as well? I don't think Ram.
We kind of came to the agreement.
Got something Ramsay has the arm to do that.
So we almost had to play books. The caveat is Ramsey.
Still took us like let us do a bowl game.
It wasn't like the wheels were falling off.
But yes. So so it is like Dexter Williams
can do things that Bay's lack cannot and that does open up
some things in the offense, which almost makes you think.
Maybe you should have played two quarterbacks but I'm with you,
it's like if he's if he has this kind of zip on the ball and he
has I'm not saying he looks like a young Michael penix, but he
looks like he has something like when he comes in.
There's a little bit of pepper on the ball.
He's able to move and you're like, wow, this is, this is
something that release I got. Interesting.
How are the coaches not seeing this?
And to your point? Like, how is it?
He is not. The first guy off the bench
likewise sores be ahead of him when you put tall.
And why is he not ahead of Tuttle?
Like what? Why did he not start the Penn
State game? But then I also look at it this
way to is it again. All we have is the ability to
start micro looking at this team because they sucking on the
field orders not winning but it's like okay.
So why did you do all this to debase lack?
Like why did you put him in for three series than just yank them
like he did what he does. Like it's not like he came in
and threw three pitches. Pics.
Look scared. Like Bay's, like did exactly
what base, like, has done all season.
And so, again, I hate being the fan of the contrabass lack, you
know, fan club here. But it's like, what were you
expecting in the do? Like, he didn't throw deep.
He has thrown deep all year. He didn't throw picks, he kept
the ball, he managed it. He went three and out.
That's kind of what he does, but I would look at it a little
differently. It's like, Obviously, you're
done with base lack, he's not going to come back, he's not.
He will know it. Is that obvious?
I don't go ahead. Sorry, well, but maybe not, but
my thing is like, if you're going to go add extra Williams
next year again, who knows what the hell they're gonna do?
It's like you have a nice trial run the next two weeks.
If the season is over, you're not making a bowl claiming it's
Michigan State playing against Purdue.
You might have a better chance to evaluate him.
Anybody against you know, Penn State and Ohio State is going to
be kind of screwed anyway. So So why not just let Bay's
lack kind of take the bullets, which you've kind of already
done because you pulled him out and you put them in.
Like I I'm with you, I'm baffled with what they're doing and the
other concerning thing here is that Dexter Williams, looks good
has flashes but we saw that with penix early but penix was like a
freshman. This is a redshirt sophomore
like when he starts next. If he's our starter next year
he's over halfway done with his college career.
Like this isn't like a project we're going to Have him.
Oh my God. The next four years going to be
great with him. Like we have two more years with
him if he's our starter. Well.
Okay. So there's a, there's several
things to talk through their. I mean, first of all, he does
have an extra year because technically everyone's got,
everybody's got the covid here and he's and keep in mind.
Also had an ACL injury last year, and that's why he was not
available at all. And that's so there are some
caveats there and I'm less troubled by You know, let's move
the foot of this way. I was talking with some friends
on text during the game yesterday and what I think is
important to keep in mind is that Williams did look good and
I think Williams deserves a lot of credit, you know.
But the flip side of it is the more film on every Indiana
quarterback the worse. They get because the play
calling the blocking does not allow for very much.
In terms of what they can do and what they can show.
And so I think to some degree and this is where, you know,
it's like how do you judge Connor, basil, act as basil.
Act look pretty good against Illinois and then gradually has
looked worse and worse throughout the year is that
because Connor Bane's likes become a worst player.
No, it's because defense is know what Connor basal-like can do
and can't do and more of the point, they know what the
offensive line can't do, and they're able to do things.
And then you also throw the Weaver's in as well they're able
to do things that create problems that are almost
impossible to solve for these individual quarterbacks that I
use got whoever it is. And so, I worry for you know, I
do I kind of asked the question like what are they planning on
doing with their quarterback situation?
Because if you're going to abandon Connor, basil, lack now
and that's fine. If you feel like basil, lack is
not the long-term solution, then you should make a change.
But I keep coming back to this thing that we've talked about
over and over again, Scott, which is, how can you judge how
a player at the quarterback position is faring right now
with no offensive line and no reliable.
Receivers that's a real issue. I mean yesterday, Dexter
Williams had to, you know, there's no camper he's out for
the year. There's no DJ Matthews.
Like, you know, he threw of the nine passes.
He completed forward to AJ Barner and then nobody else had
more than one catch. Yes, I can.
Listen, Kobe won. Cash. 49 yards, Malik.
I hope Bennett at one catch Donovan.
McCulley welcome back. Donovan.
Had one catch and it was a nice. Nice catch.
It was that touchdown throw the that made it.
Whatever it was at that point like 4914 or 42-14 and then
Jalen Lucas had one catch. I don't know how you judge, how
good or how bad these quarterbacks are.
And I don't really understand the criteria being used to play
them or not play them because you're right.
It's like you've watched this. And whether whether basil Act
was actually injured, which I still think is pretty dubious
because See, no evidence of it. And as you said last week, he
was good enough to go in this game, but then you only play him
for a couple of series. And we heard on the broadcast,
Joel Klatt, talking about how Tom Allen was expecting to see
Dexter Williams in the game and was looking forward to it.
So it's like so you just you you through basil like out there
knowing you were just going to pull him.
It does feel like if I'm Connor basil a guy I'm like I'm not
getting the very fair Shake here and if I'm Dexter will ya from
Dexter Williams? I'm like Well I look at how
basil acts being treated right now and I realized that that's
what's awaiting me down the line because there doesn't seem to be
any plan without this team uses its reporter.
Be any any future transfer to? Here's a great question like
let's assume Bay's lack is healthy for next week and let's
assume I've not seen a full report on Tuttle but let's just
tuttle's out and totals out. He broke his collarbone.
That's what I figure. But let's let's just pretend
he's he's also he'd be hell. Alright, here's the Ship.
I would love to just like, can you put down the Indiana depth
chart at quarterback? Like, can you rank it one
through five? Like, with this hat, it's
funnier of titles in there because it's like eight but
like, honestly, I don't like who's starting next week against
Michigan State, who's like it's probably Williams than Bay's
lack and then sores me off the third.
But like it this is not, it's wild that we're at a point where
like I'm not and I'm way to watch way too much.
I you football. It's like it's wild that I'm
not. Sure I fully know what our
quarterback depth chart is you know what's Wild to me when you
look at this year. The leading passer for IU in
every you know, they list these out on ESPN.
There have been three games now where the leading passer for
Indiana has not Eclipse, 200 yards, passing there have been.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of the
ten games where the leading rusher has not Eclipse, 80
yards. And in fact, it even put it,
it's like really rush back. Ineligible about what I'm going
to read. I want to read the Indiana lead.
Rusher totals for the season. All right, 28 1, 55 65, 70, 9:30
9:45 3231 4446, and Dexter Williams was the leading rusher
for. I you yesterday, with that 46
and this season Indiana has only had two games where their
leading receiver had 100 or more yards, cam camper at 156 against
Illinois and he had and 26 against Cincinnati.
Wow, it's just bad. The the offense is just a
disaster but somehow the defense is worse this year and there's,
I don't know. I mean your point is well-taken,
though. Like trying to figure out where
the Indiana quarterback situation is right now, trying
to figure out what the Indiana running back situation is right
now is it's just an absolute mess.
And and yet it all goes back to the offensive line and its
inability to Either pass block or run block, consistently, and
to some degree. It gives these very skewed
statistical profiles where it's like, I don't know if Dexter
Williams was actually, Better overall for the course of the
game because at the end of the day as much as I enjoyed that
first pass in that first drive, this was another game where he
like really was not very good. When you look at the statistics,
I mean 9421 in this game and you know didn't I don't think threw
an interception but he was 44 11 last game against Penn State and
had two interceptions in that one.
Like I love the athleticism and it certainly gives Indiana
something. To lean on when their offensive
line, inevitably breaks but I don't know that 64 19 for 107
yards and two touchdowns is really something that you can
sustain long-term at the quarterback position.
Now, will he get better? Probably will he get appreciably
better to the point where he can overcome the lack of blocking in
front of him? I mean, probably not, I mean,
you know, as much as experience matters.
It's that's a tough sled to try to become Passer and I just
worry about, we kind of saw this with Donovan McCulley last year
when McCulley comes in and you know it's like okay well
tuttle's injured and panics can't play anymore so we're
going to bring in McCully and McCully is going to be the
answer at quarterback. I think that was the plan.
And yet, when you know, you go back and look at at mcculley's
Stats there, eerily similar to what we've seen so far out of
Dexter Williams. I mean McCullough, Why he came
in on the Ohio, State game last year, was 146, he played against
Maryland, I think he started that game. 14 425 for 242 yards
and two touchdowns. Then the next week, he played
against Maryland, was 10 for 24 for 88 yards.
The following week, he was 74, 20 against Rutgers for 98 yards.
And then the following week, he was 3 for 7 against Minnesota
for 17 yards. And I think that was the game
that Led to that, that famous press conference, where, you
know, Alan starts going off about what we have to, like, you
know, call plays where we're going to move the ball down the
field or something like that. And it's like, yeah, we know.
That was also around the time. They started bringing Grant
gravel in because and again I keep coming back to this, like
there was tape on David McCullough after a couple of
games and it's like, oh here's what he can't do.
And hey, shockingly defense is keyed on that and suddenly
Donovan McCully with with the statistical profile, that looks
very similar to deck. Sarah Williams right now, you
know, went from being the future at the IU quarterback position
to not even playing quarterback. So just let's party.
I dunno, I guess my point is, my point is just pump the brakes
everybody because I who knows with this, with this team,
what's gonna happen? But I'm looking forward to next
year with, you know, Dexter Williams back as safety, Connor
base, lack of tight end, like it's gonna be a great seat.
If it's just like an Etch-a-Sketch team hears, I'm
gonna go big picture, let me wrap this up.
I was listening to your pregame, by the way, yeoman's job, 30
minutes on an IU pregame show. Really like that's high level
when we get inducted into the podcasting Hall of Fame.
I think we might put that as part of your tape and it's like,
you know, that a lot of years, a lot of tough times, a lot of
people thought I couldn't do a pre game but you know, you did a
great stuff but you you laid out your, by the way, I want.
I want that Excel sheet. IU football is sad like send
that said that Google Docs. I'll send it along.
Don't worry you of all people would appreciate it.
Yeah. But you're laying out all of the
years and I'm sitting there as I'm listening to it.
Thinking this is not the best analogy but it's something I've
thought about that, you know, I work from home.
Me and my kids come home from you, the off school bus and then
a lot of times they, you know, they'll ask me if we can do
something. I'm coming out.
No, I got a little more work. I got to do and I'll do that for
two or three days. Then it's like, I'll kind of
glow like, like I need to say yes and play with them or else
like, at some point. I'm just going to like my life
is going to go by and it's going to be me just working in my
office and not playing with him and then I'll kind of stopped
and again not a great analogy but it's it's not good.
Like you know, when you're in the micro it's like yes, this
Ohio State team is better than this Indiana team.
There's no And they should win. So it's like, we chalk it all up
as a loss. It's kind of like, well, that's
what you expect. But if you string together too
many years in a row of just like we, there's no way we could beat
them this year. It's like what we can do, what
we could beat them next year. And then, like next thing, you
know, your life goes by, and you've never beaten, Ohio State
and to your point. This is Ohio, State is a very
good team, they don't lose a ton, but people are able to
scout them and they're able to get it done.
And it really is an indictment on the athletic department, the
Football program, like everybody because this this goes over, you
know, Generations over a DS over coaches that, you know, we can't
get it done. And then it's gotten to the
point where now it's not even like, you know, damn, we came
really close against Michigan State.
Like, you know, maybe next year, we can get him.
Like everybody goes into the season, just automatically
chalking up, Ohio State as a loss and then it happens and
then there's a loss. And then there's the post game
is Caillou. I'm reading the post game and
it's kind of like, you know, hey, we didn't like what he It
would be like, if you do a fourth grade team, played the
Pacers, it's like, well what do you expect?
Like, this is not a fair fight and to me, like that's the
bigger problem is. So now we're just going to go
through my life for 30 years and just that, you know, things are
going to fly off the calendar. First every year, it's not going
to be there and just, you know, I know that in 2020 we beat
Michigan, we beat Penn State. That was an outlier, but I would
say the majority of the time we start every season 0 and 3
because we're just we're going to lose the mission.
We lose the Penn State we do. If we start every year 0 and 1
and that's just not a place that you can be running a football
program and even the the schools that are not great like Michigan
state. They're not scared of Michigan.
The hell they beat Michigan almost every other year.
You know, you look at Purdue might win the Big Ten West which
is just baffling. But you know AB I don't think
they think we're going to beat Ohio state every year, but I
don't think they go into the season thinking that's a loss.
Like that's just an act. There's nothing they will look.
Their losses to Ohio State, and or Michigan, which they don't
play as often because they're in the effing big, ten west, but
they look at those as they're not scared of Wisconsin, the way
we are of Ohio State. It's just, it's a bad place that
we've let this program get to and it's, it's like at some
point. We got to start saying, like
this is the year, we can beat Ohio State and then we need to
hold people accountable. Like it's got to be done at some
point and yes, there's there's years where they're better and
we're not good and that's fine. But hey this wasn't you know
couple years Ago. We weren't looking at this as
like, this is the year we're going to suck.
It's not like we're rebuilding a program so I don't know, it's,
it's frustrating. I know I didn't give the best
analogy but, you know, it's fine.
I get it. That's the point that I take
from. It is like you just you can't
every year be like, well, they're better and we're not as
good. And it's like, that's just, you
know, what do you expect? It's like, well, some point.
Well, I expect to beat Ohio State.
I am with you. I will say at this point, I'm
not sure if Indiana could beat Ohio.
Let alone, Ohio State. I mean, that I would let,
unfortunately, I think that mentality and I'm with you, and
I, that actually, when I created that spreadsheet was like, 2018
and I was like, gosh, you know, why are we still so far away
from even looking like, you know, Indiana's got a shot at
Ohio State. And unfortunately, with the last
almost two years have done is basically, hit the reset button
on all that to the point where it's like got to figure out how
to beat Purdue got to figure out how to beat Northwestern.
Not. I mean it's they've the bar has
been lowered. So much at this point over these
last two years that it's going to take.
Again, several years to build it back up again and that's the
unfortunate reality. We're going to wrap up here
because we've already gone longer than we thought one last
thing. I'll mention, we've been keeping
an eye on Pro Football. Focus is college section and I
want to note Indiana, despite having three wins has now
dropped. All the way to 128 out of 131
teams. In graded performance, the only
teams Below them are Walt Bells. Old team UMass is 129th New
Mexico. 130th, Colorado, 131st northwestern's 126th still two
spots ahead. I feel like we were robbed from
maybe the best worst game in college football history because
there is no Northwestern Indiana matchup this year but now
Indiana the numbers bear out how bad they've been this year and I
actually think it's being under sold.
Bad for the better. Yes, Pro Football Focus should.
Like, you know, there should be like after 120.
It's just go. Straight pass/fail.
Like yours, you fail, like, we're not crazy like we're done.
Like you, you don't get to be graded like you all just fail.
It was, it was a systematic. It was act.
It's interesting like as much as we looked at Dexter Williams and
said, hey, that looks pretty good.
That was among the the worst passing performance is over all
that we've seen. Now, a lot of that was just Ohio
State being very Good. But again, it's where as much as
I like the promise of Dexter Williams from and athleticism
perspective, I just want to everybody pump the brakes
because I feel like we've seen this movie already a couple of
times in the Tom Allen era. Anyway, I will, I will end with
this, I promise. We'll be a minute.
Like there's nothing nothing in the stats.
Nothing? What I've seen that says this
any of this can happen, but like this is my plea to IU football.
You have two more games remaining while Michigan State
and Purdue or both going to be going to bowls.
They both had points in the season where they look like hot
garbage, they turned it around and one game they probably
shouldn't have. This is might like it doesn't
have to end this way. Neither of these games are games
where you can say, like the bridge is too far.
Michigan, state is a beatable team.
I don't think we're going to beat him produce a beautiful
team. I don't think we're gonna beat
him, but it's like, if you, if I you football, if you want to do
something, if you want to get people engaged, you want people
somewhat interested for next year in the offseason like Do
something when one of these games, he'll keep one of these
games really close and make it a nail-biter at the end.
Like, there's no reason why you can't do that.
You, you cannot you can do, they're going to do whatever
they're going to do and they're probably going to lose out.
But it's like don't have another season where you just throw in
the towel and kind of just get your ass beat on the way out
like stand-up do something and like, if if we're tired of
calling for Alan's head and changes like then like show that
you can turn this around against to kind of me.
Joker, Big Ten opponents. Yeah.
I mean it's not impossible. Like I don't think it's going to
happen. I'm not saying it's going to but
this is this is where the rubber could theoretically hit the
road. You might like, if they were to
win one of these last two games, it would change change the
season still sucked but at least it's like there's a glimmer
there of hope. It's like, maybe there's
something where it's like, maybe he's going to be able to turn
this around. I mean, look, I mean that, that
Purdue team if you go back to the Florida, Atlantic Game,
they're five and two in that time, period, but they've won
those five games by two points. 10 points, two points, 6 points
and seven points, and these are not top level teams.
We're talking about, Florida, Atlantic, Minnesota, Maryland,
Nebraska, and Illinois. Those are the five wins.
They also have a 24:3 loss to Iowa, whose offense has been
dead for 10 years and they have a loss to Wisconsin on the road,
which Now, that's a little more understandable.
But that's, it was Constantine. That doesn't look particularly
great this year. So, no, that's not a bridge too
far. Michigan, state is not a bridge
too far. If Indiana plays with, you know,
if they can put together a game plan, if they could put together
some blocking, I don't see it happening.
And I think for Michigan State in particular, I mean, they've
got to go to Penn State in the last game of the season.
Their bowl eligibility. Largely rides on the game next
week against Indiana. I have a real Hard time seeing
Indiana Waltzing into Spartan Stadium and figuring out how to
win a game. When you can't beat Nebraska on
the road, you're probably not going to beat Michigan State on
the road. Even a Michigan State team that
is in the going on a thousand different directions.
None of them particularly great this here anyway, that'll wrap
it up for us on this. We'll be back with our preview
of that Michigan State game coming up at the end of the
week, so be sure to tune in. Then Scott is always a pleasure
will Be back next Sunday together to talk about that game
and I guess see how things look for Indiana heading into the
bucket game. Thanks Allan field apparel.
Thanks to our friends. At the back home network will
catch you folks on the flip side.
Bring back the Bison. So long everybody.