1 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,320 You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home 2 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:19,760 Field Apparel. Welcome back to Crimson Cascade 3 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,680 and Clavio Scott Caulfield joining you. 4 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,960 It is. Well, it's being recorded on 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,160 Monday, the 16th of December. I don't know when you're 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:28,960 listening to it. This might come out Wednesday 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,840 morning. I think we've got a like a 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,080 string of podcasts coming out here over the course of the next 9 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,040 couple of days. You probably already heard the 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:39,720 preview with Taylor and we're gonna have a couple other cool 11 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,560 guests coming up here before the end of the week. 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,080 But Scott and I wanted to get together and talk about the game 13 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,400 before the game happened. Indiana, of course, taking on 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:51,320 Notre Dame, it's. So much I feel like we have to 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,360 talk before this. Game no, we do no question. 16 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,920 I'm excited about it, you know, excited to talk with you about 17 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,600 it. It's it's one of those things 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,480 though, where it's just kind of like I, I'm a little worried 19 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,360 'cause, you know, we don't normally do preview podcasts and 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,160 and now we're doing one, but this the cause is sufficient 21 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,960 here in Indiana for the first time in a College Football 22 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,200 Playoff game, and this is an order of magnitude greater than 23 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,520 anything we've seen in Indiana football team participate in in 24 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,400 our lifetimes. So it's exciting and Scott it 25 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,400 you know, the, the standout thing is just a ton of people 26 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,680 appear to be going from Indiana, including you, including me. 27 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,120 We're going to be up there. It's going to be I think, just 28 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,440 an amazing array of IU fans from all over the state of Indiana. 29 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,920 I've got people coming in from outside the state of Indiana. 30 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,320 This is the target. South Bend, I don't think will 31 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:48,120 have seen this type of an invasion quite this way with 32 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:49,840 with, you know, this type of a game. 33 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,120 Certainly they've had teams come in from outside. 34 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,400 Georgia's been up there, Ohio State's been up there, but it's 35 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,320 a little different here because A, it's a College Football 36 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,680 Playoff game and B, it's an in state game. 37 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,520 And and they're like, that is a really fascinating script to 38 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,120 think about all the way around. It, it feels similar to a little 39 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,880 bit like going to the UCLA game, like a lot of people I knew 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:11,680 like, Oh, I'm going to that or I know someone going to that. 41 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:13,920 But, but I'm with you. There's an order of magnitude 42 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,120 here where we were going to have some friends over and then it's 43 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,720 like they're like, we're actually going to the game. 44 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,720 We got tickets to the game. And then like we normally sit 45 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,000 with our friends, Jeff and Carol and like Jeff was like, I got 46 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 tickets to the game. And then I have AI have a great 47 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,440 friend who happened to get his hands on 4 tickets and he was 48 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,920 like, I, I can't go. I'd love for you to have two. 49 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,400 And what's funny is leading up to it, I, I coached, as you've 50 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,200 heard of, coached my son in, in rec league basketball and we 51 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,160 hadn't won. We won last week, which really 52 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:39,680 helped. But I was I was kind of only, 53 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:41,200 hey, look, I couldn't get tickets. 54 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:42,840 It's like I just got to be there for my son. 55 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,080 I can't imagine missing his first game, like, you know, 56 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,240 missing his first win. That would be off. 57 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:47,400 Like, I couldn't live with myself. 58 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,720 And then my buddy calls, like, I have two tickets. 59 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,360 I'm like, great. All right, sorry, James. 60 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,680 Can't make a game. Like all of that went out the 61 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:54,800 window. It's like, well, I could. 62 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,720 I could be a 98% good dad. I'm going to the game. 63 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,120 My wife has taken off work early. 64 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,680 We are busting out. Yeah, I'm with you. 65 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,000 It feels like everyone I know is going to the game and they 66 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,440 obviously we're not taking over Notre Dame Stadium. 67 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,360 But you know that even the UCLA thing, that was a a high 68 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,400 proportion of fans. And I'll say you and I were at 69 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,560 the Gator Bowl. There was a lot of IU fans even 70 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,000 compared to Tennessee, which Tennessee is a blue blood. 71 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,160 So it's I I expect to see a pretty good showing in South 72 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,960 end. I just want to note like my 73 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:28,040 parents never came to my youth sports games like I I and I I 74 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,760 turned out fine. I still like sports like I I 75 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,120 don't feel like I lost a lot. I think all of you who are like 76 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,200 oh I couldn't possibly because my 4th graders basketball team 77 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,800 is playing like they'll be fine. Like seriously, send the 78 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,520 grandparents. I know, I know. 79 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:43,360 Well, we're, we're, I was coaching. 80 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,200 But yes, yeah, every, everyone, everything's fine. 81 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,360 I think it'd be right. If if Division One coaches can 82 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,400 can get suspended and miss games and their teams can continue to 83 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,480 operate, I think you're you'll be fine that. 84 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,240 I should have had a kid spying on other games and just taking a 85 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:57,720 board. Ball where it's like I was in a 86 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:59,400 hotel room. I just couldn't make it to the 87 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:00,040 game. Sorry. 88 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:01,480 Yeah. Just like, you know, just write 89 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,000 like, insulting letters to whoever's organizing the league. 90 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,920 Get yourself suspended today sprung your Scott free like, you 91 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,640 know, two weeks of like, you know, wearing the khakis and 92 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,880 standing on the sideline. Yeah, with the yeah anyway. 93 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,080 All right, anyway, before we get started, just a reminder we're 94 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,160 brought to you by Home Field apparel. 95 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,760 Your place to go for the finest in college fashions, the softest 96 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,800 fabrics, the coolest designs. If you want to outfit yourself 97 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:26,760 Indiana fans in CFP apparel that features Indiana, you got to go 98 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,040 to Home Field apparel. They've got a whole line up. 99 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,120 They've got everything from long sleeves and T-shirts, retro 90s 100 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,040 looks. They've got more modern, like 101 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,200 the the black with the logo on it and everything. 102 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,280 They've got a nice red hoodie with the IU helmet on it. 103 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:43,720 That's CFP. I, I think I ordered like two or 104 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:45,960 three of those things, Scott, like, I mean, what a collector's 105 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:47,280 item. It's it's not like this 106 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,720 particular matchup or Indiana being in the playoff for the 107 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:51,320 first time is ever going to happen again. 108 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,160 The Indiana will be in the playoff again, but they won't be 109 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,560 in the playoff for the first time ever again. 110 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,000 So get over to home field apparel.com. 111 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,520 Use the code home 23. Get 15% off your first order. 112 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,920 Subscribe to the home field newsletter. 113 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,240 If you had, you could have done what I did when I ordered, which 114 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,920 was get the 30% off deal the day that it was happening. 115 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,640 And you know, that's that's what you get with the newsletter from 116 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,280 Home Field apparel. Follow them on social media, on 117 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:20,040 X on Instagram. They do a great job over there. 118 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,360 Again, Home field apparel.com, proud sponsor of the back home 119 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,040 network. Also just a reminder, 120 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,880 crimsoncast.substack.com, your place to go for in your e-mail 121 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,480 inbox updates on podcasts that we do, we send those out. 122 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,480 We also have some VIP videos that we'll send out to 123 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,520 subscribers. It's $5.00 a month, $50 a year. 124 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,800 Helps keep the lights on here and maybe pays for a ring light 125 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,040 for Scott at some point. Is that is that in the future at 126 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,400 all? I mean, yes, I could probably 127 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,760 work it's yeah, I might need to get a little more lighting here. 128 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,400 It's it's. You're kind of in the at night, 129 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:52,960 you're kind of in the shadows. I get a little. 130 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,320 I'm worried that I have like windows facing out that normally 131 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:56,760 get a little more natural light. Yeah. 132 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,680 I'm concerned the audience will be frightened if they see you on 133 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,240 YouTube. That's that's my biggest concern 134 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:02,280 here. I just want to make sure that we 135 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,760 take care of business. Maybe maybe less, less, less, 136 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:06,480 less, less. Scott is probably a better 137 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,000 thing. Possibly, possibly. 138 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,240 But no. Anyway, head over to the 139 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,640 Substack. Join the over 1100 folks that 140 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,040 have subscribed to us on Substack. 141 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,120 We'd love to have you in the family. 142 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,200 All right, Scott, let's talk about this matchup more 143 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,280 generally as we get into things. Indiana at Notre Dame, 8:00 PM, 144 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,360 ABC first College Football Playoff game of the season. 145 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:32,560 And, you know, there was so much talk and back and forth, does 146 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,480 Indiana belong? Like, where do they belong? 147 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,480 They were clearly in. We talked about this after the 148 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,040 Michigan game. Like one of the reasons why that 149 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:41,240 was such a relief was it's like, OK, they're in the playoffs. 150 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,680 Like they unless they lose to Purdue, which seemed unlikely 151 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,720 and and as it turned out, was very unlikely. 152 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,800 Even if they lost to Ohio State, they were going to be in. 153 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,600 And, you know, there were some anxious moments there as 154 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,520 everybody kept trying to say, well, no, Indiana doesn't 155 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:55,800 belong. Well, they clearly belong. 156 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,960 They were not the last team in by any means. 157 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:04,240 And to take on Notre Dame of all teams to start this playoff 158 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,480 journey, it's, it's really fascinating and I'm starting to 159 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,200 see some interesting articles about it. 160 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,640 There was a good article in the Herald Times about the, the fact 161 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,400 that these teams don't have a rivalry. 162 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:15,960 They, they don't really have much of A history. 163 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,800 Most of the history is way, way back, like pre World War 2. 164 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,560 It's 2 fan bases that are very alike in a lot of ways. 165 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,120 Not so much the people that went to Notre Dame, but as we know, 166 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,240 that's not a lot of the Notre Dame fan base because Notre Dame 167 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,080 was so successful. And it's like when you talk 168 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,320 about reversible jacket fans, which has been talked about a 169 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,360 lot this week, it's really like people who affiliate with 170 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,680 schools because they're very successful as Indiana basketball 171 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:47,120 was in the 70s and 80s and 90s. But the people are pretty much 172 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:49,360 the same, you know? And this is, I think this is 173 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,960 something we talked about a little bit with Taylor, but I 174 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:53,160 want to talk about more with you. 175 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,960 The number of people who traditionally root for Notre 176 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,920 Dame in football and are now kind of confronted with this 177 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,200 interesting choice where it's like, well, I went to Indiana or 178 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,200 I really like Indiana. And now Indiana's good and 179 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,520 they're playing Notre Dame. And Indiana's kind of the 180 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,480 underdog story here. Like they're the team that no 181 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:11,920 one thought was supposed to be here. 182 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,600 They're they're not Notre Dame. They don't carry themselves with 183 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:20,320 this aura of invincibility. And that has made Indiana, I 184 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,880 think, maybe more of a sentimental choice amongst some 185 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,640 people, though there's still a ton of people who are, you know, 186 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,720 the big Notre Dame football fans are going to remain that way. 187 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,320 Certainly understand that. But I do think it's interesting, 188 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,640 like this match up, the way that it's going down makes for a 189 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,240 fascinating dichotomy in terms of how people look. 190 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,559 At themselves if they're in anywhere in Indiana and they've, 191 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,559 you know, had any kind of flirtations with these programs 192 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,000 or these athletic departments before. 193 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,680 What I wonder for people who are not in Indiana is is how many 194 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:51,080 like people in you know, South Carolina or something do they 195 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,360 realize this is an in state match up? 196 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,520 Like I think for some people Notre Dame is just kind of it is 197 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,640 like Notre Dame just exists in this other plane where where 198 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:01,680 it's like this is in South Bend, it's in Indiana. 199 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:05,200 These are two Indiana schools. I'm, I'm sure some people will 200 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:06,320 TuneIn from other parts of the country. 201 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,080 It's like, I didn't know that. That's interesting. 202 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,760 No, you, you are right. The, the fan bases probably have 203 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,600 more in common than they, they like to think about. 204 00:09:16,680 --> 00:09:19,320 You know, I, I, I'm going to take a step back. 205 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,160 I, what I think, you know, people should do for the next 206 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,760 couple of days is just enjoy this moment because we, we kind 207 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,000 of got so worked up in the, you know, do we belong? 208 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:30,800 Do we need to be there all the CFP thing? 209 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:32,960 And you kind of, you know, you took the, the, the bows and 210 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:37,200 arrows from the SEC folks. You know, this is the moment you 211 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,160 just never get, I keep on saying this, you never get to go up the 212 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,720 mountain twice. So we might be here again. 213 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:43,240 We might be in another College Football Playoff. 214 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,400 It'll never be this. And it just feels so perfect 215 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,640 that we're playing Notre Dame. Like it's just, it is almost 216 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,600 like the ultimate. It's a great match up for us. 217 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,760 But it's just like it is one of the premier schools in college 218 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,080 football. But it's, it's close. 219 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,600 It's it's touchable. And while there is no 220 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,520 connection, there's not a ton of connection. 221 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,320 Like there's some and and versus. 222 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,440 Like if we were playing Alabama, it would just be like, no idea. 223 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:10,320 Different. We're playing. 224 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,880 We're playing a team from another country, essentially, 225 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:14,640 yes. We're playing Uruguay or 226 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:19,120 something, so, you know, but I, I, I was thinking about, you 227 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,640 know, we've both been trying to kind of put into words how just 228 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,400 surreal all of is, but I'm just, I really want to try and enjoy 229 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,320 and we're talking about kids. This is an odd, odd relation, 230 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:29,680 you know, odd thing I'm thinking, but it's like, you 231 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:31,960 know, I, I think back to those first couple weeks when we 232 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,560 brought our son home for the first time and it's like those 233 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:37,200 were crazy times. But it in a, in a way, it's like 234 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,280 I kind of wish I could go back. You can never go back to that 235 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,720 moment again. And just the, the wonder of 236 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:42,920 that. And that's kind of where I feel 237 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,560 like this week is for me. It's just the God. 238 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:48,080 We're about to play a College Football Playoff game on Friday, 239 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,320 and I want to just enjoy all the moments because after it's done, 240 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:53,480 it'll be done. And and if we win, that's 241 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:54,680 awesome. But it's like you're moving on 242 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:55,920 and suddenly the stakes get raised. 243 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,280 If it's over, it's over. And this ride gets to an end. 244 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,240 Like you're talking to Mitchell on the last pot. 245 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,040 It's like, I don't quite know what I'm going to do for the 246 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:04,440 next nine months without football. 247 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,800 So sorry. Just taking a step back on that. 248 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,360 Just kind of like we should all just enjoy this moment because 249 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,600 we will really never be here again. 250 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,720 And it's like I'm wearing the sweatshirt from the the Rose 251 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,680 Bowl team and it's so funny. I would be at IU and I would 252 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:22,600 think about, man, what would it be like to have gone to IU when 253 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,360 they went to the Rose Bowl? Or like what would it have been 254 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,480 like to be there in 7576 where you had back-to-back teams that 255 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,200 lost one game? And like that was God, It's like 256 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,760 we we, we knew about the history of it. 257 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,840 And like you, you could touch like, oh, that's Bob Knight. 258 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,720 Like there's Quinn Buckner, like those are people who are on that 259 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:38,760 team. There's Kent Benson. 260 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,400 But like I, you just read about what it was like. 261 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:45,240 It's so crazy to think that 50-60, seventy years from now, 262 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,440 like we're going to be so many metaphors here, like we're going 263 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,440 to be the Hickory poster on the wall that the kids shooting 264 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,440 baskets at like from the movie Hoosiers. 265 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,040 But we're living it right now. And it's just that's that's the 266 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,480 part of having a really hard time wrapping my mind around is 267 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,600 like right now, we are living in a a moment in 50 or 60 years 268 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:03,960 that people will be looking back on. 269 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,480 And McMahon, what was that like to to live through and like what 270 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,880 we're doing it? Yeah, it really is fascinating 271 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,920 to think through that aspect and we've talked about it a little 272 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,240 bit in previous episodes, but it's like we're not really well 273 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,240 equipped as human beings to think about how momentous things 274 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,640 are in that space, in that temporal space that you're 275 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,000 experiencing them, which is, you know, I think I was probably 276 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:30,840 supposed to be like, you never realize you're living in 277 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,720 revolutionary times and until the revolutions already stopped 278 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,200 to some degree. And and yet here it's I think 279 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:38,880 it's been the coolest part of all of this. 280 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,680 And, and especially this last week and 1/2, as I was reflected 281 00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:45,320 on the bit I've been putting together, like some Instagram 282 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,320 reels that kind of I go back and look at the pictures and the 283 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,760 videos that I took from the various games and reliving 284 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,880 internally what that felt like and what this whole ride has 285 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,120 been like. And you know, it's I think you 286 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,000 can be like Kurt Signetti says IU is and say we're not 287 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,960 satisfied. Like we feel like we've got more 288 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,280 to go. And I think you can feel that 289 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,560 way as fans. And I think, you know, I think 290 00:13:09,560 --> 00:13:11,960 you can feel really good about Indiana's chances statistically 291 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,560 in this game. I, I think Indiana matches up 292 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,400 pretty well with Notre Dame in a bunch of ways. 293 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,280 But you can feel that way and still take a step back and 294 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:26,440 acknowledge the, the momentous nature of what IU is looking at 295 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,640 as they move forward here into this game. 296 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,760 And, and I think really the fact that it's Notre Dame you're 297 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,440 playing, as you mentioned at the beginning of that factors in 298 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,240 even more. It's because it's, it's like the 299 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:42,680 one big school in the Midwest that you never play. 300 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,240 You know, it, it'd be different if you were playing Ohio State. 301 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:46,560 It'd be different if you were playing Michigan. 302 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:48,280 It'd be different if you were playing Penn State. 303 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,200 But it's Notre Dame and I, I don't know about you. 304 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,080 And, and maybe this is different for folks in the audience. 305 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,160 You know, I, I've, I came of age like right at the tail end of 306 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:05,640 when Notre Dame was like a legitimate superpower. 307 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,520 Obviously I remember like the 93 season when, you know, they were 308 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,240 going back and forth that, you know, obviously a couple years 309 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:14,840 earlier they won that national title. 310 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:19,680 But you know, you you start to get into the mid 90s and a lot 311 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:24,160 of the luster of Notre Dame as a invincible brand that they built 312 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,840 up for decades kind of went away. 313 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,560 And I enjoyed that a little bit in as much as I was really 314 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:32,360 tired. I remember I wasn't really a 315 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,520 huge college football fan until about 1990, but I was surrounded 316 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,400 by a bunch of people who were Notre Dame fans, and they were 317 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,280 just as obnoxious about it as Indiana basketball fans were 318 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,400 during that time. And I did enjoy to some degree, 319 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,720 you know, in a, in a schadenfreude a sort of way, 320 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,160 watching Notre Dame struggle the way not quite as bad as Indiana 321 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,720 had struggled, but it was like they always seem to regress 322 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,560 back. They hired the wrong coaches. 323 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,440 They did a bunch of stuff that felt like that's what mortal 324 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,360 problems did or mortal programs did, not Notre Dame, But still, 325 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,160 you know, they went to a national championship game. 326 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,640 You know, they, they kind of regained their mojo under Brian 327 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,520 Kelly. They they did a lot of things 328 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,000 right. And here they are once again in 329 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000 the College Football playoffs. They've got a really good coach 330 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,680 and Marcus Freeman. And and yet, you know, it's like 331 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,960 for Indiana, it, it feels like another rite of passage. 332 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,680 You know, getting, getting into the College Football Playoff is 333 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,280 a rite of passage in and of itself. 334 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,560 It's kind of means, you know, you're going to be in that club 335 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:29,840 and that's a really exclusive club. 336 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,920 It'll be come slightly less exclusive, but it's still a 337 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,760 pretty exclusive club as we move forward. 338 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,840 But then to play Notre Dame where I, you know, it's like 339 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,960 there's not that much enmity between Notre Dame and Indiana. 340 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,080 It's not there's not a lot of bad blood because there's been 341 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,080 no blood spills, which which gives us an almost, you know, 342 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:50,120 it's an in state thing. It South Bend, despite having 343 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,720 Notre Dame in it, probably has more IU grads in it than Notre 344 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:55,920 Dame grads. That whole region. 345 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:57,800 And you take Chicago, which probably, you know, you have 346 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,040 more IU fans there. Then you have Notre Dame alums, 347 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,480 probably, probably more Notre Dame fans, I would guess. 348 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,160 But it just makes for this really fascinating mix where 349 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,200 it's like, I don't hate Notre Dame. 350 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,400 I, I, I resented their place in college football to some degree 351 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,680 because it always felt like they they held themselves above the 352 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,800 state a bit. But I understand why because 353 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,640 they are certainly a national brand in a way that most of the 354 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,040 other teams in the Midwest are not. 355 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,240 But it just, the whole thing is just kind of an odd confluence 356 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,600 that it's happening in the College Football Playoff, you 357 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,400 know, the same year that Indiana kind of finally arrives on the 358 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,000 national stage in college football. 359 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,600 I don't know if I summarized all of that, but that's a lot of the 360 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,600 threads that I've got running through my head on this thing. 361 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,800 Yeah, I've, I've, I'm with a lot of that. 362 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:43,320 I mean, I was, we're almost the same age, like a year apart. 363 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,920 You know, I, I, I think the movie Rudy has done more for 364 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,520 Notre Dame than almost anything 'cause that was that, that was a 365 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,920 pivotal time, 'cause Notre Dame had kind of slipped off. 366 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,640 And then, you know, I was also getting I remember the Lou Holtz 367 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,040 team in well, the 88 that won. But when that movie came out, I 368 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:00,040 was like, oh, wow, Notre Dame's got a lot of history. 369 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:01,280 People really care about this school. 370 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,960 That kind of isn't that good. And then, you know, but he's 371 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:05,760 like, you also have something similar with like, again, 372 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,240 Indiana, like Hoosiers wasn't about IU, but it definitely was, 373 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,920 you know, like Hoosiers kind of gets connected with the Indiana 374 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,880 basketball at large and kind of like coach Dale is a 375 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,400 representation of coach Knight. Like, but but and they both kind 376 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,680 of fell off in the 90s and Notre Dame football kind of found a 377 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,400 way back. Indiana basketball didn't. 378 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,960 But no, I'm, I'm, I'm it, it's like the perfect team to play. 379 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,640 I'd rather probably be playing Arizona State, but it wouldn't 380 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,120 have the same gravitas of like, we're going into Notre Dame. 381 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,360 We're playing a night game. Like it's not a lot of night. 382 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:38,280 Like, you know, there's, there's the fame of like, you know, Matt 383 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,240 Lyard getting the push when he's playing for USC in the night 384 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:45,160 game against Notre Dame. Like there's you have an iconic 385 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,120 moment in a night game in Notre Dame Stadium. 386 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:50,440 It becomes an iconic college football moment. 387 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,480 And and that's like, that is what is at the feet here of this 388 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,920 Indiana team. And it's it's really cool. 389 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:02,200 And what I also really like is, you know, it's we're still 390 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:03,680 getting you. You're still listening to stuff 391 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,080 where, you know, you still get the people like, oh man, you 392 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,160 know, Alabama, like they should be in over SMU. 393 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:09,520 Like hell, they should be in over Indiana. 394 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:13,000 Like you're still getting like arrows from people out there. 395 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,080 You know, you play this game tough and you win this. 396 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,040 Like it just all that goes away. And not that it matters. 397 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,240 And if you don't win, it's not in the world, but. 398 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,200 I don't, I don't think they go away. 399 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,400 I think immediately becomes, oh, Notre Dame must have been 400 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,080 fraudulent, which is that's the, that's been the script that 401 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,000 Indiana's dealt with all season. Indiana was going to face good 402 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,080 teams. They're going to beat them. 403 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,400 And then they beat the crap out of those teams and those teams 404 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,000 suddenly weren't good anymore. That's exactly what will happen 405 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,080 with Notre Dame if Indiana goes. Title. 406 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,600 It's like this 12 team format was wrong. 407 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:43,120 Like it was wrong, wrong champion. 408 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:45,760 We got to go to an 18 team format, like we'll put an 409 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,640 asterisk on that. On that title, it's. 410 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,480 I I hear you, but I do think national, like that's how you 411 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,200 shut up the narrative of, you know, you just you go out there 412 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,080 and win, but it's that what I to me is like, that's what's again, 413 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,600 I take a step back and you don't have to win, but I'm just saying 414 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,080 that's what I think it's so cool here is unlike some of these 415 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,280 other matchups, even a game at Tennessee, it's like guys, 416 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:09,960 that'd be cool, like that'd be fun. 417 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,960 There's really something very special about Notre Dame and, 418 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,040 and it is a cut above and it can be annoying, but it's like they 419 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:20,400 are something different in college football and night games 420 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,200 there. The helmets like you do 421 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,840 something special there. It can be a big moment. 422 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:28,280 And it's really cool that Indiana has that at their feet 423 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,320 and it's not, you know, when we played there in 91, I, I 424 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,600 vaguely, I mean, I was kind of into football. 425 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,240 I vaguely remember. It's not like we thought we had 426 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,560 a real chance to win. This feels like we have a real 427 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,040 chance to win and you're playing for some unbelievable stakes. 428 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,920 It's the it's the first game of the college football play off. 429 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,080 Right. You know, so as we think about 430 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:50,960 the, I guess some of the items that you want to consider going 431 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,160 into this game, you know, we're not going to talk a whole lot 432 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,080 about XS and OS in this one per SE. 433 00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:00,400 But you know, a lot of it is this is another big moment for 434 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:05,800 Indiana and and it's a moment that Indiana has to essentially 435 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,240 raise the bar. Of what you could expect out of 436 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,840 them. And, and I, you know, as much as 437 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,200 we defended Indiana's schedule and you know, you can only beat 438 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,880 the teams that you you have on the schedule. 439 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:18,760 And Indiana did that really well. 440 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:22,520 It's a fair criticism to say that Indiana really didn't get 441 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,280 tested that much. Now it is interesting like 442 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,040 Indiana actually played four Rd. games this year. 443 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,640 Notre Dame only played three. Yes, they played some neutral 444 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:33,320 side games, but you know when when one of those Rd. games is 445 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,280 against what, Purdue? I think they yeah, they one of 446 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:38,520 the road games was against Purdue. 447 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,440 It's like they really played two Rd. games this year. 448 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,640 But but all that said, when you hear all this this talk about 449 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,040 like, you know, strength of schedule and like Indiana gets 450 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,520 pulled and always like do Notre Dame, please, like somebody 451 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,160 please do Notre Dame because like they yes, maybe we don't 452 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,040 match up to like our strength of schedule is as great as 453 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:54,960 Alabama's. But like do Notre Dame like 454 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,840 Notre Dame seems to just kind of float above this because Oh 455 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,200 well, they're good. Like, they're Notre Dame and 456 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:00,760 it's like. Are they? 457 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,200 Yeah, I know. But, you know, but so much of it 458 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,600 really does come down to, you know, in college football, 459 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:11,800 especially the the where you're playing and and overcoming the 460 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,720 environment is such a huge aspect of what you have to do. 461 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,720 And this is it's not as big of a stadium as Ohio Stadium or the 462 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:23,720 Big House or or Beaver Stadium, but it's Notre Dame Stadium and 463 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,440 it's one of the more iconic venues in in the entirety of 464 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,680 college football in terms of just the imagery around it and, 465 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,200 and what it's meant and how much success that there's been there. 466 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,920 And, you know, for Indiana, you know, you, you've, you've got to 467 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,920 be impressed with the mentality that they've had throughout most 468 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,440 of the season in terms of not letting that stuff trip them up. 469 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,320 You know, even at Ohio Stadium, it wasn't so much the the moment 470 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,160 that overcame them as much as it was the rain and the crowd 471 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,000 noise, neither of which I think they're going to have to deal 472 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,000 with in this game. But but that emotional aspect of 473 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,440 we are in this game and we're going to have to do XY and Z and 474 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,920 there's a lot of pressure on us. I am interested, you know, how 475 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,080 much does that affect Indiana directly? 476 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,200 There was a comment from Fred Glass. 477 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,280 I don't know if you saw the comment from Fred Glass, but 478 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,800 essentially, you know, if Fred, Fred's enjoyed unworking some of 479 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,760 these things on people since he retired. 480 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:17,280 I give him credit for it. But he was like, all the 481 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,040 pressure's on Notre Dame, you know, because Notre Dame's got 482 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,760 AI mean they're expected to win there. 483 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,960 There are a few people that have picked Indiana to win in this 484 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,520 game. I don't think anybody's 485 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,000 expecting Indiana to win this game. 486 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,440 Now, that can be a positive or negative. 487 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,200 Notre Dame is certainly expecting to win this game. 488 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,080 How does Indiana deal with having to come into that 489 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,240 environment and perform? And can they do so in a way 490 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,920 where they keep their nerve and are are not bothered by the 491 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:47,840 surroundings and the things that they're dealing with in the 492 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,200 game? Is is an interesting question to 493 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,080 me. I was thinking about this. 494 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,080 I have a couple things I want to highlight from your podcast with 495 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:55,760 Mitchell Page, which was really, really good. 496 00:22:56,120 --> 00:22:58,480 But one of the things you talked about was this, this idea of, 497 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:00,520 you know, there's all of this hoopla around the game. 498 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:01,840 You know, game day is going to be there. 499 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,120 And it got me thinking, it's like, this is wild to say. 500 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:06,240 It's like, well, but if you're IU, it's like, well, it's our 501 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:07,520 third. This is the third time we'll be 502 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,360 in a game day game. Like like that's wild to think. 503 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:13,120 Like normally that's like a that would be like, Oh my God, like 504 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:15,920 it's game day, like game day is going to be there like Kirk St. 505 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:17,160 like that's going to throw the guys. 506 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:18,920 Now. It's like, Oh, this is the third 507 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:20,760 time. Like we we're used to game day 508 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,160 like big noon kick off like the the amount of times like yes, 509 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,960 you you had the one game at Ohio State, but the other way to look 510 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,240 at it is there was a lot of build up before the Nebraska 511 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:33,920 game. I mean you, you had big noon 512 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,760 kick off. That was a a week, a bye week of 513 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,880 just kind of this team like, Oh my God, you're 6 and O like this 514 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,920 is really something like can they really do it? 515 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,800 You got to play a real team that that would have been a moment. 516 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,920 You could have easily stubbed your toe as a team. 517 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:48,680 Then you have the Washington game. 518 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,600 You're coming off of that same week, even more hype game day is 519 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,320 there. It's you know, you're you have a 520 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,520 backup quarterback playing a game that is a very easy spot 521 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,720 where the the hype could have been too much and it wasn't 522 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,760 there. Even the Michigan game, you 523 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,560 know, that's like, all right, this is the real test. 524 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,640 This is the bar you got to clear, because that's at least 525 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,600 what we thought. We didn't realize the bar would 526 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,680 they we didn't realize they would all suck after we play 527 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,040 them. But you know, that was a game 528 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,000 that you you came out and you played really well and you 529 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,360 started well you and again, even the Ohio State game, it wasn't a 530 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:22,960 win. I, I really bristle to side 531 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,280 note, hearing people talk about like, oh, you know, Indiana got 532 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:27,640 blown out of Ohio State. Like we did not get blown out 533 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,360 like Purdue got blown out when we played them, like we lost in 534 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:33,320 Ohio State. It wasn't awesome. 535 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,360 I wouldn't say we got blown out, but you know, you come out 536 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:38,720 there, it's not like we were scared. 537 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 We, we went up 7 nothing. We held them on a goal line 538 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,520 stand like we, we came out and had a very good start against 539 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:47,360 Ohio State. We didn't look like we weren't 540 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:50,800 ready to go. We made some mistakes and as you 541 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,480 said, a lot of it might have been snap count and just some of 542 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,840 the noise and the weather. But every other time this 543 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,640 season, even the Ohio State game for the beginning of it, when 544 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,000 that moment got magnified and the light really got bright on 545 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,120 this team, This team is delivered. 546 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,280 And and that's what makes me very excited about this is, you 547 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,160 know, there really isn't a moment again, outside of I think 548 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:17,960 there's a couple ways you can look at the Ohio State game. 549 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,600 I I tend to look at it as like, if you have a couple of those 550 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,440 mistakes taken off the board, it's probably a much different 551 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,480 game or at least a much closer game. 552 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,840 All that said, you know, most of the time when you've had these 553 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,640 moments come up and you have all the attention and like suddenly 554 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,640 everyone's talking about Indiana, they've responded. 555 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,720 And a lot of times they've responded big. 556 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,000 Yeah, no, it's true. I mean, it's one of those where 557 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,880 you can kind of talk yourself into whatever narrative you 558 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,480 want. And and I, I struggle back for 559 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:49,000 and back and forth with that. Like I talked about it on the 560 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,240 podcast with Taylor. If they don't drop the punt and 561 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,560 it's a tie game going into half, like how different does the 562 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,400 second-half look? Maybe it doesn't look different 563 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:57,880 at all. Maybe Indiana loses by the same 564 00:25:57,880 --> 00:25:59,280 amount. Maybe Indiana's in the game a 565 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,440 lot longer. That game felt like it spiraled 566 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,680 out of control, but there's a non zero chance that Indiana was 567 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,200 just an inferior team. And you know, that's that 568 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:10,960 becomes the big question mark with Notre Dame. 569 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,400 It's like the hallmark. These these two teams have 570 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,680 different things that make them good. 571 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,240 Notre Dame is is a legitimately talented football team. 572 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,720 You know, they're probably not as talented as your average SEC 573 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:22,960 team. They're probably not as talented 574 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,840 as Ohio State, but they're a really talented football team 575 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,680 and they're well coached and they've they've been very, very 576 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,840 good at grinding their opponents into dust. 577 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,360 Indiana has been good for different reasons. 578 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:38,400 Indiana's Got Talent, but not the same caliber of athletic 579 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,440 talent that Notre Dame's got. Their, their effectiveness has 580 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,880 been in their efficiency and in their game planning and in their 581 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,280 ability to be very, very relentless and just kind of 582 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,280 gradually do the same thing that Notre Dame did in a lot of their 583 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:54,840 games. It's just that I think you can 584 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,280 make the argument down the stretch, Indiana played tougher 585 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,200 competition than Notre Dame did. Like Indiana had to play 586 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,160 Michigan and Ohio State. You know, Notre Dame didn't play 587 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:08,400 anybody close to that caliber. And you know, Army is not in 588 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:10,240 that caliber. I'm sorry, Navy is not in that 589 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,280 caliber. You know, the, the, the one, you 590 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,480 know, kind of potentially impressive and they weren't that 591 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:17,720 impressive, all things considered. 592 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,760 Power Five team that Notre Dame played down the stretch was AUSC 593 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,480 team that went six and six. And you know, that game was a 7 594 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:29,000 point game with USC on the goal line before they threw a 99 yard 595 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,160 pick 6. So that's that's a really 596 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:33,560 fascinating thing to think about. 597 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,760 As far as I'm concerned, it's like the, you know, Indiana is 598 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,040 not going to out talent Notre Dame, but they could out execute 599 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,560 Notre Dame. It's at Notre Dame. 600 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,600 And I think Notre Dame, you know, they're, they get the 601 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,880 credit and the the benefit of the doubt in playing at home. 602 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:52,720 But you look at the statistics, you look at the the way that 603 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:59,120 Indiana has played over the bulk of the season and you can make 604 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:02,520 an argument that Indiana has a lot of things going for them. 605 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,560 And then it wouldn't be a surprise if they won. 606 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,960 That is not something you would say out of a team that doesn't 607 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:09,920 belong in the playoff. And, and I think that that's 608 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:11,800 going to be interesting. And, and whether or not Indiana 609 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,320 pulls it off, I think it's fascinating that if you look at 610 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,920 the statistical profiles, they're very they're even with 611 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,040 each other. It's very much strength on 612 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,720 strength. As Taylor said in his podcast 613 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,720 with me, there's a lot there to be really interested in. 614 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,520 Yeah, I mean, that's in one of Taylor's previews, the bite 615 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,840 sized bison that that's what I took away is it's really going 616 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,360 to be strength on strength that, you know, Indiana is really 617 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,640 their defensive, their defense against the rush is one of the 618 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,560 best in the country and Notre Dame gets the majority of their 619 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,360 offense with the rush. So so you have a lot of these 620 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,760 two, you know, 2 pieces coming together and, and how's how's 621 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,760 that going to play out? And it's it's really going to be 622 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,560 interesting. You know, I think I, I think the 623 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,720 question is going to be the the other lingering question for me 624 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:02,120 is how I thought Curtis Rourke threw the ball a lot better 625 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,960 against Purdue than I had seen him throwing it against Ohio 626 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,920 State and Michigan. I'm not saying I'm actually 627 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,080 talking about the the spiral, the way the ball looked out of 628 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:10,920 his hand. Obviously the things were wide 629 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,640 open against Purdue, but even in some of the games, you know, 630 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,600 against Michigan and Ohio State, when he when guys, even Michigan 631 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,520 State a little bit, when people were open, the ball had a little 632 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,200 bit of a flood. You could tell, you know, maybe 633 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,920 the thumb injury like that. That's kind of my question is 634 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,520 how healthy is Rourke's thumb and then how much did the 635 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:33,000 offense get right with Purdue or how much of that was just Purdue 636 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,360 being a complete garbage of a team? 637 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:40,120 And, you know, are Ohio State and Michigan going to be able to 638 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,720 muck up our offense as much? I'm sorry, is Notre Dame going 639 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,720 to muck up our offense as much as as as much as Michigan, Ohio 640 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,920 State did? Because that's really, that 641 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,240 really seems to be how you stop this Indiana team or really slow 642 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,080 it down is as we've said all season. 643 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,720 To me, the power of this team is when we get to play, recite the 644 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:03,000 drive where the the offense just starts to put the screws to the 645 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,440 entire team, where it's like we're going to score, we're 646 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,480 going to score, we're going forward on 4th, we're going to 647 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:10,040 kick a field goal. Like we are getting points every 648 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,120 time we touch the ball. What are you going to do? 649 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,720 And that puts a lot of teams in positions where they're doing 650 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,000 things they don't want to do. And then Indiana capitalizes on 651 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,040 it. Michigan and Ohio, sorry, 652 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,880 Michigan and Ohio State, we're able to kind of slow that down. 653 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:26,840 And Michigan, especially in the second-half, stop that. 654 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,880 And when that doesn't happen, our defense is still really 655 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,080 good. But it it, it becomes a much 656 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,280 different type of team. That's what I'm curious to see. 657 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,520 Can Indiana continue that pressure that the offense is 658 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,080 putting out there by scoring and can they get the offense kind of 659 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,880 mojo back that they had pre Michigan? 660 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,000 Yeah, it's, it's a, it's an open question and you know, I think 661 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:50,680 you, you brought up a lot of good points there. 662 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,880 I mean, you know, Rourke it, it isn't just his yards have been 663 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,640 down, but his completion percentage has been down. 664 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:01,280 You know, you, you go back and look pre injury, 76% against 665 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,240 Northwestern, 81% in that first half against Nebraska and then 666 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:09,280 65% against Michigan State, 60% against Michigan, 44% against 667 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,360 Ohio State back up to 74% completion percentage against 668 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,560 Purdue. Now again, Purdue not nearly as 669 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:19,320 good as Notre Dame defensively. But I think you bring up like 670 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,880 the last thing we'll say here, which is a continuation of what 671 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,920 I was talking about with Taylor, which is that both of these 672 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,200 teams are used to kind of being a freight train on offense and, 673 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:32,880 and scoring a lot of points. And yet I think it's both teams 674 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,680 defenses that ultimately are going to be the key in in a lot 675 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,160 of ways. Because you know, for Indiana, 676 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,480 it's like you've got a stymie Notre Dame's rushing attack. 677 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,200 And if you can do that, you're going to make it hard for Notre 678 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,040 Dame to move the ball down the field. 679 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:50,280 If you're Notre Dame, like can you 'cause as you said, the same 680 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:53,200 level of problems versus Indiana's offensive line that 681 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,320 Ohio State and Michigan did? Because if you do that, Indiana 682 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,440 hasn't shown an ability to pivot in the passing game. 683 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,760 They haven't shown a commitment to the run that would allow them 684 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:06,160 to avoid some of those pitfalls. So that's really my thing. 685 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:10,440 It's like if you can, as, as we said with Taylor, one of the 686 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:15,360 great things about this matchup is not the not just that it's an 687 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,120 in state matchup, not just that it's College Football Playoff 688 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,720 with all of that on the line. But you can look at the stats 689 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,240 and the numbers and you can draw whatever conclusion you want to 690 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,400 draw in terms of what the narrative's going to be and and 691 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,800 who's got the chance of being the most successful in the game. 692 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,760 If you want to say Notre Dame's been a wagon on offense and 693 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:36,560 they're going to run over Indiana, I I see the evidence to 694 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,560 support that. If you want to say Indiana's 695 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,720 passing games back on track, they're going to throw for six 696 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,360 touchdowns in this game. They're gonna they're gonna put 697 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,840 Notre Dame on their heels. There's evidence for that as 698 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,320 well. That's that's really gonna be a 699 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:49,880 fascinating thing. And the, and the great thing, 700 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,480 Scott, is we don't really know until the game actually gets 701 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,400 underway what we're going to see out of both of these teams. 702 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,920 That's that's probably my favorite aspect of it is it is 703 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,160 absolutely like it's a present that you haven't unwrapped yet. 704 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,200 I have no idea what's in the box at this point. 705 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,200 Yeah. And, and I also think there, you 706 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:11,560 know, it'd be better to be at home, obviously, but but of all 707 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,440 the teams we had to play, this is probably the going to be the 708 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,680 least hostile environment again of all the other options that 709 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,560 are on the table. And you know, there is something 710 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:24,160 to be said that if you can, you know, it's it's College Football 711 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,120 Playoff, it's a bigger game. You know, if you can come in and 712 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:29,800 get a lead, same thing against Ohio State. 713 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,160 You know, you come in and get a lead, it, it can get tense and, 714 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,520 and there really is going to be pressure on. 715 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,600 I'm I'm with Fred Glass like there, there's more pressure on 716 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:40,640 Notre Dame to get this done than Indiana. 717 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,640 And and so I think that, you know, if you can get after that, 718 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,360 that that start and you can hold it a little bit longer than you 719 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,480 did against Ohio State and not make those mistakes and continue 720 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,800 to keep the pressure. It's going to be really 721 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,360 interesting to see what that crowd could be like. 722 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:57,600 You know, again, you go down 14 nothing, it's a different story. 723 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,760 But I, I, I think there's a world where if you can keep the 724 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:02,920 pressure on Notre Dame. You know, it does feel like 725 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,240 they, they theoretically have more to lose here. 726 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,840 Yeah, theoretically. But look, but at the end of the 727 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,800 day, they're also going in, I think, expecting to win the 728 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,800 game. And I certainly understand why. 729 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,440 It'll be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to seeing 730 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:17,360 it. I'm looking forward to seeing 731 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,080 all the IU fans up in South Bend. 732 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,600 It's just it's it should be a party for the next couple of 733 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,040 days, like Thursday and Friday. I'm really looking forward to 734 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:26,800 that. I I have one last thing for you, 735 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:28,440 something that that you and Mitchell Page talked about a 736 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:29,840 little bit. He said something that, that 737 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,199 really made me think, because I, I've been thinking, I was going 738 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:34,840 to ask you like, you know, this, this has got to be the most 739 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,840 important game we've ever played at IU. 740 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:40,320 And, and his, his point on the pod was that we've already 741 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,280 played the most important game, which I, I like, I like that 742 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,800 thought process. And I think I, I would probably 743 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,679 rephrase the adjectives a little bit like I, I think maybe it is 744 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:52,960 true. We've played the most important, 745 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,440 some of the most important games this season to get us to this 746 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,920 point. I, I do think that this, this 747 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,240 future, the gaming of snooterday might be the most impactful or 748 00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:03,840 maybe has the most potential upside for us. 749 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,000 I mean, it's obviously a huge game. 750 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,960 It, it probably is the most important game if we win. 751 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:10,920 I don't know. I just, I, I'm, there's not 752 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,400 really a great question for you in that. 753 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,480 I just, I thought it was an interesting way to look at it, 754 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:18,520 but it does feel like there is, you know, we, we knew it before 755 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:20,640 the Michigan game. Like this is, this is a game 756 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,960 that you step on this, you are in a different threshold of a 757 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,080 university. We are really here now, man. 758 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,840 Like, I mean, this is something I just, I want to play in the 759 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,440 space with you for two minutes. Because if, if you win this 760 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,280 game, if Curtis Rourke has a great game, that there's, 761 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:39,880 there's some really cool stuff that you, you just, you take 762 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,960 another step as a program in a season where you've already 763 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,440 taken more steps than I think anybody thought. 764 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,480 What was, I mean, we are in the fever dream territory. 765 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,000 The idea of winning a game in the College Football Playoff, 766 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,000 Going to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on what? 767 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,360 Is it, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day? 768 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,960 New. Day I mean it's you know, and 769 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,160 and then yes, people could say Notre Dame was overrated, but 770 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:03,960 it's like you can be like suck it like for everyone who thought 771 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,520 we didn't sort of be here, like suck it, suck on it. 772 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:10,400 We're in the second round. We got a puncher's chance to get 773 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,440 to the semi final of this thing like it is. 774 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:17,880 It's really wild, wild to think. It is, No, I mean, it is. 775 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,840 Look, as far as whether it's the biggest game, whatever, I mean, 776 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,880 I, I guess it just depends on your interpretation. 777 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,000 It's kind of like, you know, Most Valuable Player versus 778 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,040 player of the year or whatever you want to call it. 779 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:33,640 You know, it's I, I look at it like, of course, the College 780 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,040 Football Playoff game that you play in is the most important 781 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:37,640 game that you've played up to that point. 782 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:40,040 And, and there's no question what Mitchell was trying to say, 783 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:41,960 and I understood where he was coming from with the idea. 784 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,960 Well, look, the Michigan game was probably more impactful 785 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,720 because it got it got us here. Or you could say the Nebraska 786 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:50,280 game was more impactful because it packed the stadium in a 787 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,680 really fun environment. I mean, there's arguments to be 788 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,200 made for all of those, but in the way that we traditionally 789 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,040 understand how these games operate, this is the most 790 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:00,880 important game Indiana's ever played. 791 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,440 I think it's more important than the Rose Bowl in in a lot of 792 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:08,480 ways that they played in 1968 because you know you, you would 793 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,360 have teams that would rise up, They'd go to a bowl game that 794 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,520 they weren't supposed to go to. They'd have an amazing season. 795 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:14,800 They'd sink back into the background. 796 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,080 That's essentially what Indiana did. 797 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,920 It's a different game now. Like football, college football, 798 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,360 you have to be able to put something on the table when 799 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,480 you're talking to recruits, when you're talking to coaches, when 800 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,400 you're talking like when you're when you're trying to position 801 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:31,200 yourself within the landscape of college football. 802 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:36,280 For all of what we heard all of last summer and all of the 803 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,960 previous summer about, oh, Indiana's going to get relegated 804 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:40,400 out of the Big 10. Remember that talk? 805 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:42,080 Everybody was like, Oh yeah, Indiana's going to get kicked 806 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:43,920 out of the Big 10. You're next. 807 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:47,680 It's like, no, But you know, that was when Indiana was not 808 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:49,680 very good at football. And it was easy to say that. 809 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,480 And and yeah, you know, the win against Michigan that got 810 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,680 Indiana into the College Football Playoff was probably 811 00:37:55,680 --> 00:38:00,040 more impactful in terms of like, you know, that that finished off 812 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,800 or got ready to finish off what was an amazing home season. 813 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,920 But to be in the College Football Playoff, to play that 814 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,280 game, to be this national spotlight game on a Friday night 815 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:13,280 against Notre Dame at Notre Dame, that to me, with the 816 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:16,920 implications and the chance to go to the quarterfinals and and 817 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,920 push yourself even further up the perceptional ladder of 818 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,200 college football, to be able to shut up all of the haters who 819 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,400 were like, why you didn't belong there in the 1st place. 820 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:29,520 To me, there's a tremendous amount on the line in this game, 821 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:32,360 above and beyond just even the competition aspects. 822 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:36,680 And that's not to take away from the quality of the wins before 823 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:38,920 or what they might have meant to the building of the program. 824 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,920 But to me there's there's no contest like this is the most 825 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:43,400 important game Indiana's ever played. 826 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:45,240 I, I agree. And, and again, I, I brought 827 00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:48,720 this up on one earlier pod. I I think the timing of it also 828 00:38:48,720 --> 00:38:52,760 really plays well for Indiana that if they win and if, if they 829 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,280 win in like a a really cool fast, even if they just if they 830 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,080 win, we are the story of the weekend. 831 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:00,800 Like I just it becomes going into Saturday morning. 832 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:02,280 It's like, Oh my God, this is fun. 833 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:03,680 Like remember that game last night? 834 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:07,720 Like in all halftime shows of all the games on Saturday, they 835 00:39:07,720 --> 00:39:09,920 are showing all the highlights of Indiana winning. 836 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,760 If Indiana wins it, it becomes the Cinderella story of the 837 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,560 first weekend. Like we own the first weekend of 838 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,320 the College Football Playoff. Because even if something 839 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,480 happens wild in the second game, it's like you're in the on that 840 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,240 Saturday, you will have had just Indiana highlights all Friday 841 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:28,320 night. Like it's it is you are the 842 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,040 marquee game. Like it's just it is all you and 843 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:35,280 you're going to have a basically an 18 hour run of build up game 844 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:37,760 and then highlights of nothing but this game. 845 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,600 Yeah, a lot on the line and a lot to a lot to come here over 846 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,760 the next couple of days as we get ready for this contest. 847 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:46,600 But I don't even know how to get. 848 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,240 I. Did for a game I I don't 849 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:52,360 remember when. Honestly, no one knows how to 850 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:55,040 get ready for this, so just do what you do. 851 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:58,240 What comes natural is my message to you and all the IU fans out 852 00:39:58,240 --> 00:39:59,240 there. That is certainly what I'm 853 00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:01,520 planning on doing here over the next few days. 854 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,400 So anyway, that'll wrap it up for us. 855 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,960 Enjoy it. Well, you, you enjoy it as well. 856 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,120 And we'll see you up there. Absolutely. 857 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:11,840 And oh, we'll see you folks up there as well. 858 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:13,720 We'll go ahead and wrap up this show. 859 00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:15,640 We got other shows coming up later on this week, so be sure 860 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,680 to tune in for those and we'll be up there. 861 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:24,320 Join us at Social Cantina in Mishawaka at noon on Friday. 862 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:26,240 I'll be there. I don't think Scott's going to 863 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,160 be able to make it up, but you'll find Scott somewhere in 864 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,520 the crowd, I promise. Just keep an eye out for him. 865 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:32,960 We're in home field. There we go. 866 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:36,000 All right, my thanks to all you folks. 867 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:37,600 My thanks to Home Field, our presenting sponsor. 868 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:40,200 We'll be back later on in the week with more podcasts as 869 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,040 Indiana gets ready to take on Notre Dame in the CFP First 870 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:48,680 round up at Notre Dame Stadium. And we'll be back one way or 871 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,400 another with a recap of all of what happened, probably that 872 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,280 following Saturday or Sunday. We'll see what happens. 873 00:40:53,280 --> 00:40:55,640 Anyway, I'm Galen, this is Crimson cast. 874 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,320 We'll catch you folks. On the flip side, bring back the 875 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:58,000 Bison. Stay. 876 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:59,480 Never daunted. So long, everybody.