You're listening to the back home network presented by home
field. Apparel, welcome back to Crimson
Cask ale enquiry. Oh Scott Coville joining you
once again. It is the 18th of September,
we're through week 3 of the college football.
All season and Indiana's 3 & 0, they knock off Western Kentucky
in overtime Yesterday by a score of 33 to 30.
We're going to talk about all of that.
And what we thought about it, as it's another one of those games
that I think likely is, it could fit into whatever narrative
you'd like to construct about IU.
This is, as we mentioned, I think earlier, this feels like
the ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure, novel, in terms of
trying to interpret how the seasons.
Again, how the teams doing so will try to dive into that, a
little bit as we go along. First of all Scott, how are you
doing? Good to see you again.
I'm doing great. I'm sorry, frog in my throat
doing great. Yeah, we are now headed into an
interesting period of time. I think with IU, and we're going
to talk about that. We're going to talk about, you
know, how to evaluate some of the things that happened in the
game. Yesterday, we're also going to
talk about some former IU players and what they've been up
to To lately or at least one in particular as that became a big
story last night as well at least in the twittersphere.
But first just a reminder that the podcast known as Crimson
cast is a part of the network known as the back home network
and the presenting sponsor, the back home network is home-field
apparel. Your place to go for the best
and softest apparel. Featuring vintage designs from
all over the college sports landscape, as well as some Pro
Sports. I saw a lot of Filled out there
yesterday, and always, always see a lot of other stuff going
on field in the union. Now, I don't know if anybody was
aware of that, but they've actually got home field for sale
in the new Follett bookstore at the.
I am you, which is exciting and well deserved.
And hopefully for those of you people who don't use the
internet, maybe this will give you an opportunity to actually
go purchase some home-field, apparel stuff.
They keep releasing new and cool designs and content.
They had some Virginia stuff up last week.
Don't use the internet like that's a very small subset of
people your marketing to today. Let me, let me broaden.
It people who don't use the internet to buy things.
Still a very small subset. Do you say that you say that?
And yet I talked with people all the time who are shocked about
the about home-field, apparel existing, or about us existing?
Sometimes I wonder if we exist Scott because I think for a lot
of people we only exist on the internet and those people don't
use the internet, you know, it's so Let's say, you know, there's
a football exist maybe here is a God people who only use the
internet for basic things. It's like, but it's kind of
like, you know, stuff happens on Twitter or on message boards and
it seems like the biggest deal in the world and they go ask a
person on the street about that same thing and they have either
a very moderate opinions on what it is or they haven't heard of
it in the first place. So I understand your confusion
over my confusion, but it feels like there's this weird Ripple
in time where people don't use the internet very much despite
us being on the internet. All the time.
And that's what that's why I was excited for homos.
And yes, go ahead was home is folded to home field because
with the way the home field quickly, releases stuff, I'm
expecting next week. Am I real or do I exist, t-shirt
line like a new drop of do I exist?
Am I just on the internet T-shirts because home feel is
always turning stuff around quickly, that would be the new
don't tweet it kreutz, t-shirt. I think that's that seems like
the next evolution of things, but now I'm excited that home
field apparel is available in the Indiana Memorial Union,
because I think a lot of parents who Here on parents weekend, got
a chance to see some of the cool I you designs.
They've got designs from all over the map.
You should check it out. Go to home field apparel.com use
the code home 15 percent off your first order that's
home-field apparel.com presenting sponsor the back home
network. All right Scott, let's talk IU
the Hoosiers. Pull off a victory yesterday in
a game that they were favored in by Vegas.
And that the analytics thought that they would lose, and as it
turned out, both parties were wrong because if you bet I you
You - six or six and a half or whatever it was, you lost in
this game. But if you trusted the
analytics, you also lost. And we talked about this a bit
going into the game. This idea that we really didn't
know how good Western Kentucky was, but they looked good.
If you look at the way they play it against pretty bad
competition. I, you had not looked impressive
against Illinois and against Idaho, they had won both of
those games. And so, you wondered, well,
would I use like Superior Talent level or slightly?
Superior opponent ranking, I guess if you put everything in
aggregate, would that carry the day and it kind of fell into the
latter category, I guess. But this really felt like a game
where Western Kentucky controlled most of it and
Indiana. Just after that early score that
they had really struggled to exert any kind of Will on the
game. They really struggled to get
things going. Indiana took the three.
Nothing lead. What with about six minutes gone
in the first half and then Western Kentucky scored right
before. Sorry, the first quarter Western
Kentucky scores right before the end of the first quarter.
And from there essentially, Indiana played catch up the
entire time did not lead until they kicked the game-winning
field goal again. In overtime, didn't even have it
tied until they scored, you know, at the tail end of their,
you know, and managed to get The score 2:30 2:30.
So Scott I want to hear from you first.
I guess. Like, what was your overall
reaction to the game? And how Indiana played?
And you know, how the process I guess led to the outcome.
It's tough. I mean, it's very tough after a
game like this. I a couple of high-level
thoughts, you know, I these were the kinds of games where, you
know, I sometimes look over the student section and they're
just, you know, I remember being a student you're just like,
Like, do we win, or did we lose if we won were great and we lost
her happy. And there's, there's times where
I'm like, why can't why do I have to be the way that I am now
where it's like we can have winds that I'm unhappy about
like a lot of things that bug me and like it is just nicer to be
like hey we're 3 and 0. Like who cares, who the
opponents are? Who cares how we got there?
Like we are 3 & 0 and there is something to be said for that.
I also had this thought of, you know this is a bit of a
reflection again of just what a disaster last season.
That we've already won more games.
We want a Big, Ten game we shouldn't do last year, but
then, you know, this is also the weird Quirk of us basically
playing the exact same non conference.
Like this is basically the drive against Illinois is what hinges
the difference right now between this season and last season's,
because if we had lost that Illinois game, it's like,
alright, what we did everything we did.
Last year, we were two and one of this point I'm into all kinds
of counterfactual is here. We are two in one, then it would
be like are we did everything, you know, we did last year.
But what else is new, but that win against Illinois, really
does kind of Loom large now because it's different, you have
more wins than last year. You're the Big 10 win, it's
huge. There's a I don't want to get
into it yet but there are a lot of things that were concerning
that happened yesterday, whether it be, play on the offense, play
on the defense coaching decisions, the way the game
played out, but, you know, the Ender and I felt the same way
against Idaho. As we talked about, I felt the
same way against Illinois but in the And, you know, this is,
It's, you know, you got to go to the coach speak stuff, but like
this is a results-based business and in the end, the only thing
that matters is wins and losses in the final score in Indiana's
three. You know, if they pulled this
out, I do really wonder if they're going to be able to
continue to do that as things start to get a little bit harder
on the opponent's side that said, you know, it's funny.
We talked about this on the basketballs podcast at the
schedule podcast a little bit. It's so hard to project these
things. Cuz when you start looking at
the schedule, it's like all right.
Well, we still don't quite know what we're going to get at
Cincinnati but like the at Nebraska game that may not be as
tough as we thought. You know, we will talk about
penix here in a second or in the later on.
But it's like, you know, washing just destroyed Michigan State.
I'm not sure we can do it washed indeed.
But it's like. All right.
Maybe Michigan State isn't a top 10 team, like Purdue completely
ganked up a game against Syracuse.
Like there is a world where maybe this this IU team just
kind of smoking mirrors its way to Six and six and we're like, I
don't there's still a lot of concerns that I have, but we're
going to Nashville. We're goes Detroit, like we're
going to a bowl game and maybe they just get there because
there are Parts, like, I still think, Michigan, Ohio, State
Penn State, like the, we're not going to fare well, against
those, but I, suddenly do see a path to maybe five or six wins.
Just based on opponents and based on this team having grit
and kind of getting things to happen at the right time.
But they're so I want to keep it positive on the front end but
there are a lot of things that I do want to talk about because
you my the way that I left this game at the very first was like,
I was so unhappy how we got there and then we won it was
almost like man, I wish I could just enjoy the ride a little
more, it was more of a relief and there's a million things
that I'm like these, none of this looks good.
Like I'm not sure how we're continuing to pull these games
out because all the things that concern me I'm seeing but it's
just not ending with the result. we're ending with the result
that I'm not sure we should be getting but we are getting it
and that is something Yeah, you know, I think there's a lot to
unpack there and all of it makes some sense.
It's a challenge, anytime you have a situation with a team
that's 3 and 0, but really hasn't played well and where the
competition level hasn't been that great to try to Divine.
Look at, what does that look like?
Moving ahead, you know, so it's like we break it down into two
categories. I think the first one is, all
right, how do how do you evaluate what occurred in that
game and I think this is where You know, we've had to do this
with all three games. It's like, well, you've won all
three good. You've come back in all three in
the fourth quarter and it's obviously in some cases earlier
than that. Not the fourth quarter in the
Idaho game, obviously, but they came back in the second half in
that one after trailing at halftime.
But you know, obviously, that's good and you don't want to see,
you know, an IU team quit or, you know, just basically click
the moments too big for them. So, you want to give proper
credit there. And look, I think there were
some individual things. From the previous couple of
games that did look better in this game, the running the Run
blocking was better you know Henderson and chivers combined
for about 120 total yards of rushing.
And between the two they would say they were averaging about
four and a half to five yards carry which is good.
I mean we've complained a lot about you backs, not being able
to average more than three and a half yards, a carry and so to be
at that number even against a team like Western Kentucky, I
think is a positive Two different receivers got involved
in this game. I think, you know Connor Basel
II through 33 passes and I think they finished completed like 12
different receivers, over the course of the game.
So you know, that's good in some ways but there was a line in,
you know, I think it was one of the stand up here acts pieces,
where it's like, well, you know, the passing game was prolific,
but it wasn't efficient. And that really did feel like
kind of an issue across the board with the offense for most
of the game where it's well, they were making some small
gains but it felt like Western Kentucky was able to make stops
a lot of times when they needed to until the end when it just
became Beyond them to do. So Indiana had to kick a lot of
field goals at times. When they would have 12
touchdowns, they didn't really do a whole lot in the Red Zone.
But again, as you said, you get down to the end and they find a
way to drive down the field and score in the final minute and
score a two-point conversion and and they figure out a way to
make a In overtime to keep Western Kentucky from scoring.
I mean, all of those things you can't simply look at the process
as I think several people in the fan base did and say this sucks,
this team is obviously not good. And regardless of whether they
won or lost, we have to be, we have to be concerned about how
badly they played in these different phases, but I also
don't think these people are entirely wrong because I think
if you look at the way that this team has played in total so far,
yes, they're pulling out out victories and I do and they
deserve credit for that. But I just I kind of have the
opposite feeling from what you espoused about.
Now, you see a path to five or six victories because I think
down the line, all those teams, you mentioned, yes.
Those teams, Lena Michigan State.
They ended up not getting blown out against Washington, but they
didn't play very well and they were down by a whole lot.
Very early, you know, produce certainly choke that game away
at Syracuse but, you know, even you know, teams like Maryland
and Rutgers. Is these teams when you grade
out how they've played have played better than Indiana.
And I would feel better about any of those teams right now in
terms of their long-term prospects for the season.
Then I do about Indiana because I just don't believe as the
difficulty level ratchets up that I use going to be able to
continue to pull these things out in the end because they're
going to quickly hit a moment where they essentially write a
check that they can't cash by not Executing more and earlier
in the game. Correct.
And by the way, I still see probably one more win.
Like I I'm not saying that I think now I'm Shane I'm not I'm
not completely changing my Outlook.
I got it's just it's got its got so nervous because he's already
hit his win total for the year. So yeah I guess the point.
Was it more that I see it? I see us getting sick so it's
just like where I never saw a path before I see a light at the
end. Of the tunnel.
We're like maybe this is just this team where you have those
Seasons worth. Like I don't really know how
they're doing it but they're doing it.
But your point is about to me the when I look at this game.
So yeah, I still see kind of see one win and I agree I think that
even though some of those teams like, you know, Purdue have
taken a step back from what we thought, maybe they were there,
still a higher class of opponent than what we, what we faced.
And, you know, I there's a lot of things but like, where I
think when the cop Petition ratchets up, things are going to
get tougher. Is I look at this, there was a
similar situation in the Illinois game, but you have a
situation in this game in the second quarter, so our second
half. Western.
Sorry, my kids are just wigging out in the background, the up in
a series. I apologize.
I'm hearing like, smoke is it? It's like, trust me.
I'm assuming everything is okay. Woke up to that in my house this
morning, I get it, don't worry. But you, you have as parents out
there, you have those noises. We Gather is playing having fun
and this was like a they're either really playing or
somebody severed, it are crazy. Crimson Crimson cast is the
official podcast of people who made the questionable decision
to have children. I'm now making the question from
the decision to continue podcast and not checking me check and
see what's going on and I hope either.
My wife is up for, but they didn't get the knives or one of
the kids if they are bleeding, would come to the door and knock
on it or not waffles will come. And anyway.
All right, we got this out. If we want to, or we can keep it
in, but there is a moment in the second half where Western
Kentucky, scores a touchdown. They go up 2413.
Indiana, immediately has a foreplay drive that they are
pure three-and-out. They punt.
And it did feel like that's when the It was kind of hanging over
Indiana and it is it does feel like that is where and then
Western Kentucky started making a drive like they drove into the
Red Zone and then we intercept you know we had interception it
did feel like had they scored on that drive.
That would have been the death blow and it felt like I can't I
can't go back and look at it. Now I felt like in Illinois, we
had a similar situation where we're kind of hanging in this,
this kind of danger zone where it's like we can't give up
another score and what's frustrating is in those moments
where it's like, all right, this is The game seems to be on the
line, you know, Western Kentucky scores, they're up 24:13, you
got to do something. It's like our response is a
three play Drive where we have to to kind of bad runs an
incomplete pass. Then we punt.
It's like that. That's not good enough when the
game feels like it's on the line and then we just start letting
Western Kentucky move down. Now, you know the counter is, we
did get interception, I was talking in the pregame about,
you know, we need our defense to make game-changing interceptions
and they Did. But there is a part where it's
like, do you have to get to the absolute edge of the cliff
before that happens because a lot of other teams that we play,
even maybe a lesser Purdue team than what we thought, or a
Michigan State team like Michigan State didn't look
lifeless against Washington. They just looked a little bit
outmanned, you know. It does feel like they are going
to when you get to that Cliff's Edge.
They're going to push you off. They're not going to make a
mistake and bring you back or let you make a pickoff.
And so that It feels like we are really Flirting With Disaster
and a lot of these games, even the Idaho game, you know?
Going down 10, nothing kind of playing of lice.
Lifeless, first half, you know, Idaho never really had that
ability to put the hammer down because they're Idaho look and
so. But anyway, so I mean making my
point. No.
I mean, and again, this is where there's a duality with this IU
team. That's really hard to get your
head wrapped around because on the one hand, look, that, that
moment you're talking about I think that you're talking about
towards the end of the third quarter, you know, Indiana, they
go down. 24:13. You know, was a good Tai Chi
squares with 737 left in the third quarter.
And, you know, as you said ìyou, they go for and out.
And then Western Kentucky drives all the way down.
They have a first and goal and fortunately for IU, they decide
to throw the ball for reasons. I still can't quite figure out
and they throw an interception. And from that point, you know, I
you managed to figure out a way to hold content.
Western Kentucky 23 total points.
And then score it was they at that point scored what 17 points
in the last 15 minutes basically because they end up scoring a
touchdown on that drive with 1451 left in the fourth quarter.
That was that Josh Henderson run from 19 yards and so you look at
that if you're like, wow that is a level of fight and come back
and focus. That I you really struggled to
show last year and you're like, you know, you salute them for
being able to do That, and so again, it's like you take the
micro and you look at that and you look at what they did, get
any get did against Illinois and you say, all right, these are
opponents with a pulse. These are teams that you can
look at. And you can say, well gosh, it
could go either way and I you manage to find out a way to win
at home. In both of them go on.
I just gonna say but teach your points like so they are kind of
lifeless they lock in. They have that period where they
hold Western Kentucky 23, they score some points.
But then what's really Frustrated with this team is
then it's like all right, we score the touchdown, we get the
two point conversion, we are all locked in and focused and then
we kick the ball out of bounds which must be just an Indiana,
football, Tang across professional and Collegiate
levels. And then we, let you know,
Western Kentucky have a 39, 39 yard drive at a drive.
They cannot get points or and, you know, they miss a field
goal, but it was more, I mean, maybe some pressure, they missed
a field goal but it's like they kind of dis locked in.
It's like when we really now we've The nut crunching time.
So, to speak is 30 30, we need to stop.
They don't do that. Then like they lock back in on
defense and over time and then maybe coaching decisions, it's
our ball. All we got to do is get a field
goal and it's like hey we're going to have a bad run loss of
for we're going to sack loss of words, like three horrible play
calls that have not worked, most of the game, but then we lock
back in on a green. Give it, although it's Charles
Campbell for just hitting them. Complete manly feel, but it's
like, that's the tough part where this team is.
Like, there's Points worth like, all right.
Now, we're now the trains rolling.
Now we're humming and then we just completely brain fart back
again and let him back it. Well.
And this is where when you look at analytics and you look at the
way the analytics, look at the way the teams play, it's where
in an individual game, you could see certain things happening
here and there where it doesn't match the total analytics
picture that's being drawn, but it will eventually catch up with
you unless You hit another gear that you just haven't shown.
And I say this like again, you know, we like to use the PFF
college ratings because there's a qualitative and a quantitative
element to it where they're actually watching the games and
Grading out the individual players.
And as a team right now at 3 & 0, Indiana is ranked 113th in
PFF College out of 131 teams and you have to go.
I think all the way up. The only, the next lowest
ranked. Unbeaten team, believe it or
not, is Penn State who's ranked 70th despite being three, you
know? And you know, with Penn State
there's a there's a pretty clear reason why they're ranked that
low. And it's because if you look at
the way that their defense has performed particularly in the
tackling Department, it just hasn't, it hasn't been
sufficient and with Indiana the you know, the clear.
Well the problem is, there's not one clear reason why Indiana
hasn't performed to expectations on the Analytics.
It's all over the board you know it's in the blocking, it's in
the tackling it's in special teams.
You see all of these things happening with IU where it's
just like man maybe they'll put it together here but then they
also got to put it together here and they also got to put it
together here and just to be clear you know in order to aim
is in the same boat in order Dame.
If you look at the same rankings is 103rd in overall rating,
according to PFF college, with a difference is Notre.
Dame's 1 and 2 and Indiana's. 3 & 0, so people look at Notre
Dame and they're like that teams got real problems.
And I mean, they look like at this weekend, they struggled at
home against Cal. Like, that's not a team, you
should be struggling at home against under any circumstances
if you're Notre Dame and they found a way to win that.
So bully for them, but they just haven't looked very good with
Indiana, it's harder because there are 3 and 0 and you're
like, well, they must be doing something right, but I don't
know if they're actually doing something right, Scott, you
know, they're doing just enough proper to be able to win the
games and I, Worried that we're going to get to a point very
quickly. Maybe starting as early as next
week, where that stops because now you're running into
opponents that are more talented, you're running into
opponents that are playing a lot better in All Phases of the game
and I have yet to see anything through this season so far, that
tells me that this IU team is going to be able to ratchet it
up to that level. I could be wrong.
But you know I was a bit ambivalent about what was going
to happen in the in this Western Kentucky game.
I'm much less ambivalent about what happens in that, Cincinnati
game because Cincinnati's like a legitimately good team and even
Nebraska, and this is where I think people have got to be
really cautious. Nebraska is obviously one in
three, they got beaten up, pretty badly by Oklahoma, but
overall, that Nebraska team is actually played fairly well in
their other games this year, they haven't won, they've lost
by one score, you know, that was the meme with Scott Frost and
it's been, you know, in Staying to watch them kind of play well.
And then lose in spite of themselves Indiana's, almost
doing the opposite where they're winning in spite of not playing
very well. I just worry about that being
able to continue. Yeah, I'm making and lets, you
know if you look at Indiana, I know you are making the
comparison but like, you know, Notre Dame is as based on Pro
Football. Focus has played the first
hardest schedule to date so far this year.
Indiana has the 64th which is an awful but it's also not, you
know, it's going to get harder. It looks like For the remaining
schedule strength of schedule Indiana as the third hardest
remaining strength of schedule in the in the country.
And that's I think that that is based on, you know, some games
that I think. We all think we're going to lose
like Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, but you're not going to
get to a top 10 strength of schedule with just those three.
So that does factor in all those other ones and it gets tougher
to where, you know, again What this team, what this team has
done in every game is kind of put itself on the brink of
disaster and then pull it. So it's kind of like macgruber.
It's like have a grouper only have 10 seconds left.
It's like, you know, but they've been able to disarm the bomb
macgruber MacGyver macgruber. No macgruber from SNL.
Okay, there you go. Yes, yes.
Well MacGyver. I still works.
Honestly. It feels like both the Illinois
and and and the Western Kentucky games, they had to kind of like
craft a victory out of you know some fishing line.
And some macgruber actually dies.
Every time driver works on MacGyver might be the best.
Hopefully, hopefully we do this through a MacGyver to macgruber
transition here in the course of the next week or two.
We have a podcast title. There we go.
Me. That is the title of the
podcast. No, you're right that it's been
more MacGyver but you know it's going to turn into macgruber
because if you get to disarming the bomb it's a lot harder to do
that in Lincoln Nebraska with six, you know, 60. 80,000 fans
there and also not having Scott Frost also helping you pull
wires and doing things that he would be doing on his end.
So it makes me more concerned that.
So you know, any way to your point, the schedule thing is
just a real factor and three it's tough because they keep
doing it. It's funny every season we get
to this point where it's like, all right, I feel like I'm a no
more into games. It's like I'm always doing that
throughout this. I will know more to get his
bike. It does feel like we're there
again now because if they just get their doors blown off in the
next two Road games, is kind of like.
All right, well that's that's what we expected or if we get to
a point where we're down 24:13 again and then both Cincinnati
in Nebraska. Give us the death blow so to
speak. That would kind of confirm what
we're talking about. It'll be interesting to see if
they get to the edge and then they fight back again and are
able to win one of the next two games.
And if they do that, I think, then we can say, alright, this
team is going to, you know, Maggie Divert its way to maybe
one or two more wins after that to, as if to bolster my point
posted just about ten thirty minutes ago.
Bill Connolly, our buddy, from ESPN.
The so you all know about postgame win expectancy, where
the computers, look at the statistics from the game and try
to figure out who should have won this game and that actually
match. What happened, who had the
lowest postgame when expectancy in college football this
weekend? It was Indiana Indiana's, post
game winner, Like to see was 11% in this game, which means
essentially 89 percent of the time.
Western Kentucky wins that game and what's interesting tying
into this whole conversation that we're having the third
lowest postgame, when expectancy, this week was
Syracuse, who had only a 20% postgame, when expectancy,
against Purdue and, and Bill tweeted, something, immediately
after biggest difference between winds and second-order wins
based on Erskine wood expectancy through three weeks.
In other words, how many wins have you actually collected
versus? How many wins should you have
collected given? The statistics Indiana is plus
one point six in wins so far on the season and then you take the
rivals that we were just talking about Purdue is -1.2 and
Nebraska's - point eight so this is essentially what I'm saying
Indiana I think you can feel good about the 3 & 0.
I think you can feel good about the fact that they are showing
some fight. You can feel good about some of
the individual performances, I think I would be very cautious
if you try to extrapolate, that moving forward.
Because every number that we are used to using, to figure out
college football tells us that Indiana has been very, very
lucky. Not very, very good.
And while you need luck to be good, I don't think that luck is
a plan anymore than I think hope is a plan.
Yeah, and that's what worries me because, you know, after the
Illinois game, we talked about. Well, look, they clearly
struggled in Pass blocking they have to fix that and they did,
but they did it at the expense of run blocking.
It looked like in that Idaho game.
You know, we talked at the beginning about well, gosh,
they're secondaries got to play a bit better that, you know,
they've got a cover better and that has not improved in either
of the two games following that Illinois game.
And look, you guys, this is, this is where this job is not
simple where you're like, how do we talk about this?
You got to give IU Credit for winning the games, but you have
to look at the underlying things and say, we're really concerned
about where that Needs if there's not some significant
Improvement in a bunch of different areas because I just
don't know that the team is going to be able to match up
long-term. You know, I use always been do
one of those weird Seasons where everything goes wrong but they
win games regardless. So I hope that this continues
and as we've talked about, you've got Nebraska, Maryland,
Rutgers /. Do you think you can throw
Michigan State in as a team that that's clearly in position to
regress? A bit to the mean, how much we
don't know. But none of Of those games are
unwinnable on the schedule moving forward and even you
know, even Cincinnati, shouldn't be viewed as an unwinnable game.
That's a lot of potential wins. The big question now becomes.
Alright with three games left to go until Bowl eligibility and
essentially what 346 of those games remaining on the schedule.
Can you win half of them? Is that actually, is that within
the possibilities of this roster?
And I just, I don't know, I would guess know at this point
and I think Would as well but I could see someone arguing to the
contrary because as we've talked about so much we talked about
this in the preseason. So much of this, I you program
is built upon Vibes, you know, there was a tweet yesterday, it
was like the Tom Allen. I you experience the details are
unimportant which I think people took it as an insult.
Really what it was meant as was you almost have to not pay
attention to the numbers because you know in an individual game
our overall because so much of what Indiana seems to thrive on
On or last year suffer from is emotion.
And you know, belief and this idea that if the team if Alan
believes he's going to try to speak it into existence and try
to get the team to believe. And if the team can believe they
can pull off wins that we don't think that they can.
I just I've yet to see anything from an X's and O's perspective
that makes me excited about that, but it also is a
possibility that I think you have to hold out there.
It's you know, Bill Connelly stuff is so good.
I just wish he was with a larger media operations that, you know,
given the website website to put all this stuff on.
I wait, no. He's with ESPN like this.
I think I'm seeing the Tweet now.
That's great stuff. Like, why don't they just post
all of? I'd love to see all of the good
bad wind probabilities on ESPN, like he should have its own,
it's such a such. So weird, is going on there
anyway? Yeah, no, it's dude, it's true.
I guess a larger question for you, you know?
Is there if I don't know how to ask this correctly but you know
I don't want to start going anyway, I'll ask it, I'll just
ask it, you know, what does to your point, what does Alan and
this team need to do to continue to make this this season of
success. So we were kind of talking
about, you know, 56 wins. Like does this change anything?
Because there's a world where you basically could now go, like
1 & 5, yo, one in seven, the rest of the way and like, that's
a pretty bad way to finish. Year has a 3 and 0 start
changed. I don't say expectations for you
but kind of for everybody, like they just lose out for the rest
of the way. Is this still considered like,
well, that was a fun ride. We had a good time.
The first couple of games, like, do you think this is changed it?
We're now it's like bowl or nothing.
For maybe the larger. Not just you or me, but kind of
the larger fan base? No, I mean, look, every time you
get into a season, you get caught up in whatever the moment
happens to be. And you know what, this is, why
the preseason is so dangerous to podcast in.
Because you can't insert yourself into moments that don't
exist. You can imagine the moments and
then insert yourselves into them.
But the by that point you kind of ruined the whole exercise.
And right now, you know, I don't know that anybody and I you
fandom is particularly well, there's a there's a small Fringe
of people who are only just like excited about the fact that I
used three and out. And that's fine.
You know, I think for for everybody else, I think they
look at this and they say, well, I use 3 and 0 but they're given
up 24 points a game too. No Idaho in Western Kentucky,
not the cream of the crop in college football.
I look at it and I say okay the offense has been competent
enough. They've scored 23 35 and 33
points and that was the thing that I was somewhat concerned
about even you know in this Western Kentucky game in
particular are they going to be able to score enough points to
do what they need to do to win that game?
And I give them credit for doing that but to me the big issue
right now is the defense and the defense has Graded out pretty
poorly over the course of this, you know, first three games that
they played that really does concern me if you rank.
All of the defense has on on PFF College, you know, right now
Indiana's, what ranked 100th that is not good enough and
that, I guess what? Concerns me even more is Tom
Allen taking over as the defensive coordinator, was
supposed to fix a lot of the problems that Indiana's defense
had last year and I don't know that it's necessarily.
Done that. Now it's early, you know, so you
have to some degree, give Alan a little bit more time to work his
magic but I mean last year, despite having not a very good
season whatsoever Indiana's defense on this the whole
ranked, I think 71st in the country and to rank 100 through
three games against pretty questionable competition that
really does concern me quite a bit.
You know, the certainly I used Defense, had some bad games last
year. Iowa was a bad game.
Ohio state was a bad game. The Minnesota game at home, was
a bad game, but they also had games where they essentially
kept, I you in it and it was the ineptness of the offense that
kept, I you from capitalizing. I really worry that this defense
is actually pretty poor as a scheme as a collection of
players. They've got great individual
players. Cam Jones has had a tremendous
start to the season, you know, I think that you got to tip your
hat to, you know, some of the Very members making individual
plays like that interception. We saw yesterday from from NOAA
Pierre. There's been individual moments
like that. Obviously, Bassam McCullough's
had a few good moments as well, but collectively, this defense
does not look like they're on the same page.
And I guess what worries me is, I don't know that.
That's something that you can fix.
Once you get past week three, because you're not gonna have
enough time. Now, you got a, you have two
games on the road, followed by Michigan at home.
That's a really rough. Stretch to try to put your
defense together and get them playing at the level that I used
to play at. I think, you know, I use defense
has got to they've got, you asked me to answer your
question. They've got to get to a point
where they can start winning quarters in winning games by
themselves. And what we saw in that Western
Kentucky game, ain't it? Like that's that's just not
going to get the job done long term.
I will say I know we talked about a little bit Tucson.
McCullough is he's amazing. The trouble is you saw Western
Kentucky, start doing this. I think you're going to see more
More of this. They would just basically key
where he was on the field and just play the other way or run a
bubble screen that kind of went over his head.
They would basically take him out of the game by, it's a coma
calls. On the left side, will go right
side or or is it Go bubble screen over him by two yards?
He's out of the play. And, you know, they, I think
you're going to see more and more of that.
And so it's going to be other guys who have to step up.
Hey, I agree with you and it's I I think to me it's the same
setup. Where we're at you know 3 and 0
is a very good start but I still look at the season as you know
if you want to get to a point like I said to me a successful
year this year is I think it's still a really tough bar to get
to, I'd love to go into that Purdue game with five wins, make
that Purdue game or something. And I think to get there, you
got to win one of the next to look.
You just have to figure out one of these Road games.
These are the two, probably, two of the last three, easiest Road
games, you're going to have this season.
You can get one of those too, you know, Michigan's L will
count Michigan's the loss. You then have the Maryland and
at Rutgers game to me it's like you can't go into that game.
Three and three that Maryland game and need basically both of
those wins to get 25, you know, it's a tough to ask this team to
do this two weeks in a row, in a Big Ten schedule with one on the
road. If you can go into that game,
four and two. And now it's like, we just need
one of the next to I think that's doable.
Because then I do think Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan
State. That's a three-week high.
Hiatus will to take that off and we get to the Purdue game like I
look at that as I anyway that's how I look at this season that I
still think. Like I said that's to the
beginning part. That's where you get to there's
a path but I think you got to find a way to win one of the
next to because I think going into Maryland three and three is
just that's a recipe for probably going to the Purdue
game with maybe Four Winds. Yeah.
Well yeah, it's going to be interesting.
And look, I think any everything still on the table for this
Indiana team. I think that they, they Done to
some degree, the bare, minimum of what they needed to do, if
they wanted to get to a bowl and they, you know, they won the
first three, they had to win all three as we talked about before.
They weren't going to have a good season if they lost one of
these three. But a Bad season is not off the
cards yet. And so they get credit for that.
And I'm happy that the three, you know, and I'm looking
forward to seeing what they can do beyond that.
I would just be concerned about the underlying signs that we're
seeing up to this point. So, As you mentioned, Indiana
going to be taking on Cincinnati on the road next week.
And, you know, Cincinnati struggled a little bit at Miami
of Ohio, but I do worry because I you, you know, on the road
that's not a great proposition normally for this, I you
program. So it will be fascinating to see
what they do going into that contest.
We will talk more later in the week.
We've got some podcasts scheduled to talk about that IU
game. At Cincinnati.
Should be an interesting one to say the least anyway.
Any final, thoughts on. Game.
We've got a couple other things. We want to get to before we wrap
up, but anything else from the game that you wanted to touch on
Scott. Know I talked about it a bit but
just the last three play, the three plays that we picked for
over time. We're just, those were awful.
Yeah, it just it needs needs to be mentioned again.
Like that is just that was shades of, you know, Nick
Sheridan offense and I think I treated some point you had these
moments during the game where it's like are there still pages
of his offense floating around in here like just these wild
offensive? Calls that don't make any sense.
And I would just say this, the other thing too, is it, you
know, you've mentioned this a couple times like, you know, we
just don't have the ability or the, you know, the latitude to
make minor mental mistakes. I will also say that this team,
just it's a tough place to be when you're Indiana, but it's
the truth. You really don't have the luxury
of being conservative on a lot of these calls.
Like, when you get in the Red Zone, you can't just start like
well we're just gonna, you know, do it.
Do it inside run and it's like, wow.
We knew we were going to kick any way that you cannot have
that mentality. Like, you have to, and I know
it's hard and it's not easy getting in there, but you've got
to start getting seven points and stuff.
Because basically, you got to start running you.
This TV Scott to run those, you know, passing game gets very
tough, but you've got to devise other ways to run your offense
to get that. And it does feel like, sometimes
we play the conservative or kind of the standard football, where
it's, I got we're here, we're just going to, you know, now
we're in the Red Zone. We know we have three points and
like, let's just, you know, be safe and get our three, it's a
key. You don't have that luxury at
Indiana. You can't do that.
And that's the frustrating part. That was the over time.
It felt like those were very conservative play calls and
there's a line there where you can't be wild aggressive and
just throwing, you know. But that's a line that I feel
like they've got to figure that out better.
Because right now, it does feel like they're a little bit too
much on that conservative side and it it ends up killing you.
When you get in the red zone, four times and you get three
field goals out of it, that's just not good enough in Indiana.
Well, it was good enough on this day and I know, But you're
right, you know? And I dunno, I will say congrats
to Charles Campbell for not making kick will not.
And not just that mean that kick was, was certainly awesome to
see. And, you know, we've certainly,
we've seen Indiana missed field goals that would tie or win
games. But to go for four and, you
know, in a, in a game where his team had to rely on him, to kick
the ball, effectively, he was able to do it.
And, you know, congrats to him in the punting game.
James Evans had a pretty good game, 44 yards per attempt,
Indiana, Guys, stop kicking the ball out of bounds.
You know, that's one of those little detail items that that
really almost ruined the game for them.
You know, that stuff like that. That's just got to stop.
But overall, even even in the, the play calling Department,
it's very hot and cold. I like, I like what Walt Bell is
kind of trying to do in certain cases, but then there were also
plays that lateral whether that was actually a lateral.
Not, it was close enough. That that like there was no
reason for that play to be called their most of the
two-point conversion plays that they've This season had been
real bad. There are parts of the field
where they really do struggle with the what they're doing on
play calling. But there's also parts of the
game where they're moving the ball pretty well.
And so it's I think the jury is still out but I do think Bell so
far has represented a net gain offensively in terms of what
this team was doing last year because the team we may not like
the plan but they list. The at least look like they have
a plan out there right now and that really was not the case.
Case for most of the season last year under Nick, Sheridan.
So anyway, we a couple of the things we want to talk about
first. Let's, I guess let's talk about
the. I don't know if this is a bad
topic but it's certainly a topic.
They got a lot of attention on social media yesterday, which
was Michael penix jr. Going on national television and
leading a pretty impressive crushing of the Michigan State
Spartans. You know, 3928 was the score in
that game, penix, 30 or SKU. 24:43, 197 yards, 4 touchdowns,
it was the Michael penix that we knew and loved and missed
terribly. I mean, just throwing lasers all
over the field and, you know, really just dictating the
offense. It was, it was really impressive
to watch him doing that. And, you know, did almost all of
his work in the first three quarters of play.
I mean, this is a tough one because you look at that and you
you could say Gosh, I'm so happy for for Michael penix, jr.
And I am I'm glad that he's in a position where he's able to to
play effectively and he's got targets to throw to and he's got
time in the pocket and it's but it's also like it's just weird.
It's like that guy was on the roster for four years he
transfers and it really felt like nobody made that big of a
deal of him transferring last year.
It was just like oh Michael penix is leaving and there
wasn't a lot written. I mean Mentioned, but it was
just kind of like this Fay accompli, that penix was not
going to be on the roster anymore and then he transfers to
Washington and I was like, oh that's a nice story.
He's reunited with Calum Deboer and Nick Sheridan but you know a
lot of it for me and even when we heard that he had been named
starter at Washington, it's like well that's great for them but I
really worry about you know is he going to look like he looked
last year and about he looks like he looked at the beginning
of the 2020 season like he's got this command of the field that
Is so rare in that made him such a compelling figure, just a lot
of kind of mixed up emotions there.
Scott because it's one thing to lose a player who's just not
able to do it anymore. It's another to lose a player at
that level of importance of a position who like goes out and
has that kind of a game, had a great game in his first game.
Just, just a hard thing to get your head wrapped around, is an
IU fan. Yeah, this is something we have
experience in basketball. So, you know, a lot like, you
know, Maurice Creek leaves. And then he has like a nice run
in the tournament. I meant, you know, you see it
happen in basketball, where it feels like a lot of guys that we
leave and of having a nice run in, the NCAA tournament were
sitting at home, we even had it with a K Samson.
Now, Houston the coaching it is, there's definitely, there was
definitely a Bizarro Indiana feel where it's like, oh, it's
our old coach and our quarterbacks, like, how much
like are they gonna have like, you know, is Hope it'll paralyze
they have. Watch this stuff to come feel
apparel doing. You old gear there too.
And like, do they have you know how much I used stuff?
Do they have a, there was a A weird part where it's like maybe
that could have been Us in an alternate universe.
This is also I mentioned this at the time when you know, the
board left and everybody's like, oh this is awful.
It's like no. This is building the coaching
tree it, it's kind of nice. Having again happy with Alan
were three and oh it's great. It is nice.
Having a younger hot coach out there who has rely you ties
that. If things go bad we have a break
in, you know, break glass in case of emergency, when normally
there's Coaches out there doing anything that of neiu ties were
always like the closest. I you tie is like, oh, Kevin
Wilson once Flew Over Indiana. So, like bring it in, buddy.
It there's definitely a Bizarro few to it.
I will say, I think this is one of this is where I kind of hate
the coaching tree thing. Like the whole concept of a
coaching tree because Kalin Deboer has no ties to Tom Allen,
other than Tom Allen hired him for one year to be the offensive
coordinator. He wasn't even here a full 12
months. And did great work here
obviously at IU. And I think maybe for the first
time in a long time, relatively speaking, put in an offense that
wasn't just gimmicky but also worked, you know, I think that
Kevin Wilson had some great offensive ideas but they felt
like a lot of gimmicky stuff there to cover for a lack of
personnel but then he leaves and it's like do you really get to
count kahlan Devore is part of the Tom Allen coaching tree like
shouldn't there be more DNA at that point.
Like I make Sheridan I think is definitely.
Bentley part of the Tom Allen coaching tree came Wommack is
part of the coaching tree because it's like, he cultivated
them to some degree as coaches and then they go off and do
things but your I get your point I just I've always enjoyed.
It's like, it's like when people talk about like when you get in
the college basketball, coaching and a guys on the bench for one
year's like always part of the part of the, you know, the the
Mike Davis coaching true is, if that's not really how it works,
but we're shouldn't be at least, but anyway, go ahead.
Well, to be fair. This is the closest thing.
We have to a coaching tree, true, gotta take it.
I would also say along those lines, I think it's always
bugged me is like, so we love Kalyn devorah's offense here,
when he was offensive coordinator.
Now, he's head coach, and they're doing great.
And his hand prints are all over this, but, like, their offense
of coordinators. Ryan gum, shouldn't it be or
grub, shouldn't it be their offensive coordinator?
Or his head coach? Like, because then, then using
that same logic. If he's doing such a great job,
as Washington head coach, shouldn't it be Tom?
Allen was the head coach and he like It's like guys can just you
can kind of pick and choose like when the offense is good.
It's the coordinator or is the head coach depending on who you
want to be anyway. Yeah.
Back-to-back two paddocks. Yes.
I know at the time that he left and I stand by this it, I set it
on this pot. It definitely felt like it was
the best thing for both parties. It felt like his time here had
run run out that like for whatever.
Now it's like why were we tired? Appendix but it's like, it had,
it had been, you know, I feel like it was best for the
University to move on fields, best for him to death.
Be best for him to move on. Like he had had a good ten year
here. Was unable to stay healthy and
it did feel like this is the right move but I also did kind
of feel like it was weird. You know, this is 60% of what
penix is ever going to be and seeing him at like 90, 95
percent Health. It does just bring you these
questions. And again, I still stand by the.
That was the best move for everybody.
And you know, you pointed out on Twitter a couple times like this
is also seeing penix behind a functional offensive line.
Be able to do things that Not like you just plug him in to I
you right now and it's like, oh, he's throwing for 390 yards and
four touchdowns like, he's probably having a, you know,
sternums training and getting sacked, but it does make you
wonder going into last season. We knew very early on penix,
didn't look right. But the whole talk was Alan is
bahat. This is he is behind, the whole
narrative. Is he's behind his guy, like you
can't just bench. The start of he has faith in his
guy penix to the point they played him probably Lee two or
three weeks more and I remember like Zach, Osterman talking
about it on his podcast like, you know, but this is what you'd
you can't just pull a leader like, you know, Alan is behind
him. You got to do that.
And then by the end of the year, if I got we gotta go, we gotta
move on. It's like, we're going to move
on to a, I don't know. Like maybe Tuttle, maybe a
transfer. Like we're going to move on to
basically the great unknown and it does make you wonder like did
where was the trust? Like how did you go from a point
where it's like, you trust him and then it also does it does?
Beg this question? I don't know.
The on the, the medical staff but it's like you do in the MBA
have like Phoenix has this medical staff at, just everybody
seems to be healthy that he had programs like New Orleans were,
it's, like everyone always seems to be hurt.
It does make you wonder, you know, what's going on here that?
Like he got to wash and maybe just got better.
Maybe he just needed a whole year off, like there's a lot of
things and that's that they may not be connected, but it is just
it's it's, it is tough to see that said, I'm rooting for him.
I hope he does great. Great.
I hope he has a great season and in the end, I don't think that
this great season would have happened at Indiana.
So to him like more power to him and go do great things.
Man it does. I will say, the big thing that I
took from it from watching him play yesterday was how confident
he looked in the pocket. How confident he looked in his
throws. And that was not present last
year. And I think if you look at last
year, the Iowa game, the Western Kentucky game, the I mean any of
those games at the start of the season.
Cincinnati was probably the biggest example example of this
where he he looked very unsettled.
He looked like he didn't trust his leg and he looked like he
didn't trust his blocking, both of those were reasonable.
And I think it's important to remember, you know, he got
injured in 2020 in what mid-november and it that was
probably a an injury. He needed a full year to come
back from and didn't get it. They put him out there and look,
I'm not blaming. Anybody for this, I just it's
unfortunate the way it worked out, you do wonder about a
scenario where they just say look, Mike.
You need a year off to recoup and put yourself in a position
where you're physically healthy now, would that have fixed his
confidence in his leg? Maybe would have to fix the
offensive line. No.
And that's the big issue is like watching him Thrive behind the
line that he, he looks like he trusts is such a huge
difference. Go back and watch the Cincinnati
game, go back and watch the Iowa game.
He's so ten of all the the time and it's causing him to sail his
passes. And that's the real
disappointment in all of this is to me, you know, I think you're
right. And a lot of people who jumped
in, its thought I was being critical, we're ripe, I wasn't
being critical. But the idea that this was
probably a parting that had to work for all parties, it was the
best thing but I also think, you know, if it goes back to what
you were just saying, Alan let Peyton Ramsey transfer who was
healthy and kept penix who had a history by.
That point already of multiple injuries that had knocked him
out of Seasons. It's it's this weird thing where
it's like I it's just it's fascinating and you know, it's
it because it's like, okay, we need to have the separation and
we need to go a different way. Need to go a different way, but
it does make you wonder to some degree.
If that process is thought of a little bit differently and
they're like all right Mike wasn't right?
We had you know, you got shut down with another injury but
let's give him some time and is it even a situation where he's
looking at it? And saying, I just don't want to
be in that environment where I am concerned about my health
because of what is around me versus what I might get
transferring to a different power 5 school.
So I don't know. And I don't think last thing on
this, I don't think there's nothing indictable there
necessarily in terms of like, I'm not blaming anybody for it,
but I do You think as you go through the process of thinking
about where I you is at right now, it's just it's hard to
watch panics having this kind of success elsewhere and not think
what else could have been done to put a better structure around
so that he could be having that season here?
Because he's got another year of Eligibility left after this
which I think is the fascinating thing to think about it's like
it's not just like what you lose him for a season anyway go on.
No. It's that said I hadn't even
honestly fully rabbi Around that that's a good points.
I could two more years of this know, the last two things I will
say is, you know, there is a world that you you can't do this
but it's like, if you knew we were going to go to and 10 next
year, which again going into last year you and I are driving
to Iowa, I think we're gonna win.
Like there was very high expectations.
It's like if you just knew like, Hey, we're going to and 10.
There's a world where it's like, okay ship.
But like we know we're going to go 2 and 10, you can shelve
penix for the year and then we can come back and have this
penix in 20:22. I'd be like, okay, like I might
have taken that gamble because I've gone through a lot of bad
years. It would have been easy being
like, I'm gonna take panics, but I do think this is where I, I
also need to remember this as well, and definitely some fans
who are older than us, need to get this coasting stuff on
Twitter. Like, you know, how could you
let him go? And like, why would I you, you
not want a guy like this. Like, we are in a world now
we're like the players, get a vote to and you have to like, I
never look at what Paul George does.
When the Clippers taken to the NBA for a second, be like damn.
I would have loved to see him on the Pacers because you know
what, he didn't want to be here and like he left and there's no
world where Paul George is. Like, I can't wait to live the
rest of my life. He wanted to play in l.a. like
he made that very clear and I'm not saying I know anything here,
but we do have to remember the players now have a decision.
This is a two-way decision, headaches might have looked at
the offense like we did saying hey Stevie Scott's gone.
All the receivers are gone. Like this is not a awesome
situation to come at like the oh whines been garbage.
The coach is still here but just look at the skill.
Positions. We're returning.
No, running backs. No wide receivers.
I don't want to redo all this. Like I want to go somewhere.
There's better players and it's very possible.
There is no world where penix lips is this and says I want us
to know, man, n IL dollars keeps him here.
Like I do think people have to remember, this is also his
decision. He's able to just get and leave
like 15. You know, ten fifty years ago,
players were not able to do the same thing like they have agency
and you know again the NBA is the Perfect Analogy.
There's nobody in Cleveland being like, man.
I wish LeBron would have done this like what you know in l.a.
would have brought, you know, Brian.
See Davis like there's no world where LeBron was staying in
Cleveland after he won like he wanted to go to La.
Anthony Davis. Wanted to go there like NBA
teams. Don't do this and I do think
this is it is a little bit different but you have to I
really think penix look to this is like I don't I don't want to
be here like this is not an offense, I want a captain no
clearly and and again it's I just it's hard not to talk about
it when you're whining and dismantle a Big Ten opponent on
National Television. And that's the thing I know.
And so look, I know this is not a going to be consistent point
and I wish him. I hope he'll be wins the Heisman
Trophy this year next year they could be amazing.
It's just a shock that it on Crimson cash.
He was a 10,000 to one. Yeah or something.
He was he was listed. You could have had 10 bucks and
if he wins the Heisman it's somebody made that bet you know,
bias and home field gear, please.
So, let's wrap up, we've got a little bit of time left
tailgate. You had your first one in stock.
We had their new sections A talk.
Okay tailgate talk. So so hit me with it.
What, what was your experience? I love.
I love your talk on tailgates. By the way, I'm going to find
the audio of you talking about two beats on a black stone
Grill. We're going to make that an
audio drop just great galen's to meet talk.
Maybe you do a whole podcast just scaling on to meet, you
know, I will say I love my wife, she gave me a c-plus.
I couldn't get to a bi-level. She gave me a C+.
She said that. I had good preparation, but not
ideal execution. Well, we're good.
I forgot a couple things. Things along the way as want it
to happen. Forgot to cook the biscuits the
night before, that's the trouble.
So I did it in the morning, they're a little bit undercooked
or kind of hustling around. I, you know, in my defense I
also have a 9 and a 6 year old. I'm also trying to pack for them
to be entertained during the tailgate and during the game.
But overall we had a blast, we had a really good time.
Got their little wife, woke up a little bit late, but I still
love her, but we ran a little bit later than we wanted, but we
got there, you know, set up by 9:45, ish, going by Ten had a
couple people stop by and say hi and I really appreciate it.
But yeah, that you know, the I forgot tongs.
So I made a little gripper out of aluminum foil, thank you for
bringing the EOP, aluminum foil call.
I also forgot a table. Yeah, I'm getting a list
together, dude, first time. But the kids had an absolute
blast. They were talking on the
sidewalk. I brought sidewalk chalk for
them. That was a big win.
I thought on on my part. So yeah, the the little
sandwiches were okay. We have some ideas for You know,
we're thinking of doing like a, an egg casserole that will kind
of cut up, and then maybe put that on other sandwiches, you
know? So we're coming up with some
other ideas for the next breakfast, and maybe doing like
a little like breakfast, sliders like Hawaiian rolls with some
eggs and some sausage, I bought the wrong kind of sausage that
ended up being like a little sausage pucks.
So, you know, overall like a a mixed bag.
Definitely, you could tell it was, it was my first time, you
know, in the coach's seat, the thing that I had a hard time
with that, you are Fantastic about having been to many of
your tailgates is what got me is some of my friends showed up,
right? When I was starting to get
things together to make the food and I had a very, if you can't
tell on the podcast, I like to talk.
I had a very hard time, kind of modulating between what needed
to be done to cook and food prep while also entertaining friends,
and that, that definitely sunk me.
That was I was I was a head coach, who was calling?
I was calling bad plays. I was throwing the red.
I get the rock out. Like I was all over the map and
it's like, I'm spending too much time with friends that I'm
spending too much time cooking and like I wasn't able to
modulate so a lot of things to improve on.
But you know, my wife God love her.
Gave me a c. Plus, I try to talk my way into
a b-minus couldn't get there. So, yeah, but overall do great,
absolute great time. We will be doing it again.
Obviously, this is where you need to take a page out of your
own criticism, and be like, I can't be both the coach and the
grilling coordinator, you know, you got it.
You got to give up one of those, one of those duties, because it
is hard. I mean, Had to round into shape
on that over the course of time. And to, you know, you have to
this is we're actually having more people come to your
tailgate is a good thing because they can entertain each other
while you provide them with food and then you, you know, you do
it in waves and you know, you say, look, I'm going to cook x
amount of things for this next phase is 20 or 30 minute phase
and then I'm going to stop and I'm going to go mingle and then
you have to have an internal timer to say.
I'm going to go back and cook some more.
More and get more things ready. Now, sometimes you're going to
get hit with a whole bunch of people coming if your tailgate
is popular. And that's at that point you
have to learn kind of how to be, you know, the classic
short-order cook in the diner in a movie scene, where you, you
know, how to cook the food and keep an eye on it while you're
also talking with the people that are coming and saying hi,
you know, so that's where it is more art than science at that
point. But it's also where I think you
learn Own limitations and a lot of the things that you're
talking about those are just practice.
Those are simply, you know what, I need to make a list and really
think through everything I need and I need to get a tailgate bag
and put everything in there. My wife is great about helping
to organize that stuff and yeah you gotta there's certain
materials that you're going to have to cook ahead of time or
buy premade because ultimately it's not like cooking from home.
It's cooking at in a parking lot.
Basically, and and that is a different thing altogether.
But I'm glad you had a good first tailgate that you hosted
and that's, that's nice. Awesome.
Yeah, for spot is awesome. We have grass right there.
Here's the thing I'll ask you, this is a okay, my son and I
were talking about this. This is definitely very campy
and silly and probably something you're going to despise.
But at least, you can give me some ideas.
So we're in lot 9 and there's a walkway.
It's lined with IU flags, and it's a walkway up to the stadium
with the practice field on the other side.
That's talking to my son like he drew, like an IU.
Go and chalk and like, you know, clap for IU and people were
doing stuff and we're right there on the edge and I was
talking to him, like, you know, maybe we should build something
like a bell or like something that people it becomes a
tradition people have to ring the bell on the way in or you
know some. Hey this is where football is
football. Is great because like there is
no Traditions like we could start something where it's like
hey this is this is this is great you know like there's a
few things like in LA tete, right above us.
There's a guy who flies the IU flag and then whoever produced
playing has always done that. So I don't know, I was thinking
like is Or something, you know, I'm a little handy, I could
build like a little, you know, peace with a bell that people
could ring it could. Bring that like, is there
something you could think of that would be fun for people to
do who are walking into the stadium because we have access
to that, it's right on the edge of our tailgate spot.
And we plan on staying there for a while.
Now I'm just throwing that out there to you.
You can say hey that's the dumbest idea ever don't do
anything. You can't even focus on cooking
and talking let alone adding a belt to the mix in which case I
hear you and maybe that's a 2025.
I do that when 69 is finished. One of the things I've learned
in life is that when someone answers their own question, I
won't answer it again. So, we'll just leave it at that.
I will say, I think I would, I would be cautious about taking
too big of a serving before learning how to eat, what's
already on your plate when it comes to tailgate because look,
ultimately tailgating requires a lot of logistics throughout the
before. And during and if you put a bail
out there, like are you It also while you're cooking and
entertaining, whoever you've got there also be yelling at people.
Hey, hey, ring, the bell, on the way, I mean, that we'll really
it's some point. I think that will lose you will
lose something that you need to be doing in order to try to do
that. And I think you're better off
selling the experience of being at your tailgate.
Not trying to create something for random passers-by.
Many of whom are drunk or are not particularly interested in
invading somebody else's space for fear of doing something
wrong. So I would say get the tailgate
itself established first, you know, it's like it's kind of
like eiu football pattern, like get get to six wins, get to the
Music City, or the Motor City Bowl or whatever.
Like, you know, get get play a Mac team win that game, then
worry about contending for the Big Ten like, like do things in
order. So right now, you are in the,
we've got to get to the Little Caesars Bowl part of your
tailgate. So, Focus on my first, I need to
sign up in my in my garage. Not, you know like let's build a
bell today. Like, what have you done to make
the tailgate better tomorrow? There you go.
Did you done to not overcook, your sausage?
Yeah. Last thing I will say that I
want to hear about yours. There is a new development that
happened in lot 9 that I'm not happy about.
There was a guy in a very Time Square.
Ask set up a guy at a full Ironman costume walk by, and I'm
like, oh, kids look it's Iron Man.
Then he's got the buckets. Like, hey, you guys want a
picture? And it's like the tip jar.
It's like, no, like I don't, I don't want to be accosted for a
Dollar, by the way, who the hell carries cash?
You have been Mo on there, but it's like there's a kind of
Spider-Man outfit is a two or three.
Guys, in full dress up, walking around like trying to do
pictures for tips. And I know those guys at Times
Square, they have cost you, if you take a picture and then it's
like, they don't you don't tip they get super annoying.
It's like, that's I used to curity.
Let's, let's get that out of there.
Like we don't need, I don't need to be.
Are you footballs got enough things going on?
Like I don't need hit my kids being accosted by Iron Man to
get tips. So just let's Keep an eye out,
don't like that. Now that did not happen in my
parking lot, thankfully. So anyway, that'll wrap it up
for us today. How'd yours.
Go get him on your the, it was I mean it was it was a standard
good tailgate. We did breakfast sandwiches and
everything worked out really well and we had a nice crowd and
it went very quickly like we got set up at 7:00.
I've right at seven, drove in and we were there.
I mean, you know, packed up at about 11:30.
I mean it was a steady stream of people the whole time people
brought a lot of really good foods.
I mean, there was there wasn't a lot to report because it worked
the way that it was supposed to. And I was we've done a lot of
breakfast tailgates. We have to We do a lot of noon
kicks here at IU and I was pleased with how it all went and
looking forward to probably another one for homecoming.
This is where it gets tricky, because breakfast sandwiches are
so easy to do. So my wife has been pushing the
breakfast taco idea for the next one, which we could certainly
do. I've got a good method with the
griddle with tacos that worked last week.
But you know, I mean, I will say this was the one reflective
piece I have on this and this is where it gets tougher.
This time of year. You know, you get the truck
packed you got to get out there at 7:00 a.m. it's really early.
At least it was warm. It was like 60 degrees.
It's hard to plan. What you're going to wear, how
you going to set up, how you're going to feel the tailgate
because it goes from 60 with the Sundown.
When you first set up to being like 85 with a blazing, you
know, early day, son by 11:00. That's a huge transition that's
hard for people. Not just the host, but also the
guests to get their heads wrapped around.
But, no, it's good. Good times all together.
There wasn't true. Like, I left here at, like, you,
we left here, like 7:45, eight o'clock, and it's like cool and
crisp. It's like I'm loving having
coffee and I brewed an extra thing, a coffee and brought in a
thermos. And the time we get to Found a
Bloomington. It's like 80 degrees of sons
blazing. It's like coffee was a bad idea,
so I just don't want any more coffee.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta kind of if it's a cold
and this is where it's tough because as it gets colder, it's
much harder to get out there and and load the vehicle and get in
there and you know, you're setting up and it's 33 degrees
and you know, you're going to literally go up 30 degrees in
the next two hours, or three hours, or whatever it is when
the sun comes up. If you're lucky, then you get
into November and you Even have that benefit.
So it's, it's this to me like, these late September.
Tailgates are my favorites, because you've got a little bit
of temperature variation, but overall you can handle it and
I'd rather have hot then overly cold.
There's just something about, you can always take layers off,
but when you get really cold it's hard to put stuff back on
in those sorts of environments. And I think it's doubly hard
when you're hosting a tailgate because as you elucidated
earlier you're not just there to hang out, you're there to
entertain and that Add another layer to you and what you have
to do, that is ripped. My wife is nodding ruefully over
here as I'm saying this, but that's, that's the complicating
factor that you have to think about.
Anyway, the nice thing with tailgate time on our podcast is
I want to keep doing this. And I think this is a good like
you are the Alabama Clemson Georgia tailgate.
So people can gleam great ideas from you and I think I can offer
kind of the Illinois. Indiana level of tailgating,
where it's like, I'm starting off and so you You can learn
through my foibles and then they can get the expert advice from
you. Well, I know that the fans
seemed to enjoy it. So we will definitely continue
to talk about it as we move forward.
But anyway, that'll wrap it up for us today.
We will be back later on this week.
We should have a couple of special guests joining us.
As we talk about IU Cincinnati, that game coming up.
Cincinnati, looking pretty good. Overall, I you the analytics
aren't real big fan of. I you right now as we talked
about, but if you can pull this off, it changes the whole
season. As it gets them significantly
closer to bowl eligibility so we'll see what happens with all
of that. And we will, of course talk
about what's going on in the betting markets, with Crimson
cash. Be sure to tune in for that, for
Scott, I'm Gail. Mm, this is Crimson cast part of
the back home network. Thanks don't feel the Peril.
We will catch you folks on the flipside.
Bring back the Bison, so long, everybody.