You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home
Field Apparel. Welcome back to Crimson Cask Ale
and Clavio. Joining you solo today, it's
Black Friday, the 24th of November.
As we are fully into feast week, we're fully into all the
football I just watched. Maybe the worst football game of
the year is Iowa. Took out Nebraska and gave the
Big 10 W the championship. Send off that it.
Deserves, which is crap. That's been a crap division
since they launched it. Basically, and it's only fitting
that they're. Sending a team to the Big 10
title game that cannot score, cannot move.
The ball basically just lives it.
Iowa 's almost like they're. They're like a a, like a vulture
or some kind of. Scavenger bird that just relies
on roadkill as its primary source of nutrients.
That's. Really how I I think.
That they seem to. Operate whoever they play in the
Big Ten title game. Michigan.
Ohio State. I would be shocked if that team
didn't win by. At least 35 points, so get your
bets in now, folks. Anyway.
We're not here to talk about Iowa, but I'm still kind of.
I feel dirty having watched that game versus.
Nebraska, 'cause that was truly a disgusting exhibition of
football. Anyway, we're going to talk.
About the old Oak and Bucket game.
So we may not have a whole lot of room to talk here per SE.
But before we get to that couple of notes.
First of all, you've heard me talk about it before, but I we
are Crimson cast is is on sub stack now and you're.
Probably like what is sub stack? Why does he keep talking about
this and as I've said? Before It is a way for you to
get up to date podcast information from us, links to
our podcast and so forth without having to go.
To Twitter or rely on Facebook. It's free.
You can just subscribe. It's in your inbox.
At that point, and you know we don't send you too many.
Emails it's normally about. Three a week, we try.
To combo different things together.
So like you, in addition to an e-mail saying, hey, we're.
Ready to talk about IU Purdue? This week you will also have.
Gotten in that same e-mail, a link to Crimson Cash, which is
also up on the site in which I'm about to to hit the the button
on. So it's an easier way to find
out what's going on. With Crimson Cast.
We have some. Chat functionality there as
well, and the nice thing is. That that's all you have to do.
All you have to do is like put your e-mail in.
You'll get an e-mail every time we post a new podcast, we.
Also have a a pay model. Which we've tried to be kind of
low on the rap for. You know, if you want to help
financially support the podcast, we certainly appreciate it, but
it's not necessary. But if you do, you can
subscribe. $5 a month, $50 a year.
We'll try to keep it very reasonable.
Just to keep the lights on and pay for the web hosting and
whatnot. So if you'd like to.
Do that you you can do that. You get some extra stuff there.
Scott and I will record extra things that we will send to you
on occasion. We'll sometimes have some extra
links, but you also are under no obligation so.
That's how it sets up sub stack crimsoncast.substack.com.
Go check it out. There's a great app that Sub
Stack has that'll notify you every time something comes out,
so consider it if you would also just a reminder that.
We are part of the Back Home network Here Crimson Cast, along
with our friends at Assembly Call the Doing the Work podcast,
The Crimson Cast Women's Basketball.
Show and so on and so forth. And we're all sponsored by home
field. Apparel and home field apparel
is in their zenith right now of the year.
This is when everything on the site is 20% off.
This is when you can get pretty much the best stuff that you
maybe were thinking. I don't.
Know I don't have a discount code this or that.
No excuses here. 20% off. Just use the code.
Black Friday go in. Stocks are starting to deplete.
There's so many great things, you know, bomber jackets,
hoodies, T-shirts, whatnot. Great IU stuff, Great stuff from
other schools that you can check out.
SO again. Homefieldapparel.com Go check
them out go. Use that Black Friday code.
Get 20% off your order. Even if you've ordered before,
you can use this whenever. So anyway, let's go ahead and
jump into this game. Indiana at 3:00 and 8:00 and
Purdue at 3:00 and 8:00. These are two teams that have
not had good seasons. You know about Indiana's season,
and Indiana continues to cap things off this year with just
some. Truly remarkable ways to lose.
We saw another. Remarkable way to lose Last
week, they take on a Purdue team that just has not been good from
the beginning of the. Year you know Purdue was.
Some people were looking at Purdue and saying this could be
a bowl team. This could be a team that.
You know, really kind of figures out a a a better way of playing
offense than they had last year. And it's interesting because you
know. Last year, of course, Purdue
kind of backed their way into the Big 10 title game.
And yeah, I mean, they weren't great, but they didn't get
smooshed against Michigan. They lost 43 to 22.
But you know, that was a team that.
Their losses last year, you know they had a kind of.
Inexplicable loss at Syracuse. But you know, they.
And then they lost to what? Penn State and Wisconsin and
Iowa. But they won all the.
Games that they should have won, including a bunch of games on
the road and that included a game at Indiana to close the
season last year. They did end up getting
absolutely smooshed in the bowl game.
Versus LSU last year. This year has not gone that way,
you know? And obviously, Jeff Brom leaves,
goes and becomes the head. Coach at Louisville?
That didn't help. They hire an unproven first time
head coach and Ryan Walters and a lot of people.
Like Ryan Walters, but they have not.
Played particularly well, and it's been just such a bizarre
kind of uneven season for Purdue.
If you haven't been keeping up, they.
Started off the year they lose at home by 4:00 to Fresno State
they put 35. Points up on the board and
everybody's like, oh, this offense might be pretty good.
They beat Virginia Tech on the. Road the following week and that
was there was a. Deluge that day, people were
kind of. I think that there was like that
was the team we were looking for, but then they lose at home
by 15. To Syracuse.
And that Really set them on a pathway.
Where they just lost a bunch of games and couldn't score in the
process. They scored twenty in that game
versus. Syracuse.
They scored seventeen in a loss to Wisconsin at home.
And I mean, even Indiana beat Wisconsin at home.
They did score in a huge amount of points against Illinois on
the road they they beat Illinois 44 to 19, which that was
surprising in and of itself. But then they turned around and
had consecutive 4 consecutive games in a row that they lost
and they scored fourteen points, seven points, 14 points and 13
points. Now good teams and and for the
most part there, they lose to Iowa.
On the road and 14 points. Against Iowa, I guess is is
pretty, you know, that's that's not terrible.
But then, seven points against Ohio State at home.
Fort they lose 31 to 14 at Nebraska.
I don't know how. I mean, having just watched that
Nebraska team, I don't know how anybody let's that team score 31
points and only scores 14. If you have a functional
offense, then they lose 4113 at Michigan, then they turn.
Around and just like run all over Minnesota, they win that
game 49 to 30. Then they lose their starting
quarterback. Hudson Card and they lose 23 to
15 at Northwestern, so no chance at a bowl for Purdue.
And they've had just kind of an odd year.
From a statistical perspective, they have not been very good in
the air. 22159 yards, 59.5% completion percentage and 12
touchdowns. 10 interceptions. Not too terribly different from
Indiana in terms of just. Like the lack of productivity
there. Rushing wise they had been
pretty good. 18151 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns.
Devin Mockabee has been kind of their primary back.
He's averaging basically 5 yards of carry.
He's got 6 touchdowns on the season.
Tyrone Tracy Junior Averaging 6 1/2 yards of carry and eight
touchdowns. And Hudson Kard's been able to
use his legs a little bit as well.
He's got 4 touchdowns on the season.
Receiving wise, this is a team that's kind of spread their
targeting out. They're lead in receiving both
yardage and receptions by sophomore Deon Burks. 7
touchdowns for him, 40 catches, 542 yards.
TJ Sheffield, the senior with 32 catches and then Abdur Rahman
Yasin with 25 catches for 329 yards.
But he's only played in six games so far this season and
hasn't really. He's been injured basically
since the Iowa game, so they've had to.
Find other people to play in his place and so.
You look at this Purdue team and statistically.
Like you look at the overall numbers, they're not much better
than Indiana. This is actually a pretty even
game according to S&P Plus. Purdue projected as a
three-point favorite in this one over Indiana and a 55% favorite
overall. You.
You look at the numbers a little more up close and it's
interesting because Purdue's offense has really let them down
throughout the. Course of the year, although not
to the degree that Indiana's offense has let it down and.
That, you know, it's close, but Indiana's offense has been kind
of marginally worse. Overall.
Indiana's offense has been better in the passing game.
They've kind of climbed their way up to the point over these
last few weeks where they're passing success is.
You know, Top 55, Top 60 in the nation.
Purdue is not really over. The course of the season had a
lot of success in the passing game, as we mentioned, but they
have had a lot of success on the ground where Indiana has not.
Purdue Top 50 in the nation and rushing success you.
Know Purdue's really struggled, as is Indiana with scoring.
They just they have not scored. On a lot of drives, Indiana only
1.5 points per drive. This season Purdue only 1.7.
Three. Both of those are really bad
numbers turnover wise. Indiana, actually, you know.
I mean, if you look at straight up numbers, has been better than
Purdue, but Indiana's turned the ball over 15 times.
Produce turned the ball over 18 times and explosiveness.
Both of these teams are not very explosive, just not a lot of big
plays. Like they're almost equal.
Indiana's like slightly ahead of Purdue and I think they have to
go out to like the 5th decimal point to.
Get there. So you look at these two
offenses and they're just, they're just not good and and
there's different reasons for that, I mean.
Purdue trying to install a brand new offensive approach and
they've got the former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell
as their offensive coordinator. Ryan Walters defense has been
better than Tom Allen's defense or Matt Guerrero defense,
whoever we're giving credit or blame to this week.
You know, Purdue's defense has been kind of, they've been sub
median, but they they haven't been like ridiculously bad,
whereas Indiana's defense has been ridiculously bad,
especially in the last couple of weeks.
And what's interesting is that. You know, Purdue's defense has
actually been pretty good at limiting opponents to success in
passing and rushing where they've been at their.
Worst is they've, you know, allowed teams to score when
they're in position. To do so, and they've.
Allowed a lot of explosive plays, which unfortunately
Indiana generally hasn't been able to capitalize on.
Indiana has not. Really allowed a lot of
explosive plays, but they've allowed teams a lot of
consistent kind of drives down the field and overall success
there. Indiana's defense has not.
I mean, they've got they've generated 2 fewer turnovers than
Purdue. It's kind of a wash as far as
that's concerned. One thing Indiana has done
pretty well is they have had a lot of success defensively on
3rd downs but and Purdue has not.
Like Purdue has tended to allow their opponents to stay on the
field. The problem for Indiana is more
that they haven't had a lot of success on first or second
downs, so they haven't gotten into as many third down
situations as as Purdue's defense has.
So overall, again, these teams are pretty close according to
S&P. Plus, they're not as close
according to FEI, which is another metric.
FEI likes Purdue a lot more, doesn't love them, but but
certainly likes them by about an order of magnitude more than
they like. The Hoosiers.
So you look across the board at these two teams there, there's
just this is. Not going to be an aesthetically
pleasing game. It's either going to be a game
where the defenses collapse or the offenses collapse.
I feel pretty confident that like some aspect of the game.
Will be unwatchable overall for just a neutral observer who
wants to come in and watch a good football game like you're
just not going to see. That probably out of these two
teams, that doesn't mean that it's not going to be a
competitive game. It doesn't mean that it can't be
a high scoring game. As we saw last week for Indiana
as they played Michigan State, I mean that you know that while
that wasn't a per Southeast high scoring game, it I think it had
more scoring than a lot of people.
Thought that it would. And, you know, 2421.
That might not seem like a lot, but that was seven more points
than Michigan State had been scoring on average throughout
the course of the. Season.
Both of these teams have had trouble.
Moving the ball, Indiana 21 points per game on the season
and Purdue 23 points per game scored on the season.
Purdue allowing 30 points per game.
Indiana allowing 30 points per game.
So this is the big question. Will the offenses be so bad that
they can't take? Advantage of the defenses being
bad for either of these teams and I think the big question
right now. Is What's the motivation for
these different teams? You know what is the motivation
for Purdue? They're obviously not going to a
bowl. That they're not in contention
to get a five and seven like APR.
Bowl they're going to get Hudson Card back, I'm assuming.
He's going to play to close out the season and you know that's a
bit of a problem for Indiana because you can just go back a
couple of weeks and look. At what Card and and Purdue did
against Minnesota and it's like well that.
That could really be a problem for Indiana.
Especially with how bad their secondary has looked.
Over the cat past couple of weeks.
But it the the same occurs on the other.
Side I mean, Indiana has looked marginally better on offense
under Rod Carey. They've been able to do a few
more things. What will that look like as they
move forward in this game and? How excited will Indiana be?
How excited? Will Purdue be?
About defending in this game, It's really kind of.
An an open. Question I think.
Across the board, and a lot of it is, I think, probably
unknowable until the game starts.
You know, I would probably anticipate that.
Especially when you fitly. Look at the weather.
Forecast for this game, you know, going up to West
Lafayette. Is always kind of a a a
crapshoot. In terms of weather in late
November, but right now the forecast for this game if you go
up to. To Saturday looks like. 41° And
there's going to be snow late, but after after the game.
But not a particularly warm game, a low of. 24 but.
Also, I mean it's it's the wind isn't going to be.
Too terribly bad the wind's going to die down a little bit
from where it is today. Up there, so you know not.
Awful conditions and AND probably not one of those.
Where you stop giving effort or anything because the weather is
bad. But I do really.
I do really wonder where the motivation is going to be for
both of these teams, I think for.
You know, I if I had to put a bet on it right now.
I would probably say that Ryan Walters and Purdue are going to
have more motivation here this. Is Ryan Walters first year?
It hasn't gone well, but Ryan. Walters going to.
Be there for at least another couple of seasons and you know,
it's easy, I think. To get a team fired up.
For a first year coach who's like, you know, look guys, we've
had a lot of adversity, but we're starting to really start,
you know play our style of football.
You know, we we showed a lot of promise two weeks ago at home.
When we beat Minnesota, let's. Finish this season off.
On a really good note, and let's.
Put ourselves in a position as we go into the offseason where
we. Feel good about what we're doing
in the direction that we're headed.
I don't know if you can really do that.
If you're Tom Allen in Indiana, you know we saw.
Last year, Indiana seemed like they were closing on a fairly
positive note, all things considered.
They look like they kind of figured.
Out some of the problems that they were dealing with on
offense. They were coming off.
A big win against Michigan. State where they had.
You know they. Pulled it out in overtime.
You know that they they hadn't completely given up the.
Ghost this year has. Been just so frustrating for
this IU team and. Yes, they did beat Wisconsin a
few weeks ago, but now they've had back-to-back.
Games where their defenses just collapsed, their secondary's
collapsed. You know both of.
Those games were literally like 4 hour games that I think 5
minutes and 3 minutes respectively shy of being 4 hour
game. So they played long.
Games that have ended up ending in incredibly frustrating ways
and. It just feels like IU under Tom
Allen right now. Is is just rudderless that they
don't seem to have a direction they don't seem to.
Have a lot of purpose. They're they you know the
offense has played better at times hasn't played all the time
better. But to watch the defense
struggle the way that? It has after it had been
playing. Fairly well for a decent part of
the season. That's a really tough row to hoe
I think, for this IU team in terms of motivation.
And I think you've also got to look.
At it and say you know Allen has has just.
Not been able over the. Course of the last three seasons
to get his team motivated to play games in the Big 10 even
against. Mid level or or lower tier
competition, which pretty definitely is, you know that.
You've seen the statistics. IU is is They've three wins
right now in their last three big 10 seasons.
They're 3 and 23, and if they lose this game, they're going to
be 3 and 24. Over the course of the last
three seasons in the Big 10. That's going to be real hard for
players. To get excited about playing in
in that sort of circumstance, in that situation.
Because you just feel like nothing's gone, right?
Nothing's gone your way. And you know the.
The idea that you're playing for the old oaken bucket, I think
that might. Help a little bit, but this is
where the big question mark comes in that was raised.
A couple of weeks ago, I think by Taylor Lehman, but also.
We've we've talked. Scott and I have talked.
About it as well, you know IU has been so transfer heavy,
especially on defense and now we're starting to see.
The defense really fall off and. You know, we talked about that a
couple of weeks ago. It's like, you know, will this
defense that doesn't have a lot of lifelong Hoosiers, Will they
really? Be able to keep the intensity.
Up once the promise of a bowl is completely.
Gone. And it's been gone now for a
couple of weeks and you go up against the Purdue team.
That while they don't have the opportunity to go to a bowl.
Either, Purdue, at least, feels. Like they've, you know, with
that Minnesota game A couple of weeks ago, they've shown that
they can rise. To the occasion, particularly
offensively. And you know that you know
Purdue's going to be loaded. For Bear, their their fans
haven't had a lot to cheer for. This year probably won't be a
full. Stadium, but I don't see a lot
of IU fans. Traveling for this, I mean, I've
been to Ross Aiden Games where they've been, you know, like a
70, 30 or a 6040 split where IU. Fans have made-up A.
A sizable minority of the crowd. I have a real hard.
Time seeing IU fans traveling to watch this team.
There's been just zero. Buzz around this game this week,
and it's a real shame because this is.
It's a fun little rivalry when either of the teams is good,
even if both of them aren't because we've seen over the
course of. Of time.
There's so many times you've seen the underdog able to to
come in. And and figure out a way to
beat. The team that's that's been
better for the course of the season and you know it.
Almost happened to Indiana back in 2019, when you know Purdue
was not. Having the greatest of years and
they ended up, you know, really struggling.
In that game, had to go to double overtime.
And you know, eventually picked up the victory.
But. You know, that's the kind of
game that you will sometimes get in these contests where you know
even. I think that that year Purdue
was four and. Seven.
They had nothing to play for and they, you know, they they.
Came real close to to knocking Indiana off in that one in
overtime. So I just with this one, with
both of these teams being bad and with the struggles that Tom
Allen and his coaching staff have frankly had in getting
their team up to play. Anybody in the Big 10 over the
course of the last. Three years.
It's hard for me. To look at this game and say, Oh
yeah, Indiana's going to figure out a way to.
Bring the fire and bring the intensity needed to beat a
Purdue team. That hasn't been good, but.
Certainly has been no worse. Than Indiana and at times has
probably been slightly better, but I mean Purdue's.
Got one more? Conference win this year than.
Indiana's got and it's. It's just kind of an odd
situation right now where you if if the game was in Bloomington,
maybe you could look at it a little differently.
But it's at Ross Aid and Purdue has won both of their big. 10
games and scored a lot of points in those big 10.
Games at Ross Aid the. Illinois win 44 to 19 back at
the end of September and the Minnesota win 49 to 30 a couple
of weeks. Ago also in Ross Aid.
So all that to say, you know, it's.
Certainly possible that Indiana could figure out a way to win
this. Purdue is not that good.
And you know, I think if Indiana is going to win, it's going to
really rely on figuring out a way to leverage the passing game
effectively. Throughout the course of the
contest, I think Indiana. Running against this Purdue team
is not likely, and that's not the strength of Indiana anyway.
And while the running game has gotten better, it's still not
good as much as I've liked. Out of Trent Howland, especially
over the course of the last couple.
Of games you know, Indiana just doesn't seem to be able to block
consistently enough to to make a go of it.
Offensively in the running attack and so they've really had
to use. The passing attack to set that
up, which I'm glad they. Finally started doing that.
That's something we talked about.
For most of the season, and it seems like they finally open
their eyes to that over the course of the last few weeks.
But it hasn't quite been. Enough.
And the way that Indiana's been handling their.
Passing attack frankly has me a bit nervous because they.
They just don't seem to be consistent.
In what they're trying to do, you know, Scott and Taylor
talked about this in the Post Game Reaction podcast to that
Michigan State game. But, you know, it was great.
In that game to watch Indiana try to use the.
Passing attack more consistently.
To get the ball down the field. The problem was that you know,
they they. Really didn't target Donovan
Mccully nearly enough. And Mccully's been such a key.
Player for them in terms of, you know, there's just so few
players. That can do what, Donovan?
Mccully can do he's he's so physically imposing.
He had, you know. 24 yards per catch.
In that Michigan State game, but only caught the ball 3.
Times. And it's like you got to get the
ball out to that player more. That you cannot have a situation
where you're throwing the ball primarily to.
Dequese Carter and EJ Williams. You know that's that's an an
advantage. You've got to figure out how to
take better. Advantage.
Of and so I think a lot of it's. Going to really depend on that
now. I did like some of the wrinkles
that they threw in. Last week in terms of getting.
The tight ends involved Trey Walker.
Caught a touchdown pass. James Bamba caught a touchdown
pass, if it felt like one of those.
Seasons. Where tight ends just didn't.
Exist on the roster so for Indiana to finally.
Fold the tight ends in. Use them in the red.
Zone, that was encouraging. But the problem is I just I've
yet. To see the consistency from
Indiana that would indicate, Oh yeah, this is what.
They're going to now do. They don't, really.
Have an identity and. We keep coming back to.
That on the, on the. Show we keep coming back to
that. You can read that.
I think the people that are. That understand.
What's been going on with this Indiana team?
They've pointed it out. It's it's just very much a a
dice. Roll what Indiana will do
offensively. Game to game and so.
That's that's. Kind of the big thing.
For me, it's like how how effective is the passing game
early and how well can Indiana continue to add wrinkles so that
they're not giving Purdue a clear sense.
Of what needs to be stopped because I think Purdue is
certainly. Capable of stopping it and
that's that's going to be to me the big question mark the other
issue. Obviously, is Indiana secondary
defensively if Hudson Card is able to get a rhythm?
And start getting it out to receivers.
I really do worry about how. Indiana will be able to handle
that. And then, if Indiana has to
start dropping additional defenders back in past coverage.
That's going to make it very hard to stop Devin Mockaby and
the Purdue rushing attack. So all told with this.
One, I'm going to pick Purdue. I think Purdue is probably
closer to the FBI. Projection of an 8 point margin
of victory than the S&P plus projection of three.
So I'm going to say Purdue probably wins this.
It's probably a little higher. Scoring than what?
You might think, I'll say. Purdue wins this one like 31 to
21 I think A. Bit somewhere in that 7 to 10
point range makes sense and you know I I think both teams will
have a little bit of early. Success.
I think Purdue will probably adapt a bit better.
Down the stretch. And and that'll end up being.
The margin of victory so. Hopefully I'm wrong.
It would be a shame to lose more ground in the Indiana Purdue
series. Obviously, you know the problem.
The problem with the old Oak and Bucket series, You know they
always. They'll bring the bucket out and
they'll they'll show the records.
And it's like, man, Indiana lost so much ground to Purdue.
In the early days in the 30s forties.
And 50s and that, they've never, they're never really going to
recover from that. They've.
Had a couple of nice stretches, including one not too long ago
when. Indiana won a bunch of games in
a row against Purdue. In the Kevin Wilson era, but
this is. I don't think the team.
That snaps the two game losing streak that Indiana's currently
got to Purdue. And unfortunately, this probably
consigns IU to a three and nine record and allows Purdue to
finish. At 4:00 and 8:00 with three of
those wins. Coming in conference.
So hopefully I'm wrong. But that's where.
My prediction is right now we will talk more about IU we'll.
Certainly have our post game podcast coming up either
Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Probably Sunday morning. And for those who haven't been
around the podcast much before, what we generally.
Do is the Post Game podcast for the last.
Game of the season, which is, of course, Purdue.
And then? If that is the actual last game
of the season as. Opposed to IU going to a bowl,
we will then do our season wrap up podcast normally the like.
Either that night or the following day, we'll probably do
it. Sunday night of this week.
And we'll have a lot to talk about.
Obviously, I mean if if honestly, whether or not Indiana
wins or loses this game. It will be the end of another
very disappointing season for IU football.
IU is either. Going to finish with three or
four. Wins in their last three seasons
in the Big 10. And obviously they lose to
Purdue. That's going to be three wins,
essentially one win per year. Average over the course of the
last three. Seasons and a step backward.
I think clearly from last year when Indiana won two.
Games in conference and you know you you would have hoped that.
Things would have changed or been done that would have put
Indiana in a better position this year and it just hasn't
happened and it's been certainly a frustrating ride for
everybody. I know the players have been
frustrated. I know the coaches have been
frustrated and certainly the. Fans have been incredibly
frustrated. And it's the same things, you
know, it's not just the losses, it's the ways that the losses.
Have happened. Very frustrating kind of thing.
And one of those situations where I think Indiana
ultimately. Is going to have to do a lot of
soul searching. This offseason, Regardless of
what? Happens even if they win.
This game this season was just. Not acceptable on a whole number
of levels and we talked about at the beginning of the year, we
talked about you know what is progress.
And. And where should Indiana be?
And you know just this season has really felt and we'll talk
about. This, obviously on our
postseason. Wrap up pod.
Regardless of what happens, but it really has felt like Indiana
has lost so much ground this season compared to where they
were even last year, where it felt like they were, you know,
there was a little bit of, hey, we're, you know, we're still.
A little bit in the mix with things, but you look at the.
Standings and. You know Indiana, The best they
can do at this point is finish in a tie for last place.
In the the Big 10 E and the best they can do at this point is
finish tied for the least number of overall conference wins in
the Big 10 right now. Indiana's got one this season.
Purdue's got 2. Michigan.
State's got 2, Nebraska 's got three, so.
You know Michigan State obviously as they close out the.
Season. They've got the the Land Grant
Trophy game against Penn State. They're probably going to lose
that. You know, so the best Indiana
could do would be win this game and that would tie them with
Purdue and Michigan State for the least number of conference
wins this season. That's just not acceptable.
And especially when you think about, you know that OK, maybe
they tie Michigan State and overall record and and
conference record that Michigan State team like they're lucky.
They had a season. They lost their head.
Coach at the. Beginning of the year, it's wild
that. Indiana with you know came in
with a a stable lineup of of coaches and.
Players, maybe not the most. Talent in the Big 10, but a
whole whole. Offseason to get things going.
It's wild that Michigan State with all of the.
Problems that they've had would finish above or at the same.
Level as Indiana, all things considered, and would have the
win. Over Indiana.
In Bloomington, you know. Purdue again.
New coach, new situation. They win this game.
They would be two wins clear of Indiana, despite the fact that
the. Rest of their season.
Really went off the rails and then I think the bigger issue is
all you have to do is look up. And you know Maryland and
Rutgers are going to play to close out the.
Season one of those teams is going to be 7 and five and one
of those teams is going to be 6 and six.
One of those teams is going to have four wins in conference.
One of those teams is going to have three.
And it's like that's. The teams you have to be at
least. Tied with, if not ahead of and
Indiana. 'S not going to be.
Again, and it feels like a lot of the damage has been
self-inflicted over the course of this.
Season. So that's the frustrating part
about all of this and certainly that's what we'll be.
Diving into in much greater detail in the podcast where we
wrap up. The.
Season, so be sure to tune in for that.
It's going to be a. Busy weekend overall.
We were going to have, obviously, our post.
Game pod as I mentioned. We're going to have IU.
Basketball playing on Sunday as they take on Harvard.
Up in Indianapolis, we're going to have IU soccer on the road
they travel to Charlottesville to take on the.
Virginia Cavaliers. Big game there, as if.
They win that game that could get them into the quarter
finals. Where they have an outside
chance of possibly even hosting that next game.
Just a lot going on with IU athletics at this.
Point. And so as IU heads into the
first week of Big 10. Season coming up next?
Week is, they'll be. Taking on Maryland and and
Michigan in short order. The The things don't get calmer
for IU. Sports.
And so we'll be here to talk about all of those things.
So be sure to. Stay tuned as we walk you
through all of that. If you got comments or
questions. You can always send them in.
If you go to the sub stack. You can use the chat function.
There. Or you can just tweet them at
us. We're happy to try to.
Respond as they come in anyway, we'll go.
Ahead and wrap up again, Indiana facing Purdue in the old Oaken.
Bucket game. I will say the one last thing
here. The line started in this game at
Purdue -2 1/2. It's at Purdue -5.
And a half now, so. Do with that information what
you will, but normally Vegas has a pretty good.
Idea of what's going on. Behind the scenes, and so I'll
be curious to see. How much that projection ends up
matching reality? I really appreciate you folks
tuning in as always as. We continue to podcast about IU
football. Certainly I don't know if a
labor of love is the right way to to put it, but it's.
Certainly a sense of obligation. And duty.
But almost all of that comes from you folks.
Who constantly remind us that you?
Enjoy hearing us talk about IU football?
We certainly enjoy. Having some folks like you to
talk about IU football with SO. So thank you for another.
Fun season of talking about the games and the team.
Even if the. Team in the games themselves
have not been that much fun to talk about.
Anyway, that'll wrap it up for us here.
Again, be sure to tune in this weekend as we'll have a recap of
the IU Purdue game. We'll have a recap of the
football. Season and we might throw in
some basketball talk as well as we.
Look at what happened with Indiana versus Harvard, thanks
to our sponsors at the home field.
Network and folks will catch you on the flip side.
Bring back the bison so. Everybody.