Welcome back to Crimson, Cask ale, and klaviyo here.
Got a packed show for you today as we prepare to watch.
I you football try to go to four and oh, on the season, as
they're going to be taking on the Michigan State Spartans.
This Saturday at noon. And this is a big game, folks.
I'm going to talk about this later on in the podcast, with
our guests, but this is not a game.
You should be taking lightly if you are an IU football fan.
And I think that a lot of fans are taking it.
Lightly understandably. So Indiana's played really well,
they're ranked 10th there 3 and 0 on the campaign and those are
all a excellent things particularly coming off a win
against Michigan. It's easy to not just be
celebratory about that but also look beyond the 1 and 2 opponent
that you have coming up in the next game and look ahead to a
potential undefeated matchup with Ohio State the next
weekend, but I would advise that you not do that.
Michigan state is as much of a Tormentor of Indiana football.
As any of the other teams in the conference are, in fact, in some
ways more, so like, we We can get fired up thinking about
Wisconsin. We can get fired up thinking
about, you know, playing Penn State or or whatever.
Michigan state has really been a problem for Indiana over the
course of the really the entire time.
They've been in the conference Michigan state joined in 1950
and Indiana's, only beaten them 16 times total.
And actually of the 16 times three of them happened before
Michigan State, even join the conference.
So it has been a world of hurt for this Indiana program against
Michigan State. So, I would just advise you To
pump the brakes on looking ahead.
And really think about this Michigan State team.
It's going to be, I think a tougher game than people are
giving it credit for Michigan State.
Certainly is not didn't look good against Rutgers.
They didn't look good against Iowa.
They did look pretty good against Michigan, and that's the
same Michigan team that Indiana beat this past week.
So, we've got some great guests coming up for you on the
podcast. We're going to start off with
Caleb, Kaufman sports editor, at the Indiana Daily student.
And one of the folks that covered this IU, Team last year.
So he's got some great insights to bring us about what things
are like covering an IU football team that's off to such a great
start and is ranked in the polls so we'll start off with him and
then we've got one of our favorites from the Indianapolis
Market. Olivia, Ray IU Alum.
Someone that covered IU. Football work for the IU
football team for a little while.
She was in college, and now covers them again for WISH-TV
will get her perspective on what's going on this season.
And, and what it looks like from at least, two recent historical
perspective. And then we got Mike Miller back
on the show from Crimson Corey. He'll be joining us a little bit
later on as well. All right, our first guest on
Crimson cast the Friday edition here this we get Caleb Kaufman
sports editor at the IDS and I don't know.
We had you on the show before Caleb.
I feel like maybe once or was this the first time first time.
I'm all right, I love it. Well, welcome, good to have you.
On officially, I guess. First of all, from the The
standpoint of, you know, being a in student media covering this
IU football team. It feels like this football team
has been on the brink of something interesting, and
exciting for a few years. Now last year was a little bit
of a breakthrough. So, to speak this year, it's, I
mean, it's, like, none of that ever happened.
It's like, you know, this is a legitimate team that's that's
getting top 10 votes and so forth.
What what's this experience? Been like, trying to cover, you
know, this team? Team and just watching it from
an editorial perspective in the way people have reacted to it.
It's completely different from last year, like everyone was
excited last year with just, they were competitive and, like,
against Penn State, and they thought they could beat
Michigan. And then out of nowhere, like,
you get to write about Michael penix diving OT winner.
And just the thumping of a Michigan team that probably is
better than they've shown so far this season.
So it's just like you get that excitement no longer that.
Oh, so close articles. Everyone's having to write and
do they can't finally break through this year.
The proof is there. It's actually preferable to give
I you the recognition. A lot of people have wanted to
give and ready to give after the Gator Bowl until the last three
minutes. This team seems to have a level
of confidence that we've just not seen with an IU football
team in decades. Like, before you were born, I
would say. And even last year, you know, it
poked through it at certain points.
Obviously, you know, the win at Nebraska was a big example of
that and the way that they handled.
Western the following week, and even the way that they ended up
winning the Purdue game at the end, but obviously, you know,
against Tennessee, the kind of fell apart at the end, and we
saw that against Michigan last year, as well.
This year's team just seems to have this level of confidence
about them. That is almost unrecognizable
when you're talking about IU football, like it's the level of
confidence that you normally see, you know, Wisconsin or an
Iowa or a team like that carrying out on the field where
they really look like they're supposed to be winning the Mm
and supposed to come away with the victory at the end.
Yeah. It's been like, instead of just
going into big games. Thinking, hey, we can compete
and maybe keep it close and if the Right Things Fall will get a
win this year. They're going into these games
were saying, we are the better team.
We actually should be winning these games and make a Penn
State and Michigan. Purdue at the end of the year.
Who's looking good? Like actually be scared of us
and really worried about having to play?
I you deal with the defense and deal with them like appendix and
a thing. This team is ranked tenth right
now. Are they a top 10 team in your
opinion? I'm not sure they're athlete top
10. Like when you be in the Ohio,
Michigan and a Penn State, like the name recognition, alone will
Propel. You obviously to see how they do
next week against Ohio State, if they can keep it close, then
yeah, their top 10 team, because Ohio, State's Far and Away the
best team in the Big Ten, in my opinion.
What I said, they're hovering around at 9:48.
Ish, their clothes on our clothes, I'm sure they're.
Well, it's interesting because I feel like to some degree people
have tried to move the goalposts a bit on this.
And because they come out, they beat Penn State who was
projected to be right there with, with Ohio State and then
they beat Michigan last week. Obviously, and Michigan was a
team that was ranked in the top 15, I think, or top 20 to start
the season. And now, it's like, oh, those
teams are no good, which I like, obviously Penn State has
struggled. But they, I mean, they didn't
look awful against Ohio State and I think they, you know, they
do seem to have just lost their Mojo to some degree, but that's
still a very Talented, team Michigan's, obviously a very
talented team. I, you just seems to be playing
better than them but it is interesting.
Watching people essentially trying to undercut.
I use record by suddenly trying to claim that two of the
stalwarts in college football are actually no good.
I can see where you're saying that, like, I love it, I
probably pushing them, like, this can actually be a legit
thing I even in the top 10. Like that's not why most
students to cup want to cover sports or follow Sports came to
IU. It's for the best watching, this
can't be real. I can see where you're coming
from with that. It is a really weird reversal of
Fortune and it's one of those things I've been thinking about
this a lot. There was a great Sport Center
segment, that Sage Steele retweeted a little yesterday and
they were Kirk Herbstreit had asked you know, what was the
last time I you had back-to-back winning seasons and it was 1993
and 1994. And Sage was like, well, I was
there and nobody paid attention because everybody was focused on
basketball and it like, There's not really basketball to focus
on yet people and even when basketball starts up, it will be
a season that I think people are kind of cautiously optimistic
about, but it's not like everybody's just salivating over
watching the basketball team. Get back on the feet on the
floor. It feels like much more worried.
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, because it's like, well,
gosh, Rutgers is ranked ahead of the basketball team and they're
not in the top 25. And, you know, it's there's a
lot of question marks obviously about how good they might be.
So this is one of those weird. Bots and IU history,
athletically where there is no parallel, really to basketball,
like, footballs kind of got the stage all to themselves.
And it's, it's a weird sort of thing because that's just very
unusual in the history of iuf Lennox.
Yeah, it's just people, honestly don't know what to do.
Like, when you ask like, the students are like, like, like
it's different that we're not there, and no one's able to
like, experience this in person per se, but just no one knows
how to react to. Too good.
I you football team? Like how excited are you
supposed to be? Are we supposed to go full SEC
style, all in? Or is it tempered expectation
still? No, it's how you stuck in that
middle ground. We're not used to this, right?
Yeah. Which is maybe the best spot to
be in because you're not jaded by past success but you're also
there like there's still such a newness about it that they're
your you know it's you almost just don't know what to do with
yourself. Like you said there was an
interesting article in the act Take that came out this week
which detailed the two coordinators.
That Tom Allen has got obviously Kane Womack on defense and you
got Nick Sheridan on offense. The youngest coordinator tandem
in college football, there were a lot of questions about Kane
Womack taking over as defensive coordinator.
Last year, there were a lot of questions this year about Nick
Sheridan taking over his offensive coordinator.
Very sympathetic and I think positive peace in the athletic.
Both and it was a really interesting profile on young
coaches and their rise to success from your perspective,
having watched this program for a couple of years.
How do you think things are going?
And are you surprised with the way that the season has started
so far with those two coordinators?
I'll start with Kane since I know a little bit more than
about him. Its overall having covered him
and wrote some articles about him last year as well.
Oh I'm not surprised by his rise to a defensive coordinator
position like his dad. Dave Wommack was a big-time
offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and throughout the South
for a while and both Tom Allen and came worked on his staff.
But just how he's been able to adapt with.
I use skill level, like it is a jump going from an SEC school
then he was um on blank. It was Missouri.
Stay, I think, that's right. Yeah, I believe he was at
before, but then just trying to build a defense at IU to compete
against a perennial powers of Michigan, Ohio, State Penn
State, and all those, it was Eastern, Asia Eastern Illinois.
But yes, gone up, sorry. Um, but But just he's done a
great job putting together a team and having that fit of what
Tom Allen likes to find and his recruits with as he says, I look
for quarterbacks taken place safety and fast linebackers that
can play the outside and really adopting it and making it a true
power in the Big Ten. So, his rise, isn't that
surprising to me his success the series season little bit is I'll
admit that Penn State game. I was tweeting a storm saying up
another Kane Womack defense. That can't get To stop when it's
needed and then Sheridan. I'm I want to say I'm surprised
but I'm a little loud and how easily the transition has been
from Kyle devore's offense last year, which he's mostly try to
keep the same. But of course it's going to be
different different play caller different mind and how I use
offense really has just kind of after Rocky Week, 1 at time an
offense just slid into it and has been looking good since And
sorry, he's just been a true leader and he has a truck tour
with pain X uses main recruiting person.
He was his QB coach when penix Richard as a freshman.
So, all of that kind of works out for IU, but it's been
impressive for such a young staff and Tom mallams, pretty
young to for. Yeah, I don't think Alan's 50
yet. And it's it is a really young
staff. It's a young and a fresh
perspective on things. And I think that, you know, On
Womack. It's interesting because the I
think it's easy to forget because Tom Allen's like a
wizard when it comes to making defense has work.
And it's easy to forget that, you know, Alan and and the way
that I use defense have played that there still a talent
deficit against almost everybody else that they're playing in the
conference. You know, there's a couple of
exceptions to that but just looking at sheer recruit numbers
and and even thinking about where the best players on the
defense are, you know, it's generally Players that are in
the secondary. You know, you're not talking
about this a defense that stocked with blue chippers and
four and five star players, you know, like a Penn State or like
a Michigan. And there's just a physical
disadvantage that you're going to run into sometimes with that.
And so I've been actually really impressed with how steady the
defense has looked especially the last two games.
I think certainly against Penn State.
It's you can look at some of those drives and say well gosh
You know, the turnovers were the only thing that really saved
them in a lot of ways. And yet it's also easy.
I think on both offense and defense kind of through the Penn
State game out the window, because of the fact that it was
the first game back, you have covid restrictions on practices,
you have all of these things that are negatively impacting
the way that both teams played. So it's almost like, well all
that mattered, there was Indiana getting the Victory and you
can't really necessarily take much evidence except for the
victory out of that. At.
Yeah and then he's done it. As you mentioned, just covering
up the deficiencies like eyes Blitz rate is through the roof
right now. Just how much pressure there
bringing and yeah, like Tyler Mullen the by far the best
player on defense is a corner like an undersized cornerback at
that and just being able to utilize him in different ways.
Even he has three sacks on the season by himself.
The secondary didn't have a single stack all last year for
IU. And just and someone like
Michael McFadden, who It like he's making him look like a
start the season at linebacker where, which was not a lot of
people who watch The Good the team closely would have
predicted, right. Exactly.
Like last year I would like have my head in my hands from to see
Mike McFadden Phil hold against certain teams and then this
year, he's killing it. Like what?
He'd be a third-string linebacker on some.
Like a traditional power, you would think, and this year, he's
one of the better linebackers in the Big Ten statistically it's
one of the things about certainly the defense that Are
you has to develop their own Talent.
Like they, they have to coach players up from essentially the
time they get on campus and so that, you know, they have to
bring in people with potential and they have to somehow find
potential. Even in players, that may not
exhibit at the first couple of years and I think that you make
a good point there, I think, even on the defensive line,
which was a big question mark, I don't think that's been that
much of a question mark once you got past that Penn State game,
like, they really were able to handle most of what Michigan
throughout them. They were certainly able to do
whatever Rutgers throughout them.
They're not a primary pass rushing type of of, of unit,
like, you might like to see, but they're eating up time and space
enough for someone like Mullen to come in and start racking up
sex. And it's a really clever
approach that, you know, I think is a tribute to the defensive
staff because it's essentially using what they had got to the
best of their advantages. Yeah, and then I know this week
Kings talking about a little bit was like how they're just trying
to disguise things and he's like we have a slightly under sized
in certain position players. He's like you can slip Taiwan
behind a defensive lineman, they don't see him coming for the
first second half at quarterbacks and just drop and
then it's over. It's just really interesting how
I use trying to fill these gaps and then you mentioned defensive
line, Michael's young but I remember yeah, I didn't have you
for two, two for your interest Sports media, but she sat next
to me in class that Year. So I'm 53 sitting next to like a
six foot five, 200 pounds defensive lineman, but I
remember that year. Like he barely saw the feel up,
and I'll be excited when I saw him and then this year, he's a
starting defensive end for the most part are at least a quick
rotation player who's gone work. So you as you said, you see the
build each year like they still come out and gets them in, you
get more playing time and then by junior senior year I can have
good defensive and even offensive skill players that had
a grill. Are you playing Michigan State,
obviously? This weekend, and this is a
weird game because on the one hand, Michigan State hasn't
looked great. You know, they did beat
Michigan, but they looked really bad and their other two games.
On the other hand, this is not a team that I you beats very often
and it's not like Michigan State's roster is bereft of
talent, you know? This is one of those games that
you could look at it as kind of a classic Trap game.
It's certainly a game where if Indiana is not on the ball.
They're going to struggle, you know, from a mental perspective.
What are you looking for in this game?
What do you think the keys are to success for Indiana and
trying to go up and score a very rare win in East Lansing.
I wanna see how you actually run the ball with success.
I feel like against some Penn State and Michigan.
Those are big athletic defense has that give ayuda trouble up
front. But at some point, they have to
be able to run the ball with some consistency.
Honestly Sampson James, has to look like the better back to me
so far this season, like his Speed and Agility actually
showing through and after his little possible transfer out and
coming back. He's looking good.
Um but like Rushing for 40-something yards on like 15
carries from. Stevie Scott, this isn't going
to cut it. When you need to be able to
control possession and work your way down the field.
Like everyone knows I you can throw the ball and spread it out
to a wasp or a tie for I Fogle but you have to be able to run
north-south sometimes and this is the week I think they have to
be able to show it. Yeah, it's interesting that the
rushing numbers against Michigan, kind of covered up,
how difficult the rushing attack, had it for most of the
game. Stevie Scott was able to rack up
some yards late. And it's weird to think of IU
using like running a tradition to be stronger than the
opposition at the end of the game, but that's essentially
what happened against Michigan. I agree with you, though.
I think that establishing the run a bit more against Michigan.
State would be nice to see because they weren't really even
able to do that necessarily against Rutgers that much.
But that said, this passing attack is so interesting and
there, it's so multifaceted and there are so many weapons and Mi
Marshall back in the mix. You know, Peyton Hendershot has
had some drop issues but he's also caught some nice balls.
Obviously you've got tie fry Fogle who's been kind of a
revelation this year. I think there was always
potential there, but watching him emerge, as maybe panics is
second favorite target has been really interesting to see.
And then, of course you've got wop failure out there, doing
what? Fill your things.
Yeah, just, I've been struck by Assurance.
Don't like old-school almost with like, Trip of three bunches
in the near sideline of late. It from most other places seems
like he's running that triple set and it works perfectly with
how I used to set up. You can put La Paz, a screen
Typhon cutting over the middle and then you have the third
receiver is that week usually miles Marshall.
When he's healthy can be going over the top and it just really
puts a lot of pressure and like open it kind of can replace the
Run game in a different way. It's kind of how you end up
playing at the end of last year. Where Screens.
Tom Allen would call them secondary runs but um, It's just
a fun team to watch, especially with past games, the pass game.
Like, people don't always love watching a running back, 04
yards, each play. But when I use throwing screens
again, athletic players and Spacek spices it up a little
bit. Well, it's interesting because
it feels like this offense last year and this year is what the
Kevin Wilson offense was like always promising but never quite
delivered those offenses they had some fun plays, they could
score points in bunches at times but they're also always felt
like they Or one misread from disaster and and that tended to
rear its head in games at the most inopportune times.
You know, I think maybe the most and I've obviously just putting
a tremendous Jinx on the team right now, but one of the most
impressive things so far has been how little this team has
turned the ball over, you know how little they have shot
themselves in the foot, in terms of penalties, it's it's really
been interesting to watch them, develop a, kind of a
high-efficiency approach to things.
Things simply by maintaining possession and not doing things
that are going to take away from their eventual success.
Yeah, I think that's a big part with experience, especially on
the offensive line. Bedford's, the youngest one, as
a sophomore, but he played a lot after Harry Crider.
Got injured, not Harry Potter quite drunk.
I'm sorry. Got injured last year.
Um so like they know to like you see it, what experience they can
stay set, they don't have those mind-numbing false, start
penalties that drive, everyone crazy and ruin drive and then
just penix has been For the ball last year at time T1, just take
the Deep shot because he had of ridiculous arm that can thrilled
like 70 yards. Like it's nothing but this year,
he's taking the underneath route and just actually finding open
receivers which is what I need is that it's a team that has to
be low turnover. And then strong defense, I think
to have success overall, especially against top-tier
competition which like a Ohio state, Wisconsin and hopefully
good bowl game. Should should be an interesting
time here. This week is IU plays Michigan
State noon, kick a lot of national television for this IU
team. It's it's like becoming a normal
thing now and the stove set that unto weeks, Ohio State's a new
kick. I know, fox has first rights but
I thought this was the time. They got a full true prime time.
I'll tell, you know what? I'll take whatever they can get
at this point. I'm not gonna turn my nose up at
National Fox television. That's that's fine with me.
Anyway, Caleb Kaufman, you can Read his stuff in the Indiana
Daily student. You can read the stuff he edits
there as well. And we'll be talking to Caleb
later on, in the season or this the year, I guess is he'll be
covering basketball for the ideas as well.
Thanks for joining me, man. Thank you.
Alright, our next guests on Crimson cast today is I think
another first-time guest on Crimson Castile.
We might have had her on once a long time ago, but Olivia Ray,
from WISH-TV joining us. Welcome.
Good to see you again. Thank you.
You. I feel like maybe Can I was I
student, I may have popped on here but that's the last time.
Yeah. So you mentioned IU student.
You were a student at IU, you're an Alum of the program and you
did a lot of work with IU football, while you were here as
a student, you reported on them. You also, you know, did video
work for them and so forth. So I'm interested in your
perspective. Looking at this, I you football
team and thinking back, Back to like your impressions of IU
football, what is this season been?
Like, for you watching them and seeing them have the level of
success that they've had so far? It reminds me a lot of 2015
besides we're taking the what ifs out of the equation, right?
I mean we could be back in another for now.
Start like we were back then and the 2016 success and like I
mentioned, I was a manager on the team.
So I went to both those bowl games from is just everything
has been so close for so long but I think a lot of my hopes
have been let down so many times that it's hard to.
We invest right now, all of, all, of my optimism in this
team, but I'm getting there. I'm getting there, especially
after that. Michigan, when I mean, they were
the better football team, it was clear and there was no, let down
at Rutgers like I expected, you know, they did.
I you the Penn State game like they tend to do and try to hand
it to them, but for once the chips are falling in the
Hoosiers Direction. So it reminds me a lot of the
ISM that I think the team felt the energy that the team felt.
I you fans felt around this team, the difference in.
Nobody can be there right now. So you're just seeing everyone's
support them from afar and I almost like it better because
everyone's rallying around the team knowing that they can't be
out in the tailgating Fields, you know, enjoying themselves.
So I feel like more people are actually invested in the play on
the field. Yeah, I think it's a really good
point because as you mentioned like a lot of The football game
has been kind of a sideshow, or just something going on in the
background, for a lot of the people in the stands, maybe not
the hardcore alums that go to every game but certainly for
students, and it does feel like, because everybody's had to watch
on television, you know, because and it's, and it's been a fun
team to watch so far. You are getting a little bit
more buy-in, and I think a bit more focus on how many awesome
pieces are on this team. And the job, the Tom Allen's
doing overall in terms of not just galvanizing the team, but
also galvanizing the fan base. Yes, and I love the media tour
that Tom Allen is doing right now.
I think it's great for the program, especially giving on
programs like Pat McAfee and, you know, the younger
generation. I guess platforms that people
are consuming right now. I mean, people people love
McAfee and he really loves Tom Allen right now, so you get the
thumbs up for back of the you're gonna have the whole state
behind you. I feel like that's I was team is
right now. What is it?
The Tom Allen's doing that is different that that's working
with this. I you football program, I mean
you know like the it's not there because the talent levels aren't
that different. Certainly there's been better
recruiting in incremental terms from what it was during the
Kevin Wilson era. But there's like a special sauce
that seems to be at work. With Tom Allen.
That wasn't quite at work during the Kevin Wilson Arrow.
What is that? Exactly?
Lee. Right?
Well, I mentioned I worked under both coaches.
So I mean, they are two completely different men and I,
and I love and respect them both.
Kevin Wilson was very old-school and hard-nosed all around
football guy. Tom, Allen is a football guy
that tackles his own players because he's so excited and
knocks his teeth out and gets black eyes from taking helmets
to the face and celebrations, and he has been the love each.
They're the Elio Macho King brought that in when back when
he started as defensive coordinator.
So I mean, it's not fake, it's real for him and he really is,
that guy, I mean, I worked under him for a year and still to this
day, whenever I see him, he greets me with a hug and before
we say our goodbyes, he follows up with a nelio.
I mean, he, he lives that Mantra so it's not fake.
And the guys have bought into it.
I think when he first came on board, and everyone kept saying
Elio, it Was kind of, you know, no one really was feeling it
quite yet. Now, they realize that this guy
is the real deal and and he wants to be, here's the
difference. This isn't a stepping stone and
he doesn't want to go anywhere else and it's just so night and
day different. The practices the him running
around with a megaphone versus, you know, Kevin Wilson had like
a clipboard and walked around, it's just everything is
different and both of their coaching Styles worked by,
right? Tom Allen is ringing a little
bit better in the Hoosier State. Yeah, it feels like it almost it
seems weird to think about because I was certainly one of
those people was kind of skeptical of the sloganeering
and all of that. But for a program like IU that
is entirely unsuccessful historically in college
football. I mean, as it's good been
pointed out, several times losing his program and in FBS
history Three and losing his program in Big Ten history.
And, you know, it almost feels like it needed.
Some kind of different approach in order to really Galvanize
things that you still need a coach that is good at the
football things. And I think some that it's
interesting because you know what, what gets focused on
obviously. As you know, Tom Allen crowd,
surfing in the locker room or, you know, jumping on his DB and
getting a bloody face and, and the, you know, the Elio slogan.
But that is almost like The superstructure that's covering
up. What is a really well-coached
football? Team like a team that is not
committing turnovers not committing.
A lot of penalties executing plays on the field and and it's
like there's been this stair stepping last year was certainly
a positive step forward. In terms of, being able to
finish some games and do some good things out there and this
year, they've taken it to another level.
Yeah, when you praying disciplined football, it's
because your whole team has rallied around each other.
They care about each other, you know, they're like you said,
they're not making stupid mistakes as in penalties and
just the normal things that you football normally does.
It's because they all, I think they truly all care about each
other. And it's, and it's showing and I
know that sounds cliche, but it's he's proving it.
And like you said, he's a good football coach.
Everyone keeps forgetting, he came in and turned.
To this Indiana defense on its head in one year and I think he
took a step back in his first couple years as head coach.
Because he even admitted it was such a different ballgame for
him being a head coach. You know, he was having the
handle so many more responsibilities and I think
this quarantine maybe helped him dive back into the defensive
playbook and kind of, you know, dial things up the way he did.
Because he seems a lot more involved on defense this year
than he was last year. And it's showing because they've
been playing really well. As far as the players on the
field, obviously Michael penix. Getting a lot of attention.
He certainly I think proving to people why he was the choice for
starting quarterback this year. Despite the fact that you had
Peyton Ramsey, who had been a starter for a few years coming
back. Theoretically, and obviously
paying Ramses played very well at Northwestern so far through
this first part of the season. But but penix, if there were any
lingering questions about whether he could be a full-time
starting quarterback. He's really answered those so
far. In these first three games.
Yeah, I mean, you know, not a lot of mistakes right now from
Pain aches. And I was skeptical because when
has Indiana football been in a position to have two great
quarterback options, I mean, like an actual quarterback
battle, not not, we're settling with everyone else's backups for
a starting quarterback. There were two starting
quarterbacks, an idiom is roster so you can make, you can make an
argument that two of the three best quarterbacks.
In the whole Big Ten. Were in Indiana's locker room
last year which is just nuts. Yeah, insane.
Yeah, but loved what Peyton Ramsey.
Did I loved his loyalty to the program but obviously he needed
to move on and because he is a starting quarterback and he's
proving that Michael penix. I was skeptical the first two
weeks because he throws the ball. 90 miles an hour and I
cannot wrap my head around it. Sometimes I think I tweeted
during the Rutgers game, like, does Michael penix have a
changeup because Sometimes I'm like, I mean because his slight
mrs. Look like horrible mrs.
Because he throws the ball so hard and so fast, but man, it
was clicking against Michigan and and he's, he's proving that,
obviously, the arm strength and his own line really respects
him, that, that was proven against Michigan to, I mean,
they didn't let anyone touch him.
And that's how India is going to win games is if he has time
because like I said, it Slight mrs.
Look like bad mrs. But they're actually just slight
mrs. Normally, so, one of the things
recruiting, why's that IU football has certainly been
become known for, is that pipeline out of Florida, but
they've got several players from the state of Indiana on this
roster that are making a big difference.
Obviously, retailers one that people talked about quite a bit
out of the Indianapolis area. That's that's become a Mainstay
on defense. You know, the idea that IU
football might resonate in The state of Indiana with high
school football players is just kind of a weird one to think
about but they do seem to be getting players that are looking
to IU as a place to go. Whether it's retailer Sampson.
James someone else. I mean what what is that been
like like covering High School football and what's the buzz
like around IU football right now.
Well, obviously, I don't get to see it as much this season, but
last season was my first season in Indianapolis covering High
School football. And I am, I believe it was
before the Hoosier season had started and Tom, Allen and young
Tom Allen, his son were taking the chopper out and stopping at
different high school games. And ironically, he was at all
three games that I was at that night.
Of course, he got there much faster than I did, but people
were like swarming. Him and taking photos with him.
And I mean, he was the celebrity in the state of Indiana.
And I, again, I really respect Kevin Wilson, but I think he
could have showed up to some Indiana, Indianapolis High
School, football games, and some people wouldn't have even
recognized his face. You know, and granite.
That's because Tom Allen coached High School football here in
Indiana and won a State title, you know, with Ben Davis, one of
the big dogs here in Indy but I mean, also, you're talking A
about kids that are committing die.
You I've watched you chirayu quarterback Donovan McCauley and
we're talking about possibly another significant quarterback
battle. I know Michael Pinnock still
have it for a minute but Donovan McCauley is a baller.
I mean High School level he is he's crazy crazy good so I'm
excited to see him. I know he's a four-star and
everyone, no one wants to get super excited about four stars
just yet but I love seeing local kids making him Act on the
program. And it looks like coach Alan is
buying into those guys to and Macaulay is going to be one of
them for sure. It's a lot of good football
Talent, the state of Indiana particular are Indianapolis.
Just most of them historically. If they're that good, go to Ohio
State or Michigan or Notre, Dame, right?
It is an interesting change to watch Indiana in the mix for
some of those players is someone who's not seeing that happen,
historically throughout his life as a fan.
Well, I guess final question for you, then you'll, what are you
expecting out of the rest of the Before I you, there's obviously
a trap game coming up against Michigan State.
I'm actually very concerned that people aren't paying more
attention to this Michigan State game.
A little statistic that I pulled out on our previous guest that
he didn't realize. After the fact, I use only one
in East Lansing twice since 1970.
It is it, there's only 16 games that Indiana is one in this
series. Historically, this is not a team
that Indiana historically beats very often, they Eating them
once in the last 13 years. And I think you might have been
at that game. And that was, that was a, that
was a last minute, like took a trick play by Richard Lego in
regulation, and then, you know, it was like, it wasn't an easy
win. It's never an easy win versus
Michigan State. So, I guess first and foremost,
like, you know, I use got to play well in that game.
They've got to come out and assert themselves as a team.
That's a touchdown favorite. And that's something that we're
just not used to seeing Being out of this IU team.
Yeah, and I won't be surprised if Michigan State switches.
Things up this week. I haven't been paying super
close attention to them. I watched them against Michigan,
but their quarterback would banged up against Iowa and I
think they left him in the game because he was a HomeTown
favorite. I would not be surprised.
If they switch things up this week because they don't want to
hurt this guy in the long run in a season, that is clearly not
going to go Mitch. It states way in hell, you know,
as this thing plays out so I think Indiana should get ready
for a wild card and I mean Michigan State's beat them what
10 of the last 11 years or 12 years, something like that.
I was at that game and they want it to Griffin Oaks OT field goal
and the students stormed the field.
But game and Indiana, that's a big of a deal.
It was. And of course MSU Add the rest
of the season. So it turned out to not be as
impressive of a win, but yeah, it's never easy.
And in that game, IU IU was the better football.
Team that year is back in 2016, I believe and they were a better
football team but they Indiana. And in the final final quarter
like they always do and and ended up coughing up a lead and
everything. So it's yeah, this is a trap
game. I thought red Cruz was a trap
game and Indiana came. I'm out and one that one.
Now, this is an actual Trap game because they've won had three,
great wins in a row and everyone's thinking about going
into the Ohio State game for now again, and And actually making a
real statement now rights to Big Dog.
So yeah, we can't, we can't sputter against Michigan State,
that's for sure. That'll be interesting.
I think his team out has obviously demonstrated, they've
got the talent to do anything on the schedule this year and now
it's a matter of resolve and mentality and keeping emotions
in check and going out and winning a game that you're
supposed to win because you're playing against an opponent.
That's inferior to you. So rare, Ground not something.
We're used to seeing out of IU football, but it'll be
interesting to watch and see what they do.
Olivia this was fun. Anything else you'd like to chat
about with this before we wrap up?
Yeah, let's not go out and lose to Purdue at this.
That's the one I keep circling like, oh no, you know, Rhonda
was gonna be back, David Bell. That's the one I have my eyes
on. Always, that's always that's it.
That's always a crazy game regardless and had look.
And it's funny because there's a lot of, I mean, Obviously,
Michigan State, tough game, Ohio State people are circling that
but I mean, Maryland, just waxed Penn State and what, you know,
Wisconsin, who knows, what's going to happen with that game?
It's hard to even know what Wisconsin's going to look like
at that stage. They've been out with covid for
two weeks. You got Purdue as you mentioned
at the end of the season, there's no easy games on the
schedule but going back to something.
You said earlier, the idea that I you might make other teams
worried and nervous. It is, it's a nice spot to be in
and certainly I think it's it's been a lot of fun for those of
us that have followed this program closely and it's weird
to see the shoe on the other foot, bring the old, brass
spittoons back. I remember that night and it was
something I actually believed was that the Xander diamant
cigar night because that's one of my favorite IU photos.
I think it was. I know, I think that was the the
bucket game from the that was two years earlier, something
like that. Yeah.
Yeah, we had new hand. Yeah, two trophies that year.
It was that was, that's a very rare period for IU football when
they have both of those. But, but anyway, Olivia, thanks
for joining me. Pleasure is always, what have
you back on again soon? Yes, thanks Caitlin.
Our final, guest on Crimson cast this week, we have Mike Miller
back, we missed him last week, it felt like it would have been
a great week to have a Mike Miller lead in the timing just
didn't work but we got him back for the old brass spittoon game.
As I, you gets ready to take on Michigan State.
Mike, how you doing? I'm doing great.
It's great to be back in the saddle with you.
I'm sorry. I had a crush of obligations
fall on my plate last week, so it was great.
I was actually listening to you and Scott Saturday morning while
I was doing the dishes in the kitchen and it was a big feeling
of fomo feeling. Like I really missed out on the
opportunity to talk about the the women I've been predicting
for six straight years. And finally can finally came to
fruition. What first of all, nothing
Inspires like domestic chores, quite like Crimson cast folks,
you can remember that. It's great for mowing the lawn
washing dishes getting laundry folded IV, whatever you need.
You kill 30 minutes, just just pop a saint but no, Mike.
We've talked about Indiana beating Michigan.
We talked about this at the beginning of the year, I want
to, I want to step back a little bit.
We talked about this idea of well by, you could beat either
Penn State or Michigan to start the year.
While that would be really tremendous and it's It's
probably a bridge too far. And certainly the Penn State
game was all kinds of messy but I you found a way to Prevail
that Michigan game was a shellacking.
Like this was I would think you could make the argument, it was
like very few games in the IU. Michigan series have ever been
for I you like when they've beaten Michigan in the past,
it's been pretty close. That went in 87, that was not a
game where I you dominated. I mean, they came from behind,
they won in the fourth quarter. This was a game that they
dominated essentially from the end of the first quarter and
really looked like the superior team on the field for almost the
entire game. It's actually funny that 87
game. I loved about this last weekend.
You know, for in this series it felt like for the longest time
for IU to get this win, it was going to take a sloppy, Michigan
game was going to take a game that was messy and muddy and
Indiana was gonna you know Prevail on something weird or
fluky, it felt like for a while and even that 87 game, I mean,
it was so funny, like going back and ever since I moved to
Bloomington, I heard stories of that 87 game.
The stories of Bo Schembechler stopping the game.
At one point to complain about the crowd noise to the
officials, you know, just the huge crush of people that were
in Memorial Stadium that day cheering the Hooters on the
victory, but also the story of the wind, and how it was just
this cold wind, wet day in Bloomington in October 87, and
the IU team had the wind at their backs during this like
14-play eight-minute drive at the end of the third quarter
that put them up by I think was like a 14-10 score and just as
the A quarter shifted into the fourth quarter, the wind changed
directions and started wishing right back into the face of the
Michigan players. And so it felt like even in that
game. Indiana had this sort of divine
assistance? Yes, to get them to the Finish
Line. If this would be, if this had
been the Roman Republic like this is where, you know,
polybius writes about, you know, will the augurs were favorable
like they do the entrails of the goat like portended success or
something like that. So I mean, if you're into
paganism it was right there for you.
But yes, exactly, that was always.
He's the mythology that game was that it was going to take some
degree of divine intervention for.
I you to come away with a victory in the series and you
know I'll be damned if I didn't feel like it over the course of
the intervening 33 years, but this was there was no divine
intervention here. There was just Michael penix and
the IU defense. Yeah.
And you know what it was, I think if you're not you fan, I
think he should be really encouraged by a lot of things in
that game, but especially just the way that game started.
We've talked a lot about Not belief with this team and we
talked a lot about belief last couple years and how it seems
like these last few weeks we've really seen a team that truly
believes that they can win these games that they're on the same
playing field as the Michigan's and in the Penn State's of the
world. But just the way they came out
particularly offensively, I think we know what this team is
defensively, but the way they came out on the first drive with
that scripted, they look prepared.
They look confident. They look like a team that
believe that what they were going to do was going to be
successful and I think there is a lot to that just sort of
setting the tone Down with that, with that first drive, even just
coming out and showing that, you know, pay we're here and we're
here to win the game. You'll just from the very first
moments of this game, it felt like a team that was in control
and in command really to of what they wanted to do, they really
dictated play, which is something we really haven't seen
inconsistent doses over the years.
One of the things I was talking earlier about with the couple of
our guests has been, how not, just how confident this IU team
has looked, but they have been incredibly so far in terms of
just not doing dumb things, the dumb things that we've
complained about quite a bit with IU football since time
immemorial essentially I mean you know on the season so far
the this team just they haven't turned the ball over that often
you know so far on the season I use turnover margin is plus 6,
they've intercepted the ball seven times, they've recovered
one fumble and then, you know, essentially they've had one
fumble lost in an interception thrown that's what was missing.
It felt like from the last couple of additions of this even
last year the turnovers just weren't there but it's not even
so much. I mean you could we could
certainly talked a lot about the defense in the way that they
forced turnovers and how that essentially one them depends
State game and it played a role in this Michigan game but it's
really the offense not making mistakes like that.
Not committing a host of penalties that cause problems.
It's really interesting watching this team.
Almost mature, I guess in a way in ways Beyond just being
confident in themselves. Yeah, that's a great point to.
And then certainly, there are things that are sort of head,
shaking Lee frustrating, whether it's the drops or, you know,
just, you know, the fact that the running game isn't quite.
I think what they want it to be. But like you said just to
minimize the mistakes and I think that like, in a matchup
like this, I think this weekend that is highlighted even more,
so because you look at Michigan State, you know, the one they
have was a game. They played pretty Pretty clean.
You know, the two losses, they were just violently sloppy,
particularly the game against Rutgers, but you know, turnover
margin is a big thing for them as well.
But, yeah, I think just taking that step as a team where you're
playing, clean your playing smart football, you know, it's
just it again, you're looking for signs of a new team of a new
sense of purpose with this program.
And I think it's that's that's one that one tangible thing.
You can certainly point you right there?
Yeah. Michigan State.
Should they are -7 on the year in turnover margin through the
same number of games and, and Lee has a lot of that was the
sloppiness against Rutgers. But even against Iowa, it wasn't
a pretty picture. Let's talk about this Michigan
State team specifically weird year so far in what we knew was
going to be a weird year. Like, let's let's not mince
words here. This is a program that is on
fire, not in a good way. Like this is this is very much
like you know the Deepwater Horizon kind of Fire.
Fire where they're just there's so many things that have gone
wrong with that athletic department.
There's so many things that went wrong.
I mean, this they they essentially forced out a coach
that had taken them to the college football, playoff then
it had, you know, probably the most sustained run of success
that Michigan State football has had since the 1960s and no one
really bad. And I, and and that should give
you an example of how far off the rails things have gotten.
And it's not just a football thing with Michigan State, but
football Probably the most visible casualty of the upheaval
that's going on there right now. Yeah, you talk about, you know,
obviously, we know this can be a weird season for everybody.
But weird wrapped inside of weird wrapped inside of weird is
as Michigan State right now. That's for sure.
So, when you look at this team, like not a lot sticks out, what
it comes to Michigan State, like it's a very weird roster.
You know, they've got a quarterback and Rocky Lombardi
who they like he's like the the football player version of fetch
like we keep trying to make Rocky Lombardi happen and I just
don't think it's going to happen at this point.
He has not had a great season. He was, he looked pretty banged
up in that, that Iowa game. I don't even know if he's
necessarily going to play in this Indiana game.
He might, you know, but then you go across the rest of this
Michigan State team. And, you know, I mean, Jordan
Simmons has looked pretty good at running back so far 132 yards
on the season. I mean, he's under four yards of
Carrie. So he's not like dynamite or
something like that. They've gotten some pretty good
production, out of three, very young receivers, Jalen Naylor,
Ricky White, and Jaden read, at least caught some balls so far
this season, but offensively, they've struggled with mistakes
defensively. They've struggled to, you know,
they're not the stalwart Michigan.
State Defense has of old that I guess you would look at and the
whole program like really looks like they've taken a step or two
back Yeah. I mean, just on that defensive
side of me that I think they've totally revamped structurally
what they've done what they're doing.
Now I think they've switched to a four to five like so many
teams have and so they're right there.
You just sort of have it's a tough here to adjust to a new
structural system. And I think you're probably
seeing that as just in what the returns on the field
offensively. It's their a weird team because
it feels like from what I've read and seen in short Snippets
is that they're a team? That really, they're not moving
the ball but there they are an offense sort of built on on
chunk of plays on explosive plays.
I mean, and that's the thing you can say what you will about
Rocky Lombardi. But, you know, he's got some,
he's got some Talent, he can, he can throw the ball, he's got
some arm strength, you know, the accuracy is probably not quite
what you want, you know, there's certainly some other things
about his game that you can question, but it seems like
there are a kind of a home run offense, if you Even call them
that that again, this is a game between two offenses that just
don't really move the ball consistently or as well as they
want to on the ground. And so they've really relied on
a lot of those chunk plays it. Look, he said they've got
receivers, they got some guys who can who can catch the ball
who can make some plays in space, but it's the consistency
and I think some of that is probably stems from the
quarterback position itself. When we talk about Michigan
State in terms of talent there, you know, it's It's always been
the program that frankly I you should be able to at least play
even with overtime. I mean, they don't have the
structural advantages, certainly that Ohio state has Michigan.
Has the Penn State has and yet going back the last 40 years or
so, this is a Michigan State team that I, you is just not
been able to crack very regularly.
You'll get the one win back in 2016 at home, and that ended up
being a really Happy Michigan State, team, that team finished
three, and nine. I, you did go to a bowl that
year. That was the Foster Farms Bowl
year. But that was, that's the only
win that I use had in the last 11 meetings between these two
teams. And, yes, Michigan state had a
good decade but they weren't that much better than Indiana
from a recruiting perspective that they should be able to win
10 out of their last 11. Yeah, it's always been a really
interesting matchup because you're recruiting wise.
I mean, these two programs I think have really He recruited
bear along the same plane. I mean, it's the same type of
tear player that they're bringing in.
And even if you look in the series, I mean, you know, the 13
game was out of hand. The 14 game was was just
personalized. Indiana, didn't have the guys,
but you know, you look at a lot of these other years and it's
been a close match up. Yeah.
I why is that? I've wondered even you've seen
this matchup more that I have. Why is it that, you know, this,
I don't know. It's not that think shifted.
It just said, this has sort of been a weird matchup for.
Are you giving the fact that they recruit a lot of the same
types of players and that this is a team that is kind of on
that same tier as India? What is it about this?
Well, I think the, the, the, the thesis statement is Michigan
State cares about football, deeply and Indiana doesn't.
Now, I think that's changed. It's funny that you say, well,
is it shifted? I think it's shifted because I
think that Indiana started caring about football like
legitimately be caring about football about 12 years ago, but
there was so much ground to make up between.
We're both programs were and say, 2008 and now that it's
taken this amount of time and it's taken, you know, a couple
of major scandals at Michigan State for everybody to kind of
take a step back. I mean, if you look at like, we
talked in our podcast last week about how Indiana to lie,
beaten, Michigan State 9 times was talking about those with
Olivia, Ray or earlier on the podcast, and he has only beaten
Michigan State, 16 times in its history.
History and if you go back to 1970, let's so there was a there
was a three-year stretch 1967, 1968 1969, where I you beat
Michigan State, three years in a row.
Weirdly all three of those games were in East Lansing.
This was back in the, the very sketchy scheduling era of the
Big Ten. I think if we looked up some
rocks, we might find some unquestionably bad things in the
big tent, front office. And this was, this was weird by
itself because Keep in mind, Michigan State won a national
title in 1966. They were, they were a big
program, Indiana wins three times against them.
And then from 1970 until the present day Indiana has won in
East Lansing a grand total of twice twice.
And and in that time period, I mean, Michigan State's got a
nine game unbeaten streak. They've got another eight game
winning streak that they racked up.
I think, during that same period or maybe I was a little bit
earlier, but all of that, really Yeah, I think comes down to
Indiana's level of care financially culturally regarding
football, has always been about a notch lower than Michigan
State. And you can kind of understand
it from the Michigan State perspective, because as good as
they've been in basketball and they won the national title in
1979 in Michigan, football is the thing.
You know, as jacked up as they get every time they beat the
Wolverines, it becomes part of your cultural identity, I think
is a school and You know, you're right?
I mean, Indiana and Michigan State.
They're competing for a larger, the same players.
They're getting larger. The same players, I think.
Michigan state has done a better job of hiring coaches, and
developing talent. And I think the difference you
see now is that I use got a coach that can do those things.
They've got a coach that knows how to recruit and recruits
pretty well. And I think more to the point
they've got a coach that has been able to develop those three
star players. And in some cases two star
players in two players that can contribute.
I was talking about this with Caleb Kaufman earlier.
You get Guys that weren't heralded and weren't highly
recruited that are making contributions.
Are they star players know? But they're good contributing
players in the Big Ten and that's really what's been
missing from the IU side of the equation for so long?
Yeah I think we've had this conversation a few times in the
last couple of years especially when you know I use really
reinvested in the strength program because tell me you look
at this is roster and just look at a guy like Mike McFadden.
I mean who would somebody want? Yes.
Yeah I mean it's crazy. I mean, just the guy who I, you
know, I thought it would be, you know, scouting for 30 years
probably and here he is. I mean, he's technically sound,
he's good, he knows what he's a guy you trust out there and I
think you're really starting to see that.
I mean, the whole name of the game when they brought in the
last strength staff was was take three stars and turn them into
four stars. Take him into high tournament
too high for stars because you might only get a couple for
stars have recycled so. Yeah I think you're right I
think that's probably the real the Crux of it is just you know
that that development. It's take.
Not while to take hold but it is it's just been a weirdly I want
to say lopsided but in terms of results, yes, but in terms of
actual play it's I mean it's been a pleasure to every year.
Yeah, I know. I mean, I think it is some
years, it's not close. I mean those couple of years,
the Michigan state was a top 10 team.
Those were not close games to 2014-2015 despite those being
relatively good, Indiana teams, you know.
But but no, historically you look down the roster of teams
that Indiana has. Has played regularly, they have
more wins against Wisconsin, then they have against Michigan
State. They had more wins against Iowa,
then they do against Michigan State by significant margin.
This is always been a trip up opponent for them and as and
it's a rivalry game to theoretically it's one of the
most offbeat trophies in all of college football rivalry.
But it still exists and it is interesting to think about you
know, that it's why I get irritated with everybody on the
IU side. Is seem to not among the players
mind you, but among the fans it's like they're just
completely overlooking this game and it's like got this is it's
not a trap game. It's a rivalry game and it's a
game. How you like absolutely has to
come out and win. I think handily to demonstrate
that, they are a level above where they have been in the past
years. Yeah.
I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves but have you looked at
the tiebreakers you mentioned Trap game and I've just been
like, again, I'm not going to be on the field this weekend, so I
I can look ahead but it is you're not allowed.
Not on this podcast, Mike sorry. No, don't go ahead.
Yes, no, no, it's it know, I've been thinking a lot about those
two things. Just the Rivalry component, how
this is like such a forgotten rivalry especially in terms of
just Indiana like it's just not a game, you know, say what you
will about you football and how it resonates culturally.
But even so within the fanbase it feels like no, we forget that
this is a trophy game at this is a so-called rivalry game, you
know, a game, you know the Ralph Green Memorial spittoon game.
So it is it is it's like I decided to fire up NCAA 14 last
night and I'm going to do a coach mode Dynasty and I'm
rearranging the conferences. And I've I put Mizzou back in
the Big 12 because they belong there and I'm trying to pair
with division to put them in and they got like nine rivalries in
the Big 12. It's like what you've got to
have a rivalry with Oklahoma State.
What like, how does, what you've arrival with Iowa State and
that's kind of feels that way with it.
Indiana, Michigan State. It's just if You, if I put the
roster of the Big Ten schools up there and said, okay, take
Purdue out, who's the other team that I use got a rivalry
against, you would probably guess 10 times before you
guessed Michigan State. Yeah, that's very weird.
So, anyway, you know, it's obviously I think I you is more,
they're playing better, they're more confident, they have more
skill position, players offensively that know what
they're doing, so is, what is the key for you?
I mean, for me, it's And, and execution.
And it's avoiding the let down even kind of avoiding the
letdown they had in the first half against Rutgers, you know,
coming out just playing their game getting up early and kind
of putting it away. And to me, that's more mental
than anything else. Because they've proven that they
can do it physically. What do you look at coming into
this game? I was going to say, you know,
along those same lines and it goes kind of back to what we
were talking about a couple weeks ago when we look back at
last season and how this team handled success coming.
For the Nebraska win and, you know, can they handle success
coming up? You know, I think we're getting
to that point now where you know, you can almost start to
trust them to know, be mature about winning games and, you
know, handling the big picture, and, you know,
compartmentalizing things and taking things a week at a time.
It was, it was kind of funny and, you know, as coach you kind
of have to do this, but it was funny.
Watching Tom, Allen's press conference yesterday.
Someone asked him, sometimes I forget what the question was,
but it was alluding to just this two-week stretch up.
And you know, Alan just sort of very defiantly just sort of just
icy stare into the camera saying no we're playing the Michigan
State Spartans like he was like very adamant that this team
would not look past that. You know, a coach is going to
have to do that either way. It's kind of what you're doing
those media setting but you know, the point is, I'm starting
to trust this team in ways that I don't think that we could
trust them in the past. Because now, they're starting to
prove it. Now, they're starting to build a
track record of having moved on, from Whispers.
Winds and left those wins a week in the past.
You know, it's funny because I'm sort of thinking about, you
know, the converse and how you talk about that, that 2016 game
and how, you know, Michigan State went on to go like what
three and nine that year, and it was sort of like Indiana broke
that Michigan State team. Kind of like how Indiana almost
broke Penn State. I feel like this year almost and
well yeah, excuse me. That's it's a harvest of souls
Michael harvested, their souls. Exactly.
Yeah, it's just, you know, it's It's interesting.
It's fascinating to sort of watch the steam, be on the other
side of that. And now again just being able to
move on from wins and process them again in a mature way in a
productive way. You know, it's I as far as
things to watch that's that's one thing I think I'm watching
but again it's not like the big thing I'm concerned about.
I think that again seems proven they can do it.
Yeah, I think I'll be curious to sort of see which team runs the
ball better. You know, I think you know what?
Like I said, on the Michigan State side, it's a team that's
kind of feasted on, on chunk places.
You know, I think we all have some trust in this Indiana
defense at this point. But, you know, can they minimize
some of those chunk plays and really keep them off schedule.
Things like that, but it's a fascinating matchup.
It's an interesting series and certainly given what's
potentially at stake next week. It's it's another exciting
exciting week in the football. It is and it games early.
It's another National TV game and I could get used This I can
get used to. I you being on National
Television on a regular basis, even if it's the noon kick, the
new kicks are easier to take when there's not a tailgate to
set up for you. Because I don't I don't have to
go load the truck at like 6:15 in the morning to go out and you
know like getting the tailgate lot when it's 36 degrees
outside. I can I can get used to the
earlier timetable. I think I look, I think one
thing to pick up on rushing attack, that is the one piece of
the puzzle. That's certainly been missing
for this IU team offense. Only so far they did get it
going a little bit at the end of the Michigan game, weirdly they
ground Michigan's defense down to the point that they were just
crack. Which that to me was the Through
the Looking-Glass moment, like when when I you is just running
into Michigan's defensive line and Michigan's can't do anything
about it. I don't know where we are at
that point like just, yeah, sickly like it's on, we're on a
different plane but they need to figure out a way to get that
established earlier. They may need to think about
maybe giving Samson. Some more carries because Stevie
Scott with this blocking scheme seems to be having more trouble
finding and exploiting holes, most of his gains of come on
trap plays or they've been relatively short yardage if they
haven't been and that's the thing too, that you mentioned
last week. You know, they've I think
they've gotten incrementally better week by week.
I mean, that the first game was not very good.
They were better at Rutgers. And like you said, it was really
encouraging. If you, if you're going to take
a moment to show up as a running game, you late in the game and
you really gotta grind it out against a team that
traditionally has that. Physical advantage that's when
you want to see it. So you know in total there's
there's more you want to see, but I think also just
anecdotally I think that there may be showing up in some of the
right moments you know again you want to see it better and full
but you know I think we are seeing at least incremental
progress that you know I'm not I'm not ready to completely jump
off the ship because the running game isn't isn't visible at all
beings? It's there in doses but again,
just want to get a little bit more consistent as you.
Shop a little earlier. I mean, there's always going to
be things to fix. I think the one thing I'll say
and I mentioned this on Twitter, you know, you look at the S&P
plus, which has normally been a pretty good barometer of how
much a team is actually competing to its fullest extent.
I you as actually they haven't they haven't gone up in the
ratings. They've been stuck in the low
20s since the season began and it just highlights how even at 3
and 0, this IU team could be playing a lot better.
They could be playing more efficiently.
They could be doing Doing more things, you know?
And and that's surprising, I think to some people to others.
I think maybe it's not a surprise and they realize that
there's still more growth to be had here.
And it's almost exciting. I think if you're an IU fan
because as incrementally better as the team has gotten an
execution, the first three weeks.
If they can continue that path then you gotta like the way that
things set up for them the rest of the way.
Yeah, no. You said it.
I mean, it was really interesting to me.
I was looking at the SP stuff, this afternoon, I was actually
Mildly surprised just to kind of see where Indiana Falls and some
of these categories just given what we've seen a out, how I
think a lot of people feel about this team, you know,
numbers-wise just right now. You know that it may indicate
that there is room for improvement.
I think we all realize that but again, it's just sort of lends
to this. I think excitement of what's to
what hopefully is still to come. As far as, you know, making sure
we are able to finish out this college football season.
So as said l so let's let's wrap things up score prediction for
this. This weekend.
Anything else. Prediction wise that you like to
get out there I you a seven and a half Point favorite in this
game still. I think it's about where it's
at. So yeah, I think it's I was
thinking 28:17 something. Along those lines, I'm not
expecting, you know, a windfall of points for Indiana, but I
also, I think they win and I, you know, I don't I'm not not as
I think, most people are not impressed with this Michigan
State team. So I think 2817 feels mildly
reasonable on the road. I think in the end is gonna win,
I'm not sure if they cover simply because I do think it's
tough for what is still, a relatively young football team
to completely put behind you, the fact that you've beaten
Michigan and Penn State, and you're on the road, it's going
to be a weird environment. It's not going, I mean not
nobody ever talks about Spartan Stadium, being that
intimidating. But certainly I, you hasn't won
there in a long time, so there's some kind of voodoo going on
with it, you know? But I look, I think Indiana's
private. We do for a game where they
don't perform out of their skulls and this is probably one
of those games but I still think Indiana's got enough in terms of
performance that they'll be able to come away with the victory
here. They do have in the back of
their heads, what happened last year, and they were closed in
that game at Michigan State and it just didn't happen for them.
So I think it'll be relatively high scoring.
I'll say Indiana wins 3427. So all right.
Well Mike do you have any any tailgate or cooking?
Plans for the weekend that you'd like to share with us.
Like, what are you, what are you doing going into this game?
Oh man, I'm not sure. I'm going to be able to man The
Grill. Tomorrow it with these new
kicks, it's a little tougher to justify going out in the
backyard at nine in the morning and swill and cheap beer and
throw in Victory sausages on the grill.
That I will be. I will be hunkered down.
It's going to rain here tomorrow as well.
So I will be, I'll be settling in my living room with my laptop
and watching watching along with the rest of y'all.
Yeah. Might be a gumbo day.
Roo on the stove as opposed to try to throw something on the
grill but we'll see, you know, I mean the weather forecast here
isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but in fact it's the
opposite, it's actually supposed to rain through most of the day.
So that's that's sucks. But anyway, we'll we'll figure
it out and we'll talk to you next week as we continue to chat
about IU football. Mike Miller from Crimson Corey,
catch him there, catch them on Twitter as well.
Thanks to Olivia Ray. Thanks to Caleb Kaufman.
Thanks to all you folks for listening as always.
Are you plays Michigan State at noon on Saturday until Sunday
when we talk next? We'll catch you.
Folks on the flip side. So everybody Are you plays
Michigan State at noon on Saturday until Sunday when we
talk next? We'll catch you.
Folks on the flip side. So everybody