All right, everybody. Can you hear me?
We good. All right.
Thanks everybody who came out for this, and for those who
didn't cut, thank you for those who didn't come out for it.
Well, you're in for quite a surprise.
This is our first live Crimson cast in quite a while here in
Bloomington. We're excited about it.
If you don't know who Crimson cast is, we are a podcast.
You can see our logo up there, where we cover IU football, IU,
basketball. I use Sports in general.
I'm Gail and class. Bo my co-host of here is Scott
Caulfield, and he is not here right now, but he will be at
some point in the future. We're going to talk some IU
football primarily. We're also going to have some
basketball talk kind of in the middle.
So thank you all for being here and letting us invade your space
for a bit. We're going to get the show
started. Thank you.
Alright, welcome back to Crimson cast.
I'm Galen klaviyo along with Scott Caulfield and all of our
friends here at switchyard Brewing Company, in Bloomington
on North Walnut Street. We're excited to be here for our
first live show in quite a while in the city of Bloomington, as
we get ready to talk IU football as they take on the Bearcats
this weekend at Memorial Stadium, a top-10 opponent
coming to Memorial Stadium to play against IU in football and
that does not happen that often particularly in the
non-conference are excited to talk about.
All of that. We've got some great guests,
joining us. We got some great folks here in
the audience. We got the folks out there on
Twitter and on Facebook joining us as well.
Scott. I wish you were down here.
It's awesome. I'm looking forward to having
you come down for one of these, but we do have Scott on a
monitor here on screen. So if you want to wave at Scott
or something and give him, Some foam.
Oh, there we go. That's excellent.
Scott. How you doing, buddy?
Nope. Own and drive down.
Oh, and now you can't hear me. I mean, I mean, I mean, but I
unmuted you. So we're off to a great start
already, please go ahead with that.
Yeah. It's probably a good idea to
meet me because I probably would have interrupted at some point.
But ya know that then now the fear of fomo is even higher like
you're mentioning the fomo and now you're muting me like at
some point you're gonna put a cover over the camera.
Like how is this is awful. I was what a beer in front of my
camera, please. I want to see something good
there. That better.
Got some orange blossom, fun. For you here.
There you go. I was I was talked about this
the other day. It's not really fomo.
If you're already missing out. It's more like ammo, like anger
at missing out, right? Yeah.
Or ma'am. Go Mitten muted and anger.
But yeah, I'm excited. I'm very excited for this.
I'm happy to see everybody out there.
And let's go. Let's talk, dude.
It's a game weekend. Let's again weekend.
We got a lot of fun things to talk about and we're going to
dive right into it. We've got our first special
guest on the evening from The Hoosier Network and from
assembly call, kind of all over the IU.
Media, sphere, Tyler tack when joining us.
How you doing? Good to see you.
I needed you to be. There we go.
We're off to an even better start here.
Yeah. Well, I'm not used to having
live microphones. It's tremendous.
Anyway, Tyler. Good to see you.
How's it going? Now?
I'm doing great. It's a man fall in Bloomington.
Doesn't get much better than that.
We have football going on basketball.
Coming up there. Very exciting time.
Now, you're not a native of Indiana.
Your native of North Carolina. Correct?
Yes. Yes Chapel Hill North Carolina
know that might not go over it very, well.
He don't boo. We pulled him out of there and
got him to come to school here. I'd say that's an
accomplishment, but Tyler's done a tremendous.
This job, not only fighting through the pandemic is a
student but managing to write some tremendous stuff and you're
covering this IU football team. This year.
Let's talk a little bit about what you've seen so far on the
season, you know, an interesting start to things, obviously.
And the Iowa game didn't quite go the way that people thought
it would. We're going to talk about that a
little bit as we go through things.
But from where this team was two months ago in terms of their
attitude, in terms of what they're thinking versus where
things, Are at. Now what's the same?
What's changed? Where your thoughts on this?
I mean, I think, two games into the season.
It's almost like a lot of the questions that we had going into
the season are still kind of remaining, you know, you know,
they lose the best team that they're playing against an Iowa
and then they take care of Idaho which they should.
But I think there's still a lot unknown of if this team can
compete at the highest level. There's just a lot of questions
with Michael penix jr. And and I, You know, that's
obviously been a talking point, the entire offseason and a now.
But I think one thing that we talked about a lot is just him
coming back from season-ending injuries.
And I feel like the gravity of that is a little, like,
understated, like a kid as 2021 coming back from three
season-ending injuries and what, like, what that does mentally
and physically to someone, and I think that we've kind of seen
the toll that it takes the first two games, because he hasn't
really gotten into a rhythm. But I think that we will at some
point this season. See them like appendix that we
saw last scene. It's just a matter of when that
ends up coming around. Scott you and I have talked
about this, a bit, The Narrative is changed somewhat over the
course of the first couple of weeks.
I mean, first it was well, the play calling is not good and
then it was the offensive lines, not good.
And then Scott a kind of felt like everybody is now settled on
will Panic. Just isn't quite there yet.
Like where are you at with all of this?
Well, first off, I'm excited for you to go home and meet your
wife. That's gonna be fun when you're
just like, yeah, we're meeting everybody.
I would never well. And by the way, like, I don't
think that the play calling is bad.
Something that's gone away. Like I think that's that's a
reoccurring theme after two games that we're going to keep
talking about. No, it's definitely been, you
know, penix did not look like the penix that we had seen in
the last couple of years. So, yeah, I mean II think, you
know, I think Tyler's, right? That's going to be a Action
until it's answered. And even the Idaho game.
It's like, he looked good. He had a lot of completion.
So we talked about even have a lot of yard.
So it was kind of a non-answer in that game as well because he
played well, but he didn't have a lot of yards.
You kind of left that game being like, okay was that like he
didn't really take a ton of shots down the field.
Like the past was look a little bit better.
But I mean, it's always going to be one of the main points for
this team because I think we can all agree if penix is playing at
an Ohio State. State type level from last year.
Our ceiling just has another level, you know, the elevator
goes up. One more floor that it would any
other way with this team. Tyler.
One of the problems is teams run into is the schedule and it's
it's hard to overstate how hard the start of the season is for
IU. You have to go to Iowa.
You have a top 10 team at home in Cincinnati that when that was
scheduled, that was not a top 10 team look.
Fickle was not the head coach. You gotta go to Western
Kentucky, who looks sneaky got to go to Penn.
Date, I mean this is maybe that may not be the toughest schedule
overall in college football. But it may be the toughest start
that any team has. You know, how do you combat
that? If you're this Indiana team and
what do you try to lean on? I mean, I think it starts with
the the game on Saturday because I feel like that's going to
really be a telling sign of the trajectory of Indiana's season.
Because if you win Saturday against Cincinnati, then most
likely you have three wins in a row going into Penn State.
And assuming that Indiana would be Western Kentucky, but then
you have some momentum rolling, you know, you put that that I
will office, is far behind you and I think you have a much
better chance of potentially sneaking into Penn State.
But if you lose lose this game, this Saturday, then you're kind
of trying to gain any sort of momentum in that Western
Kentucky game. And I just don't see them really
being able to beat up Penn State to beat Ohio State, even at
home, go to Michigan to win. If they, if they can't win the
game on Saturday. It does kind of beg the question
with this team. How, how much do we look at the
beginning of the year and try to extrapolate, what they're going
to look like in the middle of the end?
Because what we've seen under Tom Allen so far is teams that
tend to start slow. I mean that 8 and 5 team that
went to the Gator Bowl didn't come out of the gates that
strong. They struggled against Ball
State. They got blown out by Ohio
State, they lost at Michigan State.
They're only three and two at that point, and they picked up
steam in October and November. And, you know, while last season
wasn't entirely like Think you could save it up until penix is
injury. They did really start to play
better a little further into the season that they went.
So, you know, I keep going back and forth on this because on the
one hand, I don't want to get too over sensitive to that Iowa
game. But on the other hand, I don't
know, is like, is this a grower of an IU team?
Like we normally see nor have we already descended agree.
Seen the most of what they can do on offense if I mean, that's
scary if that's the case, but I'm curious your opinion.
Yeah. The thing is when I look at the
offenses, there's just too many weapons.
I feel like Like, for it, not to work.
And that's not to say that it definitely will work.
But they just have so many guys that could potentially On Any
Given night. Go off and you have Ty.
Fry Fogle. Potentially.
One of the, you know, the best receivers in the Big Ten and
Michael Pena. Junior doesn't even need to be
perfect to throw it to him. We saw so many times last season
where trifocal just goes down the field and you toss it up in
the direction that he is and he'll go up and make a play.
But you also have DJ Matthews. We saw a flash of what he is
able to do and that punt return against, Idaho.
And then miles Marshall, who's kind of been a guy that's always
had the measurables in the potential to make impact plays,
but, you know, he's been kind of silent.
And then obviously, Stephen Carr, Tim Baldwin Peyton
Hendershot to, you know, he hasn't really made much noise at
all this year and coming off of a season last year.
That was kind of underwhelming. So there's just so many
potential pieces on the offense that it makes it difficult to
see it, not working out. But, you know, so far in the
first two games, it hasn't really worked out at all.
I mean, back to the schedule thing.
I will say it's I'm just searching it like it again.
It's a quick search. But like yard Barker has the top
20 got toughest college football schedules this year.
Indiana's not in the top 20. So like, you know, first off
like a few yard Barker, secondly, like the number-one
toughest schedule is arguing. Wait.
Did you just call out yard Barker?
I didn't even know. Yard Barker.
Hell are they still open? Like are they competing with
blogs fought at this point? Go on go there?
No FM. They're not invited to switch
yard and no beer. That like they're cut off like
they get nothing, no pints for them.
No, like you look at Arkansas schedule which has a tough
schedule like they play at number 7.
At least rut not right now. Like am is 7 the country,
Georgia second of the Mississippi 17th offers 22nd.
Like I did I did a, the Crimson cash this afternoon with James
and we were talking about this. Like you forget we have four of
our first seven games are against top 10 teams in the
country and at least right now things can shift.
But it, it looks like You know, we I think we can all agree,
Ohio, State's not going to suck. I mean, they didn't lose a game.
It looks like Iowa is legit. I mean, these are top 10 teams
that by the end of the year, could still all be top 10 teams,
which a lot of these other schedules don't have but Galen,
to your point on the Iowa game, you know, whether it was an
aberration or not. It helps they beat Iowa state.
That makes me feel a little bit better.
But to me this week kind of helps answer the question of
what Iowa's game was that if we lose like 4210 to Cincinnati.
I think we can look back and say, okay.
We're not in the same class as these.
These four teams that were thinking about.
If we play Cincinnati, really tough, then you can kind of
chalk up that Iowa game to all right, maybe we just had the
Jitters. It's kinnock.
I was really good. And same thing.
We beat Cincinnati. I think you're in the same
thing. So to me this weekend, I think
it's going to help kind of answer some of those IO
questions, but also, it'll do some projecting, I think to what
we can expect for Penn State and Ohio State.
We're live here at switchyard. Brewing Company in Bloomington,
Indiana. Hope, Will you get a chance to
come out and sample some of their brews, some excellent
stuff. The food is awesome.
Given that the pizza here at switchyard.
You're absolutely missing out or the bread sticks, which is like
19 orders of breadsticks on the tables in front of us here which
rightfully. So, I would say also wanted to
mention a couple of things real quick.
We will actually be back next weekend where we doing a live
watch party for the IU Western Kentucky football game.
That'll be. Yeah.
That's right. Applaud that absolutely what
will be here 7:30 for the pregame podcast and then we'll
do a half time and then we'll do a post game but you can sit here
and watch with us, which let me tell you, that's, that's an
experience that you then, if you haven't done before is worth
having, But be sure to come out for that.
We'll be right back here at switchyard.
We're looking forward to that. We appreciate everybody here,
allowing us to Sully their stage and and sit under these
beautiful White's that they've got.
As we Are you football also wanted to mention next week.
We'll be talking about Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
The 2021, duck dive is going to be happening in October.
You can buy ducks for that. We'll talk more about that next
week, but be ready to do that. They'll have a table here during
that game and we'd love to love to have you come in and
contribute to that. So Tyler, you know, one of the
things I've noticed and we talked about this in the
preseason, a lot of hype about this.
I you football team and people were concerned.
They were like, well, they don't come out and beat Iowa of a
Don't beat Cincinnati. They're going to lose all of
these fans that have come forward and if you are excited
about IU football, and certainly, I think they lost to
Iowa. We haven't seen that fall off
too much because there is a packed Stadium coming up here on
Saturday. I don't know if you check Stub
Hub, but tickets are going for like significant amounts of
money. I have parking passes in the
green lat and I could sell one of those right now for 220
dollars on StubHub. If I wanted to which I do not
get that kind of money for my parking passes.
I'm not going to sell them, but it doesn't feel like too many
people but jumped off the bandwagon, as a result of that.
I will lost. But what do you think happens in
in either event? Like, if they win this game?
If they lose this game? Like what are the forking paths
that come out of that? Either result.
I think the biggest evidence is, is looking at the student
section in the Idaho game. I mean, it was near full
probably an hour before kickoff. I mean, it was packed in being
down on the field. You, I mean, you could feel the
energy when the Guys, were the players were coming out and
hyping up the crowd and I know we have Matt coming on later
talking about benches being pulled off of the stadium.
But you know, it's hard for me to say but I don't think that a
loss against Cincinnati is totally going to Halt, all the
momentum and kind of excitement around the program.
It will obviously help if they win, but, you know, I think that
this whole season, you know, we're going to especially
because there was no fans last season that we'll continue to
see Hannah. Passion from the fan base.
Yeah, I would be great if that were the case.
And we talked about this before. It's like, if you're coming to
IU football, expecting it to be easy.
You've come to the wrong place, General.
I mean, it's just historically speaking and I say that as
someone who's come, you know, watch out you football for
decades. My dad used to bring me two
games in the 80s and you know, it makes the Great Moments that
much more exciting. It's what made that Penn State
win in the Michigan winter? Last year as enjoyable as they
were the win at, Nebraska. Two years earlier, but, you
know, it's almost unfair because if they could finish eighth and
for very easily this year and it's just the order of Dave's if
they lose to out of their first three and then win 8 of 12, you
know, overall on the season. That's a great year.
That's a top 5% season and IU football history.
So a lot of it really does come down to expectations and when
things are happening and if you're not playing top 10 teams
at the end of the season, instead you're playing with the
beginning, it can be able to difficult.
I'll leave. I had to get out of here with
this. Is there a player offense or
defense that you're expecting for IU to have a Breakout game
or a really important game for IU against Cincinnati?
I'll kind of take that as a guess a defense as a whole.
I think I won't name like one specific player, but I think
Desmond Ritter, the quarterback for Cincinnati is a really
proven guy. He can do things on the ground
and throwing the ball and there was two games last season, he
had over a hundred yards rushing.
Um, three touchdowns on the ground in both of those games,
but the thing that I liked schematically for Indiana's
defense going into this game is the Husky and the bull position
because those offer to just versatile positions.
The bowl is the defensive end linebacker.
Hybrid husky is a linebacker safety hybrid and the best way
to keep Ritter on his toes is just to be able to use
different. Looks use the versatility up
from guys like Jerry and handy Marcelino ball.
We saw last year A lot of times bringing guys off the edge
Taiwan Mullen. He has led you know, one of the
one of the leaders in sacks, but I think using that versatility
to Indiana's best interest to just to give him different looks
and not let him get comfortable and the comparison I made a week
or two ago was it's almost like position was basketball in terms
of what Indiana is doing with those two positions.
If Miller cop is bringing the ball up the floor.
You have to be potentially that he could.
Pull up for three. You have to put a handle but he
could also drive past you. So I think with those two
positions, just being able to be versatile and put Ritter and
different looks, I think, you know, could allow for Indiana to
have the opportunity to kind of slow him down.
All right. We'll see what happens.
It should be a lot of fun. I love that point though.
I mean the position was positions that I use got have
the potential to disrupt things and that's really what this IU
defense likes to do. Tyler tackman from the Hoosier
Network joining us on the show. Thank you so much.
Really? Appreciate it.
Yeah. Thank you for All right.
So Scott, let's let's talk a little bit more about things
here is we kind of transition out.
So some things to keep in mind with this football game.
Obviously, you know, Indiana is a three and a half Point
Underdog over unders 49 and a half.
I have not had a chance to listen to Crimson cash yet.
So, can you give me? Give us the cliff notes?
Like what have you and James talked about as far as which
ways the spread going? What do you thinking on over
under? Like, where is it?
Where you at with things on this?
And I think the line, Line either the line moved or if we
had it for when we did it. I think the overrun there was
like 50 at the time. You know, the thing I think we
both agreed on is I think that you know, the the idea is that
Indiana is probably not going to win like 34 to 28 just from what
we've seen from this offense, if they win is probably going to be
like a 17 to 10 game or a maybe a 22:14 game.
You're going to need your defense to step up.
Maybe the defense gets a couple of you know, turnovers.
But so definitely I think the under might be a way to go in
the game unless you just think Cincinnati is gonna blow us out
which by the way, you know, you and yard Barker nothing.
Hopefully, you don't think that way but you know, so I think the
under is the way to go. Unfortunately, I'll give away,
you know, both James and I kind of like Cincinnati to cover by
for. I think that's that's a very
high possibility of what could happen.
But definitely the under I think is the way to go on this because
I just don't think I think Cincinnati can put up some
points. I think we've shown the ability
to put up points if you think Indiana is going to win.
Like I said, I think they're gonna need to hold hold
Cincinnati under 10 under 20 under under 20 points.
It's interesting and we'll get into predictions and all that
here in a little bit. But I think one of the things
that is fascinating to me about this game is I don't really
think anybody knows how good Cincinnati actually is.
And here's why I say that they are in the top 10, they Played
one power Conference team in the last season and a half.
They they lost to Georgia and that bowl game.
And they played really well in that game, but they basically
played nobody else the entire season that the other team that
they played that had any kind of pulse was Tulsa and they only
beat them. I think by like three or seven
points there, two wins that over the course of the first, two
games of this season, or Miami of Ohio and Murray State,
neither of whom are good and And you even go to last year, you
know, they they struggled on the road at least in one game.
They only one 3633 at South Florida.
They did play pretty well at Southern Miss, but I just I, you
know, as much as everybody looks at this Cincinnati team and says
top 10 team legitimate playoff Contender.
We really other than the bowl game that they played and look,
they played really well in that bowl game.
I don't think we've seen the evidence that says that game in
and game out. This is a team that can compete
against Power 5. So this Indiana games are real
interesting litmus test for them this in the game that they have
against Notre Dame in a couple of weeks because it is really
the first time that they've had to play that level of
competition on the road. And as hard as it was for
Indiana to go to Iowa and win. And look, we should have known
that. That was going to be a tough
game. It's going to be hard for
Cincinnati, to go into a pack Memorial Stadium.
And when I mean, it's not just how it we have a tendency to
under radar, selves a bit here at IU, but it's not necessarily
A Walk in the park. So I am really curious about how
good Cincinnati actually is and watching them have to measure up
against a higher level of talent, a higher level of
coaching. Yeah, I'm just I'm adding it up
right now in Ritter's career. He has played Seven ranked
teams. And again, we're going to play
for in the first seven weeks of our season.
Not to two of those, two of those risks to those ranked
teams were Memphis. But anyway, go on great.
Go back to back which heat, which they lost, and to your
point. Yeah, I mean, in 20, I mean,
it's 2018 is a while ago, but, you know, they lost the only
ranked team. They played UCF, 2019.
They played Memphis twice, lost to him.
They beat UCF, but they got completely Smoked by Ohio State
42 to nothing. So I think your point is very
valid. And, you know, this is something
that this is partially. Why?
I at the time liked Indiana against Iowa, which I kind of
reciprocal. But you know, I do think this is
where we have an interesting spot where you know, Ritter is
their number one strength, our number one strength.
I still think, as our defense, our defensive secondary, so you
have kind of a strength, vs. Strength going on here where you
know, you hope that Our secondary Taiwan Mullen coming
off a good game against Idaho, can keep that going and you
know, I think that's something you also haven't truly seen is
if a team can put the clamps on Ritter and they're unable to get
him going. Now.
What is Cincinnati have to do and does it all fall apart
there. It could very well be a
defensive battle. I mean, any time you see an over
under under 50, it's an indication that they're not
expecting a huge number of points to be scored.
And really, I was talking about this.
I made a Rise appearance on mind your banners earlier today.
And, you know, we were talking about this, the defense is might
end up being what rules the roost in this game for both
teams. I mean, Cincinnati's defense is
ranked number one overall in the country and ELO.
Indiana's is not ranked as highly but largely that comes
off of that, Iowa game and certainly they had a great game
last time. It's really interesting thinking
about, if you're going to have a defensive Showdown, we don't see
a whole lot of those in IU football games.
But this is kind of where we're at right now, and until Michael
penix in the offense, really get their legs under them.
The defense for I use going to have to carry things and I feel
like this is just the right type of defense that could give
Desmond, Ritter some kind of problems largely for what,
Tyler, just talked about. Because you've got so much speed
because you've got, you know, defense, that isn't so reliant
on an interior defensive line. Like you're expecting to play
quarterback runs. You're expecting to defend the
passing game and I think for Cincinnati.
It's a similar thing. We're that.
You know, they've got my Lysander, my J Sanders.
I think, his name is seven sacks last year, Ahmad Gardner, who's
actually taller than Thai fry. Fogle was playing cornerback.
Probably going to be that primary matchup.
They've got really good defensive players as well.
So this could be if, you know, a stalemate to some degree for
large, portions of the game, is these two teams.
Try to figure out how to play against the other and it may end
up being the defense's that have to set the tone for both sides.
Yeah. Thanks for that.
That's appreciate you adding on to that.
That's great as well. Said, couple other things to
keep in mind. I think as we go into this game,
I don't know what the crowds going to be.
Like, it's good. First of all, the weather is
going to be awesome. It is going to be, I think, 84
degrees 85 to get what 87°, I'm hearing from the crowd right
now. Sunny most likely to might be a
little bit of precipitation very early in the morning.
That's passing weather. But we, then, again, we've
talked about that a couple of times already this season over
necessarily makes that much of a difference.
What's this crowd going to be like, it's actually early, which
I think helps the student section that, you know, the
student section when they don't have 12 hours before kickoff is
generally fresher. And even the people out in the,
you know, the tailgate Lots. Yes, some of them are going to
get there early, but having only three to four hours to be in the
tailgate lots and then go to the game and it's noon and You're
locked in. This could be a pretty raucous
atmosphere. We don't see a whole lot of
games like that without you, but we've seen a few in the past and
it can be good. I that's going to be a big thing
though. And I think for IU we don't talk
about home-field advantage that much at Memorial Stadium, but
this is one of the few instances where all the stars might align
and it's like, hey the crowd and the stadium, make a difference
and end up making this a difficult game for Cincinnati to
play. If everything goes well and on
my pot Hood, As we were talking, he was talking about you.
He just said, like, well hopefully on the crowd rules a
day and pushes Indiana over the top.
And I was like, well, I like that idea but I'm in this is
something for you to think about Galen like, has that ever
happened? Like, how many times has there
been a game where you're like, oh, the memorial stadium that
the crowd helped us get over? Like a lot of times.
He joked James joke of a steel is joke, but he was like, you
know, it's normally the Ohio State crowd that's in there.
The pushes out of state over the top.
Well, but no, I that's that's that's that's kind of the point
though. It's like what is the last time
there was a sellout crowd for anything that In an Ohio State
game. I can't remember one.
And, I mean, it's like being with a lot of their fans, you
know, I'm with you. And I said it before, I'll say
it again. I was so impressed with the
student turnout at the Idaho game, just, the overall fan,
turn out, you know, the way they were singing the National
Anthem, the students were like, it was, it was an electric
atmosphere for really a non-electric game.
I'm that's what I'm most excited about on Saturday.
Is it? Feels like things are building
much like the year I keep on Going back to is coming.
It was Bench Apple's, senior year twenty twenty twelve or
Twenty ten, I 2010, but that mystery that the Michigan game
that you're talking about. We start of the season for it.
Oh, and then we had that Michigan game with a Desmond,
the shoelaces Desmond, Denard Robinson, did our Robinson.
Yeah, and you know, he throws a obvious holding called.
Anyway, we only go to the Litany of IU, bad losses, but
everything felt like it was building.
Game and it was really an electric atmosphere.
But there was a lot of Michigan fans there to, there were this,
this does feel like it's going to be a lot of IU fans, a real
moment. And you know, again, my biggest
fear is that we have a game like we had against Iowa, we can lose
this and we're not going to lose fans like to me.
One of the things that I'm just tired of talking about is like
how this affects fan and tendons like whatever we have our fans
like they're going to show up and if we lose it's not like
that's the end of the The world. But it would just, it would be a
bad. Look at they come out and just
get completely crushed. But no, I think this could be
one of those moments where the fans can really make a
difference. So I'm very excited to see that.
I'm excited to see the student section.
I think it's going to be exciting and I'm I'm getting
there early. I'll mention it again at the end
of the Pod, but I'm going to do one of my first little tailgates
and bringing both of my kids. So it's going to be a very
friendly tailgate, but I have an 8 and 5 year old as many of you
listen though. I bought four dozen donuts from
White. Those donuts here in Westfield.
They're fantastic. I'm bringing them.
I am in. I have $500 here.
Gate 9. I just checked on StubHub.
These are going for 500 apiece. I'm not selling it.
But gate 9 Ro 40, space, 15 come by.
Hang out with me. Get some doughnuts.
Get some coffee. We're leaving here by hopefully
7:30, which means eight o'clock because I have kids.
So I will be in the lot. Hopefully by 9:30 10:00 and I'll
get an hour of a handing out Donuts to anybody who wants
something kind of Scott's actively recruiting people away
from my tailgate. Now, it's Andis.
So, it is what it is. You can do both, you go to
galen's to get the food and the good stuff.
And then, on the way income, get a doughnut.
Okay. Well, we're going to take a
little change in Direction here and switch over talk.
A little IU basketball. We're going to come back and
finish up our talk about IU football.
If we were wrap things up. We've got Gracie Barra joining
us from inside the hall and assembly call.
And that whole conglomerate covering basketball this, you're
going to see you again. Thank you for having me.
Yeah, absolutely. Let's, let's talk a little bit
of hoosier Hoops. We're a ways away from the start
of the season, but the buzz is slowly starting to build.
And, you know, as we as we think about the fat, when is, when is
the first practice of the season, it's not that far away.
Is it? No, I think what mid-october
media days coming up? Super soon.
Big-time media day, Tyler and I just put it our credentials for
that. So that's really exciting.
Yeah. It's it's close.
It's fascinating. How close it is.
The teams had an interesting off season so far.
In a lot of ways, a lot of new pieces have been added not just
in the coaching staff, but also on the on the roster itself.
So as you look at this roster and where this team is at going
into the season, where would you say that?
Everything's at? What are you most interested in
seeing as far as like, how it manifests going into the start
of the year? I think.
I think the most thing that I'm excited about is the chemistry,
I, you know, we don't get to see a whole lot especially because,
you know, I didn't get to go to the Bahamas.
Tyler was the one in the Bahamas, but I haven't gotten to
see them play yet. Just the way they interact with
each other. I don't see that in person a
whole lot but on social media and the way in which they care
about each other, a little bit of like that Elio spirit that we
see on the football team. I'm saying to carry over into
the basketball team, which is in the three years.
I've been a student here at IU. I haven't seen, right.
So to see the way that that chemistry off the court will
manifest in the way that they play on the chord is I what?
I'm most excited. Cited about.
It's one of the things Scott you and I have talked about like
there's been talented players on this side, you roster for a
while like not just in the Archie Miller error, but the Tom
crean are. But gosh it's been hard to get a
feeling of familial loyalty and you know, that kind of the bonds
of being a team. It's always at least for the
last, several years felt like guys are just kind of there to
play ball. They're not really there for
each other to the same degree that you would expect.
I mean, it's I'm sure some of this is probably a little
overblown, but it is interesting.
The camaraderie that we're seeing right now in some of
these things with IU. It just, it does feel like
something has changed in the way the program is conducting
itself. You mean, you didn't feel
camaraderie the year that like Devonte green, which is going in
Jack and threes, and it would get benched, and then come back
out and Jack threes and play. A totally different style of
asked if it was a different. It was a different era.
You know, who's different? Yes, different.
Are ya? Yes.
No, I I like everything. I'm seeing and this goes back to
his fun. I was having breakfast with a
friend this morning. We're talking about, you know,
he was like, I've never been more excited for IU basketball
like fire about. But what's in it and what we
were talking about was I think this goes to the idea of you I
was never a guy who felt like we needed and I you guys a higher
but now that we have Woodson and you have five packet, it feels
like yeah, this does feel right at this does feel good.
And I think that has to push itself out on to the players,
like there is a real camaraderie here.
If we understand what Indiana basketball, About and almost
kind of like, we can circle the wagons.
Like, I've been where you've been and we understand it, and I
think that that can't help but just bleed into the players and
they have a different feel for, like, what they're playing for.
It. Just changes a little bit than
it used to underneath other coaches, where, you know,
looking back. And again, when played a game
yet. So we'll see when we start
playing games and you'll get punched in the mouth.
But, you know, there was always a feel that, you know, under the
under crean and under Archie, you know.
No, there we were Indiana but we were Indiana just in kind of
name. Only like there wasn't like a
real title. Like, oh, like that's the way we
play or like, it could have been any other program.
So, I think that the Indiana way thing really does have an effect
on the players Grace, the schedule came out.
I think, what was it last week, I've lost that last week
already. I've lost girls, like, it's been
two months, the schedule came out recently, and it's an
interesting schedule because it's there's a lot of games at
home in the non conference, which is held.
For, but you go down that list and there's not a whole lot of
really, really terrible tease. Those Tom crean specials, like,
the sub 300 can pom teams, and you got, you know, Max school
and Eastern Michigan to start, and he got Northern Illinois,
another Max school. You got st.
John's who's tricky as a big East school.
They're certainly not in the upper echelon, but still a
decent team Louisiana who's always a bit of a problem, you
know, and then Jackson State Marshall and then they play
their first road game at Syracuse and then they got their
first two. Big ten games.
I mean, on the one hand the schedule looks promising in some
ways. On the other hand.
It's gonna be a little tricky and this team's going to have to
be ready to go pretty much from the start because there aren't a
whole lot of just complete throw away games.
There's no exhibitions. I guess there's just closed
scrimmages. What was your impression of the
schedule? Well, I think that's kind of
playing to their advantage in that situation because you don't
get to come and start out the season.
Easy. You have to come like you said,
ready from the get-go and that prepares you coming into the
Let's Play part of the schedule and you don't get to kind of
just put it on. I don't even know what to say.
You don't get to autopilot it into the season.
You don't have this exhibition games and you have to come ready
to play from the jump and kind of touching back on what Scott
said. I love Tick Tock.
I want to make a tick, tock reference here the situation of
back on Mike Woodson, which I think is hilarious.
And I think it's really illustrates the way at these
players look up to him and are going to be ready from.
You know, the second that season starts to play their hardest
even in Conferences as so funny. I saw it on Tik-Tok that someone
asked, Miller cop, who is favorite NBA player was and he
replied like in a video and said, Mike, Woodson, no
question. And there's no way Mike Woodson
was ever his favorite NBA player.
I don't know if anyone would answer that, that wasn't an IU
fan, but it's amazing to see the admiration they have for him and
the respect they have for him and just the way they've all
kind of rallied around him. Not just the current players on
this team, but his recruits people that have Mitted and it's
promising. Like when you said going into
this season, that they're not going to have those parts where
they can kind of let off the gas.
Right? Well and I think what you hit on
something important, which is one of the problems that NBA
coaches have coming to college, is they tend to autopilot
everything we've seen that over and over again where that's
Eddie Jordan at Rutgers or Chris Mullin at st.
John's or some others. And Woodson hasn't seemed to do
that like he's out recruiting. He's doing those things, but he
really has seemed to buy into this whole idea of fostering a
program in an image of what he was here with as a player and
but augmented with what he's learned through his time in the
NBA. And so I am really fascinated to
see how that plays out. And it does at least for the
moment seemed like there's some pretty good vibes around this
program and that's that's such a huge difference from what we've
seen the last several years that I've had.
I am excited about that. Let me ask you this.
I will get you out of here on this.
Question, it's I can't figure out who is starting lineups
necessarily going to be on this team at this point.
Like if anyone has several directions, you've got guys who
started a lot of games not even getting mentioned is like second
stringers in some cases. So outside of Trace Jackson
Davis, which is kind of a given. Who would you guess would be the
four other players that comprise the starting lineup when we
start the season? What I mean, do you want to
Foster? Some kind of an opinion on this?
Oh, this is a tough question because I haven't even put much
thought into it. Yet, I think, you know this next
month is going to be really telling to that and seeing how
the new faces coming into this program are going to mesh with
the old ones. But oh, now you're going to put
me on the spot. I won't necessarily put you on
the spot, but think I can just it's probably not even be five
guys. When I say more than five guys,
I think race in his, what? Senior season.
Now, I can't believe that gets crazy times leadership.
Really showed out last season. Xavier Johnson.
I feel like half To be in that starting lineup.
I haven't seen him play a whole lot.
But I don't know. Just the leadership there in the
guard position. Is something that I you hasn't
typically had his strong guards, you know, that's tricky too
because then you have Rob there as a senior and then you got
competition, the Johnson. I mean there's a lot of
different. The this is ice to some degree.
I asked the question because every time I sit down and think
about a piece of paper, there are so many different
combinations. Actions and without knowing what
Woodson is planning from a strategic perspective.
It's really hard to get a full sense of like, what is his
offense going to be? We don't know yet, exactly.
So a lot to work on here in the next month or so and I'm quite
curious to see how it goes. But we'll see.
The good thing is there's depth because if we're struggling
right now to sit here and think about who are the Five Guys,
he's going to put out on the court.
The first game of the season that's a good problem to have
it. Is your bench is your bench is
good to go. We'll have a lot more
conversations on. This is Through the next couple
of weeks. And as we get ready for that
first game, which I think is the 9th of November, first game of
the season against each other, than we think.
I know it's coming up. Its that is obviously less than
two months away at this point, but we're rapidly get to the
point where it's only a month away, and that's going to be
really interesting. Anyway, Gracie Barra.
Thank you for joining us, as always.
We'll talk to you again soon. Scott, little, we're going to
talk schedule as well. When you looked at the schedule,
you had a different opinion than I did.
I looked at it and I said, I think something like What was I
22 and nine or something like that?
I forget the exact number, but I I was like 11 and 9 in the
conference or something along those lines. 22.
And ten, I think is my overall record.
You were a little more pessimistic if I'm not mistaken.
Yeah. I've not done the full like what
my records going to be call out yet.
I will spend a weekend do that. I mean, they did two things.
When I look at the schedules, first off, like I sort of
looking at it. Scheduled.
I was like, Hey, Bloomington Bloomington Wilmington
Bloomington. Yeah, we had a Syracuse schedule
and then it's like, the next game on the road is Your cues
like God's Great. Like that's we have the, we're
playing the Syracuse schedule. Our Only Hope Road game at
Syracuse, but, you know, in a, it's an interesting complement
to the IU football, discussion that the IU basketball schedule
is, kind of the reverse of the football schedule, where, you
know, you look at the back, half of this schedule.
We have a back-to-back home game against Purdue and Michigan on
the 20th and 23rd of January. From that point on, we don't
have back-to-back home games, the rest of the year, and our
road games in the Big Ten are at me.
Maryland at Northwestern, okay, but at Michigan State at Ohio,
State at Minnesota, at Purdue, you know, and again, you can
look at however, you the positive way to look at this is
this is a team that needs to kind of get on a roll.
And I think if they can get a little bit of momentum and get a
nice record and kind of get some gel you're playing together with
a new coach kind of everyone understanding their roles.
This is a you know, as a fan base, I could see people really
latching on. Is team and if they come out of
the gate, just kind of getting their way and figuring it out.
But getting some W's along the way I do think that this is a
team where, you know, we could come into some of those home
games in, you know, February against Illinois or Wisconsin,
or Maryland and really make a big difference.
So, II have not done the full schedule breakdown, but I just I
love the fact that we basically play two Road games in 2020
making, we're out of Indiana twice in the rest of the year.
As you can see here, he used to play with gotten the rest of the
games were in the state of Indiana for 2021.
As you told me very Bay Haim like schedule, like just never
leaving the state and just just you know, playing everybody at
home. It's a good stew.
Way to go these days. You might as well.
I will say this. I think that one thing you hit
upon there is a big key much like Indiana last year in
football, where they won those early games.
And got everybody really excited.
If I, you can go on a run, if they can go eight and one in
their first nine, or if they could go.
Like one loss in the non-conference.
I think the hype machine will be in full effect is particularly
with the students, but I think especially like just with the
fan base in general the in a lot of sports and we talked about
this with football last year. We talked about a little bit
this year. So much of sports is belief and
being able to play games and win games and have people believe in
what you're doing and have the team believe in what they're
doing is such a key element of things.
And that's the one last thing. I'm not totally sure about with
Woodson is We easily and how well can you Galvanize his team
to believe in what they're doing and if he can do that and if he
gets the fans behind him, early kind of the sky's the limit on
things and because I think it's a talented IU team.
It it's is it going to win the Big Ten this year?
No, but could it compete for the top four or five spots?
Yeah, I think actually it could. So let's keep an eye on that,
see what happens. But when and there's a real
world, I mean this is not a logical and again, I'm I'm
always reminding people. Like let's not give every single
player the The best possible outcome.
It's like not. Everyone's going to have the
best offseason to become the best version of themselves.
I think we get into that a little bit in the offseason.
That said you could have guys, good and bad.
You could be literally ate know going into that game at
Wisconsin on December 8th. Like it's not illogical to think
that and you lose you, let's just say you lose it Wisconsin
which Indiana has a but great propensity.
We do in the last 30 taka. Is there some kind of rule that
IU has to play at Wisconsin? In December, like of all out?
Like there's only two games. You play in Big, Ten play in
December and Indiana in the four years.
They've done this will have play that Wisconsin twice.
Like what is going on that mean anyway, sorry, go ahead.
No, like in return. Can we at least trigger warning
football? Yeah, Haley's paranoid Football.
Let's just give us a win somewhere else, Nebraska, please
like, you know this point God, you know, it's just disgusting
anyway sports, but you know, if you lose that game trigger
warning for Galen, but you could Then theoretically win your next
6 and B. If I got it, right 14 and one
going into that home game against Ohio State, January 6,
and much like a joke with Michigan football like they're
going to be 7 and 1 and not be any good.
I'm not sure how good in Indiana is not going to be a top ten
team, but they'll be 14. And 1 & 2.
Both of our points. You're going to have as fired up
student section. You're going to have it in DS,
14 and 1 or in 13 and to going into a home, you know, home and
home against Ohio State and Minnesota on a Thursday and a
Sunday. Assembly Hall is going to be
rocking in those early January days.
So that's and then you can get some momentum and you can kind
of keep pushing that forward. So yeah, getting 14 wins by
January 6. Could you know, that's going to
be a very cool place to be. We're live here at switchyard
Brewing Company like to thank the folks at switchyard Curtis
and Dave everybody hears help to set this up.
We're having a great time up here.
Be sure to stop by next week. Again.
As I mentioned we're going to be live here.
The entire Western, Kentucky game will do a pregame halftime.
Postgame wrap-up will be here to watch the game.
You should come join us. It'll be a lot of fun.
We'd love to have you here. And then we're hoping to come
back and do some of these Thursday night pre-games
throughout the course of the football season, and then we'll
see what happens with basketball little weirder schedule with
basketball, but we do enjoy coming down here and hopefully,
you'll all get a chance to do so, as well.
And if you're not in Bloomington, the next time you
come to Bloomington stop by switchyard Brewing, Company, get
yourself some good food, some good.
Beer, it's a good place to be. We got Matt Cohen.
Will Galen. We're tailing away real quick.
What is your what is your beer review?
Give us what you're drinking and like wow, this is a real quick.
Beer review why I'm doing. I'm having the orange blossom
blond here. As I do the podcast, always a
big thumbs up. It's a nice easy drinking
orange. What?
What is it? A what Blossom of orange?
Thank you, gentlemen, I appreciate that.
But I would still Eiffel. The Just came out and I haven't
had a chance to have any yet, but I'm very much looking
forward to it. What did you have?
Matt? Wait, there you go.
Have you? Hello there, die.
I am happy to comment on switchyard br-2 and I got a obb
also. It's one of the best bits out
there and you know, the Oktoberfest is great too.
I have had that a few times. I think I've experimented with
and this the project gratitude a lot.
That was great. Very good.
I miss that. You have a favorite though.
That isn't hasta. It's the Hopscotch coffee and
it's not here at the moment. That is oh Okay, that's a tasty
one. There's there's there's so many
really good ones that they have in the mix and so definitely if
they're all good. Like everyone that I've had has
been good so far Scott, so that's that's my review.
Well, I would say we have a lot of good student media here.
I would say somebody there's an article here.
Let's do an SP plus rankings of all the switchyard beers and get
that posted some done. Indeed tremendous that, but
throw that out there that on your darker, Scott.
Car. Hi.
I'll pitch it to Zach's Vision that you know, hey, if we're if
we're if you're doing stories on bleachers getting ripped out of
Memorial Stadium, surely this that's that's just as good a
Content. Anyway, Matt Cohen joining us.
Matt is riding for the Indy star now, but if you read any of the
coverage from the Indiana Daily student last year about covid,
he was the lead reporter on all that.
Did a tremendous job. He's covered pretty much every
major sport here at IU. It's great to have you once
again my friend, how you doing doing great.
It's good to be here that you know, I can You know, the opp
before coming on the pods. I was a good way to start off.
Absolutely. You gotta gotta calm the nerves
a little bit. You know, I think it's an
important part of podcasting. You got to kind of just chill
what exactly you're good. So let's talk first about the
story. You wrote this week.
There was an incident that occurred in the Idaho game and I
was sitting only a couple of sections over from it.
You know, I look over at one point.
I think it was the second quarter.
Yeah, and there's a large metal bleacher being carried like down
the crowd and it ends up down in the tunnel and then Taking it
out and all that. And you, you saw this from the
Press Box, or like, what is going on here.
So you go in and you discover a much larger story than what you
expected to. Once you dive into that a little
bit for us. So I saw the bleacher being
carried down. I was myself and the Griffin
Gonzalez from the Hoosier Network, both caught on to it
pretty quickly. He tweeted about it.
I saw his tweet and then I saw it kind of happening at the same
time. And my immediate thought was
what the hell is going on right now, which often happens during
IU home game for anyway, Go ahead.
And I you know, my immediate thought was like did they, you
know, steal a bleacher? Like how do you steal lie to?
Someone has one someone already leaving?
It's the first quarter. Like is a people already leaving
the game too. How do you steal a bleacher like
three? Are we passing it around our, we
all stealing it? How are you going to get past
security guard in the ushers that are out the gate?
And I really wanted some like bleacher Heist tail.
That's what I really wanted. That's not what I got a caper.
All right, and I thought, Getting that we did not get
that. But it turns out that the
Memorial Stadium, they have have some of the least supportive
bleachers ever there and, you know, their Breakaway bleep.
Yeah, like Breakaway rims. It's same sort of deal anything.
Go on the bleachers that like everyone is the same story with
everyone. So I put out at we kind of
asking for people to like, you know, to like DM me or send me,
you know, your bleach, your story.
If you, you know, we're around that at the time, was I thought
it was just a one-night incident.
Did you ask them for a Bleacher Report?
Art, Sarah. Sorry.
Go on. That was crying.
It's okay. Come on.
I do have two. I do have to give credit Griffin
told me that when I was turning doing the story.
That was the headline I had to use.
Yeah, I did not end up using it. However, I have to think there
might have been a trademark issue there.
Yeah. Yeah, there's probably some
legal issues, you know, and the so I got just a flooded with the
ABS. I wasn't expecting it.
But as people just over Decades of IU students, that all had the
shares the same shared experience of the jumped up
celebrating, man, the bleach. And boom.
It was gone. And then instead, their
immediate thought of is not. Oh, I'm in pain because my head
just fell on concrete, but it's, let's lift.
This dang thing up and carry it around the stadium and see what
happens, one person, who was at the Ohio State game in 2015.
It's again that I do not personally remember where I
don't know if I watched that game, but there was I think
there are saying something like Zander, the Ahmad have like a 79
yard, touchdown run in the fourth quarter and they saw just
like six or seven bleachers, all being lifted around the ATM
different parts, and then they landed on their own bleacher
jumping and celebrating and there's cracked and they left it
up to and they crowd surfed it. And they tried to actually they
try to legitimately steal it and they I do not think we're so
poor at the time and they're and they're always, I mean, it's an
IU football. You can probably shouldn't be
sober for going in there and they they, they're brilliant
plan was that they would pick up this bleacher and not take it
through the gate because there'd be a security guard there, that
would take it from them, and instead they would pick it up,
have to And leave the stadium, clear some area outside the
stadium walk up to the top of the student section and Chuck it
over the side out of the stadium.
That seems like it was a more noticeable idea to me.
I mean, it's well thought out it work.
It did not work. They did not even get the
bleacher off the ground again and bring it over.
Okay, the security guards tuck it there's been II.
Ask everyone that I talk to you for this.
Did you get any souvenirs and it was a consistent photos and
memories but there was no physical like nuts and bolts or
anything but to take might be for the best.
Yeah, because again unless you've got a truck.
I don't know how you're getting that figured out.
You might be. So things are heavy.
Strap it to the roof of your Corolla or something, but it's
probably not happening. It's interesting, though,
because it is, it is a consistent thing over time.
I've never ripped a bleacher out or anything, but I've seen
things in Memorial Stadium along those lines.
So it was just fun kind of watching that whole thing,
started Soph over again. And, you know, if you're a 15
year old and you're thinking of coming to IU, this is a good
reason to Because you might end up with your own.
Like I landed on a bleacher and then carried it out of the
stadium story. On top of that.
They don't get new bleachers. It's the same bleats there.
Yeah, they just welding. Weld it back down again, which
are, you know, I mean points for like, you know ecological Kanye
Justin see like you want that? Let's recycle as much as
possible. But yeah, the problems are going
to sustain. I don't think that right.
So I just want to know how I want to know.
I wasn't able to figure this out or have the time to ask about
it, but I want to know like what percentage of bleachers in the
stadium have been had to be replaced.
Laced or replaced in air quotes because that's the same
bleachers, but probably every single one in the student
section hobbling, over the course of the last 30 years.
Because that student section hasn't moved.
Yeah. In the, since I was a student,
at least, the stadium least on, on the, on the side, on the east
and west sides, haven't changed and Scott, it's Scott.
Have you ever did you ever break a bleacher at Memorial Stadium?
If you carried any metal out of the stadium, I have I have not
but I love the story of the people trying to flip it over
the top. Was my thought as you're talking
about it was like as Matt was saying, like that's how I'd get
it out of there is just showing it over the top and then just,
you know, hope for good luck, but it is.
It's an interesting, you know, for as much history as IU has
with its facilities, and it may be like, Memorial Stadium.
Assembly Hall, like it's interesting, the IU facilities
set up where I forget who did the story, but wasn't it a
couple years ago that the, the basketball goals that were like
the iconic bob Knight goals, kind of had the weird.
Arch in the back and they like they were just like rotting out
in a field somewhere and I think like, didn't Greg Boyle.
Try and find the chair that night shock didn't like they
can't find that. It's like there's a lot of
historical things are just kind of like there.
And like I mean, we're well, it's all building stuff.
Well, hold on, hold on, like if you saw the scenario like
somebody tweeted yet, double-decker bus yesterday, but
the double-decker bus, which is indeed sitting on off of
Indiana, 43 after no one County. There's also Well, if you go
toward Monroe Lake there is if you go out that direction.
Yeah, I don't know what street is.
There's an old IU football equipment Truck.
Yeah. Sitting in a few years.
I can tell you exactly where that is.
That is at the corner of Harrell Road and Moffat.
So if you go down, if you go down Harrell, which this is deep
like little 500, practice wide territory.
But yeah, there's a bus just sitting out there.
I forget. What's that?
Little town called down their names?
Like Smith know, something like that?
No. No, we talked about where the
equipment. Buses off the road, either South
it like a White House. On the west part of the county.
Is it? I think a Smithville name of the
town. But Smith is all like the
sandals Dolan or something like that Dolan's East.
We'll figure it out. This is, this is great great
video for the folks that are watching at home.
But anyway, point being you're right, Scott.
There's a bunch of I you Memorabilia, I guess.
I don't know. Buses memorabilia, exactly.
But there's a bunch of that stuff just kind of out in the
community and it's almost like it's like a, it's like a
scavenger hunt to some degree. Like if you'll be driving
through Monroe County or some of the surrounding areas.
You'll find something there that you're surprised about anyone
and, and Shout out and shout out to the IU Surplus.
I don't know what other universities do that.
Maybe they all do, but it's just odd to me.
I love going to the Surplus Store.
The IU surplus store, or I follow their Facebook page.
I think I bought A game used helmet there.
They had a bunch of them, you go there.
Now. They have just jerseys and you
just tons of football jerseys. And at one point last year.
They were selling one of the, you know, if you again, the bob
Knight era, the Big Score boards that were above the bleachers,
they were selling one of those and I mean, I would have bid on
it. If I had anywhere to put like a
50 foot by 20 foot scoreboard, but I'm like, put it.
That's awesome. But put it up having Warehouse.
What are you doing? I mean, you Brian Cardinal lives
in your neighborhood. Like point it in his Direction.
No way. No way the city.
I was the town. I was thinking of The name is
Handy. Just just.
Yeah, so it's, it's right there Moffat and, and Harrell Road,
the the village of Handy, Indiana.
I mean, and I would and, and I would add to that top of all of
that. Like, even, you know, on campus.
Like I think the, you know, I think one of the few things that
was done correctly in the IMU renovation was, they brought
back a ton of really cool artifacts and like the original.
I am. You like the initial?
I am you sign is now in there now, it's less like BP or
photos. But now cool old photos of
Campus. I just, that's all I mean, even
on Sports is all really cool stuff.
Do you not like the IMU, Renovations?
Okay, so I know it's what has been added now.
Let's take it in and take bit that I have that.
I am very anti GrubHub right now, but that's a whole
different thing. I'm just looking forward to the
pub opening up, whatever, that's going to be called The Vault, I
think. Anyway, quick thoughts on the
game, this weekend. What does I you have to do to
win this game? I think Michael Penance has to
prove that he is the same guy that he was.
In the past. And he's not, I mean, at some
point has been something that, obviously, it's all speculation
and talk about this, but at some point when due to ACL injuries,
catch up to you. And it's, you know, I don't,
it's, he has not look like the same guy to this point this
season. He's definitely has a lot of you
seen him kind of overthrow. A lot of people with a lot of
his throwing motion, kind of led to a lot of off-target throws.
I do Wonder to an extent, you know, we've asked them a lot
about. This is the thing that's, on my
mind. I've been trying to kind of pick
his brain on it, but he won't talk about it is, are you
concerned about it? And I don't mean, I wouldn't
blame the guy if he was concerned about it.
I have assumed he would like to walk for the rest of his life.
Like and if he's torn both of his ACL and already had pretty
his such, a previous injury history, three season-ending
injuries. Like that's I don't know how you
push that off out of your mind. Yeah.
No. And you can't replicate that in
practice. It's a tough one.
It really is. And I guess I'm not, I am with
you most of the way and I, this has become the narrative.
I'm just, I'm still not a hundred percent certain that
it's just penix his confidence level.
And that's the one thing that I have in the back of my head
because if it's, if it's a combination of that and
offensive line issues and play calling was all a disaster,
right? All of those things are
problematic. So I do think sometimes we have
a tendency to Lop too much on to penix.
Certainly, he's a key and when he looks good, I you looks good.
But I do wonder sometimes what he looks bad if it's penix
alone, or if there's more to it. And so, that's the one thing.
I'm kind of curious about as we move into this.
I think we'll find out this weekend.
There's something. I mean, I don't think that this
is the end all. Be all like is paddocks the say
ever? See not the same, right?
But this will be a big step toward it.
Yeah, Matt Cohen from the Indy star.
Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having a lot of
fun. Thank you.
So Scott, as we wrap up, I guess, one thing I want to say,
before we finish up. I'm really excited about this
game like in general. And here's why I say that
because this is a rarity. So have I, you they're not
ranked but they're close to rank.
They were ranked at the start of the season to have a highly
ranked team that everybody respects.
A lot of people look at as a potential playoff team coming in
to a packed at Memorial Stadium. Like, that's a big deal.
And, you know, I'm really excited about the atmosphere
that we get leading into the game on Saturday.
I'm excited about the game itself and I almost feel like
people have gotten a little too tied up in the is Indiana good
or not. Good.
Like They're good enough that they're they've got a chance to
be competitive in this game. They're not 15 or 20 point
Underdog to a top 10 team. There are essentially a three
and a half Point Underdog at home to a top 10 team.
This is an exciting set of circumstances that we've got
coming in for this game. And I hope that regardless of
how it turns out. I hope people will, at the very
least, enjoy the atmosphere that comes from having a really
highly ranked team, come in here and have and, you know, have
them playing Indiana team. That's A lot of talent that a
lot of people thought was a top 10 top 15, maybe caliber team
coming into the season. Like we just we haven't had that
Confluence of events in a while. Yeah, I mean, when was the last
time a top 10 team came in and wasn't a, was it down or more
favorite and wasn't Ohio State? Yeah, fair enough, but I think
that the thing has been mental times, like Matt just said it,
you know, tomorrow's a real kind of a Bellwether test to wear
this team, isn't it? When you look at the schedule,
you know, this it is really one of the last test we're going to
have for a while because you know the rest of the games.
If you kind of lumpy in a western Kentucky, Michigan
State, Maryland and kind of like they should win games and the
you know, Penn State, Ohio State Games as they're probably not
going to win games, you know, from here on out.
It's kind of like the either you do something.
We're really not expecting or they need to stub, their toe,
along the way up until you get to that Michigan game or even
that you, you know, I love to see but, you know, at Michigan
and can't you can't just throw that in the.
Oh, yeah. A win that.
I mean, we do that one, you know last time was in the 60s.
So if you assume that it's kind of a you know, this may be the
next, you know, the next real test might be Minnesota the
second to last game of the year. So this is, there's a lot right?
Again, kind of the overarching, you know, feel of the season is,
everything's kind of front-loaded.
But this is a game that the kind of is going to answer.
A lot of questions to be front loaded cuz everything else past
here is either going to be, you know, you have the end of the
exam is really tough. It's a, you know, five page blue
book or it's an exam you have the Others to for the rest of
the Year. This is one of the few exams
where you kind of, don't know what it is going in, but it's
also it is a top 10 team in the country.
Yeah. It's going to be a lot of fun,
and I will say one thing on this, you know, a lot of times
people don't get into the gambling or the wagering
aspects, but Cincinnati is a bit overplayed.
Right now. That's what the one of the
things I find fascinating looking at.
Some of the trends, the like Pro Football, Focus, their college
trends. When they look at Value
Cincinnati's about a point over favorite in this game.
Like this really should be about a two and a half point game
that's in a three and a half or a for that might bode.
Well and we might see not just the line drop, but just the
overall perception of where Indiana and Cincinnati are in
relation to each other. Get a little bit closer by the
time games time starts. And so look all the things that
we mentioned but you know, up to this point.
We're just going to see how they play out, but I really do think
this is a defensive Showdown. I think this is something we're
Indiana's defense. To have to force a couple
turnovers, you can have to force Cincinnati into giving you the
ball and advantageous field position.
I think this this could be a game where, you know, we really
see Taiwan Mullen and Mike McFadden.
And some of the new faces on defense, really remake their
names for themselves for the 2021 season.
So should be a lot of fun. Anyway, final thought and let's
yeah, I was going to say this to, you know, it's kind of
sorry, you know, it's kind of been lost in the eye.
Ho game of like Idaho just isn't good.
But, you know, it was nice. Having a pump block for a
touchdown and then a punt return for a touchdown.
And you that's something where, you know, the weight in those
were playing here. We talked about the DJ Matthews,
one, that on our recap odd, but you know, that was a, that was a
hell of a run. These great had a great scene.
He ran against, he had a guy who stiffed, arming, that's those
kind of things, feel like they could be replicatable against
real good teams. So that's something that, you
know, I'd like to see if That's something we can get going,
because that would be a unique wrinkle for an Indiana team that
we've never seen a team. That's like, Hey, we're always
gonna get some points on special teams, that would be unique, but
it feels like maybe having Matthews be the returner.
They might have unlocked something early on, and so, I'm
excited to see that to gonna be fun.
Looking forward to it and looking forward to seeing all
you folks out there at the stadium as well.
They got to be a lot of fun. Like to thank everybody that
joined us here at switchyard. We had a whole little group of
people here. The fraction.
What's my prediction? Yeah.
Oh the hell with it, Indiana 22:17.
I, there we go. I think it's going to be.
I think it's either going to be that or Indiana's going to lose
40 227. I guess it's one of those too.
But I'm feeling I'm feeling the 22:17 one way or the other.
I think it's going to be a lockdown battle defensively.
The one thing I'm concerned about.
I said this on mind your manners.
Earlier today, if I you let this game, get away from them in the
first five to ten minutes, like they did Iowa.
That's the thing. I'm most concerned about because
I don't, I still don't know where the psychology of this
team is when bad things happen because they didn't handle it
very well against Iowa, but if they can keep that from
happening, if it's a seven, seven game or seven three game,
middle of the second quarter. I like I use Chances, The
Closer, it is the longer it is because if Indiana believes, and
I think we've seen this over and over again with this team, when
they start to believe, They can do something, they'll do it, and
it's only when they start doubting themselves that you
really start to run into trouble.
And so, we saw this in the Wisconsin game last year that
game stayed close and, you know, Indiana made a couple of plays,
they took the lead and even though that was a close game,
the rest of the way they figured out a way to win it because they
started to believe in themselves.
And so that's I think the big thing, avoid allowing big plays
at the start of things, get yourself to halftime within
three to five points. Either way, and I think you're
good to go. The 2nd half.
How about you? I, you know, I beginning of the
year, I picked this as a loss. I'm probably, I'm still going to
have to stay there. I just I need the offense to
show me something. I hate to be the down kill.
I'd love to but I give me, I was going to win, but I think it's
gonna be a close game. I know it's great.
You know, II hope I'm with you to me.
The fear is if we go down 14 to nothing or like 13, not Thing
real quick, that's going to kill fan enthusiasm.
It's going to probably hurt the team obviously being down by
that much. But I see this being a really
close game but the score might end up being like 2813
Cincinnati, but it never feels like it's that far out of reach
but I feel like we're going to be a spot.
A lot of times in the game where it's like our offense is putting
our defense in spots where it's like got our defense is doing,
all they can do and they're holding up in their whole.
It's like you can't continue to ask your defense to stop this
this team over it. Over again.
And then the offense comes out as a 3 and out and it's like we
need more from our offense to help our defense.
Then it's just going to be like they're just going to break a
couple too many times and that's that's my fear.
But that's why I think it plays out.
Well when out, we'll see what happens.
You know, I picked Iowa as a loss at the beginning of the
year. I picked.
This one is Win. We'll see if my record continues
or if you're right this time. We'll see Eddie way.
Again. My thanks to the fine folks at
switchyard for hosting us today. My thanks to everybody that
listened in on line. We got several comments will try
to get two more of those. My thanks to all the folks here
who are present. We will be back on Sunday with
our recap podcast. As we talk about what happened
this weekend. We'll be back next week preview
shows. We lead into Western Kentucky
right into our watch party right here at switchyard next
Saturday, starting at 7:30. Come down.
Join us. We'll catch you folks on the
flip side. So everybody