This team is a wonder to me. I believe it to be a collection of good serviceable players doing their job as coached to do. I have seen decades of the best Big Ten teams. Eddie George, Joey Galloway, zeke Elliott, Marvin Harrison etc. IU has no individual skill like that. No Tevin Coleman or Vaughn Dunbar. The difference maker is #15. He’s exemplary. I can’t think of a Big Ten QB as good other than Brees. Maybe I am talking out of my mind. I don’t think so. It’s amazing to me. The #73 in talent is real. IU’s guys aren’t “plug n play” with other teams. Outside of 15, how many Hoosier’s start for OSU or Oregon or USC? It’s simply amazing what these coaches have done. Go Hoosiers
Great comment Jack. Yes, it's in no particular player that we're as good as we are. It's found in the collective. Our best players are actually our coaches. It's absolutely amazing how well they put a roster together. It's one of the reasons I'm beginning to think dynasty for IU football. Don't want to get too ahead of my ski's here. But with how this staff puts together a roster with players that compliment each other there's no reason at all to think we can't run this back next season. Even with all that we lose.
As a student of life I believe no matter how this season finishes a crucial part of 26 and beyond will be how the coaches a. View themselves (think they have it all figured out) b. Grow or don’t grow satisfied and complacent.
Can they maintain the same formula in evaluating and acquiring talent. Time, opportunity and human nature are the enemy. Do they compromise culture for raw ability? If I am smart I will just enjoy this one game at a time
I love all the in depth statistical analysis Taylor brings us. Gives a nice confirmation on the things we think we saw in the game. Like I didn't know for sure UCLA blitzed more than they have all season, but I knew they were blitzing quite a bit. You could tell UCLA brought everything with them they possibly could to try to win. Gave us their best shot. We knew they would and that they were one of the hottest teams out there.
Even with that they didn't even put a dent in IU's armor. They did the right things too. As Taylor told us their secondary had been playing well. They didn't play too bad this past Saturday either. Shutting down arguably the best wr tandem in conference is no small feat. Even after a catch Sarratt and Coop were shut down. No matter though. EJ thrived with that. So what happens if you shut down EJ too? Well we got a little glimpse of that. Charlie Becker had 3x the yards receiving Sarratt and Coop had. People talk about a 3 headed snake. It's more like 6 heads though. IU is gonna hurt you no matter. You shut 3 or 4 things down and 3 or 4 open up.
If anyone at all has any doubts about how good IU really is this past weekend should've answered that. We can just win in so many ways. So many strengths to this team that you just can't shut all of them down. Right now our biggest opponent will be all the noise, the rat poison. If we can navigate those choppy waters these next 4 games then there's no reason at all we shouldn't get to be testing ourselves against OSU in the conference championship game.
This team is a wonder to me. I believe it to be a collection of good serviceable players doing their job as coached to do. I have seen decades of the best Big Ten teams. Eddie George, Joey Galloway, zeke Elliott, Marvin Harrison etc. IU has no individual skill like that. No Tevin Coleman or Vaughn Dunbar. The difference maker is #15. He’s exemplary. I can’t think of a Big Ten QB as good other than Brees. Maybe I am talking out of my mind. I don’t think so. It’s amazing to me. The #73 in talent is real. IU’s guys aren’t “plug n play” with other teams. Outside of 15, how many Hoosier’s start for OSU or Oregon or USC? It’s simply amazing what these coaches have done. Go Hoosiers
Great comment Jack. Yes, it's in no particular player that we're as good as we are. It's found in the collective. Our best players are actually our coaches. It's absolutely amazing how well they put a roster together. It's one of the reasons I'm beginning to think dynasty for IU football. Don't want to get too ahead of my ski's here. But with how this staff puts together a roster with players that compliment each other there's no reason at all to think we can't run this back next season. Even with all that we lose.
As a student of life I believe no matter how this season finishes a crucial part of 26 and beyond will be how the coaches a. View themselves (think they have it all figured out) b. Grow or don’t grow satisfied and complacent.
Can they maintain the same formula in evaluating and acquiring talent. Time, opportunity and human nature are the enemy. Do they compromise culture for raw ability? If I am smart I will just enjoy this one game at a time
I love all the in depth statistical analysis Taylor brings us. Gives a nice confirmation on the things we think we saw in the game. Like I didn't know for sure UCLA blitzed more than they have all season, but I knew they were blitzing quite a bit. You could tell UCLA brought everything with them they possibly could to try to win. Gave us their best shot. We knew they would and that they were one of the hottest teams out there.
Even with that they didn't even put a dent in IU's armor. They did the right things too. As Taylor told us their secondary had been playing well. They didn't play too bad this past Saturday either. Shutting down arguably the best wr tandem in conference is no small feat. Even after a catch Sarratt and Coop were shut down. No matter though. EJ thrived with that. So what happens if you shut down EJ too? Well we got a little glimpse of that. Charlie Becker had 3x the yards receiving Sarratt and Coop had. People talk about a 3 headed snake. It's more like 6 heads though. IU is gonna hurt you no matter. You shut 3 or 4 things down and 3 or 4 open up.
If anyone at all has any doubts about how good IU really is this past weekend should've answered that. We can just win in so many ways. So many strengths to this team that you just can't shut all of them down. Right now our biggest opponent will be all the noise, the rat poison. If we can navigate those choppy waters these next 4 games then there's no reason at all we shouldn't get to be testing ourselves against OSU in the conference championship game.
Is Gandy the only alternative to Sharpe? Who would be Sharpe's replacement if he got hurt?