you're listening to the back home network, presented by home field, apparel Scott Jared thing what ball when you downloaded that theme music Eric 14 years ago, that we'd still be using it? That was like there's no bad ideas in a brainstorm. Hey, here's an idea for a song and then smash cut to bitches imprinted in my mind, that gate that that the thief song so we will talk about it.
They it's like a cult following among the followers and listeners it's someone described it as a banger once and it's like the origin of it. It's a royalty free podcast theme which you downloaded? Yes. From. There's a royalty Free. Like it was, it was an indie and it was at you. It was yes, it was an IU student. And the problem is a Tunes. I can't. I cannot like I can't doesn't exist anymore. I can't go find it. I want to know who made it.
They are welcome on this show anytime we've, we've tried to track down who the original artist was and what's occurred? Then I remember this. The the song is called fully charged. I know that because I've got the original MP3 file that you sent me, but we the, the Website. Because member I, you had that whole remember that awful era. When I use Big Ten Network, add, was that awful podcast sad, you know, podcasts are unpredictable.
Like, I mean, like someone, wow, like there was, there were some decisions made in that marketing meeting, as far as like that being the ad that they put out. But there was a site that held a bunch of these things and we just can't find the name of the guy who wrote the podcasts. Theme. And I feel terrible about it because I'd like to, I'd like to
dab him up on the show. But yeah, it's amazing that that that's the one thing that's sustained, like, Egyptian hackers couldn't take it down and and things like that. It's which that's an inside joke, folks, but we got taken down twice by Egyptian hackers in the early stages of the show. So it's it's a thing that we would love to someday find. I'd love to buy that guy a meal somewhere and just thank him for all of what he's done for us. Frankly, I love it.
What he's doing like he could be working in Hollywood, like, maybe like the new Thursday Night Football theme on Amazon, like he made it's like we could be getting better but you would get even better bangers like fully charged to Electric Boogaloo. Yeah. It's it's, I can only imagine what the extended like EDM remix of that sounds like we've definitely passed that point where there was a point, you know, three or four years like,
all right? Yeah. This will do and what we'll find something better and then we didn't and we're now at the point where it can't be changed like this is that is just our theme song. Like that is what we come into. Yeah, it's so look there's any way will you wanted to give some? Give some give some well thanks. Thanks for joining everybody that. But that's crazy cast talking about our music. We're here doing what we do know, we're here to talk about IU football, Indiana taking on
Western Kentucky this weekend. And before we get to that, just a reminder that IU is being covered by Crimson, cast and Crimson cast as part of the back home network in the back home network is brought to you by home field apparel your place to go for the softest and finest. College sports apparel, plus some pro sports apparel and we're getting into hoodie season. We're getting into a crewneck season. We're not quite there yet.
Although Saturday morning season yet, you love the clothes that go with it. I do. That's true. I am. It's perverse. That way. We had a question actually from one of the folks on Twitter, they wrote this in I want to find it because it was a good question since from Daddy Hoosier. Does Crimson fit cast, in fact, fear the oval hashtag? And the answer is no, I am a huge proponent of the oval, in my eye. You room that I'm sitting in
right now, doing this podcast. There's an oval over there on the opposite wall and I have my wife, just texted me, she's listening in all caps. Love the oval. I have an oval t-shirt, I have an oval crew neck. Why do I have those things Scott? Because you love the oval. No, because home-field apparel brought the oval back. That's why I have those things.
It's not because this the oval so people of my generation and Scott's generation those of us who were there in that narrow band at IU between like 1997 and 2002. Some of us love the oval, some of us hate the oval. I personally love the oval. I think it's a great alternate. It's actually we are old enough now that it is I can appropriately retro logo. It looks. It's like those. It's like those Art Deco, things
that home field. Also cells in the eye you collection from the 50s, that look like Looney Tunes, things. It's like, you know what? We're we got something going right here. This is nice. And what's cool about everything is Scott's door opens behind him in his audio, though. The dogs waffles waffles is joined my, the golden retrievers likes, the oval, I will say this, you I think You still have it may be home. Field needs to make the helmet head.
Me the helmet head that I had in college you and I wore them City. Indiana, Ohio State game. When I caught a Snickers from Lynn Swann. I thought for sure we were going to win that game. We were down. 53 23, I think it halftime. Yeah, it was a soft helmet head. It was one of the greatest giveaways of a university ever, but it had the oval somewhere in one of my many moves I lost it and that was one of the greatest regrets, like, on my deathbed, I will have many questions and
one, Where did that go? Yeah, I know. Well, look and a lot of have yours. I still do. The kids were playing with it the other day so I don't know where it is right now, but I know it's around somewhere and to be careful. That's like that's, I mean it has a fire in the in the in the Galen house. I feel like you know, it's one of the things that's in helmet are going to be. I know which one you're going for is gonna say, that's one of
the four things that get saved. But, but anyway, yes, I am. A big fan of the oval and you can find the oval almost I think exclusively at home field apparel. So go downfield apparel and check out the oval. You can use the code home H ome. If it's your first time at home field apparel and get 15% off your first order, I mean, what how could you turn that down? Quite frankly.
So by the oval wear it proudly, I've seen people walking around with you who are like 19 years old and I'm just like man, you don't know the half of it and I'm excited to see you wearing that thing. That's awesome. There will be a game were they will break out the oval as a retro jersey. I just, I know In Our Lifetime speaking of like money off and stuff. I do have to Bone to pick with you. Oh no, we are in, I listened to your podcast your preview.
I'm excited to be on a preview. This is unlike me, but I listened to it is. I mean I like I like your preview where you did some tailgate talking. One of the questions was about, you know, if you could have a hundred dollars for n IL for students to come and you just very Cavalier lead you, where it n IL. I Don't want to be you know Arizona's under FBI or sorry, not Arizona, Kansas under FBI investigation.
You just very casually like, you know, I'll pay everybody $33 and I'll just talk at the last dollar for myself just threw that in there. Like, you're just, I mean, if, when Galen starts be Crimson cast and IL Collective, just please keep that in mind, I had nothing to do with it galen's just pocketing one or two percent on his own, you know, to buy all his oval gear in the oval oval mansion.
They're in Bloomington nothing. Nothing buys Mansions like a dollar especially with six percent mortgage interest rates which we just hit today. I think for the first time in a while. So yeah. The that refinancing your fine ass. Well, you know bring bring them after me at this point. Well let's let's see what they do and as he double, I probably earlier like ABS keep the actual dollars. I got you in C, double I, come on, come at me.
Anyway, let's talk about this. By the way, they would let everything else go and just be like, they'd come after you for one thing he said in the podcast. So, so in, we It would absolutely. I'm a booster clearly. So we had a lot of questions We're not gonna be able to get to all of these but Indiana playing against Western Kentucky. They be Western Kentucky last year. It was a close game. This is a close Series in
general. Indiana has had success against Western Kentucky, but was Kentucky, always seems to give Indiana a really good game and it's a one of those where you looking at it and you're like, I don't know if this is a good thing. Indiana is playing Western Kentucky. It's certainly going to be a challenge. And this is where it can be a
little bit difficult. Sometimes to figure out exactly what to think of teams after two games, you know, because you when you look at these two teams, neither of them. I mean, Indiana's had the more impressive of the two schedules, Western Kentucky so far. The beat Austin Peay who's FCS, they're not FBS 38 to 27 and then they traveled to Hawaii, who's very bad. Got blown out by you might be
FPS, got blown. By Vanderbilt bad and they beat them 4917, which certainly was impressive and this is a Western Kentucky team. Obviously, that had a very good season last year as they finished nine and five and that included a bowl win against Appalachian State. Who we know is a very good program Indiana's got the better win. They win at home against Illinois and week one, they play Idaho last week, not a good game but a good second or good, third quarter.
I guess we could say for Indiana as they end up. Winning that game. Bye. You know, the maybe a disappointing score of 35 22, but still a win. So Western Kentucky comes in and let me know. On the one hand, you can look at Indiana and say, well they beat Illinois and they, you know, is awful, conditions rain and all that stuff against Idaho.
On the other hand, you know, you look at PFF College Pro Football Focus, you know, and they do these game ratings, where they look at individual teams, and what they are able to do. And, you know, B, the fact that Western Kentucky has not played to particularly good teams, they've looked really pretty good. Statistically in those two games and right now, Western Kentucky comes into the game.
Under the PFF college rankings, ranked 68th in the country which is not great, but you know, it's it's Florida's. 67 Purdue 64th. Oklahoma state is 68 during some decent company Indiana. You want to guess what Indiana's PFF College rating is coming into this game? I'm Scott we in the 70s 80s. That's what I would have guessed to Indiana through two games is ranked 111th in PFF College because when you go through that's not the 70s or 80s, know it's bad.
When you look at the ratings and, you know, PFF, this is Pro Football, Focus and then they're not the end-all be-all of things by any means. But you, they, they go through and they grade how teams do in all these different areas. So everything from overall to how well, they looked on offense. How the pass blocking look, the Run blocking looked the the defense and the different aspects of the defense and the real concern.
I think for Indiana right now is they really looked pretty subpar and pass blocking against Illinois. They and on a 0 to 100 scale, they were 35.4 in pass blocking against Illinois, which is real bad, then they weren't that much better in run blocking now, they certainly were better against Idaho. But that was Idaho who's not a very good team and defensively they've been pretty pedestrian.
Their run defense has been pretty good at both games, their their, their secondary is not look that great in terms of how well they played in coverage. They're tackling has been subpar so far and so you come into this game and you look at Western Kentucky and you say to yourself, well, this is clearly a program with a pulse and it's clearly a program that is not
afraid of anybody. So, you know, it's one of those games where Indiana comes in and you're you're hoping that they're going to just come right out and be able to Showcase against an inferior Talent set with Western Kentucky, what they can do. But Scott I'm just not totally sure having watched I you for two games now, what exactly, they can and can't do. I don't know if you've got a clearer sense of it than I do at this point. No, I mean this game scares me because Western Kentucky can put
up points. I mean to eat, like you said they are Conan's this so far, this year were not great but I mean they put up points against them and for a half we couldn't even put up points against Idaho. You know? So are and what also is kind of, you know, you think about Western Kentucky, think about their offense based on what they did last year with their doing this year. But their defense, I mean they have seven interceptions this year. I mean, they take the ball away as well.
That's a big part of what they're doing, you know. I think we can play well on defense and still probably give up 21 to 28 points. And I'm just I'm not sure if this offense is capable of putting up twenty one or twenty eight points against a team that has a pulse. Just because we kind of did a little bit with smoke and mirrors against Illinois. We had a really hard time doing inside a hoe and you know we've lost, you know, Bedford on the line. The line is look bad.
We have not shown an ability to have a very strong running. Presents at all so far this year. And so, I'm very concerned this offense is going to be able to provide the defense with what it needs to win games. Yeah, I mean it's a big question mark and you can look at the offense against Illinois and say, well that's a pretty good Illinois. Defense there, there a defense that is certainly capable from a talent perspective.
You look at the way. Illinois has played so far on the season PFF College. Really likes how Illinois looks. I mean, they are 2 and 1 on the season, and they are 19th in the country and the PFF grades, and you look at their defense, they have their rankings or, or their rating out of 100 has been seventy nine point four 73.5 against Indiana and seventy nine point four. You know, their offense has struggled a little bit but overall Illinois has played
pretty well. They they almost shut out Virginia. Last week, Virginia only scores three points in that game, so, This is where it gets tricky with Indiana because it's like, well, they certainly get credit for beating Illinois. And they struggled offensively against Illinois, was that because Illinois is actually really good, or was that because Illinois had a bad game or was that because of some other or like, or is it just because Indiana was bad. And I don't think we yet know.
And this is where it's unfortunate that the weather became as bad as it became in that Idaho game because we really didn't get a clear sample size from Indiana outside of Illinois. Going into this game about what they can do. Granted against a subpar It but you need that. I feel like to try to figure out exactly what to expect out of Indiana in this game because I
still don't know. But I am concerned like you are because I don't think Western Kentucky is going to particularly be scared by Indiana and what they bring to the table. They know they almost beat Indiana last year and that I mean I don't yes certainly
Western Kentucky lost a lot. But you could say Indiana lost a lot to now, maybe maybe with Indiana, that was some addition by subtraction but we still have yet to really see Indiana the dominant in any phase of any game so far except maybe the third quarter of Idaho. I will I'm just going to take a quick step back toward this game which is you know, beginning of the year, we talked about, you know, I think a bowl getting to a bowl is a pretty, you know, it's a far bridge for this team,
although I thought more about what you said. And in the preview that, you know, if if truly last year was the ill. If we believe that, you know what the team is telling us that last year, was the aberration that it's like, well, that a bowl should easily be pretty like your, this is a team that, you know, when seven games wins eight games like that, this should be part of the process
that uses go to a bowl. But if we want to get to a bowl or even if we want to get to five wins for that, Purdue game. So you're playing for a bowl, you know? And I think everyone could agree that would make it, you know, that's at least. Just you know, acceptable enough of the season, I think if you only get 24 wins as a tough year but if you want to get to five wins or six wins, you have to win this game but you just have to win this game.
There's just there's not a or you're going to have to do something very out of the, out of the ordinary. What your expect yet, you got to win, you know, Penn State or Michigan State or something that doesn't look like it's going to happen this year. So, you know, this is where the rubber hits the road. And like I said, I'm not sure how they're going to get the offense to do it.
This is a game that you have to win because if you don't your path to five or six wins this year, is really going to be tough. It's tough when you have a game.
You know, when Idaho game those supposed to be kind of a confidence Builder and it left with people wet and kind of confused and frustrated after a half and then if you, if you do lose this game, it's like I think a lot of people think, well, there's really not a path to five or six wins and it's not even September. You know, 19th, we had a gram asked, does the Western Kentucky game define whether or not it? Deanna will have a good or bad rest of the season.
I'll be coming to see. Nope, got a phone call there is Grandpa. Didn't know, it was calling. It really want to know. It was not that was not get cramps like oh, here's our burden. What's going on? Yeah, but no, it was not g know the the an interesting question I'm going to say it doesn't define whether or not I use going to have a good or bad rest of the season because it's possible.
I you wins and still has a bad. Rest of the season, but fair, but I you if they lose, I think we'll have a bad rest of the season. So, it's like a bad Choose Your Own Adventure novel. You know where there's, you know, I don't know, you either die immediately or you could die in two more days. Right? Exactly. Yes, you know. So I look at this and I say if Indiana beats Western Kentucky, there's a lot of things positive with that, they're at that point. They're three, you know?
And as much as we have learned now, The Tom Allen era that this is I you Football under Tom Allen is as much a Vibe as it is a progression of of outcomes that I you at 3 and 0. I think suddenly starts to get high on their own Supply so to speak. Like they really start to believe. We are good, we have 3 R 3 and 0, we've beaten Illinois, we've beaten Western Kentucky. These are not pushover teams and and I think that that actually has a really positive impact on Indiana.
And there their whole conceptualization of themselves as a football team, if they lose, I think a lot of that goes away. Now you could beat Western Kentucky and then get, you know, slaughtered in nippert stadium the following week and then lose on the road at Nebraska, and it's all out the window anyway. But I think losing against Western Kentucky suddenly those two Road games, you lose those two. And now you're scaring two and three in the face with Michigan coming into town.
So it's a pivotal game, but it's not. It's It's not going to be a guarantor of positivity. I think would be the way that I would answer that question. Yeah, some other questions of note. So Keith asks in years past we've had a number of good losses and near misses, should we now be happy with frustrating? Second half wins. Is this what progress looks like the answer is, yes, that is exactly what progress looks like. I'd love to say that progress. You know was was Thirty Point
wins. We're never in question where you're just essentially just drinking beer in the in the second half and thinking about like how the third-string wide receivers doing but that's not how it works. Like you you go from losing games in the end to slightly winning games and that's really all that matters that the winning. The games is ultimately the big
thing that matters. And so you know, if Indiana is in the fort in a tussle in the fourth quarter against Western Kentucky and they pull it out by Three or four points, you know what Scott, that's progress, as far as I'm concerned, even though they, you know, I mean, yes, they struggle a little bit on the road last year. Any win for Indiana at this?
Point up until the point they get to six wins is absolute gravy and that's something that I know that fans don't want to hear, but that's absolutely the setup at this point, that's where Indiana has to be, especially building back from a too intense. He's completely agree.
I mean, win is a win and I would say Yes, I was kind of, you know, dismissive of that in the immediate aftermath of the Idaho game, but I think where that comes from is, you know, for me, I was looking at the Idaho game to help answer some questions that I had from the Illinois game. And those questions were not answered and that's where you kind of left being like, I don't know where the other winds are going to come from until these questions are answered, but to
your point, a win is a win. So, if we get, if we beat Western Kentucky, like you said by three but we Still have you know 67 yards in rushing? I will come on this post game and be like I'm very concerned about our rushing, but that's a win like that's great. We're three winds down. Let's still continue to find a way to win without getting, you know, any kind of rushing game. Let's see if we can do it. So I think you can kind of discombobulated the to but yeah,
a win is a win, is a win. I will say I'm on college football stats, just looking at college football stats and it has the attendance of both the Illinois and the Idaho game.
I know that Indiana releases attendance figures and all that, but it has the attendance of the Idaho game as higher, the Illinois game of 46,000 785. That's a lot of people who are there in the rain that I well see on any of the TV cameras, I think that that might have been tickets sold to be fair, as opposed to actual butts in seats.
I know, I know, I know, but and I would believe that because this was an easier game for people to attend than the Friday prior to labor day, but it's a fair point. It's a fair point. This is why are you have to be a little careful about attendance figures in general across all sports. It's just kind of how it works. Some other questions that we had daddy. Hoosier XD asks, I've encountered several people voicing concerns about safety play. Thus far, do you share those concerns?
So this is something we've heard a lot about it's like, well, the safeties haven't looked that great.
Yes. I use been intercepting the ball but they've The back we were we were somewhat impressed with the way the back seven played against Illinois and maybe we shouldn't have been going back and watching that game afterwards and getting a sense of how it actually went down a lot of Bend but don't break even though they deny that in the press conference afterwards they didn't look great against Idaho. Are you concerned about any aspects of the defense at this point? Maybe a little more.
Generally Scott I'm concerned that we're not getting takeaways. Then we played Idaho and they had more takeaways than we did. We currently have one interception throughout the year. Being that is what made 2020 such a unique year was that team had 17 interceptions throughout That season and they didn't even play a full schedule. That was definitely an outlier season but that really changed a lot of it.
So for me, that's been the concern with the defense is where you know to your point Allen's teams do well. They're giant, you know, Vibe it and stuff. But they've also done really well with the defense has been very opportunistic. Taking the ball away, flipping the field. We saw a good amount of that in 2019 like you know, seven interceptions, you know, recovering 12 fumbles. But 2020 was just like it just took that off to a whole new level and that's what really
allowed that team to thrive. And so the bend but don't break defense has been good it's been good to see them, not breaking but for this Team to be dynamic especially when we still have the struggles on offense, but I think are going to be there especially once you get to the Big 10 based online play, you're going to need your defense to make some place for you're going to your defense to. Not only get you off the field, but flip the field and have a night, you know, have a pick six
or a pick six or a pick that you can get 35 yards on and flip the field. So that's been the part with the defense has been concerning to me. Yeah I know. I mean the big question mark for me is look I mean I think there's going to be some Growing Pains As the defense re adapts, the Tom Allen and re adapts to the system that they want to use.
You know, I'm not the big thing I'm concerned about out of the Idaho game is the team's inability to handle receivers coming out of the backfield and that is a problem. I think we get this Western Kentucky teen. I will see if that actually manifest. Maybe I you makes a bunch of changes, you know. I think there's a real possibility that they were just trying to show his little as possible.
Isabel in that Idaho game and they ended up in a situation where it they had to show a little more than they wanted to, but they'll make some changes afterwards. I think it's entirely possible, but I don't want to make any Final determinations on the defense until we get closer to October. I think did I need two more games to really see what the defense can do against better competition. So I'm not going to get panicky about it yet, but I think it's worth keeping an eye on.
Absolutely. Some other questions that I wanted to get to IU artifacts asks, is this on mcculloh the most important key to success? Not only for I use defense. But the entire are you football squad? No. Because I think Connor basil, lack and to a slightly lesser extent. The offensive line are the most important aspects of success for this IU football program overall, because I think if they're not working, the team's not doing well.
But I do think McCullough, Allah has clearly been like visibly a standout on defense so far at a position that I you desperately needed a standout athletically. I saw someone the other day, they tweeted something like, well, Tom Allen needs to get more guys like this on mcculloh, like, like they grow on trees and we've just, we've neglected to pick the fruit off the tree as we walk to the football conference. I got doesn't way it works. Okay.
Let me the fact that decide McCullough is here in the first place is a very very specific set of circumstances. From stances had to occur for him to be an Indiana uniform. And to some degree, they get his kind of Lucky. He's still in an Indiana uniform given what happened with all of those circumstances over the course of the last 12 months?
But look, he certainly, I think a really, really good player and if fact, if I you can keep him, I don't know if they can but you know, he could end up being one of the best talents on defense that Indiana has ever had. And the fact that he's showing his much ease as a Freshman, I think really highlights how few of those types of players athletically, Indiana tends to
get on defense. You know, they've had athletic Marvel's like, antwaan, Randle, l or or, you know, Tevin Coleman. I mean, there's there's guys like that that have stood out on offense, very rarely, I mean, you get a, you know, Mike McFadden was a really excellent defensive player but he stood out for his effort and his intelligence not so much his physical gifts, which, which McCullough clearly has when two things. On that first off, the if anybody's saying like why don't
we get more of them? And as if like other McCullough's were just saying, hey, go ahead and take the Alabam offer like we don't, we don't need you. Like, you can go ahead and Levi, are you? The second thing is like this is, you know, it's great to see but this is also the slow maturity of a program because like you said, you know, Randall L comes to Indiana, part of the reason he came to Indiana is that we were willing to play him at quarterback. Has he gone to Ohio State or
Michigan? He would have been a safety or something else like that. This is most of the time and Indiana's history when you get just an athletic stud. It's like, well, we got to put you in an offensive skill position because we need, we need you in it. That's where we need the most need.
And so, to be able to say we're actually going, you know, it's a luxury to put somebody like that on the defensive side and it's your point like Mike McFadden was awesome, but I also didn't see him running like a wide receiver route, and I know so and it's able to do is I get five stars that are athletes and just throw them in. You know, linebacker and safety rules. Hello. You don't have to be a great athlete to be a great
linebacker. I mean, it's helpful but I mean look Mike McFadden made the Giants. It's not a criticism of McFadden but it's like for a freshman at because McFadden was not that great in his first two years and people forget that like he took a lot of criticism for missing tackles for not being a right position. He grew into that role in his last two years and really became what he is now but McCullough just kind of has it out of the box and that's really exciting to see Let's see.
Some other questions to get to Hoopa ROTC asks, thoughts on why I use schedule, Western Kentucky, and Cincinnati home and away. And should I you continue to schedule those types of opponents? Good question because these are two pretty good teams. These are teams that are, you know, Western Kentucky goes to bowls. Cincinnati, you know, I think this is the first of all, there is a historical precedent to scheduling Cincinnati. We played them in the 90s.
I think we played them in the 80s to and they are. I think I think of the eyes of IU, they don't they and I don't have any, I've never talked to anybody about this. I don't know if it's absolutely the truth, but they really don't want to go full Minnesota where they just schedule the absolute dregs of division 1 and pit themselves against him. It for easy wins in the non-conference. Now the or three. Is he wins now?
I guess now they should I think if there's a program that needs that it's Indiana. But I for whether if you go back and look, historically at Indiana's, non-conference opponents like all the way back to the early 80s their scheduling really, really good like will go for non-conference opponents, really good like mid-level programs, whether it's Navy, you know, obviously I you struggled with in the early 2010's Missouri, who Ooh, keeps popping up on the schedule.
You know, North Carolina was on the schedule, North Carolina state was on the schedule, they've really resisted scheduling, like, Georgia, Southern who had. That's a bad example, I guess now. But, you know, those sorts of teams Troy State, like teams that are absolutely on the fringes of FBS and it's probably something I, you should consider because look at the end of the day in a nine-game conference season.
If you're Looks like they may catch the positive end of a wave with Louisville because they scheduled that. As I wire, we scheduling an ACC team in the non-conference but you know they they may get a positive end there but there's always the chance in this day and age that you're going to get a Western Kentucky or Cincinnati is going to put together a couple good recruiting classes be really tough to play and then all of a sudden it's like oops what do we do now?
You know you replace last year's Cincinnati game with a team that's like slightly down the Totem pole and Indiana. Winds that maybe it's a completely different season. So I understand the philosophy, I don't always agree with it but it's one of those things that Indiana's done as long as I can remember. They rarely, even if they dip into the Mac, they're generally dipping into like the middle and upper reaches of the Mac. They're not scheduling Eastern Michigan. Yeah.
I mean, the the counter that I would say is that this is also, you're catching Western, you know, Kentucky, it kind of a time where they get just a you Absurd coach player transfer. We beat him last year to yeah, you know.
And as we talked about last year, when they scheduled at Cincinnati series, I definitely did not think that they were expecting Cincinnati to be a college playoff team like they thought it might be good but not like, you know, top five in the country good and all that said, you know, we almost beat them. It's like so if maybe they're, you know, a top 25 team, maybe we win that game and you know, if they don't have five NFL prospects and You know top-tier NFL quarterback on their roster
maybe we do win that game. So I do think some of this is you know we're getting some bad luck. I would I would push back a little bit on, you know, us trying to schedule those bad teams. Just because historically, when we've had, like, I think we did have like Coppin State come in once or we've had some of those lower-level teams. Normally the crowds are not as good for those and it does kind of as a programmer kind of like we treat them kind of like a nothing game.
When really, we're not the kind of a poem, we're not a team that has the ability to do that but we treat it like that and so I can see from Athletics. Apartment, trying to build crowds and fan bases. At least games, like Kentucky everything. Sorry, Cincinnati, you're going to fill the stadium. It may not be the best for your long-term projections to making a bowl.
But at least, you know, it's probably a dollars and cents decision to. But I think some of this is just bad luck in that the last couple of years, especially Cincinnati, we're just hitting teams on a Cincinnati's in like a 50-year historic high like last year. Could have been maybe the absolute Apex, you did not want to play them and that's when we play them. Yeah, I know.
I know there's, that's a really good point and Personally, if there's a team that's going to get the bad end of the stick, in terms of scheduling a team on a historic upswing. It's it's or, you know, it's the opposite. It's like, well, you get Yukon and like with their first or second year as an FBS team. And it happens to be a game where your coaches out because of getting cancer treatment, you
know? I mean, it's just like, yeah, I you it doesn't matter to some degree it and I use tends to find a way to lose those games, a lot of different ways, and it's very frustrating. So anyway, a couple of the things, we always go to the Penn State one. It's like, you know, Penn State's on historic sanctions there playing no players and yet it's like when we play them and note, no knock on Xander edema. But it's like we have Saturday - our quarterback like they can't score like.
Anybody know where didn't get score either didn't Danny Cameron have to play in that game too. Yeah that was yeah that was that was no, it's a great point. It's there's what year consult fell just be healthy for that one game like I'd Just beat Penn State. Once I remember what you know, they did be big didn't beat them once. They did beat them once in that stretch but that was it. Yes.
So God. Anyway, a couple other things so quick detour off the game Jared from assembly call asks if someone from another country who doesn't understand college sports, ask you to make sense of why Nebraska fired its football coach weeks before, they could have paid him millions of dollars less, what would you try to or how would you try to explain it to them? So this is an interesting
question. Because for those of you who don't know, Scott Frost is buyout dropped by half in three weeks basically like the Sunday. After the Indiana game, they could have fired him. And only I think dropped what seven and a half million dollars right? Or five bad forgive with the actual number was it was half of what they ever are, paying him now, having fired him, Scott, I'm interested in your answer to this like, like, well, how would
you explain that to somebody? I actually don't think it's as hard to explain to a soccer fan than it would be to explain to. Somebody doesn't understand Sports at all. But like, do you have an explanation for this that you would give to people? Yeah, I love the the alien, you know, explaining to aliens, I think that, you know what, makes us a little bit. Easier is the meteorites deal that was just signed like, three weeks ago and this is something.
I'm not to bring it to the NBA that Bill Simmons has been joking. Like you know, people don't fully get that like NBA players are going to start making 70, 80 million dollars a year and therefore year, yeah, it's like just like look at the TV package. That will be signed in a couple of years and it's like some Indiana fans here like DeAndre like 0 to 30 million a year.
It's like yes. Like in four years that's going to be a massive steel because you're going to be paying mapper and 60 million just to get weight. Like there will be a player on the Pacers and five years, making 75 million a year, whether it's But so you have a
huge windfall of money coming. So if you're a Nebraska, three and a half million dollars is it's not immaterial but it kind of is and if your Nebraska the heat that you're getting is the athletic department for just continuing to lose games in poor fashion. It's just you. I think that I would have to do a deep dive of like, what's it? Like to live in Lincoln Nebraska every single week.
We can be the one in charge of the entire Nebraska football program and how important that is and how much you can't go to your local, you know, Piggly, Wiggly or Meyer or Wigwam or whatever. They have their you know, and everyone's yelling at you. Everyone's telling you you're stupid. Like there comes a point where like if you could just take three and a half million to get everybody off your back, you probably would, especially when money is really no object as an athletic director.
And so, I think, I think the money is a little bit overblown and I think that well, pretty obvious. He's just not a good coach. Well, and it's and There's two things here, one restraint, because he said it was simple. I feel like I made it way. More complex. So what's the simple answer? No, no, no. Actually, I think you actually hit upon the simple answer, which is two things. Hey, it's not Nebraska's money. Nebraska did not write the check.
Yeah, a booster wrote the check. Just like a booster wrote the check to fire Archie Miller like that wasn't Indiana's money. Now Indiana, you know it's so funny because like the meteorites deal is huge. If they are getting at Ton of money but when it comes time to fire, it's like, hey boosters. Yeah, things are pretty tight over here in Nebraska. Like I don't listen to the 80 million a year, we get from the Big Ten Network, that's that's not that's that.
Well, the play stuff, it's getting really tight. I was able to find 50 bucks. Yeah. But if you guys could come up with over 3.5 million or three point four nine five I mean the other stuff he has its it my venmo account I think Lincoln money it's like it's coming and you know if they ever a time you guys take Zell. Do you guys take zeldo 2? Yeah.
Inflation. And, you know, thanks to you, let's go Brandon's all, it's all very confusing, but if you can just the other three and a half million, we really would just need that money. Yeah. They always go to their boosters matter how much money they're getting. Anyway. Sorry. Now it's like, it's like, it's like proteins asking taxpayers to pay for stadiums. It's the same thing, right. It's like you got you, did you make a lot of money off that Medium? Amber you doing know? You gotta.
We gotta have the 900 million dollars from the taxpayers. Is no way we could possibly. Yeah, I know. So that's that. It's part of it. But I also think he had on the other aspect of this which is that it's that it's you could kind of asked the same question but Indiana firing Archie Miller like one more year of Archie Miller with that a would that have really been that much of a difference. What he, you know. But I think the reason is You you have to do is to fold.
You have to a, you brought the guy back and you didn't have to, you could have fired him in the offseason and yes, the buyout dropped. But realistically speaking, you probably should have just fired him in the offseason. So that wasn't really money that you were saving. It was money. That probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. Like, you just needed to get rid of the guy you made a mistake. If your travel birds, like everybody's been praising trail of Albert's.
Who's the athletic director at Nebraska for making the right decisions like should have The guy in the offseason like under, what equation did you think that this was suddenly going to work after not working for the last four years? Like what planet were you on other than Planet loyalty which is a stupid planet to be on if you're an athletic director?
So I think that's part of it, I think it's a way for Trev Alberts to save face a little bit for screwing this up further by not, just chopping the head off over in the summer or in the spring rather than trying to make this work again. Well, not just say face, it's that, you know, being there's only so many athletic director jobs at Power five schools and if you don't fire Scott, Frost at some point you're going to get fired like this is, you know, like the Colts at the end
of last year. It's like, all right, well, either Frank Reich or Carson Wentz is going. So like who's it? Going to be caused. By the way, cuz Ur say, is not going to fire himself and like, that's what I mean if here is like, yeah, not to delve into NFL talk, but that might have been one of those words shouldn't have been either or, you know, it's like how it fares
what. But but it's You can set it up where it's like if you're the athletic director and that's kind of where Scott Dolson is like, you know, to the to the Archie Miller thing is a car. If you don't fire Archie this year, it's very possible. The next year you both go. Like so there is a you know there comes a point where you fire offensive coordinator and football so you use the head coach. Don't get fired like everyone
below you. You can fire them in different orders so that you don't get fired. I think it's also something that happens here too. All right, couple other things here real quick before we get to the big question. So So, Patrick asked what our take was on the defense, which kind of gave that already and he mentions as well. On a positive note, been impressed with the linebacking and defensive unit, defensive end unit with McCullough has particularly looking like a
star. I agree with all of that st. Tom Allen asks macro question. How does I use performance so far, match up with your expectations, going into the season? Scott, I'm going to let you answer that one first. They line up. Well, and I thought we were gonna win three games. Maybe for, and I still kind of think I still think that I was pleasantly surprised. They were able to put together a good drive at the end to beat Illinois, but they are me. I'm bullish. Yeah, you're showing a bowl
there. Somebody like Jim Crane. That's a bison, man. When he's talking about your shirt, it's like, Jim Cramer with, like, the stuff of bulls. I need to get the soundboard sell sell sell. Yes, it's pretty much what I expected and I was Acting three to four wins. And I try to be pessimistic, but they kind of exceeding my expectations right now. There's still a lot of question marks with this team, with the ability for, like I said, the offense, the running and all
that. So it's, you know, I'm pleasantly surprised and I didn't have super high expectations. Yeah, I'm it's about in line right now. I mean, I predicted, they were going to beat Illinois and Idaho, and they've done that. They haven't like been dominant in either game by any stretch of the imagination there. That, if anything they've under I performed a little bit because I know it was wet with that
Idaho game, but give me a break. I mean, only when that game by 13 points, it's, that's it. That's disturbing. And so, I'd say so far, it's kind of in line with what I expected. But I also think Indiana just, there's a lot of improvement that they need to show, and I'm hearing a lot of. There's a lot of talk coming out of these press conferences, the Tom Allen, and the players and coaches are given, and I just don't know if it matches Up with reality. So we'll have to see.
It's one of those deals where I am not at this point. Committed to the idea that this is a better team than I thought. And I predicted them to be five and seven. I think they could still be worse than that. So I'm ambivalent right now about what I've seen and I hope that I become a less. Ambivalent, as we move forward, we had another question. This was from csw, Hoosier, our old buddy from up, north in the state? If Anna somehow makes it to bowl eligibility.
What are the three things that must happen in order for that to even be remotely possible? So I'll say this the office have to be Western Kentucky 11. We have a little of that. Yes I honestly think they need to win two other.
Next three they got to win. Yeah the Western Kentucky game or or and or at Cincinnati and or at Nebraska they got to come out of this stretch for in one and then they you know so that's but that's I don't think what he's really asking I think Clearly. They have to figure out a way to pass block against an FBS opponent, because they did not show an ability to do that at all against Illinois. We're gonna have to wait until this Western Kentucky game.
And even then honestly, if they pass block against Western Kentucky, I'm not sure if that's a that's that's probably the worst defensive line you're going to face the rest of the season. So it's like, if you can't block against Western Kentucky, I really fear for what happens against Cincinnati and Nebraska let alone the rest of the schedule. And I look I think the third thing is the defense Has got to get more if I think of his one.
If there's one thing I've been disappointed in is that I mean the defense was good against Illinois it to some degree, one them, the game. But if this team is going to get to six wins, the defense has to be a lot more dominant than they have been through the first two games, and that might not sound fair, but they've let both teams score, you know, enough points the both teams have scored in the 20s.
I don't think that's Be good enough like when you let an FCS team score in the 20s that's a sign of problems. If you're a defense as far as I'm concerned and so I'm I think we you know there's got to be a game where this defense only allows like one touchdown. There's got to be a deep game, where this defense pulls off like four or five turnovers in a
game. That's that's going to be the key for Indiana. If they're going to try to get to six wins because I just have yet to see enough out of the offense to really make me believe that they're going to be able. To carry the weight needed to get this team to bowl eligibility. What about you? They just got to love each other. Just a little bit more if they could do that. No, I was saying that I can start games and halfs a little bit better.
So you have four start, you know, two starts two games, two stars, two halves. They started the first half, the first game against Illinois. They were down 73. Came out a little bit. Lifeless, they turned it on the second quarter. But then, as we talk about the Illinois post game, you know, they come out in the third right after halftime and immediately pick six and or a pick.
And then just A defense kind of gives Illinois, you know, pushes them in and then the Idaho game, they came out and looked completely unprepared for the entire first half of the game. And so how kind of looking like you're ready, when the game starts we come out of halftime, I think would be really nice.
They did come out of halftime against Idaho and do well, but you're kind of like that's 144. So I think starting a game and starting a half in kind of a good mode would be, would be a nice change to, ya know, it'd be it'd be a nice change of pace. Certainly Last question and then we'll wrap things up here. We had a, this has become a common thing. We almost need to split this up into its own podcast and maybe we will. But the question coming in, of
course from our buddy. Let me find it here real quick. Where to go William, follmer. This is actually a follow-up to the original question from Crimson Cory. What's the tailgate menu? But William Fulmer asks, or says, some of my favorite content from week to week number. No details too much. I really enjoyed dr. DC's comment about not liking to cook cylindrical meets on the Blackstone last week, which is true. Like, yeah, it was, it's true.
Also, I'd like to note if you didn't see the footage from the, the Miami Dolphins parking lot, this is why you use gas folks. It's why you don't put like charcoal in your grill and you certainly don't put the charcoal grill under the car, otherwise you end up with 11 torched cars in the parking lot, avoid that. Don't be a bad neighbor. Okay. My, my life I wanted to start with you. Actually, what's your menu going to be? You've got the queue. I'm excited for you.
What are you planning on cooking this first week we're doing we're going to we talked about this at the start. Did we well do it again out? I'll do it again. So, yeah, double down. No cylindrical meets. No Blackstone. Do we are doing little. Is this is straight off of a previous doctor GC breakfast, tailgate don't don't get too crazy. Z. So I'm not going to do like, you know, egg burritos or, you know, Ranchos wear velour. I really Richard. Does that go with the burrito
from the previous podcast. Yes. Every time to to mess up of a pretty sure? This podcast, if you do is lay, it's like 11:00. I'm also watching the the Chargers and Herbert not get any way on the menu is so we're doing pre-made biscuits. We're going to bring some sausage little sausage patties, going to grow those up and throw some cheese on there may be Will salsa. And then my son wants to bring Coruscant. So that's that's what my son.
It really wants to bring a. Don't know where that's coming from. Well, I do know, of course are awesome, but it's not really a bit. So anyway, that's that's what we're looking to do. Something kind of nice. Simple, easy enjoy the kids. We just got to figure out the right time to leave. I've been pushing. 7:30, my wife wants to sleep in so we'll see what time we get there. I love the very French pronunciation that you're throwing on croissant. It's nice. Huh?
Wow. I can you say brioche next A brioche. I can't, I can't pronounce a Ranchos where I think, which one shows like this whole. Soundboard. It's coming out of the last two minutes of his five guests. Great. So we are also doing breakfast sandwiches at my tailgate. We got a little more expansive because we got more grills competition. Yeah, it's let me have my thing but now dealt with that your thing I've been doing breakfast sandwiches for 12 A man who's talking about.
But, yeah, we're have. We've my so, my wife has perfected, the mock Chick-fil-A, brine that you put the the chicken breast in. So we'll do some chicken biscuits which are always a big hit with people, throw some pickles on, there may be a little sauce, we will have sausage and bacon both and then we'll have both pre-made biscuits. Like you said we bake those ourselves the night before. And then we might do croissants.
We might do something else. I haven't decided yet for the other one and the nice thing about what I the way I try to do the breakfast sandwiches is I cook everything to order, you know, so I'll you know, I'll make eggs, you know. And some people like they like just whites some people, like the whole thing with a like it broken. Some people like it scrambled up.
So we put all that together and then the, you know, for those of you who are out there listening, they want to do the breakfast sandwiches and Scott, I mean, I'll throw you in on this as well. The key with making breakfast sandwiches Not to just cook the meat, put it on the biscuit and give it to a person. You have to cook the meat, put it on the biscuit, wrap it in foil, put it back on the grill
and let the cheese melt. And that really like, so is funny because last week we did Philly cheesesteak and we also did tacos. We did like this whole taco bar. It actually was really nice and fortunately, everybody ate everything right before it rained. But people kept coming up to me. They look, what do you seasoning? This with this is amazing.
And I'm like Literally just salt pepper and garlic like that's it and it's amazing if you buy good things and then let them meld properly on your cooking surface. How much that does for flavor. And so with the breakfast sandwich at all happens in that foil, but when you wrap it up and you let it cook and you let it heat up and you let it all kind of get to the same temperature. It makes a tremendous difference. Your guests will notice it. They will thank you.
So that would be my advice. Bring foil and You know, put it all together, let it toast a little bit internally and then serve it. And everybody was like, wow, you are amazing at this. Scott please keep doing it so that's my advice to you and everybody else out there. That's listening. I'd taken. All right, I'm done. Well, that'll wrap it up for us on this one. We went a little long from what Scott was hoping. So I apologize.
Scott, but good conversation. Thank you for all the questions. Sorry we didn't get to all of them but we are going to be back on Sunday. Most likely to Talk about whatever happened in this game, hopefully, you're coming down for the game wherever you're at, whether that's Indianapolis or Fort Wayne or the north side of Bloomington noon kick. Indiana takes on Western, Kentucky should be a fascinating game. Hopefully, I, you comes out Victorious, Scott. Thank you as always.
Great to talk with you. Thanks to all you folks for not just listening but those of you who set your questions in, you can always send your questions to Crimson cast on Twitter. We will take them. We will read. Most of them will try to come up with something, witty and Adventure filled to say, catch you folks on the flip side, bring back the Bison. So long, everybody.