You're listening to the back home network, presented by home field, apparel. Welcome back to Crimson gasp. Kalin clavius got Caulfield. Join any of the 13th of November, there's snow on the ground and Bloomington. And I you football is now pretty much Bolin eligible, I guess. Technically, they could still make a bowl at five and seven, but if you think that's happening, I might have some news that I need to share with you.
We're going to talk about that. As India to comes off a big loss yesterday to the Ohio State Buckeyes, which in and of itself is not surprising. Although perhaps the details might hold some surprise, so we're going to talk about that a little bit. We got Scott Caulfield joining us again. Scott the co-host here, Crimson cast. It's good to see you again. How are you doing? I'm doing well, doing very well. It's funny you mentioned the November thing.
It's like up here at Indy. I'm sure you got some snow to. We got like maybe you know, half an inch to almost an inch of snow yesterday. It's cold and like we went over to some neighbors house last night to have a couple drinks, play some games and they spent the day putting up. Up all of their Christmas decorations, including their Christmas tree. So it's like, we're walking over and I'm like, just tell my wife like man feels just like weird.
This feels like, you know, mid-January and I don't like that and we get in their house and it's like all Christmas stuff and I'm like, all right, this is like, this is way too early. Like we're nice. I stop. Let's stop. We don't need that right now. No, it's true. It's like the it was 74 75 degrees down here in Bloomington on Thursday and even Friday wasn't terrible from a temperature. Spective is probably in the 50s and then to wake up yesterday and again the kids are excited,
they're outside. There's about an inch of snow on the deck, maybe two inches and it kept falling all morning and I'm just like, I'm not ready for this. Like, it felt like NFL playoff season, you know, and and I think tonight, the low here in Bloomington is going to be 18 degrees Fahrenheit. And it's just like, what?
Like what are we doing? Like how now it's going to little, it's not going to be like a If we cold all week, but I am with you, like my mind needs a little bit more transition period to get to the point, where I'm like, okay, yeah, there's Christmas decorations up. There's like, there's signs in my neighborhood for like, professional Christmas, light installation and you combine that with the snowfall and everything else, and it's too much, too soon. I really can't deal with it.
So yeah, it's it's it's been a bit rough on the bright side that Does make it feel like basketball season. We are going to talk about basketball in a separate podcast later today. So it dub, but but even there it's like this is almost like February, not November 12th, November 13th. So there are some problems that we need to suss out with all of that, where it talked about it in a little bit. But anyway, before we get to the podcast, is to remind her that we are part of the back home
network about whom do you. Yeah, let's try that again. The back home network is brought to you by home field apparel your place to go for the finest Collegiate apparel Scott did. You get the bomber jacket? Did did that work out? Did you end up? Make placing an order for it. I place the order it came in yesterday. Mine did as well. Yes. So this is epic. It's an epic.
I'm wearing it. I'm just like, I'm thinking, like, you know, the real, the only questions that I have are, you know, do I break it out for North Carolina? Do I take it to Vegas? The answer to those was probably
both. Yes. But that it's like am I going to be one of many wearing it against North Carolina, which is Probably fine but Noah came it's epic it's awesome it right you know thank you to home field apparel as funny as a kid growing up like in Indiana and I heard you mention this on, I think what your podcast with Tony, it's funny how few people make good Indiana apparel, especially for the one thing that still out there is like the
shooting shirt. Right. That Indiana. Where's I mean that's a great just like you know a red shirt you know collared with buttons like you could wear that in a variety of Settings not to be sold like it was sold at one point. I think on the Adidas store for like two and a half weeks, because I see a couple people to Assembly Hall floating around and I'm like oh where'd you get that? They're like I was available for like six and a half weeks and too bad and it's like it's almost again.
It's very much like IU football fan them. It's like they're teasing you and it's like no you're you're not good enough to get the good stuff. Now we're just going to give you bad logo athletic gear so it's really I love that. Home-field apparel. Did it everything about it is awesome. Um, yes I have it, it's fantastic. It's in the closet. We're good, that's great. Yeah, I know I've got mine as well.
I know a lot of people didn't and I know I talked to the home field, folks, and apparently the demand was like ridiculous. Like, like they had thought they had a huge demand, they bought stock for the huge demand and I think everything sold out in just a couple of minutes and so I'm sure that there's going to be more ordered and hopefully you'll get a chance to buy some as well but that's The kind of thing you got home-field
apparel. I thought I had a little home-field magic going yesterday. As I also got this, Tulane Green Wave crewneck, It's a delightful crewneck. It's got the angry wave on it and all of that but Tulane turned around and lost which was not part of the script. I was very disappointed for to way but most of the time home field magic can help your team out if you purchase a piece of apparel, I let you stay because I paired mine with the Colts the Colts Hood.
And so maybe it's not the same but you know, in the time that I ordered it they decided to fire their coach and higher just Saturday. So yeah, it's there, the similar vote. So, here we go. As we move forward, with more opportunities for home field. Apparel their big, big Black Friday sale coming up. You want to take advantage of that?
That's always a big one, black Friday's less than two weeks away, which this kind of frightening to think about, but definitely get your orders in the home field apparel. If you've never ordered from there before use the code home, H ome and get 15% off your first order. That's home-field apparel.com. All right, Scott. Let's talk IU football. As the Hoosiers, drop 2 3 and 7 on the campaign they lose in decisive fashion. I think would probably be the kindest way of putting it
yesterday. They drop another game to Ohio State, and that losing streak. I think extends 225 now 56 to 14. Final score. This was a game that got off to a I guess. A slightly slow start in that both teams went three and out on their first drive but then Ohio state scored and then they scored again and then they scored again. And even though Indiana did manage to get a touchdown on the following possession, the game was effectively over at that
point. Not a dissimilar script too many Ohio, State Indiana games that we've seen over the years Scott. But another game where Indiana just looked like they were on a different planet from their opponent. In terms of preparation, execution, Personnel all of that defense really struggled in this one and that was probably the most unfortunate aspect of the game but you even had a blocked punt. You know, you had the James Evans, the punter, you know, taking the block punt aside
hunted for 500 yards. Yesterday, which I mean, that's, that's an accomplishment, I don't know what the record is, but I do give James Evans credit because he maintained a pretty good average with that 45 and a half yards, a punt. But that when you're punting is The Shining Moment statistically, you got some problems and unfortunately, Indiana had a bunch of them in this game.
I mean, there's no real point in going through drives or talking about like some of the individual elements of the game. I mean, Ohio State just Had their way with Indiana. And in terms of the running attack, 43 rushes for 340 yards, a seven point nine yards per carry average, and that was mine Williams, came out, rushed fifteen times, four hundred, and forty seven yards had a touchdown, and then got injured,
you know? And they had to start going down the depth chart, and it didn't matter down. Hayden comes in 19, carries 102 yards, Xavier Johnson, that was confusing. No, confer converted, I think wide receiver. One Rush. 71 yards for a touchdown, it was basically just Open Season. You could have driven, you know, vehicles through the holes, that Ohio State's line was generating and Scott, you know again it's one of those things where we see Ohio, this Ohio State team
dominate opponents quite a bit. So it's hard to get like too upset about the lack of performance. But I think what's fascinating to To me, at least from the defensive performance. Is how like poor Indiana looks from a technique perspective from an effort perspective. I mean it, you know, would there have been a chance to stop Ohio state with greater technique and greater effort, perhaps, not, but it really looked like Indiana kind of gave up the
ghost very early in this one. And that's been a troubling Trend with this defense all season. Yes, let's talk basketball. No, I agree with all of that, know it. I have two thoughts.
I'll start with this game first and I like to go bigger picture against our Ohio State Games. And, you know, it's I'll come back to this, but you do have to just like in the end, it's like, this is, this is a different League of team at Ohio State is versus Indiana. But here's what I started doing in the third quarter because I think it's a little bit unfair. They met at Ohio, State's really good? Like how do you expect Indiana to compete? And on one hand, that's true on the other hand.
It's like well they are in our conference, they have to we have to play them like Alabama gets beaten here and there, Ohio state gets beaten here and there. So I started looking at Ohio and this is just like this is what a
sad. I you football fan, does during games, how many three and outs teams have had against Ohio State this year, so I'm just going to go down the list and a lot of these are not three and outs, but R like to plays and then Ohio, State forces, a turnover because, you know, Ohio State's really good. Notre Dame had for Arkansas State, a team that I feel like should be, you know, a level below. Indiana had 53 announce with one turnover Toledo, had six three and outs.
One turnover Wisconsin had for Rutgers had 42 of those return overs. Michigan, state had six, Iowa Stellar performance, 73, and outs of which 4 were turnovers. Just, it's almost not even fair to call it a 3 out when they're like intercept. Fumbling on the first play Penn State have three with three tall. All three were three turnovers Northwestern had for Indiana have 92 of those with turnovers and so it's a little bit yes. Ohio State's better than Indiana.
Yes, we don't need to dig into the details, but when you're not even able to move the ball against Ohio State, you're getting nine, three and outs Arkansas state only had five, they were able to get a couple of plays here and there. It, that's the troubling part is sure there's a gap and sure you're not as good as Ohio State, but it's like it sucks that you're like, you're the worst team they played, and you've been able to do the least against them compared to anybody
out there. And honestly, one of the last drives that we had Dexter Williams ran for a first down. And then we went out with three more plays later, like, we had kind of a, almost three and out ish at the end of the game where I bet. If Ohio State's defense was totally locked in, it might have been 10. But to me, that's the part that I look at is like compared to the other teams. This year that Ohio state is manhandling, they met in handled us the absolute worst.
And to me, that's, that's very concerning. Well, and that's the thing. I mean, there's two separate issues here. I think the defense to me, my big problem with the way the defense is playing right now, is that they just have looked bad pretty much all season and this was not supposed to be how it was. I mean, you know, Tom Allen taking the Defense back over again, was supposed to fix the problems that the defense had last year and and frankly, the defense is worse this year than
it was last year. There was an interesting piece in the daily. Hoosier written by Patrick Felts that pointed out that, you know, defensively speaking. This was the first time since 2018 that I you had allowed more than 40 points in back-to-back games. And 2018, of course, was also So I think it's important to keep in mind, a Tom Allen LED defense. He was coaching the defense that season as well over the what was it over the past 11 quarters since taking a 14-0 lead against
Rutgers? I'm quoting from this piece. The Hoosiers have been outscored 125 to 31 and so it's not just a defensive failure, it's certainly a total systems failure for IU but this defense is supposed to be stocked with really good talent. You know Talent that's developed over. Overtime talent that has be
considered to be old. Big Ten may be in consideration for All-American and yes, they did lose cam Jones halfway through the year but overall the defense has been incredibly disappointing and that, you know, certainly, I think Ohio state is a poor measuring stick. Because Ohio, State's made a lot of teams, look bad. They made Iowa look, bad. They made Wisconsin, look bad by similar margins. But again, Comes down to this idea of what are you expecting
out of Indiana? You would have expected them to be able to, you know, perhaps do something more than they did defensively in this game. And it's just been a trend that we've seen out of this Indiana team, over the course of the whole season basically. And, you know, you go through and you look at what Indiana's done over the course of the last several games, you know, they've, since since game two, when they held Idaho to 22 points.
Yay. They've allowed 3045 3531 3824 to Rutgers 45 and 56 points and 0 on the season. So far, this Indiana defense has given up the third most points of any power 5 team, only Vanderbilt and Colorado have given up more points than Indiana, so far this season and that's not good. That's a real problem. Especially when you consider that you're playing in the Big Ten, which does not have a Talk of high level offenses the way that the Pac-12 does or the SEC does.
And so that is a concern. Now, I do want to move over to the offense. The offense, it keeps coming back to this issue of the offensive line. You know, you go and you look at the numbers from this game. And again Indiana's, just essentially incapable of getting anything going on offense. That doesn't have to do with Dexter Williams, running the football.
All and that is not really a designed play that you have been able to rely on the course of the Season Williams was only able to throw 20 or scuse me 19 times on the game. He completed six of them. Now, one of them was a really nice throw down the field and other was a nice touchdown throw, but the offensive line continues to be just an absolute disaster in terms of blocking for either the passing game, or
the running game. And You know, Scott when I think about this team, now it comes down to what like what decisions are being made and it's clear at least in this game that Dexter Williams. Provided a spark of sorts he come. He doesn't start the first couple of drives that there's an early hook for Basil. Lack Williams comes in, has a really nice first drive.
I you starts to show a little life now that died off quickly, but even showing what we saw there from Williams, it does kind of make you ask the question. If Williams is able to make something out of nothing on these plays where the blocking breaks down, which is essentially every play. Then it makes the last few weeks of IU season, make even less sense, like why was he not the first quarterback Off the Bench? When basil Act was in air quotes injured? Why did he come out like come in
last week? After Brandon sores? Be, you know why? Like, why didn't he start this game? There's there's a lot of question marks here, because I think, certainly Dexter Williams. It's hard to judge him, effectively, given the lack of blocking just like it's hard to judge how. Well Connor base lights been doing or not doing due to the lack of blocking, but it's clear that this young man has some Talent at the quarterback
position. He has a decent arm, he can move, he's a little more, Michael pain, excision terms of you know, being athletic. Why has he not been playing like this season is over essentially and it's been over for a few weeks you know the writings been on the wall the decision making process on the quarterback situation in particular. I find baffling to a point that I'm having a hard time describing it to people who ask me, why hasn't Dexter Williams
and playing. Do you have an answer on this that you can provide? No this was my other point that I was gonna bring up a lot of the same things you just hit, none of it makes any sense and so I'm going to it reminds me similar and then there's also a huge caveat here. If you haven't subscribed to bite-sized bison by Taylor lame and it's just, it's fantastic. You've had him on, I've subscribed to a sub stack, it's great but he had, I'm trying.
Search for it. While we're talking, I am not going to get the number here, but he he basically went through basil acts like average yard per throw and it's like three or four yards, like it's one of the worst in college football. Maybe can look it up while I'm talking about.
Like that was it was the kind of the point of his last article to the last article and it's it's borne out by what I saw on the field and but it is it's wild that it reminds me a little bit of like the 2018 2019. Are aware, you had Peyton Ramsey playing quarterback and said he would throw these very short passes and then penix would come in and we'd be like bombing it down. It's a why aren't we doing that with, with Ramsey as well? I don't think Ram. We kind of came to the agreement.
Got something Ramsay has the arm to do that. So we almost had to play books. The caveat is Ramsey. Still took us like let us do a bowl game. It wasn't like the wheels were falling off. But yes. So so it is like Dexter Williams can do things that Bay's lack cannot and that does open up some things in the offense, which almost makes you think.
Maybe you should have played two quarterbacks but I'm with you, it's like if he's if he has this kind of zip on the ball and he has I'm not saying he looks like a young Michael penix, but he looks like he has something like when he comes in. There's a little bit of pepper on the ball. He's able to move and you're like, wow, this is, this is something that release I got. Interesting. How are the coaches not seeing this? And to your point? Like, how is it?
He is not. The first guy off the bench likewise sores be ahead of him when you put tall. And why is he not ahead of Tuttle? Like what? Why did he not start the Penn State game? But then I also look at it this way to is it again. All we have is the ability to start micro looking at this team because they sucking on the field orders not winning but it's like okay. So why did you do all this to debase lack? Like why did you put him in for three series than just yank them
like he did what he does. Like it's not like he came in and threw three pitches. Pics. Look scared. Like Bay's, like did exactly what base, like, has done all season. And so, again, I hate being the fan of the contrabass lack, you know, fan club here. But it's like, what were you expecting in the do? Like, he didn't throw deep. He has thrown deep all year. He didn't throw picks, he kept the ball, he managed it. He went three and out.
That's kind of what he does, but I would look at it a little differently. It's like, Obviously, you're done with base lack, he's not going to come back, he's not. He will know it. Is that obvious? I don't go ahead. Sorry, well, but maybe not, but my thing is like, if you're going to go add extra Williams next year again, who knows what the hell they're gonna do? It's like you have a nice trial run the next two weeks.
If the season is over, you're not making a bowl claiming it's Michigan State playing against Purdue. You might have a better chance to evaluate him. Anybody against you know, Penn State and Ohio State is going to be kind of screwed anyway. So So why not just let Bay's lack kind of take the bullets, which you've kind of already done because you pulled him out and you put them in.
Like I I'm with you, I'm baffled with what they're doing and the other concerning thing here is that Dexter Williams, looks good has flashes but we saw that with penix early but penix was like a freshman. This is a redshirt sophomore like when he starts next. If he's our starter next year he's over halfway done with his college career. Like this isn't like a project we're going to Have him. Oh my God. The next four years going to be great with him. Like we have two more years with
him if he's our starter. Well. Okay. So there's a, there's several things to talk through their. I mean, first of all, he does have an extra year because technically everyone's got, everybody's got the covid here and he's and keep in mind. Also had an ACL injury last year, and that's why he was not available at all. And that's so there are some caveats there and I'm less troubled by You know, let's move
the foot of this way. I was talking with some friends on text during the game yesterday and what I think is important to keep in mind is that Williams did look good and I think Williams deserves a lot of credit, you know. But the flip side of it is the more film on every Indiana quarterback the worse. They get because the play calling the blocking does not allow for very much. In terms of what they can do and what they can show.
And so I think to some degree and this is where, you know, it's like how do you judge Connor, basil, act as basil. Act look pretty good against Illinois and then gradually has looked worse and worse throughout the year is that because Connor Bane's likes become a worst player. No, it's because defense is know what Connor basal-like can do and can't do and more of the point, they know what the offensive line can't do, and they're able to do things.
And then you also throw the Weaver's in as well they're able to do things that create problems that are almost impossible to solve for these individual quarterbacks that I use got whoever it is. And so, I worry for you know, I do I kind of asked the question like what are they planning on doing with their quarterback situation? Because if you're going to abandon Connor, basil, lack now
and that's fine. If you feel like basil, lack is not the long-term solution, then you should make a change. But I keep coming back to this thing that we've talked about over and over again, Scott, which is, how can you judge how a player at the quarterback position is faring right now with no offensive line and no reliable. Receivers that's a real issue. I mean yesterday, Dexter Williams had to, you know, there's no camper he's out for the year. There's no DJ Matthews.
Like, you know, he threw of the nine passes. He completed forward to AJ Barner and then nobody else had more than one catch. Yes, I can. Listen, Kobe won. Cash. 49 yards, Malik. I hope Bennett at one catch Donovan. McCulley welcome back. Donovan. Had one catch and it was a nice. Nice catch. It was that touchdown throw the that made it. Whatever it was at that point like 4914 or 42-14 and then
Jalen Lucas had one catch. I don't know how you judge, how good or how bad these quarterbacks are. And I don't really understand the criteria being used to play them or not play them because you're right. It's like you've watched this. And whether whether basil Act was actually injured, which I still think is pretty dubious because See, no evidence of it. And as you said last week, he was good enough to go in this game, but then you only play him
for a couple of series. And we heard on the broadcast, Joel Klatt, talking about how Tom Allen was expecting to see Dexter Williams in the game and was looking forward to it. So it's like so you just you you through basil like out there knowing you were just going to pull him. It does feel like if I'm Connor basil a guy I'm like I'm not getting the very fair Shake here and if I'm Dexter will ya from
Dexter Williams? I'm like Well I look at how basil acts being treated right now and I realized that that's what's awaiting me down the line because there doesn't seem to be any plan without this team uses its reporter. Be any any future transfer to? Here's a great question like let's assume Bay's lack is healthy for next week and let's assume I've not seen a full report on Tuttle but let's just tuttle's out and totals out. He broke his collarbone.
That's what I figure. But let's let's just pretend he's he's also he'd be hell. Alright, here's the Ship. I would love to just like, can you put down the Indiana depth chart at quarterback? Like, can you rank it one through five? Like, with this hat, it's funnier of titles in there because it's like eight but like, honestly, I don't like who's starting next week against Michigan State, who's like it's probably Williams than Bay's lack and then sores me off the third.
But like it this is not, it's wild that we're at a point where like I'm not and I'm way to watch way too much. I you football. It's like it's wild that I'm not. Sure I fully know what our quarterback depth chart is you know what's Wild to me when you look at this year. The leading passer for IU in every you know, they list these out on ESPN. There have been three games now where the leading passer for Indiana has not Eclipse, 200 yards, passing there have been.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of the ten games where the leading rusher has not Eclipse, 80 yards. And in fact, it even put it, it's like really rush back. Ineligible about what I'm going to read. I want to read the Indiana lead. Rusher totals for the season. All right, 28 1, 55 65, 70, 9:30 9:45 3231 4446, and Dexter Williams was the leading rusher
for. I you yesterday, with that 46 and this season Indiana has only had two games where their leading receiver had 100 or more yards, cam camper at 156 against Illinois and he had and 26 against Cincinnati. Wow, it's just bad. The the offense is just a disaster but somehow the defense is worse this year and there's, I don't know. I mean your point is well-taken,
though. Like trying to figure out where the Indiana quarterback situation is right now, trying to figure out what the Indiana running back situation is right now is it's just an absolute mess. And and yet it all goes back to the offensive line and its inability to Either pass block or run block, consistently, and
to some degree. It gives these very skewed statistical profiles where it's like, I don't know if Dexter Williams was actually, Better overall for the course of the game because at the end of the day as much as I enjoyed that first pass in that first drive, this was another game where he
like really was not very good. When you look at the statistics, I mean 9421 in this game and you know didn't I don't think threw an interception but he was 44 11 last game against Penn State and had two interceptions in that one. Like I love the athleticism and it certainly gives Indiana
something. To lean on when their offensive line, inevitably breaks but I don't know that 64 19 for 107 yards and two touchdowns is really something that you can sustain long-term at the quarterback position. Now, will he get better? Probably will he get appreciably better to the point where he can overcome the lack of blocking in front of him? I mean, probably not, I mean, you know, as much as experience matters.
It's that's a tough sled to try to become Passer and I just worry about, we kind of saw this with Donovan McCulley last year when McCulley comes in and you know it's like okay well tuttle's injured and panics can't play anymore so we're going to bring in McCully and McCully is going to be the answer at quarterback. I think that was the plan.
And yet, when you know, you go back and look at at mcculley's Stats there, eerily similar to what we've seen so far out of Dexter Williams. I mean McCullough, Why he came in on the Ohio, State game last year, was 146, he played against Maryland, I think he started that game. 14 425 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Then the next week, he played against Maryland, was 10 for 24 for 88 yards. The following week, he was 74, 20 against Rutgers for 98 yards.
And then the following week, he was 3 for 7 against Minnesota for 17 yards. And I think that was the game that Led to that, that famous press conference, where, you know, Alan starts going off about what we have to, like, you know, call plays where we're going to move the ball down the field or something like that. And it's like, yeah, we know.
That was also around the time. They started bringing Grant gravel in because and again I keep coming back to this, like there was tape on David McCullough after a couple of games and it's like, oh here's what he can't do. And hey, shockingly defense is keyed on that and suddenly Donovan McCully with with the statistical profile, that looks very similar to deck. Sarah Williams right now, you know, went from being the future at the IU quarterback position
to not even playing quarterback. So just let's party. I dunno, I guess my point is, my point is just pump the brakes everybody because I who knows with this, with this team, what's gonna happen? But I'm looking forward to next year with, you know, Dexter Williams back as safety, Connor base, lack of tight end, like it's gonna be a great seat. If it's just like an Etch-a-Sketch team hears, I'm gonna go big picture, let me wrap this up.
I was listening to your pregame, by the way, yeoman's job, 30 minutes on an IU pregame show. Really like that's high level when we get inducted into the podcasting Hall of Fame. I think we might put that as part of your tape and it's like, you know, that a lot of years, a lot of tough times, a lot of people thought I couldn't do a pre game but you know, you did a great stuff but you you laid out your, by the way, I want.
I want that Excel sheet. IU football is sad like send that said that Google Docs. I'll send it along. Don't worry you of all people would appreciate it. Yeah. But you're laying out all of the years and I'm sitting there as I'm listening to it. Thinking this is not the best analogy but it's something I've thought about that, you know, I work from home. Me and my kids come home from you, the off school bus and then a lot of times they, you know, they'll ask me if we can do
something. I'm coming out. No, I got a little more work. I got to do and I'll do that for two or three days. Then it's like, I'll kind of glow like, like I need to say yes and play with them or else like, at some point. I'm just going to like my life is going to go by and it's going to be me just working in my office and not playing with him and then I'll kind of stopped and again not a great analogy but it's it's not good.
Like you know, when you're in the micro it's like yes, this Ohio State team is better than this Indiana team. There's no And they should win. So it's like, we chalk it all up as a loss. It's kind of like, well, that's what you expect. But if you string together too many years in a row of just like we, there's no way we could beat them this year. It's like what we can do, what
we could beat them next year. And then, like next thing, you know, your life goes by, and you've never beaten, Ohio State and to your point. This is Ohio, State is a very good team, they don't lose a ton, but people are able to scout them and they're able to get it done. And it really is an indictment on the athletic department, the Football program, like everybody because this this goes over, you know, Generations over a DS over coaches that, you know, we can't
get it done. And then it's gotten to the point where now it's not even like, you know, damn, we came really close against Michigan State. Like, you know, maybe next year, we can get him. Like everybody goes into the season, just automatically chalking up, Ohio State as a loss and then it happens and
then there's a loss. And then there's the post game is Caillou. I'm reading the post game and it's kind of like, you know, hey, we didn't like what he It would be like, if you do a fourth grade team, played the Pacers, it's like, well what do you expect? Like, this is not a fair fight and to me, like that's the bigger problem is. So now we're just going to go through my life for 30 years and just that, you know, things are
going to fly off the calendar. First every year, it's not going to be there and just, you know, I know that in 2020 we beat Michigan, we beat Penn State. That was an outlier, but I would say the majority of the time we start every season 0 and 3 because we're just we're going to lose the mission. We lose the Penn State we do. If we start every year 0 and 1 and that's just not a place that you can be running a football program and even the the schools that are not great like Michigan
state. They're not scared of Michigan. The hell they beat Michigan almost every other year. You know, you look at Purdue might win the Big Ten West which is just baffling. But you know AB I don't think they think we're going to beat Ohio state every year, but I don't think they go into the season thinking that's a loss. Like that's just an act. There's nothing they will look.
Their losses to Ohio State, and or Michigan, which they don't play as often because they're in the effing big, ten west, but they look at those as they're not scared of Wisconsin, the way we are of Ohio State. It's just, it's a bad place that we've let this program get to and it's, it's like at some point. We got to start saying, like this is the year, we can beat Ohio State and then we need to
hold people accountable. Like it's got to be done at some point and yes, there's there's years where they're better and we're not good and that's fine. But hey this wasn't you know couple years Ago. We weren't looking at this as like, this is the year we're going to suck. It's not like we're rebuilding a program so I don't know, it's, it's frustrating. I know I didn't give the best analogy but, you know, it's fine. I get it. That's the point that I take
from. It is like you just you can't every year be like, well, they're better and we're not as good. And it's like, that's just, you know, what do you expect? It's like, well, some point. Well, I expect to beat Ohio State. I am with you. I will say at this point, I'm not sure if Indiana could beat Ohio.
Let alone, Ohio State. I mean, that I would let, unfortunately, I think that mentality and I'm with you, and I, that actually, when I created that spreadsheet was like, 2018 and I was like, gosh, you know, why are we still so far away from even looking like, you know, Indiana's got a shot at Ohio State. And unfortunately, with the last almost two years have done is basically, hit the reset button on all that to the point where it's like got to figure out how
to beat Purdue got to figure out how to beat Northwestern. Not. I mean it's they've the bar has been lowered. So much at this point over these last two years that it's going to take. Again, several years to build it back up again and that's the unfortunate reality. We're going to wrap up here because we've already gone longer than we thought one last
thing. I'll mention, we've been keeping an eye on Pro Football. Focus is college section and I want to note Indiana, despite having three wins has now dropped. All the way to 128 out of 131 teams. In graded performance, the only teams Below them are Walt Bells. Old team UMass is 129th New Mexico. 130th, Colorado, 131st northwestern's 126th still two
spots ahead. I feel like we were robbed from maybe the best worst game in college football history because there is no Northwestern Indiana matchup this year but now Indiana the numbers bear out how bad they've been this year and I actually think it's being under sold. Bad for the better. Yes, Pro Football Focus should. Like, you know, there should be like after 120. It's just go. Straight pass/fail. Like yours, you fail, like, we're not crazy like we're done.
Like you, you don't get to be graded like you all just fail. It was, it was a systematic. It was act. It's interesting like as much as we looked at Dexter Williams and said, hey, that looks pretty good. That was among the the worst passing performance is over all
that we've seen. Now, a lot of that was just Ohio State being very Good. But again, it's where as much as I like the promise of Dexter Williams from and athleticism perspective, I just want to everybody pump the brakes because I feel like we've seen this movie already a couple of times in the Tom Allen era. Anyway, I will, I will end with this, I promise. We'll be a minute. Like there's nothing nothing in the stats.
Nothing? What I've seen that says this any of this can happen, but like this is my plea to IU football. You have two more games remaining while Michigan State and Purdue or both going to be going to bowls. They both had points in the season where they look like hot garbage, they turned it around and one game they probably shouldn't have. This is might like it doesn't have to end this way. Neither of these games are games where you can say, like the bridge is too far.
Michigan, state is a beatable team. I don't think we're going to beat him produce a beautiful team. I don't think we're gonna beat him, but it's like, if you, if I you football, if you want to do something, if you want to get people engaged, you want people somewhat interested for next year in the offseason like Do something when one of these games, he'll keep one of these games really close and make it a nail-biter at the end. Like, there's no reason why you can't do that.
You, you cannot you can do, they're going to do whatever they're going to do and they're probably going to lose out. But it's like don't have another season where you just throw in the towel and kind of just get your ass beat on the way out like stand-up do something and like, if if we're tired of calling for Alan's head and changes like then like show that you can turn this around against to kind of me. Joker, Big Ten opponents. Yeah.
I mean it's not impossible. Like I don't think it's going to happen. I'm not saying it's going to but this is this is where the rubber could theoretically hit the road. You might like, if they were to win one of these last two games, it would change change the season still sucked but at least it's like there's a glimmer there of hope. It's like, maybe there's something where it's like, maybe he's going to be able to turn
this around. I mean, look, I mean that, that Purdue team if you go back to the Florida, Atlantic Game, they're five and two in that time, period, but they've won those five games by two points. 10 points, two points, 6 points and seven points, and these are not top level teams. We're talking about, Florida, Atlantic, Minnesota, Maryland, Nebraska, and Illinois. Those are the five wins.
They also have a 24:3 loss to Iowa, whose offense has been dead for 10 years and they have a loss to Wisconsin on the road, which Now, that's a little more understandable. But that's, it was Constantine. That doesn't look particularly great this year. So, no, that's not a bridge too far. Michigan, state is not a bridge too far. If Indiana plays with, you know, if they can put together a game plan, if they could put together some blocking, I don't see it happening.
And I think for Michigan State in particular, I mean, they've got to go to Penn State in the last game of the season. Their bowl eligibility. Largely rides on the game next week against Indiana. I have a real Hard time seeing Indiana Waltzing into Spartan Stadium and figuring out how to win a game. When you can't beat Nebraska on the road, you're probably not going to beat Michigan State on the road. Even a Michigan State team that is in the going on a thousand different directions.
None of them particularly great this here anyway, that'll wrap it up for us on this. We'll be back with our preview of that Michigan State game coming up at the end of the week, so be sure to tune in. Then Scott is always a pleasure will Be back next Sunday together to talk about that game and I guess see how things look for Indiana heading into the bucket game. Thanks Allan field apparel. Thanks to our friends. At the back home network will catch you folks on the flip side.
Bring back the Bison. So long everybody.