He does look better there but you can’t give up the deep balls. It opens up those shorter outs, the run game, etc.I think we need to scale back on some of the Hoover long balls. He still needs to take the occasion long shot down the field but he appears to be better on quick outs and short gainers. Move the sticks. Get Marsh out in space. His long balls have been ducks.
OK, I’ll pump some sunshine for you guys. There is a lot of moaning going on here.
It's important to note IUFB is not IUBB. IUBB has had a bad 25 year run, and a really bad last 10 years. The doomer/negative view with IUBB has panned out for a long time, which is why some fans get mad at the "sunshine pumpers" or whatever.
Optimism with IUFB is reasonable. I don't need to list out why.
And of course, no one on this board has any influence over IU athletics and nothing said on here matters. This place is all entertainment and imo doesn't need to be so serious sometimes.
@bradstevens Honestly, I think he's probably trying too hard to avoid the turnovers and is over-thinking instead of just making the throws. The best version of Hoover might still have a little gunslinger in him and he may wind up with a turnover or 2 more than Fernando had. I would like to see him take the checkdown a little more often, especially if you're throwing to Marsh, Beebe or Turbo.
@hoosiers94 I know you were, I was just reminding you too! My prediction, as long as Cig is here, we don't have to worry about going back to that futility. I've said since year 1, I don't think we'll ever be 500 or below with him. So, let's say the absolute worst happens; where does that leave us: 9-3 or 8-4? Would still be the best year this century outside of the last 2. It is amusing how worked up folks are getting. And, I think they'll address the issues from Friday and I don't think we'll be worse than 10-2.
This thread started with a big dog taking a huge dump and then immediately the flies that you'd expect from such a dump started hovering (i.e. responding). Luckily, it got a little better/more reasonable from there. LOL
First Power Four game and we get tested but didn't break. Nice! Last year was special and it was also last year. New team, great new additions, everyone working hard. Let's not forget how far we've come. We are good and experienced. Great will be determined later. Until then, can't wait for Rutgers. Go Hoosiers!
I’l add some more sunshine pumping to the mix (and I’m never known for that). I watched a ton of football on Saturday. A Friday night game is always good for that. There are a LOT of teams out there with issues in the top 25. OSU looked good offensively but their defense was carved up for almost 500 yards. Ole Miss was carved up defensively. USC looked like they were going through the motions on defense after the ejection for the hit. Penn State collapsed down the stretch at home. We’re not the 6th ranked team in all reality but these rankings don’t mean anything right now. We’ve been spoiled getting to the mountain top in year 2. I was not expecting a repeat. That’s extremely hard for any team. A 9-3 season or even 8-4 would not be a disaster. Anything above that is pretty damn good. Especially for a fan who has witnessed decades of absolute futility here. We have a top tier coaching staff who are going to do a great job coaching what they’ve got.
OK, I’ll pump some sunshine for you guys. There is a lot of moaning going on here.
IU is not the same team as last year. It never works like that.
last year’s team took some time to develop. All of Cig’s teams do. I have full faith that they will continue to get better.
Last year’s team was pretty lucky with injuries early in the year. This year, not so much at least for now.
It is possible NW is a pretty good team. At least Cig thinks so and I will defer to him on that matter. I know Chip Kelley has always been a very good football coach and still is.
IU is on a 20 game win streak! 18 game home win streak! My god what can anyone get negative about? Some people seem to just have to look for and find misery no matter what.
I agree. There are certainly things to be critical about considering the expectations we have for this team, right or wrong. A close win at home to anyone not named OSU, is abnormal for what we have experienced the last couple of years. I think the concern is just raw emotion and maybe while still amidst a 20-game win streak, we should refrain from attaching too much emotion to such a small sample size.
Missing a wide-open receiver isn't great but we gloss over the fact that the WR was wide open. Most of the time those are completions. Our DL was going right through their OL all night but could not stop Chiles in the 2nd half from getting over, under or through them. That left the secondary fighting for their lives. But compare what Chiles did to IU last year w/MSU vs this year.....he played better against us LAST year.
Chiles was 27/33 82% comp % with 291 yards last year. On Friday he was 22/29 76% comp % and had 293 yards. Mind you, he rushed for 48 of those yards on 8 carriers last year and this year he had 0 rushing yards on 13 rushes.
MSU ran 24 times for 74 yards as a team last year. Friday NW ran 27 times for 32 yds.
Last year IU ran for 132 yds on 28 carriers (4.7ypc). Friday IU ran for 271 on 40 carriers (6.8ypc).
IU had 4 sacks in both games.
IU possessed the ball for 58% to NW 42%. Last year MSU had the ball for 52% compared to IU 48%.
But none of us were complaining about that game after it was over and acting like the team is a shell of itself. Regardless, I get the only thing that matters in the end is the W and then the score. We had chances to put them away and just never did but it's not because IU showed they are incapable of doing so. They played their average game for a while and made some critical mistakes combined with the ball bouncing NW way. They still pulled out a 6pt win. Good teams become great teams through adversity and its always good to gain that adversity experience while still winning. Let's allow the best coaching staff in the country to cook for a bit...
Don't have time to read the whole thread. If I'm repeating what others have said, my apologies.
After arguably the greatest season in college football history and with HeisMendoza leading the way, it was a certainty that we wouldn't be as good this year. That said, even last season we had a couple of squeakers (although, yes, Iowa and Penn State were both on the road). It's way too early to be throwing in the towel on a third straight CFP slot.
That said, we have to take care of business at home, and avoid any stumbles against lesser teams (like, for example, at Rutgers this weekend). 10-2 likely gets us into the CFP. 9-3 likely does not.
Finally, I'm reluctant to question any decision Cignetti has made since coming to Bloomington. A movie and statue are surely in the works. The only thing I'll say is, while Hoover is a very good quarterback, he clearly wasn't the best QB on the field Friday night.
Oh my god! Can you believe this guy is telling us that Cig and staff don’t know what they are doing? I cannot be laughing harder. Wow!It's looking like 3 losses in a row starting at Nebraska upcoming. But then, potentially 5 more wins.
The offensive line has been surprisingly weak at run offense. 2ndary has been late consistently. Now they are down to one RB who isn't a power back.
Need to start airing it out a lot more. Marsh and Becker are top 5% athletically. Put the ball up there and I like IUs chances against all but the very best corners/safeties.
Spread offense. No huddle. Air it out. Use our 5 receivers until they get Khobie Martin or Turbo back.
Got to uncork the offense a bit because the 2ndary is struggling.
Pass rush is good. QB is good. RBs are good. Jones has been excellent. Won that damn game for them Friday.
But badly missing Coogan and Nowakowski on this team. Need power running to counter those losses and until injured guys come back they don't have it.
Chiles played like a guy who isn't fearing injury, but he may end up injured if he keeps playing like that. Yet, somehow he found open downhill receivers all day.
@hoosiers94 I know you were, I was just reminding you too! My prediction, as long as Cig is here, we don't have to worry about going back to that futility. I've said since year 1, I don't think we'll ever be 500 or below with him. So, let's say the absolute worst happens; where does that leave us: 9-3 or 8-4? Would still be the best year this century outside of the last 2. It is amusing how worked up folks are getting. And, I think they'll address the issues from Friday and I don't think we'll be worse than 10-2.
This is where I am at. I think things like the secondary play was a result of Chiles escape ability. Clearly, you need talent to be able to do that but also a lot of luck, especially when IU's entire front 4 was getting through the OL so often. But Chiles having so much time made it easy for his WR to find open space, and I don't think that will typically be the case.
The one thing I took away from that game that I know Cig wants to downplay to keep the players head optimistic/confident.....is our QB play. That game should've become a blow out and didn't. It was not for a lack of time to throw the ball, either. Hoover has had some bright spots and periodic bad play is not uncommon of QB's so its just something we are all watching closely. Probably too closely. He's a gun slinger who is trying to reign that in to minimize turnovers that could cost us the game, and that may be creating the conservative throws we have seen. I think he will find his balance here soon. He can't expect to NEVER have an INT. It just can't be a weekly thing.
@hoosiers94 I know you were, I was just reminding you too! My prediction, as long as Cig is here, we don't have to worry about going back to that futility. I've said since year 1, I don't think we'll ever be 500 or below with him. So, let's say the absolute worst happens; where does that leave us: 9-3 or 8-4? Would still be the best year this century outside of the last 2. It is amusing how worked up folks are getting. And, I think they'll address the issues from Friday and I don't think we'll be worse than 10-2.
im not really complaining as much as I'm just noticing the obvious to me. And yes 8-4 or 9-3 I'll live with that. That's still light years ahead of where we were. But like any success or benefit it's hard to take away what has been realized or given. I have no disdain for the football program nor Cig it's been wonderful. Do I want them to repeat , who doesn't , it's just likely nothing the cards this year .. tall ask... however I do have disdain for the basketball program ... that I'm always trying to curb 
Is anybody else pumped about our team?
I am. I am very optimistic. Loaded with talent. Some mistakes and timing that can be corrected. Hopefully secondary will find a bit better coverage at safety, but still a good player. I don't think many teams can stop our pass rush.
Our offense seems to still move even when good D-lines stand up to our push. Loaded with talent. Hoover has the problem of 'which guy!'. Some concern at right tackle, but even with some struggles, they aren't putting Hoover on the ground. I don't think many teams can stop our offense.
Sure we don't look like 2019 LSU, or 2025 Indiana, or 2024 Ohio State, or... (name title winners) but we look capable of being very good. Heck, we are good, really good.
I am pleased with the season. I think we win the next two, at Nebraska being a very tough one, they look good to me.
Roll, with Cig. Our staff will have weaknesses in their knowledge, but we know overall they are as good as any staff out there.
#### sunshine pumping. This is reality. No idea if we lose 3 games, or 1 game, or what. But we are good.
@openwheel I'm optimistic about parts of our team and our program as a whole, but this team is still TBD. We've played 1 decent-good opponent and struggled, but obviously did win. Our secondary was already going to be a challenge and then we've had injuries there, and obviously hurts with 2/3 of our starting RB rotation being hurt. TE? Such a mystery to me because I honestly felt that since we didn't get an experienced TE, the staff saw something in 1 or 2 of the guys we had that had them convinced, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The chemistry and personality of last year's team was obviously incredible, and we performed way about what anyone would guess our "talent"/ratings would've suggested. It could be that that chemistry was the outlier and it will be hard to compete at the very top without those blue chip guys, year in, year out. Will be interesting to see how we look over the next 2 weeks, but I think we've got to improve a ton to be able to compete with OSU, et al. Scary to think about Jeremiah Smith against the way the secondary looked Friday!
Of course it's TBD.
I am very optimistic. Our RB situation should mostly resolve for this tough middle stretch IF Turbo is near fully healed by Nebraska. We have injuries in the secondary, but it doesn't seem excessive. One main guy can't play. We have guys stepping up.
Less talent than a 16-0 team, but come on, are we really worried about getting in shootouts? Bring that on... lol. And our guys can hold up to the opposite, trying to grind it out on us.
Not too worried about TE except blocking. There's only one football to throw.