@thehoosierhuddle Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I, and Vegas, disagree on downgrading OSU for their schedule. their O/U for wins is 9.5 and IU and OR are 10.5. That's almost entirely on their schedule. That and a boatload of draft picks being gone along with Hartline! Maybe you meant their playoff predictions? I don't know what he predicted OSU to do in the playoffs, but he has OR winning it all last I heard, so not an undefeated season for IU through the playoffs.

@kkott Predicting another undefeated season is just an attempt to be overly optimistic about the fan base that will engage with that content. Some of his takes are good, others are not so good. We'll do our predictions in a couple of weeks as things get closer, but to downgrade OSU just on their schedule is silly. 

I do think this team is just as talented or more than last year in some spots, but that team just had IT and that is tough to replicate, even with the culture being set in place. The 2025 team responded every time they got punched in the mouth, that's a special trait. We'll see if this team has that.

@kkott I meant actual quality of team on the field. The Texas game does not count toward the Big Ten Standings, so they can be 10-2 in the Big Ten title game.

Yes, They play at IU, at USC and Oregon at home.At Iowa is always tricky and they have dropped the Michigan game before in a spot where they were clearly better. 

I know FPI has its flaws, but they have OSU at 10.2-2.4. Tops in the Big Ten. They are slight dogs at Texas and at Indiana. FPI right now gives them a 75% chance at beating USC and an 87% chance of winning at Iowa and a 71% chance of beating Oregon at home.

I will not just toss OSU on the scrap heap because of a win total. If anything, they are undervalued and I will jump on the over 9.5. It's also why you play the game on the field and not on a spreadsheet. 

I appriciate the discourse @kkott 

@middawg That's one of his better takes. IU is basically a lock for the playoff even if they go under 10.5 wins. There are other segments that are engagement bait.

Sorry, I am coming off a little harsh on Sam. He seems like a good dude who wants to talk ball and is high on IU. 

@kkott prime also saw a “tell” in the Miami film before the natty game. Prime is pretty good at breaking down film. He communicated directly with the staff about it…or ponds. Can’t remember which. Seems pretty elementary on Miami part. 😂

@d-b-cooper Buffed in Prime does awesome stuff.

@thehoosierhuddle didn’t we only skip 2026 because OSU jumped on our QB target late

@hoosierdaddy one of the targets did, bust Cash Herrera was the commit and he’s at Boise State. Just a theory, but they got good news on Cherry being able to play again.

This is early, but some of the targets for now...

We'll start with thr 5 star we probably have the best chance with... Kellan Hall, a defensive tackle out of Kentucky.  He's a top 10 level kid who's been on campus a bunch.

In state, we're in it with safety Drake Coellner, tight end Theo Schott and receiver Maddox Wiel.  Sam Hirschy is a defensive lineman that we just offered a little over a month ago that i think we have a good shot with if we push.  All are high priority (for now).

Xander Edwards is a four star running back out of Florida that has us in his top 5, but I think he's gonna be hard to pull away from the south.  

Those are some off the top of my head.  It's still super early, so this could all change in a month. 

@boogie Thanks! We've been swamped and haven't dove in yet

Posted by: @kkott

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@thehoosierhuddle What I thought they might've done was to bring in Colton Joseph, since he was also a really good running QB, with the condition that he's competing with Alberto and whoever wins the job is the starter and you have a backup that is also a run first QB. At the time, I think you said you didn't think they'd do that because of the NIL $ that Joseph would command, but I'll bet we're paying Hoover more than Joseph is getting at WI. Water under the bridge, but I thought that might've worked, and kept Mendoza here. He was great for IU, if for no other reason than he helped get his brother here, so I'd have liked to have seen him stay. FWIW, the BuffedInPrime guy that comes on Sam's show also wanted IU to get Joseph.

@jackskip23 I don’t buy that. They re rioted Alberto at JMU as well. They clearly thought highly of him. Who said he wasn’t a fit?

Yeah, I think they would have been OK going with Alberto if Josh had not come along.