2020-21 Indiana Athletics thread

[Sollozzo]

We are going absolutely nowhere with this offense.

[Bball]

I think Tuttle gives the team a better chance to win. He probably should've started the season, or at least been in pretty early in game #1 as Penix was not getting it done.
But, the picks have to go away, and he can't be fumbling. Though 4th and 21, that fumble likely didn't change much that would've happened anyway.
Really, the OL seemed to regress on that last drive, or last couple of drives, right when IU needed them most.

I wonder how much more comfortable Tuttle might've looked as the starter all along? What happened to Fryfogle? Is he playing with an injury? Did the poor play of Penix, and less than accurate throws, do something to shake Fryfoggle's confidence?
Is it play calling?
It would be nice to have a big play receiver again...

I think I will go read the IU FB groups with the sunshine crew talking about IU having the toughest schedule in the known universe, and throughout history. Neglecting to notice the anemic offense, and that IU themselves were supposed to be pretty good and so shouldn't be both losing every game to ranked teams, nor being able to score TDs and not even in most of those games. At least today, they hung around until the end.

[Trader Joe]

this is a disaster of a season. there is a real chance at only 3 wins and that great recruiting momentum just going completely in the toilet. we've totally shot ourselves in the foot both with this and the cincy game.

[Sollozzo]

What’s maddening is when you think of those years where we could put up a ton of points but were unable to stop anyone. Now we have the defense to win but can’t score. Penix...Tuttle...it doesn’t matter. This team doesn’t have the offense to do squat this year.

Then you look at Purdue beating the Number 2 team in the country. A firm reminder that IU can just never seem to take the next step. This season will make those two recent bowl losses seem even worse because we probably won’t be getting that opportunity again this year. Both of those games were such blown opportunities for this program, especially that Tennessee meltdown.

[clownskull]

yep, this season is toast.

[Trader Joe]

stevie scott definitely wasn't appreciated enough. the offense has missed him being a stabliizing factor.

nick sheridan is trash though.

[clownskull]

i don't have much hope for a competitive game against osu this saturday. it wouldn't matter if penix was healthy enough to play effectively or not. the offense has been flat out anemic against strong competition and that cannot be ignored.
osu-42
iu-10

[Sollozzo]

Joe is right - there is a legit chance at winning only 3 games. I don’t see how we will have anything more than 4 wins at the end of the season.

The Purdue game will be an absolute massacre.

[Trader Joe]

Joe is right - there is a legit chance at winning only 3 games. I don’t see how we will have anything more than 4 wins at the end of the season.

The Purdue game will be an absolute massacre.

yeah i mean it sucks. i still think Tom Allen is 100% the right guy for this but it's just a horrendous way to follow last season with a ton of injuries and the most difficult schedule arguably in college football.

however, that doesn't excuse losing the MSU game especially.

[D-BONE]

Tonight is going to be brutal. It will end up being a blow out, but not before our defense plays well enough for a quarter or so to keep us in it. And the offense will move up and down the field enough to also inspire a glimmer of hope, only to settle for a few FGs.

Then OSU will blow the roof off a play sometime in the second half of the second quarter that will set the stage for the rest of the game. It'll be something like 21 to 6 at half, and it'll wind up somewhere in the neighborhood of 56 to 16.

[Bball]

Tonight is going to be brutal. It will end up being a blow out, but not before our defense plays well enough for a quarter or so to keep us in it. And the offense will move up and down the field enough to also inspire a glimmer of hope, only to settle for a few FGs.

Then OSU will blow the roof off a play sometime in the second half of the second quarter that will set the stage for the rest of the game. It'll be something like 21 to 6 at half, and it'll wind up somewhere in the neighborhood of 56 to 16.

I'm expecting either a missed FG or going for it in the red zone early... and having a nice drive go for a goose egg.

Then as you say, after keeping things within reach, a 2nd half blown coverage for a bomb OSU TD, or a 3rd and 1 that will go for 50+ yards and a TD, either way to blow it open... and then the proverbial followup IU fumble, pick 6 or INT that quickly leads to an OSU score and no doubt it's "game over".

[Bball]

Joe is right - there is a legit chance at winning only 3 games. I don’t see how we will have anything more than 4 wins at the end of the season.

The Purdue game will be an absolute massacre.

At this point... 2 wins in total might not be out of the question.

If the offense can't wake up, then everyone has a chance to beat IU.

Over the course of a season, it seems teams manage an unexpected win, but that unexpected win could be the one win IU fans think might be guaranteed, and just might be the other team's unexpected win.

Tonight could pretty much finish IU's season... morale has to be about ready to be kicked in the nutz if they can't make the OSU game competitive. 2-5 and embarrassed on national TV would leave the coaches with their work cutout for them to get the team ready to play anybody.
There are still some arguments to be made for finishing .500 or better... but they ring pretty hollow if the offense is again woeful.

[clownskull]

yikes. it's gettin ugly early!
osu could easily put up 60+ tonight!

[clownskull]

simply pathetic. 44 in the 1st half
if the fans haven't left yet, they should.
unless osu puts in nothing but their 3rd stringers, no way we stop them from scoring over 60.
it's VERY possible we don't win another game this year, VERY possible.

[Bball]

I sense two mistakes by Tom Allen (not necessarily only two mistakes but 2 big ones among others). Am I wrong?

#1 Managing expectations.
IU had lofty fan expectations after last season. IU had lofty media expectations after last season. IU entered the season ranked in the top 20.
In hindsight now, no way was that ranking deserved, except based on last year. Tom Allen had to know/see the team was not a top 20 team and the potential was there to struggle. At least he should've known. There were also questions about Penix' recovery and those seemed to be answered quickly by "He was not ready either mentally, physically, or both to be the same QB he was last year".

I don't recall Allen doing much to temper those expectations. If anything, I'd think he should've been both tempering expectations and using that as motivation for the team to tell them they aren't a top 20 team and last year was last year and this is this year.

#2 I'm wondering if not only were the team's heads blown up too much, but so were Allen's (and by extension the entire coaching staff). I'm starting to think they ALL believed the hype and weren't ready to have a target on their back, let alone have a normal post-Covid football season, nor realize last year is over and this was to be a brand new year with some player losses, without a lot of depth, a QB coming off a major injury (with durability concerns anyway)....


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I'm having a hard time imagining the team could be this bad/weak/uncompetitive without some season preparation flaws. And with the hindsight for everyone to see this team is far from top 20, I'm not sure how the coaching staff didn't see it early and get ahead of it managing expectations. That doesn't mean saying "We're going to suck..." but that means saying "We're going to have to work twice as hard because we're not as good as last year right now". "We're not the same team as last year and players have to realize that. We ALL have to realize that. This season could go the wrong way fast if we're not careful and everyone do their parts".

EDIT: I'm not talking problems with a lack of winning as much as problems with even being marginally competitive. IU isn't even in the same zip code. If you can't even be competitive then of course a lack of winning is going to follow. It would be different if IU was hanging close and just unable to close the deal against these ranked teams, leading to the record they have.