Bash Riprock

I don't disagree....but didn't both start their careers elsewhere....Jones at Buffalo and then Iowa....O'Connell D3 Wheaton College and walk-on at Purdue. But I do agree that Purdue has probably hit the Chicago region well over the years. I think the point is that with Illinois improving, that sets them up to take a larger piece of that pie.

Sure feels that way......Ryan Kelly got thrown to the ground last night and somehow "injured his hip". Felt like he wanted nothing to do with playing.....

I ran out of votes....agree 100%

Matt Ryan has 10 fumbles and 7 int's. Wentz had 7 int's the entire season, with 27 TD's. (almost 3600 passing yds) No, I am not a Wentz fan.....but looks like Ryan certainly isn't the answer. Now, I would take Ryan matching Wentz's stats in a New York minute...... To Ryan's defense (at least a portion) is the horrific O line play by the highest paid OL in the league. What has happened to Q and Kelly? They look bad. I've been watching a fair amount of video of them missing blitzes, getting fooled on stunts, and simply getting manhandled 1 on 1. Denver didn't need to blitz last night, because 4 D lineman kept whipping 5 O lineman.

Tim Wilbur returned a punt for a TD in the 1979 Holiday Bowl that ended up being the final margin in IU's upset over a 11-0 BYU team led by QB Marc Wilson. I had forgotten he was Bob Wilbur's son..... Northwestern...I also forgot that was the Dennis Green era....wow. Big fan of Babe....I follow him on Twitter to this day. He is very close with Troy Aikman, and I believe used to (still does?) announce for the Cowboys. Babe sadly lost his son to cancer (was a football player at UTEP) and he still tweets about him often. Heart-wrenching. Mallory was the best coach for IU...certainly in the recent era. I believe Terry Hoeppner would have been great as well. He had them moving in the right direction until cancer cut his life very short.

Great analysis!! Spot on regarding the loss to Minnesota. I enjoyed going to a number of games during that 2 year span. Clifford was excellent...IU had a safety by the name of Tim Wilbur that was a treat to watch. Really good backs with Lonnie Johnson and Mike Harkrader. Lee Corso's son Steve was a WR on those teams. I looked as well at the 1981 season...only won 3 games....all Big 10 wins over Northwestern, Minnesota and Purdue....by a total margin of only 5 points. Babe Laufenberg became the starting QB and enjoyed a few years in the NFL.

Great observation...I think Wisconsin and Iowa have both had recruiting success in Chicago area....Michigan as well. Bielema may just grab some turf of his own in that region.....

Great call. I don't believe they were ranked top 20 preseason, but we just outside ranking. Lost opener to Iowa at home, then went 4-1. Fell down the stretch ending 6-5, including a 1 pt loss to Purdue in the Bucket game. Purdue was ranked #9 preseason.

Gotcha...depth does matter..... The Cathedral vs CG game in 2016 was a shootout. I don't believe Stepp played, but Werner (all over the field), Stewart and others played. 44-41 CG with Yeast having 5 TD's I believe. Cathedral also had a receiver (forgetting his name) that I believe went to Western Michigan. He had a huge game that night.... Been some incredible games in that series and glad it will continue for years to come.

Wasn't Ekiyor on the 2016 team? I appreciate he may have been an underclassman, but obviously given his Alabama career, pretty special. Also, I believe there was a safety that went to Boston College out of high school. Forgetting his name. Maryland, Ohio State, USC, Alabama, Boston College recruits.....that is some pretty dang impressive talent. If this team has more, that is saying something.

LOL.....Looking at Tayven Jackson's stats his junior and senior seasons, and now Tyler Cherry's stats this year, guessing Coach Moore and his staff is very pleased.....

Nice job...I was debating Purdue vs Maryland ranking. Purdue fans have to be in some angst as to the 2 losses that got away. The Boilers beating Minnesota was huge this past weekend....puts them in the drivers seat for winning the Big 10 West....

I remember many years ago as a teen, sitting in the endzone (called knothole seats back in the day) an IU team led by QB Tim Clifford spanked Wisconsin 24-0 (1980) Year prior, IU beat Wisconsin 3-0. The 1979 IU team beat a 11-0 BYU team in the Holiday Bowl. Man, how both programs have went in opposite directions......

IndyStar references it, but I do remember when his name was being thrown around for Florida State. This was a concern given his historical Florida HS connections. https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2019/11/04/iu-football-coach-tom-allen-line-pay-raise-athletic-director/4160874002/ Also, SI article https://www.si.com/college/indiana/football/indiana-football-concern-tom-allen-florida-state-opening

it's interesting as what starts out as being a deterrent for other schools to come in and "get your guy", becomes a possible deterrent to your own program in making a move.....

Tom Allen's buyout.....are you kidding me? Tops in the Big 10. IU made their bed. https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/lists/big-ten-football-head-coaches-contract-buyouts-ranked-2021/

100% truth...... I will also add a head coach as well

Totally agree....in fairness, NP did for a couple of years with CG and won those games....I would have liked to have seen that series last much longer. Also, we all know that Roncalli and CG had a series for years.....but CG started winning the majority and it was dropped quickly. I hated it because of locations and the huge gate draw for both schools. Made zero financial sense. Same for Whiteland and CG....played a number of years dominated by the Trojans. But with Whiteland's growth, would love to see that series come back. These schools are so close to one another....

Not sure why you worked your Michigan "homerism" on my comment. Has zero to do with Jim Harbaugh. Its about the direction of IU football. Michigan had always been a top tier team that had fallen from those ranks. Looks like they are back up. Just enjoy and cross your fingers they can beat Ohio State on a more regular basis. BTW, Paul Chryst was fired with a 75% winning record at Wisconsin with annual bowl trips. That performance at Indiana would get you a pretty big statue outside of the stadium. His team is down this year and got spanked by a former Badger coach the Wisconsin brass still hates because he left them.

Spot on. It seems to me until IU really spends the money on a top coach and staff, this will never change. Even if the get an “up and comer” Coach, they won’t hold him. It is really tough to watch….

No…my logic is that while perhaps fun, this is just hypothetical. Handle business first. Win the games you need to be crowned champion in your weight group. Then the “logic” of who beat who on a given night while playing schedules of vastly different difficulties becomes a discussion of a tad more merit. I get it that you are invested in one of those teams.

It is very hard to call a team the top team in the state from just being eye candy. They have to play a similar schedule all year long...while a single game looks good, it is not the same of playing that degree of difficulty all year long. Its all hypothetical. Roncalli and New Pal are outstanding...but they are not playing the best of HCC and MIC all year long....and then in the playoffs, both the best of HCC and MIC, along with the best of the north. Its surviving the grind that makes a team the very best. I don't put a ton into a single game or if a team beats an opponent by a larger spread or that another team didn't on a given night. Carmel lost to Trinity on opening night....impossible to judge a football team for the season based on an opening game. CG lost to Trinity in double OT in Louisville, coming off playing WC and Carmel, losing one of the top backs in the state. It is not an apple to apple comparison.

well if team X beat team Y on a given night, but a couple of weeks later team Z beats team X.....but then team Y beats team Z this week, but team P has an easier strength of schedule, and team P beat an opponent of Team Y, therefore...........

Opening drive, throws a 33yd TD pass on 4th and 6. Playing with confidence.