Bash Riprock

Looks like forecast currently for friday night is 60% showers and scattered thunderstorms for the Indy area. Will be interesting if weather plays any type of factor in the outcome.

Another ESPN update.... https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38736903/michigan-staffer-bought-tickets-non-big-ten-games The scope of the alleged illicit scouting ring being orchestrated by suspended Michigan analyst Connor Stalions continues to grow, as sources told ESPN on Tuesday that he bought tickets for games at four schools outside of the Big Ten that were either in College Football Playoff contention or playing contenders. There also is record of Stalions buying tickets to the 2021 and 2022 SEC title games, sources told ESPN. The tickets to the SEC title games were purchased on the secondary market, according to sources. ESPN also learned that Stalions, who is at the center of an NCAA investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation, bought tickets to a 12th Big Ten school, as sources at 12 of the 13 possible Big Ten schools have a record of Stalions buying a ticket there. ESPN reported on Monday there were 11 schools. According to four sources, all of the tickets for games outside the Big Ten involved CFP contenders and were purchased either toward the middle or end of the 2022 season, as Michigan was headed to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. The Big Ten announced last week that Michigan (8-0, 5-0) is under NCAA investigation for the alleged sign-stealing operation. The Wolverines are the No. 2 team in the country and the current betting favorite to win the national title. ESPN has confirmed that Stalions has purchased tickets to more than 35 games at 17 stadiums around the country. He has used a network of at least three people, who were forwarded the tickets to attend games. A source told ESPN on Tuesday that the NCAA has been sent at least an hour of video evidence that shows a person sitting in a seat appearing to video the home sideline with a smartphone. Stalions purchased the ticket for that seat. The video is expected to be used as part of the investigation to show that electronics were used in the signal-stealing ring, according to sources.

I think these are great questions and illustrates the point that its more than about size....possibly several factors, not to mention a culture change. Penn has dominated in baseball recently with back to back state champions. Why is that? What is driving baseball success? To your point, I think several factors have to be evaluated.

I don't know who stated they should dominate over 5000+...but I do know what you stated....and tried to push it as fact with your comments about the Carmel sports success. I just disagree that your magical number of 5000+ is detrimental to their football success. That has been proven wrong as they've already won a state championship (if that is the only measure of success) since being a school of 5000+. I shared with you Allen High School in Texas dominance in football as a significantly larger high school than Carmel. As Grover and other questioned, is there a law of diminishing returns over a certain amount of students? I'll buy into that....simply took exceptions to your firm 5000+ theory as detrimental to a football programs success.

Where can I go to review these schools "disadvantaged population" percentages assuming one buys into your "socioeconomic" theory? In your mind, Carmel is really screwed for football. Too many "soft wealthy kids" contribute to a much too large student body. Getting back to your theory that 5000+ students is the kiss of death for football success, ever hear of Allen High School in Texas? https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/2018/12/13/allen-is-the-ultimate-one-school-town-its-football-team-is-a-juggernaut-is-a-mega-high-school-fair-for-the-rest-of-texas/#:~:text=Allen has won five state,Texas high school football history.&text=And the school could get,if the cards fall right. The school's football team -- the defending state champs in Texas' largest classification -- just won its 30th straight game. Since the program made national news by opening its $60 million stadium in 2012, the Eagles haven't lost at home. Allen has won five state football titles over the last 10 years, a decade of success that ranks among the best-ever runs in Texas high school football history. Allen is a juggernaut, in the truest sense. And so is its high school. Allen has nearly 6,700 students from 9th to 12th grade -- the largest high school in the state by 1,000 students -- and one of the largest in the nation.

Not disagreeing with you and that may well be the case for Penn. But with data as current as Sept 2023, that is contridictory to what is now being experienced nationally. https://www.nfhs.org/articles/high-school-sports-participation-continues-rebound-toward-pre-pandemic-levels/#:~:text=Eleven-player football remained the,percent from the previous year. Participation in high school sports eclipsed 7.8 million in the 2022-23 school year, reflecting a sharp increase from the previous year as the NFHS completed its High School Athletics Participation Survey for a second time after the pandemic interrupted its collection of data. Eleven-player football remained the most popular boys sport with the total climbing back over one million participants. The total of 1,028,761 participants marks an increase of 54,969 and 5.6 percent from the previous year. Not only did 11-player football top the one million mark, this year’s increase was the first in the sport since 2013 and only the second increase since the all-time high of 1,112,303 in 2008-09. There also was a slight gain (34,935 to 35,301) in the number of boys in 6-, 8- and 9-player football.

Interesting theory. So why aren't we seeing decline at schools like Brownsburg, Westfield, HSE, CG, Fishers, Cathedral, Chatard, Bloomington schools, etc. Is there something different about Carmel? Am I too believe that if Kevin Wright or Mo returned, they couldn't bring them back? Coaches like Eric Moore, Kyle Ralph, etc. would fail at Carmel?

You constantly return to hiding behind that rock. Has nothing to do with that...just don't always buy into your opinionated theories. Carmel has won many state championships in a variety of sports since their enrollment has been 5000+ to include football and basketball. I provided you the clear cut data to prove this position. You have providing nothing. Prove statistically the difference in team performance with enrollments between 4500, 4700, 4900, 5100, etc. People can be indifferent about you, and not swallow your fodder. Feelings aren't hurt, you just haven't done a very good job of selling your thoughts. Your opinions don't equal fact. Please don't let that hurt your feelings.

That may be your opinion, but you don't base that opinion on one ounce of fact. I just showed you historical performance that they have won BOTH football and basketball championships with 5000+ students. Your underlined quote above is absolute....I am simply providing you clear data that is in direct conflict with your opinionated statement....nothing more. You are not defending Carmel...you are defending your statement.

Ahh...changing the narrative....that is not what you said...you stated your theory that Carmel with 5000+ students is detrimental to football and hoops. I showed you that they had won both basketball and football championships with 5000+ students. If Carmel football and basketball is in decline, it has NOTHING to do with their student enrollment of 5000+.

Trying hard, huh? Maybe you should try harder and think before you expel more hot air at our expense. Carmel won a state title in basketball in 2021 with an enrollment > 5000. Same for football in 2019. https://ihsaapublic.blob.core.windows.net/portals/0/ihsaa/documents/quick resources/Enrollments & Classifications/Enrollments 19202021.pdf Carmel was listed with a school enrollment of 5000 starting in 2018. Take a look at their state championships since 2018. Impressive list. Do you still think I am trying hard? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_High_School_(Indiana)#:~:text=Wrestling (boys)-,Athletic State Championships,2019%2C and 2020–2021.

You do know CG played in and won some state championships in the state's highest classifications at the time (both 5A and 6A) when they had enrollments below 2500?

Agree....they play some of the state's top programs and go outside the state to also play stellar competition....absolutely a 6A schedule and a darn good one too.

Good to know Carmel is handicapped at 5000+ students for football. Interesting to know the size of their student body doesn't seem to be detrimental with other sports.....sports that require less participation than football.

2500 is the magical #....not 2450..

I thought you told us it was all about the lunches....

I know how the teams scored. I also saw how special teams and turnovers played a big role last week in the CG vs Cathedral game, that lead the final to be a one score game. We are in the playoffs now. Turnover and special teams matter....its now one and done with high school kids playing the game. I don't care how Warren scored against BD...they were there at the end and that is all that matters.

uses concepts of transitive scores when it aligns with his narrative.

Of course you know what you are talking about. Can only imagine how many Holiday Inn Express membership points you must be racking up. We agree that it’s not been a typical year for Warren. But that team still played BD down to the wire. That got my attention. Don’t agree it’s a cakewalk to play them. They will win their sectional without breaking a sweat, and will give it their all in the regional. CG has to open up with a well coached FC team and the Trojans better be ready. Undoubtedly a tougher path for BB, BD, and Cathedral. But CG better be ready to play next Friday night.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38704984/michigan-suspends-connor-stalions-ncaa-investigation Michigan suspends the staffer in question Connor Stalions

Looks like they have targeted an individual...ex-military with UM ties. https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38700739/michigan-staffer-eyed-center-elaborate-scouting-scheme-sources-say Michigan staffer eyed as center of 'elaborate' scouting scheme, sources say A low-level staffer with a military background has emerged as one of the linchpins in the NCAA investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation, sources told ESPN on Thursday. Connor Stalions, a football analyst with the Wolverines and a retired captain in the United States Marine Corps, is a person of interest in the investigation into whether No. 2-ranked Michigan violated an NCAA rule by scouting future opponents in person at games, sources said. The NCAA prohibited such scouting in 1994. Sources said the NCAA enforcement staff's level of interest in Stalions is so significant it sought access to his computer as part of its investigation. Sources indicated that the process is underway, although it's uncertain what investigators will find. Attempts by ESPN to reach Stalions were not returned. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel did not return a request seeking comment. Around Michigan's football building, Stalions is known to technically work in the recruiting department under director of recruiting Albert Karschnia. But a source said it was known in the building that he spent much of his time deciphering opponents' signals, often watching television copies of opponents' games. On Stalions' Instagram page, there are photos of him on the sideline next to two of Michigan's former defensive playcallers, Don Brown and Mike Macdonald. "He had one role," said a source with knowledge of Michigan's staff. What is crucial to the NCAA case isn't what Stalions did while breaking down television copies of games to learn and decode opponents' signals. It's whether or not illicit methods were used, which are alleged to include opponent scouting in different venues and was outlawed by the NCAA nearly three decades ago as a cost-cutting measure to bring more equity to the sport. Sign stealing also violates NCAA rules if a team uses electronic equipment to decipher signals and relay the information to players and coaches. According to the 2023 NCAA football rule book, "any attempt to record, either through audio or video means, any signals given by an opposing player, coach or other team personnel is prohibited." The allegations against Michigan appear to transcend the normal coach griping about opposing coaches stealing signals, as the depth of the allegations -- and the Big Ten's on-record affirmation of an investigation -- hint at something much more significant. The allegations have rattled coaches and administrators around the Big Ten. "This is worse than both the Astros and the Patriots -- it's both use of technology for a competitive advantage and there's allegations that they are filming prior games, not just in-game," a Big Ten source said. "If it was just an in-game situation, that's different. Going and filming somewhere you're not supposed to be. It's illegal. It's too much of an advantage." Stalions, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, was hired as an off-field analyst at Michigan in May 2022, according to a bio on his LinkedIn account. In the bio, Stalions wrote that he attempts to "employ Marine Corps philosophies and tactics into the sport of football regarding strategies in staffing, recruiting, scouting, intelligence, planning and more." Among the skills Stalions wrote about on LinkedIn were "identifying the opponent's most likely course of action and most dangerous course of action" and "identifying and exploiting critical vulnerabilities and centers of gravity in the opponent scouting process." The son of two Michigan alumni, Stalions enrolled at the Naval Academy and was a student assistant for the Midshipmen from 2013 to 2016. After being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 2017, Stalions worked as a graduate assistant at Navy before beginning his military training, according to his LinkedIn account. While he was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, Stalions wrote, he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan from May 2015 to May 2022. "On top of my daily duties as a Logistics Officer leading [40-plus] at a time, I volunteered for the Michigan football staff, flying back [and] forth on my own dime, assisting the defensive staff," Stalions wrote. In a profile of Stalions on the website Soldiers to Sidelines in January 2022, he said he purchased a house and rented each of the bedrooms on Airbnb, while sleeping on the couch, to help pay for his travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stalions retired as a captain in the Marine Corps in May 2022 and joined Michigan's staff as an off-field analyst.

throw in the $$ bring in Washington State's Jake Dickert. Bring the Wisconsin guy back to the midwest and back to the Power 5 to rebuild the program