Indiana - One hit wonders or start of a new era?
- Thread starter moralvictories
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Aren't they 27-2 in the last two years?
I suppose they could be a flash in the pan but more than likely they are going to be around that 9-10 win range while actually beating good teams. Not like iowa.
I suppose they could be a flash in the pan but more than likely they are going to be around that 9-10 win range while actually beating good teams. Not like iowa.
I think they will be good/great as long as the spices, err money is flowing and Cig is HC. After he retires, my guess is that they slip a bunch, but not historic bad levels.
Ferentz and Fry are both top 5 losingest coaches in BiG TeN history. Remarkable.
You want to know who else makes the top 5? Pat Fitzgerald from Northwestern. But everyone thinks he’s some great coach. Guess we will see how he does at Michigan State.
Im starting to believe in this narrative that Cigs angle is just field a roster of NFL aged players. Just look at the DOBs accross his roster. That team is old enough to be in the NFL.
Perhaps thats the blueprint...
Perhaps thats the blueprint...
He'll probably find a way to get Beck 6 more years of eligibility. We might be at the point you don't even need to enroll at the school you're playing for.
A lot depends on injuries if they Have a number of key players injured at times they will fall from grace.
I don’t think it’s the blueprint, but I believe you’ll these teams with 3* and a few 4* that play together for 3, 4, 5 years and catch lighting in a bottle. Maybe once a decade the NC won’t be OSU, BAMA, OU, Geo, Clemson, TX, etc.
One hit wonder. Crazy story this year.
True blue bloods gonna keep bankrolling....think Yankees and Dodgers
True blue bloods gonna keep bankrolling....think Yankees and Dodgers
I dunno about that. Weve had plenty of teams fit that description. None have come close to the overnight turn around Indiana did. It has to be more complex than that.
"The roster is old" isnt exactly complex either. But it would be new. And would mimic what coaches are doing in other collegiate sports where its allowed. Tennis and such. Why train some 18 year old kid when you can get a 24 year old who's ready to go.
I could be wrong. But I feel like this average age on the roster is an outlier we havent seen before. Hopefully someone else is thinking the same and is doing the leg work on adding up average ages on rosters. Would be a pretty easy way to throw my theory out the window...
QB health will be the key in my opinion. He relies completely on getting 1 year guys and builds no depth behind that player. IF that player is ever injured, the team could really struggle. No QB in 2026 class, just Hoover in the portal. 2025 has an unranked Jacob Bell 3 star dude from Chicagoland. 2024 had Tyler Cherry and younger Mendoza, Mendoza passed him on the depth chart and is now gone to Ga Tech. 2023 Broc Lowry 3 star also transferred out to a directional Michigan school.
Going to be hard to have any QB depth in todays game for anyone, but Cubans pockets are probably going to help that... maybe not this year, but the first time they lose a QB to injuries and then a game or 3 because of the back up, it will probably never happen again.
Cig is the reason why. The quality of head coaches has declined significantly the last few years and he’s head and shoulders above everyone currently.
..not sure i agree with that. I can name several great coaches off top of my head today. N.I.L. has changed the ballgame obvioisly, but there's still about the same amount of difference makers in the coaching ranks. At least i think so.
iowa decided long ago that they would be okay with being an average lame team and then they did the most amazing thing...they convinced their fan base that it was okay to be a lame team. All those teams decided it was okay to just bow down to OSU (and sometimes Michigan but pretty much just OSU)
I feel bad for their lame fans that they brag about a #WinningSeason
I think you bag on Iowa a little to much considering they own us, and the coaches we've hired and then extended even though they kinda sucked. If we were better that'd be one thing, but compared to us...
Feels a little like a 300lb chick making fun of a 250lb chick for her weight to me.
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Yep these are the 2 best posts on this subject Cignetti is a really good coach but he skating on thin ice when it comes to the QB position.
Those stats are due, in part, to the length of time that both Fry and Ferentz coached at Iowa.
It is the blueprint. It’s exactly the formula Fred has used to make Our basketball team successful, whether he intended that way or not. With kids now getting legally paid, it’s probably what we’re going to see more often.
That is exactly what I was thinking. Old and mature players who are experienced verses freshmen and sophomores who need "developing." Plus we always need a 5th year experienced QB and players who have a get better mentality every day. Players who can handle their emotions and keep even keeled. Players who "believe" in themselves. It sounds petty to some on this board but its true.
True, but to compete for a title, which is what the OP was asking, an injury to the QB is the difference between 13-0 and 10-2 and no CFP.
Ole Miss was an exception. Maybe the system is QB friendly but more likely the wrong guy started the season
Cignetti said after the game that their NIL is a lot lower than everyone thinks. Is he lying?
What was not accurate in my post?
That is my point though. NU is trying to lose weight and get hot...Iowa is not.
After watching the NC game I expect they are good because of good coaching and good player evaluation. That will not change so expect 10+ wins with Cig there.
Watch their tackling….no missed tackles, absolute ferociousness in their attack, no hesitation. (Much the same could be said for Miami).
Watch the receivers control of their bodies and fight for and make catches. Also a QB that is so quick with his throws…1,2 gone.
The age may play a large part of proper player evaluation as they would have more tape on them. So in that regard age may be the model. Players still need to be coached to play as a team and perfect their skills.
This is an age where a freshman can just leave next year if they aren’t playing, so why bother. Also, The portal is going to be a difficult place to land the best players if you are not a winning program. Teams are going to need coaches that out perform their talent level to increase number of wins consistently, but once you do the portal will become your friend.
FWIW - Rhule is adapting. Seems like he had no choice but to flip the roster via heavy high school recruiting at first and is now using the portal to fill out. 9-10 wins seems a couple years away still unless NFL coaches making college kids do NFL player assignments hurt us as much as I expect. I like that the new staff additions are coming from the college ranks.
Watch their tackling….no missed tackles, absolute ferociousness in their attack, no hesitation. (Much the same could be said for Miami).
Watch the receivers control of their bodies and fight for and make catches. Also a QB that is so quick with his throws…1,2 gone.
The age may play a large part of proper player evaluation as they would have more tape on them. So in that regard age may be the model. Players still need to be coached to play as a team and perfect their skills.
This is an age where a freshman can just leave next year if they aren’t playing, so why bother. Also, The portal is going to be a difficult place to land the best players if you are not a winning program. Teams are going to need coaches that out perform their talent level to increase number of wins consistently, but once you do the portal will become your friend.
FWIW - Rhule is adapting. Seems like he had no choice but to flip the roster via heavy high school recruiting at first and is now using the portal to fill out. 9-10 wins seems a couple years away still unless NFL coaches making college kids do NFL player assignments hurt us as much as I expect. I like that the new staff additions are coming from the college ranks.
With Indiana, it's a combination of things with great coaching and a cohesive program at the top of the list. But great veteran QB play is second. Finding that Cal transfer was an amazing get and one that many other coaching staffs, highly paid coaching staffs, didn't see.
I can guarantee you this incoming year and now their fans are putting money into the NIL.
I have no idea how much they are paying for having seat preference and season tickets but they are now selling out their home games.
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The best thing that comes out of Indiana winning the NC is that the value of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits is diminished - a lot. Those guys were all going to Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, etc...now, who cares? The most valuable players now are those with a few seasons of college football under their belt.
CIgnetti is the evil genius that quickly perfected use of that model. This can only be good for Nebraska, IF we can come close to replicating what CIgnetti did. By that I mean, so few of the elite HS players come to Nebraska anyway- but we ought to be able to sell the program to guys that come from programs with fewer resources but ample experience.
Of course, it's only good for Nebraska if we have coaches that can produce fundamentally sound football players. As someone earlier mentioned, when you watched Indiana, you saw a Unicorn level well-oiled machine. They block, they tackle, they protect the football, they get open, they throw to open receivers, they defend. Nebraska - do that!
CIgnetti is the evil genius that quickly perfected use of that model. This can only be good for Nebraska, IF we can come close to replicating what CIgnetti did. By that I mean, so few of the elite HS players come to Nebraska anyway- but we ought to be able to sell the program to guys that come from programs with fewer resources but ample experience.
Of course, it's only good for Nebraska if we have coaches that can produce fundamentally sound football players. As someone earlier mentioned, when you watched Indiana, you saw a Unicorn level well-oiled machine. They block, they tackle, they protect the football, they get open, they throw to open receivers, they defend. Nebraska - do that!
The Cal transfer was the number 4 QB transfer in the portal and was listed as a 4 star. Indiana was not the only staff to see that potential. He had a lot of offers.
Nebraska should be noted as the team that did the least with the money they have, with coaching and player development being a total waste of cash.
