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re: Indiana’s Secret Weapon - 5th and 6th year players
Posted on 1/10/26 at 12:31 pm to TailbackU
Posted on 1/10/26 at 12:31 pm to TailbackU
quote:
I said this in another thread, but their execution is also a combination of older players and superb coaching. They lead the entire nation converting 3rd downs, they rarely ever turn the ball over, (they’ve lost only 1 fumble all year) and they are among the least penalized team in the country. Indiana is an execution machine on both sides of the ball.
I also read their WRs only have 6 drops the entire season. Ours have that in one half of one game
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Posted on 1/10/26 at 12:37 pm to Milo of Croton
They are the college version of that small town rural high school powerhouse team whose kids have been running the same system from pewee football through high school.
Few of them ever make it to D2 ball, but they are smart and execute with perfection. That’s Indiana + the have the $ in the NIL world to supplement with a few key NFL kids.
Few of them ever make it to D2 ball, but they are smart and execute with perfection. That’s Indiana + the have the $ in the NIL world to supplement with a few key NFL kids.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:00 pm to OU Guy
quote:
Ours have that in one half of one game
It’s one of the reasons why I’m not sad that Marcus Davis left. I know he’s a good recruiter, but I never thought we were a very good receiving team even though we have great receivers if that makes sense. I didn’t get a sense that there was a lot o individual “coaching”the WR‘s.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:03 pm to TailbackU
Same.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:05 pm to Milo of Croton
quote:
Indiana has approx 25 5th and 6th year players Oregon has around 14. Indianas entire starting lineup nearly aged 21-24.
That kind of build up takes a LOT of patience from a fanbase.
I don't think the Alabamas/Georgias/LSUs etc would be willing to wait that long unless they knew 100% it would lead to a season like this one.
That said, good on him. Doing things the old fashioned way and in doing so has Indiana knocking on the door of their first ever national title.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:08 pm to Milo of Croton
This was Michigan's system a few years back
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:09 pm to ManBearSharkReb
quote:
Indiana’s secret weapon is they are the best coached team in college football. Extremely disciplined and fundamentally sound.
I agree.The Indiana’s Secret Weapon - 5th and 6th year players narrative is already old and oversimplified.
NIL has been around for a while now.
If it was really that simple, then why hadn't anyone else done it yet? Or come anywhere remotely close to what Indiana is doing?
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:13 pm to Milo of Croton
Quarterback is the key.
Yes, they are well coached. Yes they have a good roster and given the information on this thread a roster that the current coach did not recruit but inherited.
But they have a great college quarterback. Mendoza is what has separated Indiana from the field to this point. He is better than Moore and way better than Simpson, at least at this level.
However, now they face a different challenge. Carson Beck is a veteran and battle tested. His years of top level experience should level the field. He will not fold and wilt under the pressure the way that Simpson and Moore did. This should be a fun game to watch.
Yes, they are well coached. Yes they have a good roster and given the information on this thread a roster that the current coach did not recruit but inherited.
But they have a great college quarterback. Mendoza is what has separated Indiana from the field to this point. He is better than Moore and way better than Simpson, at least at this level.
However, now they face a different challenge. Carson Beck is a veteran and battle tested. His years of top level experience should level the field. He will not fold and wilt under the pressure the way that Simpson and Moore did. This should be a fun game to watch.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:26 pm to OU Guy
quote:
Yes. His team was not some portal magic elixir most of his key players he recruited from HS. They only portaled because he changed teams but he was their HS recruiter.
Lots of talk how he built this team via portal bit that is not really the case. They moved with him and thus maintained the same coaching.
Matt Campbell seems to be trying to do the same at Penn State
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:37 pm to Milo of Croton
quote:
We’ve been watching hero ball for so long… turns out football is still a team sport.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 1:39 pm to OU Guy
quote:Just an insane stat. Mendoza gets a ton of credit too for throwing some incredibly catchable passes.
I also read their WRs only have 6 drops the entire season.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:05 pm to OU Guy
What will be difficult to replicate is the older players that were at JMU and also had Covid years. .
Ton of difference between 23-4 year old men and 19 year olds.
And a lot easier to bring players you know with you from JMU than to scout them from all over and also not easy to keep good players recruited to a Top 20 program for 5 years.
Ton of difference between 23-4 year old men and 19 year olds.
And a lot easier to bring players you know with you from JMU than to scout them from all over and also not easy to keep good players recruited to a Top 20 program for 5 years.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:06 pm to Milo of Croton
They are full of 24 and 25 year olds
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:08 pm to Milo of Croton
Here we go again... Another poster grabbing at Internet straws...as if it means anything.
The new key to success! Be old! BYU didn't get the memo.
The new key to success! Be old! BYU didn't get the memo.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:12 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:
The new key to success! Be old! BYU didn't get the memo.
Except they did. BYU has been bringing "mission players" back on the O-Line forever.
Their lines are better, year by year, than they should be for a program of their means.
IU is little of this, a little of that. Part of it is older players. So for all you folks "of a certain age" that love watching recruiting ? That's not where its at now.
Its about the transfer portal. And more importantly - the value you get in the portal.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:14 pm to Violent Hip Swivel
quote:
If it was really that simple, then why hadn't anyone else done it yet? Or come anywhere remotely close to what Indiana is doing?
Bruce Pearl kinda did that in basketball last year. People made a big deal about their age being somewhere near the OKC Thunder.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:14 pm to OU Guy
quote:
Yes. His team was not some portal magic elixir most of his key players he recruited from HS. They only portaled because he changed teams but he was their HS recruiter.
Lots of talk how he built this team via portal bit that is not really the case. They moved with him and thus maintained the same coaching.
Recruiting still has a lot of value but portal has changed where you can fill holes.
The biggest point is the HS star system has been broken by him. His HS recruits are not top 4/5 stars. He has a knack for finding undervalued HS players and then kept them.
I count a total of 13 JMU transfers, in a class where he signed 31 transfers, 48 total commits.
Then last year he signed 23 more transfers on a class of 46 recruits.
Now some of these will also transfer out, but in all he's brought 94 commits in the past 2 years, 54 from the transfer portal and 13 of them were from JMU.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:26 pm to Milo of Croton
Who cares man , they had the vision and put it all together when no-one else did.
Posted on 1/10/26 at 2:30 pm to Bird_Hunter
quote:
Who cares man , they had the vision and put it all together when no-one else did.
I can tell you EXACTLY why so many here care. For different reasons.
You've got some folks that are really, really concerned that Indiana - of all frigging people - could put this together. Why Hell - if Indiana can do it ? What's to keep the rest of the "poors" from winning games ? Who will protect "the Big Six".
So they have to figure out how this is a flash in the pan. Or just Mark Cuban buying a season. Or dumb luck.
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