Rutgers Game Thread

[BobSaccamanno]

4 hours ago, dgambill said:

Why are we firing Bell? Allen picked him. He fired the OC, last year, you took over the defense this year. Now you fire the OL coach the middle of the year. At what point do you accept responsibility and realize it is you…you can’t keep firing everyone else. The one constant is you. It isn’t fair to the kids and it isn’t fair to the fans if you keep firing assistants and changing systems. Stick with it and figure a way to make it work out or quit. I wouldn’t pay a dime for your mistakes…it’s your job to make us better and if you can’t a decent meal after you picked what to make and picked all the groceries then it means you are a bad chef.

You’re right.  But if Allen is going to be here, he’s probably going to make a couple of staff changes.  Right now things are unwieldy and not under control.   He may need help identifying the right mix of guys.  The good news is we might have our O line coach.  

To be fair, Allen has won when he’s had good coordinators.   There is a non-zero chance Allen turns it around but he needs to upgrade the people around him.  Somebody needs to be helping him, like a GM would in the pros, identify solutions.  Not in December. Now.  Work on laying the groundwork for a dramatic upgrade in the staff.   We’ve got guys on the staff who have had good jobs in the past who look like you are checking boxes on paper, but it’s not translating.  So and so used to be receivers coach at Dallas, or S and C at the Giants or D line coach in the SEC.  That’s all well and good but we are still a B1G team.  Of course we should get guys with name brands on their resume.  Take that for granted.  But can they coach?   They all own the record IU has.  You can’t hide from it.  

I don’t know if Dolson is that guy who can help but he can work the phones.  He must have contacts who do know.   Dolson may be tethered to Allen but he’s still the boss.  Or maybe Dolson needs an assistant AD who truly understands football since Dolson has a BB background.   Roll up your sleeves and upgrade the organization.  Allen may have them over a barrel with his contract but the AD can still exert power over him on improving everybody around him.  

IU has spent money.  They can tell everyone that.  The next step is take that money and spend it on the right guys.  They’ve spent it, but dysfunctionally.   $500k on a two year contract for an O-line coach with zero leverage.  Be better than that.   

You can’t beat hapless Rutgers, who hadn’t won at home in conference in 2000 days.  Lowly Nebraska.  Maryland.  You can’t beat anybody.  The schedule was actually very do-able this year, rebuilding or not.   You’re everyone else’s automatic win.  Then you deserve to be scrutinized and forced to make changes.  

Lastly, you not only need to convince electric talent like McCullough and Lucas to stay, but you need to recruit impact talent.  The skill positions on offense, and the D line both need help.  You could argue that about the O line but you have a new coach there and several good young prospects.   Next year, Matthew Bedford, Khalil Benson, and Josh Sales is the start of a good line with a good coach.  Several other young players are good prospects like Bray Lynch, Carter Smith, and DJ Moore plus we have some good recruits for ‘23.  But skill positions on offense and some athleticism on the D line is vital.   Then upgrade player development.    

Edited October 23, 2022 by BobSaccamanno