thirdgenhoosier

9 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Kind of roster related. Bryant Haines will become IU's first ever 7 figure assistant. Like the commitment we have now.

But, but, I thought we had an administration that didn’t care about football!!

28 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Didn't see this one coming. Saban retiring.

I didn't either.  Wow, though he is 72.  7 total national championships.  Pretty incredible.  I would NOT want to fill his shoes in that job.  But I wonder if the guy at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin, is cocky enough to think he could do it?

18 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

That's why a trade with Raiders (if willing to send Crosby) could be an option. We add Crosby opposite of Sweat and that's a top 5 D next year.

I’m not a Bears or a Raiders fan.  But no way in hell I’m trading Crosby if I’m the Raiders.  Has this been rumored somewhere?  I agree it would be a great get for Chicago but it would be one of the more stupid things the Raiders could do IMO. 
I suppose it’s a little early for this to be a rumor.  Fans just dreaming?

Lucas to Florida St.

For all of you complaining about the call on 4th and 1, I wish you were listening to the radio and could hear Venturi call the whole thing live and break it down in the aftermath.  This includes why the time out was necessary.  The guy knows more football than all of us combined and he called it the perfect play call for the defense Houston had called.  He also had zero issue with the personnel on the field and said while the pass wasn’t perfect it still should have been caught by a guy who is specifically brought in for passing plays.  I’ll take the word from a guy who spent decades coaching in the NFL.

29 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

How’s the crowd look?

Really good.  Even without the students there is some of a a buzz in the building.

7 hours ago, btownqb said:

 

First of all... this is how well DT is thought of by some. He isn't eligible to be drafted until after NEXT season... 

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No Sinnard this year freaking sucks. Assuming his recovery goes well, I would expect him to be pitching for us in 2025. Just on a personal note, I like Luke. I like the way he handles himself, he competes at a very high clip, it certainly seems like he listens to his coaches, and at 6'8 250lbs he is one commanding force on the mound. Friday night bulldog with a disgusting 12-6 curveball... Ok, I've come to grips with it... won't mention it anymore. 

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Returners: our position players, probably outside the ELITE teams, are as good as anyone... I'm talking LSU, Vandy, and Florida are probably the only type of teams with as much top-level depth as us position player-wise (assuming he can be average at the catcher spot)....

1st base/catcher- Brock Tibbitts- .357/.447/.585 (2023)-- had a great FR season and became a complete stud last year. Brock is also a well above avg defensive 1st baseman. There is some thought that he might catch this season, not sure on that, and where the MLB guys will want him. I can't imagine Brock not being well thought of in the upcoming draft and I expect him to leave school early. He will be a feather in Mercer's cap, imo, moving forward. Brock wasn't on anyone's radar until Mercer started recruiting him late in his JR season. Since arriving at IU he has been excellent. All B1G 2nd team last season (I thought he got screwed from being 1st team)

2nd base/SS- Tyler Cerny- .275/.347/.486- (2023) Big-time bat at the bottom of the order, + defender, as well. Not sure if he sticks at 2B this year or make the move to SS. Stellar athlete. 4 triples last year and 10 SBs. Plays with a chip on his shoulder. I'm a fan. All B1G FR

3rd base- Josh Pyne- 2 year totals-- .310/.371/.472-- struggled at times at the plate last year but still had a good season overall. Zero patience from the kid, but again, a guy I like watching. He improved immensely defensively last year. All B1G 3rd team last year. 

RF/DH- Devin Taylor- .315/.430/.650 (2023)- 16HRs as a FR- Big-time player and was improving in the field. Big Ten FOY and multiple FR All American lists. DT didn't even take all the ABs at the beginning of the year, I expect him to hit the ground running this year. He was also All B1G 1st team. 

LF- Carter Mathison- .305/.426/.533 (2023)- CM has 29 bombs at the D1 level in two years. The power #s were down a little last season (multiple instances of crazy weather/wind affecting CM's ABs)... anyways, he was undoubtedly a more polished hitter this past season. Another guy-- like Pyne+Tibbitts who will have a very good chance to be drafted after the season. 

CF- Nick Mitchell- transfer from WIU- Carmel kid- .348/.421/.489 (2 year totals)-- He also has 38SBs in 2 seasons. Impressive stat last year-- he walked more than he struck out. And at Cape Cod this summer-- 13 BBs 15Ks. Impressive. Mitchell is thought to be a Top round draft pick in this coming draft... if the scouts are correct and Mitchell is a guy that will get serious MLB looks in the Top 10 rounds and he is that table setter that Glasser was at the top of our order--our offense will be unreal. 

RF/DH- Andrew Wiggins- Perfect Game considered him one of the Top 10 FR that made it to campus. 6'4 225lbs. Hits from the left side with substantial power. FWIW--- Wiggins is rated higher than Taylor was in their respective classes. Wiggins doesn't have to "be the guy" this year.... just a contributing factor to our team. But, let's be clear, the potential is there to have another B1G FR of the year. 

I'm confident those 7 will be part of the regular 9 we run out there. 

We need one more middle INF plus either catch/1st base depending on where Tibbitts ends up defensively. Candidates for those spots-- FR Jasen Oliver, FR Cal Sefcik two highly rated kids Top 200 each (Oliver might pitch only)... These guys are INF--- along with transfer Brandon Burckel from Houston, who has 100+ career starts .260/.379/.364 hitter over 2 seasons along with 37 SBs will be in the mix, I'm sure. Joey Bren

Catching-- Austin Bode (UL transfer), AJ Shepard--- both well-thought-of kids coming out of HS. Shepard was hurt all of last year with an elbow. We'll see. 

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Pitching- Kraft, Risedorph, Foley are our three main guys coming into the year. Big-time arms, Kraft is a "crafty lefty" lol.. Sinker ball from the left side that was unhittable all year long. Risedorph+Foley hard-throwing righties (especially Foley) that performed very well as FR...  Risedorph saved our bacon against WVU in the playoffs when Sinnard went down. 

Those three will gobble up innings. Bothwell is back. wild to say that honestly... he again gave us really good innings last year, late in the year. He has to find it early on this season.. if so, we have 4 really good pitchers at the top. Bothwell throws 90-94 mph from the left side. 

Other returners-- Manase (used as an "opener" this past season) had good moments. A whole slew of FR from last year-- Whiteaker, Phillips, Ayden Decker Petty are all guys who could come on, especially Whiteaker and Phillips (both threw some huge innings as FR). Brooks Ey could also throw innings. We also have a kid Jacob Vogel (6'8 250lbs) from Jenning County that RS last year, I'm interested to see how he does. He threw 15 innings in the APPY league this past year. 

LHP FR Ryan Rushing is Top 150-rated guy. There are obviously other FR that I simply don't know anything about them. Usually one of them surprises and is a factor for us. 

Multiple transfers are incoming on the mound-- LHP Brandon Keyster (JUCO guy from John A Logan, who has given us Tanner Gordon and Logan Kaletha)-- I expect, judging by his JUCO #s, to be a significant part of our pen. In 75 innings in JUCO he was 1.92ERA and .95WHIP. 

Past Keyster-- we picked up a bevy of other transfers-- and quite frankly, I don't think they'll all make the roster. 

Ben Grable is probably the most well-thought-out in that group. I think he can ramp it up to 95+. Drew Buhr from Bellarmine. One from Illinois. One from Lipsomb. 

The other big development on the mound would be we are getting Grant Holderfield back. LHP with nasty shit and sidearm. Kraft, Holderfield, Keyster, Rushing, and Bothwell seem to be a GREAT group of lefties, something Mercer hasn't really had. 

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In a non-arrogant way.. I told you all that we were disrespected last year in the pre-season and finished 2nd in the B1G and were a Sinnard injury away from probably winning a regional, on the road, at an SEC school.... 

If we figure the catcher spot out, Wiggins is as advertised.... and we just find minimal more pitching we are easily a Top 20 squad. 

Excited for the season.  Thanks for the write-up!!

4 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Correct... 

But, the backside puller/fold guy/whatever you want to call him... #77 doesn't do his job either. If he reacts quicker to the UM DE closing and logs OLB (I'm guessing that's where he lined up, I can't see his number here) the play might still have a chance... it's also possible Milroe didn't hit where they wanted him to hit either, #77 could have been (rightfully) expecting him to bounce wider, which might make sense why the rest of the play ended up the way it did. 

I need to go find the regular TV view... I'm pretty sure UM went straight Cov 0 here and brought 6 with a 7th being the rover.... like, I think Bama is completely outnumbered in the box here and this play was doomed from the beginning.  

Good stuff.  Thanks!

22 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Ahhh ohhh... looks like this Sun Belt guy can play. 

This comment has nothing to do with your Sun Belt comment, but the left side Alabama TE is where this play really gets blown up.  If that TE gets his block Milroe scores. The entire Michigan defensive front does a great job on this play.

6 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

We could win next week and still miss the playoffs. I think if we tie with the Bengals we don't get the tie break

This is correct.

1 hour ago, NotIThatLives said:

Didn't Oregon st coach and qb peace out though?  I'm not as in tune.  I think Oregon st qb was one of the top initial portal guys???

Yep.  In fact, I think OSU was playing with their third QB.

17 minutes ago, kyhoosier29 said:

I’m never a fan of suspending somebody (Bauer for example) prior to them being convicted. Just don’t think it’s right. But like you say, it sounds like they’ve done some due diligence over the last three months. This guy’s career and shot at the NBA is over, prob ruined his life. How foolish. 

Yep.  Does anyone remember the former Butler player who was once charged with rape?  Rape charges were later dropped and then he was found not guilty to other charges later.

scooby found not guilty

Just reading on these guys but I like the two OL best I think.  One of them was on the Outland Award list and we could certainly use some interior OL help.

Does anyone know how many roster spots we have left?

12 minutes ago, go_iu_bb said:

This thread has turned into:

 

There’s a lot of that going on around here these days.  Sadly.

14 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

It’s an interesting conversation. I think the natural follow up conversation would be “why aren’t we that talented?” 

Well yes if the answer to the first question is we aren’t that talented.  

2 hours ago, FKIM01 said:

Yeah, more like several red flags became more obvious. 

I keep telling myself it's a very young team, but with as much talent as IU has, it's still hard not to be frustrated with how badly they've underperformed what they are capable of.

I’m not challenging you.  I’m just asking to further the conversation ONLY for the sake of conversation.  But what if I said we really aren’t that talented?  

Carpenter to Miami, Fl.

I guess Bedford is now going to Oregon instead.

8 hours ago, Hoosierfan1901 said:

Dude is massive like 6’7 320ish from Wisconsin. Started in like 8 games last year and was mainly a rotational player this season. He was also a former #1 in Wisconsin and top 10 OL in his recruiting class

 

I have to assume that this is our new starting right tackle, yes?

7 minutes ago, 13th&Jackson said:

Not sure who that’s directed to. I’m certainly not bitching about it. I’m defending Woody here and saying someone’s not doing him any favors with this. Apparently someone agreed and took it down. 

It wasn’t you.  I took it down myself.

12 minutes ago, Indykev said:

Tampering with other teams players, is that how you want to do it. Yeah I guess most do like cheaters here, like when I brought to the board about the WHOLE offensive line laughing in my car about tutors taking tests and written papers for them. The feedback here was, well, every school does it. Bullshit, thats when I quit on this team.

Do you have any evidence where an IU coach has made contact with a player from another team who has not entered the portal yet?  There is more than one way for a contact to be made that isn’t in violation of rules.

2 minutes ago, Indykev said:

What Sun Belt teams are playing in Bowl games?

It’s nice that you’re constantly trying to find some smart ass way of criticizing the program.  Especially when the coaching staff has been here all of three weeks.  

Just now, DC2345 said:

There are guys that Cig would like back but there’s also the majority that he’s fine with leaving. Mostly because this wasn’t a good football team that IU had last year. Getting Smith back was HUGE!!!

Any vibe on McCulley?

15 minutes ago, OGIUAndy said:

 

This is a BIG one!  He was #1 on my list of guys I wanted back.  The places he took visits to says a lot about how good he can be.