btownqb

Penix isn't that big of a deal to me in regards to the Colts, to be clear. I don't care if they even draft a QB.... my premise was, or I meant to make it more clear, if Penix were to drop, I'd love to get him in the 4th. If there is no chance he's there in the 4th, no problem with no getting him, the Colts have much bigger needs in the first 3 rounds. But dear god, I just... NFL teams have taken Jamarcus Russell #1, Baker Mayfield #1, Johnny Manziel 1st rd, Kenny Pickett 1st rd... and that's just off the top of my head. I don't think Penix would be any more of a mistake than those guys lol I just can't imagine picking Penix before Williams, Maye, JJ McCarthy, Daniels... past that, I don't think any of those guys deserve to go in the first round. I didn't realize Jordan Travis spent a year at UL? and was just as old as Penix. Had no clue haha

NFL teams are notorious for picking QBs in the first round that have no business being drafted in the first round. I would never take Penix in the first. But to each their own.

I'd take the Michigan uniforms over almost anyone's, in any sports.... Plus I hate Purple--- Seymour, Scottsburg, the Lakers.

Ok I mean, of course, but just... it's like asking Columbus North to beat Center Grove in the sectional. Columbus North could be an excellent football team and they ain't hanging with CG. We'll see. I will contest the games against OSU, PSU, UM weren't/aren't really our issue though. Going to OT with a MAC school, getting waxed by Maryland/Rutgers, and playing like complete shit against Purdue, MSU, and ILL when it mattered are all BIG issues compared to those other three games.

How about a weekend round-robin at Lucas Oil next year? They do this all the time in Minnesota where the Vikings play. Minnesota actually played like 10 games at the Vikings stadium last year. One weekend against Houston One weekend against Ole Miss, Vandy, Hawaii. Multiple mid-weeks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heck.. invite Purdue and they play a round of games, as well. Notre Dame even. Friday Notre Dame vs. UCONN (excellent cold weather program) Purdue vs. Creighton (cold weather program that is well supported) Indiana vs. Oregon State (excellent cold weather program) Then you rotate who the Indiana teams play the two days after that. I'd play this event this first weekend of the season. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another option I think I'd like to try.... Indiana plays a series where the Cubs play spring training, or where the Reds play spring training. Minnesota is doing this is in Ft Myers where their Single A affiliate plays. Maybe that only works since the Twins are where U of M is located? Idk. pretty cool idea though.

we get Duke/Coastal on back-to-back days to open the year

Ehh.. man. Idk. When was the last time someone NOT OSU/UM beat OSU/UM? I mean, basically, Penn State can hardly compete with them, which is scary. I checked-- UM, in the last three seasons, has 3 losses-- Mich St 2 years ago when MSU was Top 10, UGA 2 years ago (one of the best college teams ever assembled), and TCU last year in the Semis. OSU- since 2012- has 17 total losses lol--- Top 10 Missouri, Top 10 Oregon, Michigan x3, UGA (CFP), Bama (CFP), @Purdue lol, Top 5 Oklahoma, @Top 10 Iowa, @ Penn State, Clemson (CFP)x2, Top 10 MSUx2, Virginia Tech, Top 10 Clemson (not CFP) Maybe we can be Purdue from 2016 or whatever it was and pull a once-a-decade upset? Those two programs are just-- the elite of the elite though.

Wait... Conner Essegian got benched? Wild

Actually.. we run quite a bit of stuff for MM. He just can't stay out of foul trouble, can't defend well enough, and can't dribble left-handed to keep himself on the court more often. But by god, the recruiting guys said he was a 5-star!!

Oh they'll carry 3... it's just SE is under rookie contract again next year. So, that's why I feel.. AR/SE are locked, Minshew vs. another rookie for the other spot. From what I've seen on how the Colts have altered their offense to fit Minshew, Penix could thrive.

Interesting. MM has taken 5 3s per game over his last 5 games in 22 mins per game.... that's a pretty high rate. 41% over those 5 games from 3. If I'm a guard and I got to play PnR with Ware/Malik with McNeeley and MM in the corners, that would very much interest me. Heck even TG has taken 4 3s a game the last 5... and shooting 45% from 3 during those games.

Penix has quite the injury proneness, as well. Minshew-- might be a price tag thing. I would expect it to be either/or, I don't think you'd have Ehlinger, Minshew, and Penix.

Man I'm pumped. Crazy how much I enjoy college baseball/IU baseball. It's also nice we are one of the premier programs in the Midwest and are knocking on the door of moving up a wrung or two. I pray one day we can start the season March 1st. (move the start date back two weeks) I don't think it'll ever happen, but it would DIRECTLY benefit us. We will lose Tibbitts, Mitchell, probably Mathison, and probably Pyne, and possibly Foley going, (maybe Kraft) this summer, but we won't be weak, at all, in 2025. Mercer has us set up for the long haul.

Also.. not knowing what Steichen thinks of Ehlinger... and who knows where Minshew ends up after the year (I'd love to just bring him back)... I'd have no issue drafting Penix 4th rd or later.

I'm officially pretty excited now. The WR corps is real. McCulley, Cross, EJ Williams, and Sarratt is a crazy way to start a WR group. Then throw in the 3 transfers and Omar Cooper... that is excellent. I don't think we see that group all make it to the fall, but that's fine. OL- added 3 kids with a lot of experience in the portal, plus brought back two of our own with some starts under them. I think we have DB covered. Find some depth at safety (or maybe a WR moves to defense)... LB is probably close to being done, I feel like we have to add some DL.

Kansas State, Utah, South Carolina, Cal, Wisconsin, Purdue ... to be exact. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if others didn't show interest because they assumed he'd follow Cignetti.

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

EXCELLENT!

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.

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

Mathison, Taylor, Foley, Tibbitts from left to right.