iubhounds

You are right ... the NIL and the current transfer portal rules change everything. I remember when Cig was hired all my friends and I wanted was consistent winning seasons comparable to Iowa ... now we are not sure we can handle a 3 loss season. Plus with the new hires of HC in the B1G, that conference just got tougher from top to bottom, thus hard to stay on top.

In case you did not watch the Oregon - Indiana basketball game the other night, the IU coach was Altman's assistant for 12 years at Creighton. The Altman family baby sat IU's 2nd leading scorer, Tucker DeVries.

Some interesting things on their schedule. They have no luck scheduling OOC over the years. This year they schedule North Texas who was good in 2025, only to have their HC and a lot of players follow him to Oklahoma State for next season. So they will be a much different NT team. One interesting tidbit, the starting QB for NT next year started for IU in 2024 when Rourke was out with an injured thumb and later surgery. Western Kentucky has been on and off the schedule for years. IU always beats them but they go on to have a good year. Howard? I didn't know they had a football team until their best DL goes to Oregon this year in the portal for 2026 season. As a college football fan I would normally say there is no way Indiana stays on top. Like you, I will put my money on Cig and his coaching staff. They know this year means nothing for next year. One play, one game at a time. I do like the land mines in the Ohio State schedule before they come to Bloomington. For the first time I can ever remember in decades, the stadium will NOT be called Columbus West with Ohio State fans. A general observation about next years IU team ... team speed at RB, WR will be much improved ... break-away speed actually and something they have not had the past two years.

I think this is a result of NIL spending. Teams now can pay LEGALLY what these teams did for years under the table.

With a #1 recruiting class, some portal transfers and some big cash, Oregon's basketball season can flip in a year, from bad to great. Other teams can make the same kind of improvement too. I follow both sports, all the teams and IMO college basketball recruiting is more brutal than college football. I guess nobody is really committed until they are on campus at that first team meeting, getting their photos taken in uniform. Yet there are a LOT of good basketball players nationwide, enough for every team, no matter their ranking.

I am not sure how many years ago this took place. I might look for his book at the library but won't buy it. Honestly I wish Nebraska would have gone back to the B12. I bet many of their fans wish they would have or would now but the B1G tv money paid out is just too big to ignore. Yet I am biased when it comes to conference realignment ... too old school. I remember it bothered me a little, not a lot, when Arizona and Arizona State was joining the Pac8.

I had a look a couple of times to double check my eyes but I don't see where Jedd Fisch's UDub is listed. I thought he had every high school player in Arizona as a lock to follow him to Seattle. To me that is a little interesting not to see them listed by name.

My first sports forum was around 1996 at the Indianapolis Star and then other IU forums and other B1G fans forums formed after that. Needless to say I have visited many forums over 31 years, to see what information I could glean from opponents. I even joined a few where I saw there was legitimate sports discussion without arguing or attacks. THIS FORUM, FishDuck is the best forum I have ever visited, joined and posted on after the short time I have been here. I am serious when I say that. That includes Indiana forums. I have also found Duck fans on X just as nice to joke with, discuss our teams, our coaches, recruiting etc. You Duck fans are a lot different than a couple of B1G fans I could name, but won't. You are some of the best fans I have ever run into online since I first started the internet in 1995.

I saw the other day that Indiana was projected 5th in the B1G in baseball, Oregon was 2nd. But this might be a factor for the Hoosiers. They needed to at least get some ground ball workouts in the other day outside instead of the Indoor Football Stadium. I guess from the photo, there was no outfield workouts. Most of that snow should be melted now, it was 66° on Tuesday.

Some additional information on that IU transfer portal QB from TCU ... he has seemed to have shrunk since moving from Dallas to Bloomington. In a matter of a month Josh Hoover went from 6'2 200 pounds (TCU Measurement) to 6'0 and 194 pounds. (Indiana Measurement) That will be quite a difference compared to their last QB that was 6'5.

Indianan's Cignetti is an interesting coach and man. This 30 minute interview is very informative and might give you an insight to "the enemy" and a comparison to what you have heard from Dan Lanning. He also talks about college football in general. Know Your Opponent

Interesting to see that both Oregon and Indiana each have 6 returning starting players on defense and offense.

#5 Oregon was the only one of twelve teams west of the Rockies. After winning your home game, they could/should have been in the Rose Bowl with IU and Bama playing in Dallas. That would not have mattered to IU fans nor Bama fans. You beat IU and could/would play in Phoenix instead of Atlanta. With Miami keeping their championship game. #1 Indiana could have played in New Orleans only because the semi's were in Atlanta. Then Atlanta and Miami #6 Ole Miss/#3 Georgia would have had no choice but two games in Atlanta if IU was in New Orleans. #2 Ohio State would have had no choice but to play in Dallas. Logistics and Marketing for the cities would stay close to the same since they do not know any sooner than us, who the teams are. Under the 2025 playoffs, Vegas is not listed, but they should be in the list of six cities that rotate from year to year. Pasadena would be skipped every year for the championship game due to their need/requirement/wants to remain on January 1. Or keep them in the 6 city rotation no matter the date and then every January 1 invite the top two teams that feel they were screwed out of the playoffs .to the Rose Bowl game .. ie: BYU vs Notre Dame game. Bottom line, Oregon fans will have to travel more times east of the Rockies no matter what if you want to win a natty. Like in 2024 when they asked Cignetti before his game against UCLA in the Rose Bowl as a regular season game ... "we don't care where we play, we can play it in a parking lot if they want to."

It is totally sickening what has happened to college football and basketball because lawsuits an judges run the show now. What can be done about it without being sued? That idea of 5 years to play 4 is looking pretty good now.

Having the Rose Bowl on any other day besides January 1st is criminal IMO. Barely one of the last college football traditions that still exist, even though the matchups are different.