Last night and Indiana

[bac2therac]

Well yesterday was what we all had hoped for when RU signed up for the Big 10. A big game under the lights against a ranked opponent with a rich history. The question was could RU actually play a competitive game against a program with so much more talent and better coaching. Last year was a rude awakening as RU was blown out in every facet of the game against the traditional powers. The shaky start to this season didn't exactly give confidence that RU could compete last night but what we saw was clear..at least for one night, RU showed up and played with heart. RU didn't play to lose. They elevated their game. They adapted. They took chances. They risked failure to reap reward. They didn't fold when they could have. So many positives on both sides of the ball with play calling and execution

I really wasn't all that crushed after the loss last night. I felt far worse after Washington State. Last night was a night to be proud of the program after an incredibly rough and tumultuous 6 weeks. Kudos to the players and coaching staff for keeping things together and restoring a little bit of respect back to the program. It was sorely needed for a fanbase that has been steadily losing faith. Consider the drubbing RU took at Michigan State last year 45-3, you can say this was marked improvement in cutting the gap with the traditional powers.

But and its a big but...going forward though last night will mean nothing without a win at Indiana. INDIANA IS A MUST WIN FOR THE PROGRAM. There is no other way to approach it or spin it. Last week Purdue played Michigan State just as tough as RU did last night and then got bitchslapped by Minnesota. Was last night the start of a reversal in form for the season or just an anomaly. It looks like we need more evidence. Last week I said that these two weeks would go along way to determine the fate of Kyle Flood. Without a win at Indiana, a shot at a bowl is all but gone. Looks like Indiana may be vulnerable, I saw their qb was knocked out in last nights game. It looks like they also came crashing down to earth after their great effort at Indiana. Its a huge opportunity to build next week, step it up and work toward making a bowl and saving the season or revert toward the old ways.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Indiana is beatable with the backup QB, but RU would have slim to none chances vs Sudfeld.

 

[NotInRHouse_anon]

Agree. A loss next week is basically the end of the season. A win is a riled up crowd ready to give tOSU a run for its money.

There is simply no way this team goes to a bowl game without beating Indiana.

 

[PatrickRU92]

Indiana looked awful on both sides of the ball yesterday, but State Penn appears to have the ability to bring out the worst in teams

IF Sudfeld comes back it will be much more difficult. however Sudfeld isn't exactly Aaron Rodgers either

No question this is a game we must win and is huge for KF's future (or non future)

 

[RU#1fan]

Indiana is beatable with the backup QB, but RU would have slim to none chances vs Sudfeld.

Totally disagree . If Sudfeld does play he will be limited by a bad ankle.
If Rossi dials up the blitz like we did last night ( Longa and Gause) it will be a bad game for Sudfeld and Indiana

 

[RUwoz]

Indiana looked bad yesterday, but RU looked far worse against TTFP, so the real factor is which RU shows up next week...

 

[vkj91]

Next week will determine flood's future.

 

[Scarlet Jerry]

Great post by the OP. I am proud if the performance of last night' team. THAT's the Rutgers I remember.

Scarlet Jerry

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Bac

Very well said

We played to win instead of not lose

That in of itself is a major difference

 

[RUDave_01]

Totally agree Bac. I too was not upset last night at the loss like I was after Washington St. We held our own, and that was all I was asking for.

If RU comes out inspired next Saturday, I think they can come away victorious.

 

[rsutton86]

Indiana is beatable with the backup QB, but RU would have slim to none chances vs Sudfeld.

What? We faced a much better QB in Cook and MSUs WRs are way better than Indiana's.

 

[Pritz99]

I, too, felt proud of the way we played...and how the announcers seemed to gain respect as the game wore on. Too bad about the brain-farts, but I'm tempted to say it's part of college football. Good teams just do it less often.

Can we beat Indiana? Of course we can. But hasn't these games tended to mirror college football: up-and-down performances week to week?

 

[Ru2bnj]

It's a huge game for both schools. Wilson, the Indiana HC needs to get to a bowl this year, he has not done that previously and is in his 5th year. They started 4-0 and now are 4-2 and into conference play. I'm sure they have had the RU game circled as a "must win". RU is in a similar situation and need to win on the road at Indiana to have any realistic chance to get to 6 wins. If their #1 QB is ready to play, it will be tough for RU. I think they have more problems defending that type of attack than a more traditional pro style attack. Indiana has had trouble defending and if RU can have a balanced attack...like last night...that will present problems for Indiana. Big game.

 

[Knightmoves]

Once again we have well known RU fan board jokers bac and NIRH promoting their Flood needs to go agenda by saying that Indiana is a must win next week or the season is over. The season is not over with a loss next week. According to my schedule there are still 6 games left to play after the Indiana game. Yet they want us to throw in the towel if we lose on the road in Bloomington to promote their tired agenda that RU needs a coaching change ASAP.

Don't buy into the sky is falling, short term metrics of these malcontent RU fans. This team has been through a lot this season and our players deserve our undying support until the final whistle in 2015. There's a lot of FB left to play. Let's get behind our players and give them our total support. They showed some great performances last night on both sides of the ball. If we play like we did last night for the rest of the season and our young players continue to improve I believe that RU fans will be proud of this team at the end of the season.

 

[bac2therac]

who is the joker here..Indiana is a must win

 

[Knightmoves]

who is the joker here..Indiana is a must win

What is a must win in your book ? Is the season over if we lose to Indiana ?

Please enlighten the rest of us.

 

[MADHAT1]

who is the joker here..Indiana is a must win

Indiana, Army and Maryland are must win games at this time.
Having 2 wins with 7 games left, Indiana, Army and Maryland are the opponents RU has the best chances to win against .
Then only need 1 win to be bowl eligible and that might be tough to do against these opponents:
Ohio St
Wisconsin
Michigan
Nebraska.
Harbaugh has made Michigan a good program, so that game in Ann Arbor will be a tough one to win
Wisconsin at their house won't be a cakewalk and the Badgers still play tough
Ohio St is ( never-mind)
Nebraska at High Points is the game I think RU has the best chance to win.
Seen them lose to Wisconsin on Saturday at their house and it looked like with under 2 minutes left played not to lose with a 1 point lead, didn't make a first down after 3 straight running plays and watched Wisconsin ( with one minute left) go down the field and kick a FG for the win
They are 2-4 now and probably the most beatable of the 4 I mentioned that RU needS one win from

So, in my opinion, Indiana is a must win game or RU will be needing a must upset game from
one of these 3 :
Ohio St
Wisconsin
Michigan
(if Nebraska can be considered a winnable game)

 

[RC85]

Next week will determine flood's future.

Need to go 1-0.

 

[scarletbergen]

Every game is a must win! And, no loss is the end of the world. Keep chopping.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

INDIANA is a must-win because we were too conservative vs WSU and PSU

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

You guys should have a very good chance against Indiana, especially if Sudfeld and their top RB Howard (who is a stud) are still crippled. They were down to their third-string QB and fourth-string RB by the end of the Penn State game. That was a good game Saturday, but I wouldn't be surprised if Michigan puts the hurt to MSU this week. I'm not a big fan of Harbaugh and his recruiting methods, but the man can coach.

 

[Knightmoves]

As a poster said in another thread, if the team continues to play like we did vs MSU on Saturday then the Wins will come.

 

[VW Knight]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like Flood won't play to win like Wilson did against MSU? I fear that the D won't be as aggressive. The decision to go for it on 4th and 6 wouldn't come with Flood on the sidelines. I used to be a Flood supporter but now, not so much

 

[RU#1fan]

INDIANA is a must-win because we were too conservative vs WSU and PSU

This. We had a losing season two years ago : 6-7.
If we have another losing season again this year that's 2 out of the last 3 years that RU has has losing seasons,
Indiana is a must win if there ever was one.
The Fudd apologists will continue to say otherwise.

 

[RU2055]

What? We faced a much better QB in Cook and MSUs WRs are way better than Indiana's.

MSU's receivers made one ridiculous catch after another. NFL type catches. However, don't fall asleep with Indiana, they have some pretty explosive offensive weapons themselves.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

MSU's receivers made one ridiculous catch after another. NFL type catches. However, don't fall asleep with Indiana, they have some pretty explosive offensive weapons themselves.

IU is much better on their home field and with Sudfeld compared to the bum backup that stunk at Pen St

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Indiana is a must win if there ever was one.
The Fudd apologists will continue to say otherwise.

 

[scarletbergen]

Every game is a must win. Keep choppin'

Ohio State is a must win! We have to beat every team on the schedule.

Thinking that Indiana is somehow more of a must win, is the problem.

 

[RUPete]

They are a different team with Sudfeld. When will we know if he and the running back are going to play? They'll probably keep us guessing for most of the week.

 

[NotInRHouse_anon]

In what delusional fantasy does RU make a bowl game but lose to Indiana?

 

[bac2therac]

In what delusional fantasy does RU make a bowl game but lose to Indiana?

In Knightmoves' childrens book of fables[jumpingsmile]

 

[Scarlet Shack]

What is a must win in your book ? Is the season over if we lose to Indiana ?

Please enlighten the rest of us.

Knightmoves

Knock it off already with personal BS and be objective

Be real here...if we lose here we are going to be 0-3 and 2-4. The realistic chances of going 4-2 and sneaking into a bowl game for the the rest on the way if we CANT beat another 0-2 league on the road is very low especially with #1 ohio state and a road game likely against a top 15 Michigan team (who could be top 8 if they beat Sparti this week)

Any realistic chance of turning the season around begins with a win this week ...

Being 0-3 and 2-4 with the nations number one team riding a 20 game winning steak likely puts you at 2-5

3-4 is sill recoverable for a bowl game

2-5 is unlikely with the schedule remains

This isn't 2008....

 

[Knightmoves]

In what delusional fantasy does RU make a bowl game but lose to Indiana?

Are you predicting a bowl game for this 2015 FB team ?

If we don't make a bowl game then is the season automatically a failure ? What happens if we lose the Indiana game but play well the rest of the season according to your way of thinking ?

If we play well the rest of the way and our younger players develop into a winning group in 2016 then is 2015 a failure ?

Would love to read a coherent response from you if you are up to it.

 

[RU2055]

Are you predicting a bowl game for this 2015 FB team ?

If we don't make a bowl game then is the season automatically a failure ? What happens if we lose the Indiana game but play well the rest of the season according to your way of thinking ?

If we play well the rest of the way and our younger players develop into a winning group in 2016 then is 2015 a failure ?

Would love to read a coherent response from you if you are up to it.

And what if they don't develop into a winning group in 2016?

Actually, let's follow this line of logic. In 2012, the team started 7-0 and ended 9-4, CLEARLY REGRESSING as the season concluded. Was that season a failure? Flood defenders keep pointing to that season as a success. BUT WAIT! According to Knightmoves, a season can be called a success if the team makes progress - well is the opposite also true? What happens if they regress as they did in 2012? Is that season a failure?

Of course anyone with half a brain can see this is simply laying the seeds for the 2015 Flood defense.

Bottom line is this, you can spin it any way you want but this season is a colossal failure on the part of Flood if they don't make a bowl game.

 

[ag67]

And what if they don't develop into a winning group in 2016?

Actually, let's follow this line of logic. In 2012, the team started 7-0 and ended 9-4, CLEARLY REGRESSING as the season concluded. Was that season a failure? Flood defenders keep pointing to that season as a success. BUT WAIT! According to Knightmoves, a season can be called a success if the team makes progress - well is the opposite also true? What happens if they regress as they did in 2012? Is that season a failure?

Of course anyone with half a brain can see this is simply laying the seeds for the 2015 Flood defense.

Bottom line is this, you can spin it any way you want but this season is a colossal failure on the part of Flood if they don't make a bowl game.

Guess you don't see the young defensive backs getting better? Guess you don't see the defensive line getting better? Guess you don't see our young quarterback getting better? I find it interesting that you feel that our players are going to regress as they get more experience. We are also building the depth needed to withstand the injury bug, but we are only half way there.

I am going to enjoy the ride. You are going to be miserable.

There is absolutely no guarantee that we will be world-beaters next year, but everything is trending in the right direction. There are always going to be some question marks.

We were an inexperienced team at the beginning of the year, and we took some real body blows right at the beginning of the season. We may yet win 6 or 7 games, but it would be tough for any team in our situation to do it.

You are right. i am laying the seeds of Coach Flood's defense. He is putting together a competitive top-level B1G team, but it is not there yet. I don't guarantee he will succeed, but he is the best realistic option right now IMO.

 

[RU2055]

Guess you don't see the young defensive backs getting better? Guess you don't see the defensive line getting better? Guess you don't see our young quarterback getting better? I find it interesting that you feel that our players are going to regress as they get more experience. We are also building the depth needed to withstand the injury bug, but we are only half way there.

I am going to enjoy the ride. You are going to be miserable.

There is absolutely no guarantee that we will be world-beaters next year, but everything is trending in the right direction. There are always going to be some question marks.

We were an inexperienced team at the beginning of the year, and we took some real body blows right at the beginning of the season. We may yet win 6 or 7 games, but it would be tough for any team in our situation to do it.

You are right. i am laying the seeds of Coach Flood's defense. He is putting together a competitive top-level B1G team, but it is not there yet. I don't guarantee he will succeed, but he is the best realistic option right now IMO.

So many things wrong with your post but let me address two specifically.

1) " ...... I find it interesting that you feel that our players are going to regress as they get more experience." - Where did I say that the players are going to regress? I took the logic for defending Flood this year and used it on a different year. You can't say "don't look at wins and losses only - for this year", when in 2012 that was all Flood defenders could point to. "We regressed in 2012, but it's ok, we won 9 games anyway". Can't have it both ways.

2) "...... everything is trending in the right direction" - Really? In what alternate universe? Everything about Rutgers football has regressed since Flood took over. Whether it's play on the field, talent level, development of players, academic standings, being good citizens, recruiting, everything has regressed. How exactly are we "trending" in the right direction??? Because we didn't get blown out by MSU? That's your data point?

There is a big difference between being an optimist and being a Baghdad Bob. Problem with Flood defenders is they can't tell the difference. They can't tell that in defending this incompetent man, they are in effect doing harm to the Program and the University they supposedly care for.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

IU is much better on their home field and with Sudfeld compared to the bum backup that stunk at Pen St

Didn't that bum backup almost lead them to victory against OSU?

 

[RUforJERSEY]

IU is much better on their home field and with Sudfeld compared to the bum backup that stunk at Pen St

Didn't that bum backup almost lead them to victory against OSU?

 

[NotInRHouse_anon]

No bowl game is 100% a failure when you only need to be .500 the rest of the way.

Any season without a bowl is unexceptionally a failure, any coach or non-Floodie would tell you so.

This ain't intramurals.

 

[Knightmoves]

No bowl game is 100% a failure when you only need to be .500 the rest of the way.

Any season without a bowl is unexceptionally a failure, any coach or non-Floodie would tell you so.

This ain't intramurals.

And so it goes with the Fire Flood crowd. Draw a line in the sand with a bowl appearance as a minimum acceptable level and demand his firing if it doesn't happen. Pay no attention if the team is improving and pointing to a better season in 2016 with a good recruiting class coming in.

Not surprising that these talking heads are also lobbying to bring Greg back as our next HC.

NIRH has worked hard to establish his lack of credibility factor on this board. I'm not a big Flood fan but I'm willing to assess the FB program at the end of the season instead of having a hare trigger after game 6.