Weighing Pro's and Con's of the 2010 Schedule

Here is my take on the 2010 schedule as of now.

Pro's- Looking at the schedule, the non-conference schedule seems pretty weak. However, given the state of IU football it is extremely important that we get back to a bowl game next season. This schedule will set us up nicely to go 4-0 in non-conference play and then we will only have to win 2 big ten games to become bowl eligible. Before we went to the insight bowl our recruiting class only had 5 three star recruits. After the bowl game appearance our recruiting class jumped to 13 three star recruits providing our roster with some instant impact players and quality depth that will improve the football team for years to come. By making a bowl game next season and increase the quality players in the next years recruiting class, we can stock up some much needed talent before our schedule add's teams like Mizzou, USF, Virginia, Navy etc...

Con's- It might be a little bit harder for fans to get pumped up for the Towson, Arkansas State and Akron games. Top recruits like to see big games scheduled on a teams schedule to get them more media attention and more nationally viewed games. One of my other concerns is that it won't prepare us as much for big ten play then other BCS schools would. We play three straight weaker opponents and then have to play Michigan and Ohio State back to back to kick off big ten play. Less attendance will lead to lower football revenues and it seems like a daunting task to sell out games against weaker opponents.

This season will be detrimental in allowing the coaching staff to sell the idea of IU being a program on the rise to future recruits. It is extremely important to have a bowl game appearance next season so we can get a boost in recruiting before our schedule gets tougher in the future. We played a lot tougher this season than the last season and we are getting close to turning the corner in this program and another bowl appearance could get the wheels on the bus rolling again.

What do you guys think of the 2010 schedule? Is it too easy? Just what the doctor ordered?

Polk to play in Texas vs. Nation game

Per IUhoosiers.com

Safety Nick Polk will participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 6. The fourth annual contest will kick off at noon MST at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
Polk joins teammate Jammie Kirlew on the Nation squad. Florida Atlantic head coach Howard Schnellenberger will coach the team.
The Milwaukee native closed out his Hoosier career with 40 starts, 31 at free safety and nine at wide receiver, and appeared in 43 overall games. He posted 179 tackles, 131 solo, six tackles for loss, five interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his three years on defense. Polk caught 33 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown in his lone season at wideout.
He finished the 2009 campaign with 53 tackles, 42 solo, in 11 starts. Polk added two interceptions, two tackles for loss, four pass breakups and returned one kick for 29 yards.

After seeing how much Saffold's stock has risen since he played in the East-West Shrine game this could be a very good opportunity for Polk to increase his draft stock as well. Stay tuned for both Polk and Kirlew's performance in the game.

Saffold Draft Stock Up

Remember a few days ago when I said that Saffold's draft stock most likely went up after his performance in the East-West shrine game? Well here are some pieces that Chris Korman from The Hoosier Scoop found on reactions to Saffold. Don't be surprised if you see Rodger creeping up into the later 2nd round or 3rd round projections now.

Link

This, from Sporting News’ Russ Lande:
Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana. "Saffold arrived in Orlando with questions about his quickness, athleticism, intensity and strength. From Day 1, he shined on the field. He showed the quickness and athleticism to slide to the corner and cut off edge rushers, keeping his knees bent and blocking with good leverage. Saffold proved he has what it takes to play left tackle in the NFL. He certainly moved into third-round consideration, and he could go as high as the second round with a string of good pre-draft workouts."

This, from NFL scouts polled by realgmfootball.com:
Rodger Saffold, T, Indiana–“he pulled up his draft grade at least 2 rounds with us” and “surprised me with his strong footwork”.

And the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows:
T Rodger Saffold, Indiana. "I watched him whenever he was on the field because of the high marks he received in practices and because the 49ers need a tackle. He definitely has quick feet. He was able to slide well and reach the second level quickly on running plays. However, he seemed to get off balance too much in pass protection, which allowed his opponent to pull him forward and then get past Saffold on the edge. Saffold also was called for a false start."

Tracy Porter on Dan Dakich Radio Show

Here is a link the the conversation Dan Dakich had with Tracy Porter after the thriller NFC Championship game.
Link

Tracy Porter Interception vs Minnesota Vikings

Just in case you missed it, here is the crucial INT made by former Hooiser Tracy Porter in the final minute of play against the Vikings in the NFC Championship game. Porter finished the game with 8 solo tackles, 1 pass deflection and an interception returned for 26 yards.

Former Recruit Commits to Michigan

Former IU commit Jibreel Black has committed to the University of Michigan today. (Link)

Jibreel who originally committed to IU, de-committed and verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati. Since the head coach Brian Kelley left to become the Notre Dame coach, Black opened up his recruitment again. He took visits to UC, MSU, UM and had one scheduled for IU next weekend but has decided to commit to the Wolverine program. Jibreel was a 4 star recruit on scout.com. 

More Shrine Game Analysis

Here is what SI writer Tony Pauline had to say about Rodger Saffold's performance at the shrine game. It seems like the consensus is that the game definitely improved Saffold's draft stock.

"Saffold was another impressive lineman who really improved his draft
stock. He blocked with great fundamentals, showed solid footwork in pass protection and was much stronger than people thought. He was impenetrable all week and solidified himself as a top 100 selection."

Link

Notes from East-West Shrine Game

Compliments of ESPN blog on Rodger Saffold during the game:

"East OT Rodger Saffold (Indiana) is doing a great job of setting the edge. As he has all week in practice, he is showing good feet and good technique. He's helping give Northwestern QB Michael Kafka time to throw the ball.

Indiana OL Rodger Saffold has shown he can overcome a lack of prototypical build for an lineman. But we've been impressed with his feet, his ability to protect the edge and how he's been sliding and mirroring defenders. He's done a good job using his hands and playing with leverage. One more thing that has stuck out as well is his ability to play in space. He displays above-average athleticism for the position."

Saffold Top Performer in Practice

The east-west shrine game is currently on ESPN2. I found some practice notes on Rodger Saffold gearing up for the game. Many people believe his draft stock could be on the rise.

Top performer: Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana

"Saffold was not only the most agile pass blocker all week, he also showcased impressive bend, footwork and overall base strength when asked to anchor on contact. He looked natural sliding his feet, mirroring in space and using his quick hands to gain inside leverage and keep his side of the pocket clean. Plus, he displayed above-average range when asked to pull on the outside and exhibited some initial pop as an in-line run blocker. Saffold has definitely elevated his stock in my eyes and grades out as someone who has the ability to develop into a starting-caliber tackle."

Link

2010 Discussion

Looking at the current schedule how many wins do you feel like the hoosiers will obtain? What factors do you think will play the biggest part in why they will get the amount of wins you believe? This is a chance to open up for a discussion and see where people feel like the hoosiers will be in terms of win/losses for next season.

East-West Shrine Game

This is just a reminder that you can watch our left tackle Rodger Saffold play in the 85th annual East-West shrine game this Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. Saffold is a member of the east squad being coached by former Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. There will be representatives from every NFL team at the game scouting players. This will be a good chance for Rodger to show off his skills and improve his draft stock.

Link

Breaking Down the 2010 Schedule

The 2010 season will have another easy non-conference schedule. At this point in time we will most likely have to rely on our non-conference schedule to get us 4 victories. To become bowl eligible we will have to pick up 2 more victories against Big Ten opponents. The big ten teams that could provide us with those wins could be the home game against Michigan, the road game at Illinois, the home game against Northwestern, or the road game against Purdue. Obviously a lot of changes will happen from now to the beginning of the season, and by no means do I consider any these big ten games "gimmes", but I think those are the games that we have the best shot against.

It is imperative this year that we get back to playing bowl game caliber football. Coach Lynch and staff have still been able to sell to our 2010 recruiting class that we are a program on the rise and only a few pieces away from competing for Big Ten championships. I still do believe this, however failing to make it to a bowl game next season will make this pitch much more difficult. In future years the schedule will become a bit more difficult as well. There will be less cupcakes on the schedule and opponents such as Virginia, Mizzou, South Florida and Navy will be added eventually. The 2010 schedule is set up nicely for the hoosiers who should be able to handle the 4 non-conference games of Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron, and Arkansas State. If we can take care of business there we will only need to pick up a few big ten victories. Getting to another bowl game could be the recipe the doctor ordered in getting this program back on track and over the recent hump.The only thing that worries me is how much these non-conference games will prepare us for big ten play. Only time will tell.

Here is a look at the 4 non-conference games:

Towson- 2009 record 2-8, there victories came over Coastal Carolina and Rhode Island

Western Kentucky- 2009 record was 0-12.

Akron- 2009 record 3-9, there victories came over Morgan State, Kent State and Eastern Michigan.

Arkansas State- 2009 record 4-8, there victories were over Mississippi Valley State, Florida International, North Texas, and Western Kentucky

Full Schedule Released

2010
Sept. 2 - TOWSON
Sept. 18 - at Western Kentucky
Sept. 25 - AKRON
Oct. 2 - MICHIGAN
Oct. 9 - at Ohio State
Oct. 16 - ARKANSAS STATE (HOMECOMING)
Oct. 23 - at Illinois
Oct. 30 - NORTHWESTERN
Nov. 6 - IOWA
Nov. 13 - at Wisconsin
Nov. 20 - vs. Penn State (FedExField)
Nov. 27 - at Purdue

If you would like to check out the next couple of years schedule please follow the link.

Link

Another Thursday Night Opener

Although the hoosiers 2010 schedule has not been announced yet, Townson has released there's with a Thursday night opener in Bloomington. This will be the second year in a row IU opens up on a Thursday night. The game will take place on September 2nd.

Signing Day

Join IU alumni, student and friends 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Henke Hall of Champions for the 2010 Football Signing Day. Hear Coach Bill Lynch introduce the 2010 recruiting class and discuss the upcoming football season. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy refreshments and celebrate IU Football! Please RSVP to Jacquelyn Davis at (812) 855-0866 or davisj2@indiana.edu

Thanks to RBB89 for posting on rivals forums.

Saffold Impresses at East-West Shrine Game Practice

Rodger Saffold was invited to play in the East-West Shrine game January 23rd at 3 p.m. in Orlando Florida. A good showing at the game and the NFL combine next month could significantly improve his draft potential. Most mock drafts predict he will be selected in the 4th round. Today was the 2nd practice for the players and Saffold has turned a lot of heads. Here is some comments the coaches have made about him after today's practice.

"Saffold shines in 1-on-1s: Watching 1-on-1 pass rush drills and Indiana OL Rodger Saffold stole the show. He showed great feet and stoned LSU's Rahim Alem twice, the second time putting him on the ground. On Alem's first try, he tried a spin move on Saffold, but Saffold showed nimble feet and recovered to stay in front of Alem. On a later turn, Saffold kept in front of Ole Miss' Greg Hardy off the edge. Hardy showed good explosion and pop off the end, but Saffold did a good job of shuffling his feet, mirroring and staying in front of Hardy."

Link

IU Offering More Fan-Friendly Seating

The following post doesn't really regard IU students because seating is already first come first serve, however I thought it would be important to note for readers who are non-students. 

Per iuhoosiers.com

In the past, season ticket holders seats were selected for them based on how many priority points they had. These points are accumulated based on many factors such as how many consecutive years you have purchased season tickets, how much money you have donated to the athletics department and other types of donations. Starting this March, IU will let the fans have more control and flexibility over where they sit. Season ticket holders will be able to utilize this new tool online, that lets you see various stadium views from different seats all across the stadium, before selecting where they would like to sit. People with higher priority points will be given an opportunity to select their seats before people with less priority points and so on. Below is a link of the virtual seat site that allows you to look at different views from all the seats. It is good to see that season ticket holders will now be able to select their own seats. 

Link

100 Yards with Jammie Kirlew

It's 4 months old but a good watch if you haven't seen it. Jammie has been the model student/athlete you would want for your football program. We wish him best of luck in the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.

2010 Football Schedule

The teams football schedule should be finalized sometime next month. Here is the tentative big ten schedule for next year from iuhoosiers.com.


September 25th: Michigan
October 2nd: @ Ohio State
October 16th: @ Illinois
October 23rd: Northwestern
October 30th: Iowa
November 6th: @ Wisconsin
November 13th: @ FedEx Field vs. Penn State
November 20th: @Purdue

The non-conference schedule is still in the works. We were trying to move the Central Michigan game to a home game to compensate for the Penn State game at FedEx field. To my understanding Central Michigan will not be on the schedule next year and the homecoming game will be against Arkansas State. One of the other non-conference games will be against Townson most likely. The other possibilities I believe are one of the directional Kentucky schools as well. The schedule will probably be finalized sometime in February.

Porter Plays well in Victory

Tracy Porter recorded 5 solo tackles and registered a pass deflection in the Saints 45-14 dismantling of the Cardinals last night. Porter missed 4 games this year due to injury but has managed to record 57 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions on the year, one of which was return for a score.

Just in case you didn't know...

4 hoosier recruits from the 2010 class have already enrolled for spring classes in Bloomington. Two of them our JUCO players corner back Yatta Kiles and linebacker Jeff Thomas. The other two are Zionsville (Ind.) linebacker Jack Denton and Middletown (Ohio) running back Antonio Banks. This allows them to get a semester under their belt to adjust to the college life and being a student athlete. All of them will have a chance to play in the spring game.

Link

Signing Day...

Is less than 3 weeks away. Every year Coach Lynch holds a press conference where he discusses and shows videos of each recruit. He allows time for a Q&A session about the recruits and he usually sticks around for a little bit to talk to fans. Snacks and beverages are also provided. The location is usually inside Memorial Stadium (down the stairs on the East Side) and I will keep you posted when the time is announced.

Hoosiers Receive TE Commitment

It has been announced via scout.com that Paul Phillips from the Washington D.C. area has become the 25th commitment for the hoosiers 2010 class. He chose IU over offers from Richmond and Syracuse. He has athletes in his family with two brothers playing football at Stanford and Virginia. He is listed at 6'5 and 220 lbs and the 80th best TE prospect in the country.

Hoosier Draft Potential

Although a ton will change before the NFL draft here are where some of the hoosiers stand so far according to nfldraftscout.com

Jammie Kirlew- He is measured in at 6'2 and 259 lbs. He is rated as the 13th best defensive end prospect in the country. As of right now his 40 yard dash time is 4.84. He has been invited to the combine so he will have a chance to test in the 40, 20 and 10 yard dashes as well as the bench press and various agility drills. As of today NFL draft scout has him projected to be a 5th round pick. After the combine we will have a much better indication on whether his draft stock will rise or fall.

Rodger Saffold- He is measured in at 6'5 and 318 lbs. He is rated as the 10th best offensive tackle prospect in the country. His 40 yard dash time is 5.23. He is projected to be drafted between the 4-5 rounds. He was also invited to the combine and will have a chance to show off his skills.

Nick Polk- He is listed at 5'11 and 219 lbs. He has been invited to the combine. His 40 yard dash time is 4.54. He is rated the 6th best free safety in the nation. He is projected as a 5th round pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

Greg Middleton- He is listed at 6'3 and 284 lbs. His 40 yard time is 4.84 and Greg has also been invited to the NFL combine. He is projected as a 7th round pick. His combine will be extremely important in increasing his draft stock. It is difficult to get a good gauge on him as of right now because he had an outstanding sophomore year and hasn't been able to put up the same numbers the last two seasons. I'm fairly confident though that an NFL team will take a chance on him because he has shown flashes of great potential. If he can get into a system and be coached up well he has a good shot at being a good NFL player.

Matt Mayberry- He is listed at 6'2 and 238 lbs. He has not been invited to the NFL combine as of today. He is rated as the 24th best inside linebacker in the country. I believe that due to his extreme work ethic a team will take a chance on him and pick him late in the draft. If not he can also get picked up in free agency and make his way onto a roster. There is still plenty of time for things to change before the draft.

Austin Thomas- He is listed at 6'1 and 220 lbs. He was not invited to the combine. He is rated as the 33rd best strong safety in the nation. He will most likely have to rely on free agency after the draft to make it onto an NFL roster.

Will Patterson- He is listed at 5'11 and 237 lbs. His 40 yard dash time is 4.68. He has not been invited to the combine. He is rated as the 56th best outside linebacker prospect in the country. He will also most likely have to rely on free agency after the draft to make it onto an NFL roster.

Ray Fisher- He is listed at 5'10 and 185 lbs. He was not invited to the combine. His 40 yard time is listed at 4.47. He is rated the 56th best corner back prospect in the country. Obviously if he didn't get hurt he would probably be rated higher. I believe his lowest 40 yard time was a 4.38. He could potentially make it onto an NFL roster as a kick returner if corner back doesn't work out.

Once the combine gets closer I will be reporting on all of our players information and updates.

Jammie Kirlew - Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

Matt Mayberry Interview

Here is a great interview with Matt Mayberry about him gearing up for the draft.

Interview

2010 Marlandez Harris Football

More highlights of 2010 commit Marlandez Harris

The Official Highlight Film Of Andre Kates

Tender Warrior

Post Game Interview: Antonio Banks - Middletown -10.02.09

No highlight videos were available but a post game interview was.

'10 MI LB Ishmael Thomas

Bill Ivan

#55 RT in this clip. (Great Block)

Bill Ivan

#55 Defensive End in this clip.

Jack Denton (Football)

Will most likely be moved to LB for the hoosiers.

2010 QB #11 Kofi Hughes 2009 Season Highlights Part Two

2010 QB Kofi Hughes 2009 Season Highlights One

Kofi Hughes played QB at Cathedral High School. Because of his athleticism he could be moved to wide receiver for the hoosiers.

Best Football Running Back in Illinois Class of 2010: Matt Perez Maine South

I will try and post some highlights of some of our 2010 commits for next season. This one is of running back Matt Perez from Maine South High School.

Gearing up for the NFL combine

Although not 100% official yet, if you've been browsing around twitter you would see the chatter that so far Nick Polk, Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton have been invited to the NFL draft. I would expect Matt Mayberry will be as well and possibly Rodger Saffold. Stay tuned to get updates regarding our hoosiers chances to get to the NFL.

Faces of the Big Ten: Jammie Kirlew

Getting to know Jammie Kirlew

Click here for a recent interview by Alex Khvatov with Jammie Kirlew