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Jeffrey the Greek on B1G Title & CFP Hopes for Indiana Football
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Nov 7, 2024
From yesterday's show: Jeffrey the Greek on why it's now realistic to start talking about the Indiana Hoosiers making the Big Ten title game and the 12-team College Football Playoff. #iufb Subscribe, comment, and leave a like if you enjoyed this clip.
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0:00
joining us now from the eyes on big
0:02
podcast it is one the one the only
0:04
Jeffrey the Greek so glad to have you
0:06
back and I'm so glad that I have you on
0:09
here and we're talking about an Indiana
0:12
football team that is in fact undefeated
0:15
to me they look the part and I know
0:18
everybody loves to talk about the easy
0:19
schedule but they still Dominate and I
0:23
want to talk a lot of big picture stuff
0:24
with you here today but first of all
0:26
glad to have you it's been a few weeks
0:28
and this is going to be fun as always
0:31
this is awesome uh reminds me of the
0:33
2021 season uh when Indiana was winning
0:36
games who's your football fans are some
0:38
of my favorite Big 10 football fans
0:41
because they don't expect big things so
0:43
when it happens y'all are the happiest
0:46
humans on the planet for your football
0:48
team so it's it's fun to even you know
0:50
5% enjoy the ride with you so just off
0:54
the top just one thing we talked about
0:56
at the very beginning you and I and you
0:58
did it on your podcast too you went
1:00
through the schedule and you threw out
1:02
the scenario that there were so many
1:04
coin flip games early on that if things
1:06
were going well that they could indeed
1:08
be in this position that they're in now
1:10
the biggest difference I feel like is I
1:13
don't think anybody expected them to
1:16
just look the part as much as they
1:17
actually have no you know it's funny
1:22
because when Indiana was 3 and 0 and 4-0
1:26
uh I I've broke my arm multiple times p
1:29
ping myself on the back saying to people
1:32
that I've been on the hooer train before
1:36
everyone however I went back and looked
1:38
at my predictions I had you at six and
1:41
six so at some point I'm like I wasn't
1:45
if I was on the train I was on the
1:46
Caboose you know like and I hate to use
1:48
trains with Excuse me but with the
1:50
hooers but I I like it's it's even gone
1:55
beyond what I had thought now when
1:58
Jordan and I W Aon 7 my podcast partner
2:01
when we broke down the hooers in our
2:04
team previews preseason what I was
2:06
trying to challenge our listeners to and
2:08
maybe Jordan a little bit is look at
2:10
this hooer schedule you're you're into
2:13
October you're late October there are no
2:16
games on here that auto losses for the
2:20
hooers that's what the the message that
2:22
I was trying to get across with that
2:24
being said law of averages would say you
2:28
know through the first seven games
2:30
maybe I could see 5- two you know
2:33
something like that to actually think to
2:37
be seven to0 and and to be at this point
2:40
ranked this High even me as a as a non
2:45
hooer but who's your supporter I didn't
2:47
even give you guys enough credit it's
2:49
absolutely mindboggling what Siggy has
2:51
done and and how this fan base has has
2:54
responded and I guess moving forward
2:56
obviously a big game with Washington
2:58
this weekend it's going to be there's
3:00
going to be a different Dynamic this
3:01
week specifically because we're going to
3:02
see how they play with Tav and Jackson
3:04
and not that we haven't gotten the Tav
3:06
Jackson flavor before whether it be some
3:09
this season and even a little bit last
3:11
year whenever Tom Allen was flipping and
3:12
flopping between him and Brendan sorby
3:15
it is going to be interesting to see
3:17
what he's able to do whenever there's
3:19
actual pressure on him because every
3:21
situation that tav's been in this year
3:24
specifically it's when the game the
3:26
results no longer in doubt Indiana's
3:28
already taken care of business so I
3:29
think if there's any worry with this
3:32
week specifically and if anyone who's
3:34
paid attention to the r injury a lot of
3:36
people are at least expecting that like
3:38
for sure you're not gonna see him this
3:40
week you may not see him next week
3:42
either but I think past the Michigan
3:44
State game there's no doubt that unless
3:47
something else happens after the fact
3:49
there's no reason Curtis roor shouldn't
3:51
return by that
3:53
returned yeah I like the only real
3:56
worries this weekend are the proverbial
3:59
reading your headlines deal feels like
4:02
sigy is pretty good at stamping that
4:04
out pretty quick you know he
4:05
doesn't let that happen and then but you
4:08
always have that a little bit these are
4:09
still 18 to 23 year old you know young
4:12
humans that that that are susceptible
4:14
and then yeah the the Tav and Jackson
4:16
Curtis Rook thing let me just say I feel
4:18
horrible for Curtis Rook I hate injuries
4:21
every time they come even to my rivals
4:23
this one even bugs the heck out of me
4:26
because I think I've said you know when
4:28
you and I have talked on the podcast
4:30
I've been a fan of Curtis roor since the
4:33
action days dudes won me some money like
4:36
it was like a secret that nobody knew
4:38
how good this guy was so I would take
4:40
overs and and his team to cover all the
4:42
time because Curtis Rook was such a
4:43
baller you know he fights to get a name
4:46
for himself in in in in
4:48
maction is brought over to the Big 10
4:51
dominates you know or just plays really
4:53
well in the Big 10 now his like stage is
4:56
getting bigger game day is in town and
4:59
you get hit with an injury it's just a
5:01
it's just a shot to the gut for him and
5:04
his family you know and everybody else
5:05
that's helped him get to this point so I
5:07
feel horrible for the guy with that
5:10
being said it's not like Tav Jackson
5:12
isn't a great athlete I think maybe it
5:15
would be a sco different offense that we
5:19
see and in a potentially really Charmed
5:23
season maybe this winds up being a good
5:26
thing in that now there's a little bit
5:28
different offense for teams have to
5:31
prepare for as Tav Jackson might use his
5:34
legs a little bit more might even lean
5:37
heavier into the RPO a little bit more
5:40
because they're not the same quarterback
5:42
no human beings are ever the same
5:43
quarterback so it'll be interesting to
5:46
see but a real glass half full is May
5:48
maybe this winds up being another
5:49
blessing in disguise for the
5:51
hooers what do you kind of see as maybe
5:55
and I know we've at least I've thrown
5:57
around as the ceiling and and maybe the
5:59
ceiling extended a little bit more but
6:01
early on when things were going well for
6:03
Indiana we started throwing out like if
6:05
things really go their favor the rest of
6:08
the way and they're able to continue to
6:10
execute 11 and one isn't out of the
6:13
question it's it's almost expected
6:15
especially if you can get past this week
6:18
with Tav Jackson at quarterback and
6:20
bring back Curtis RoR healthy the rest
6:22
of the way the fact that that is the
6:25
expectation potentially is almost insane
6:28
I mean and then when you if if you are
6:30
undefeated going into that Ohio State
6:33
game towards the end of the year that
6:35
becomes I mean a game that nobody ever
6:38
expected it to be I mean with the stakes
6:40
on the line potentially at that point
6:42
and I know maybe I'm getting ahead of
6:44
myself but at the same time we are at
6:46
that point in the year where you have to
6:47
start looking at those types of things
6:50
it's funny before the season everybody's
6:52
projecting who gets into the college
6:54
football playoff who are the teams from
6:56
each conference that are the best
6:58
chances to get in the college football
6:59
playoff everybody's of course thrown out
7:01
Ohio State Oregon Penn State Michigan
7:04
and Iowa well Ohio State Oregon and Penn
7:06
State are still in it Michigan and Iowa
7:08
gone well nobody and then everybody just
7:10
thought well there's nobody out there
7:12
that could take the place of any of
7:14
these teams should they falter or maybe
7:16
Indiana and Illinois might me because
7:19
Illinois is in the in the running too I
7:21
don't think they'll beat Oregon but if
7:23
they should beat Oregon look at their
7:25
schedule they're darn near sh in for the
7:27
playoffs even at 10 and two they would
7:30
be a possibility for the playoffs even
7:32
at 10- two Indiana would be a
7:35
possibility for the playoffs but we
7:37
would be looking at schedule situations
7:40
and win qualities but with that being
7:44
said 11 and one is very much on the
7:46
table for Indiana and I would go so far
7:48
as to say Indiana is 11- one they're in
7:52
the college football playoffs especially
7:54
if it's a 11- one with a ninepoint loss
7:58
to Ohio State I don't think there's more
8:01
that you need at at that point like they
8:03
they would be in it would be an absolute
8:05
travesty if they didn't and in fact it's
8:07
an absolute travesty where they're
8:09
ranked right now they should be in the
8:11
top 10 it's BS that I don't like the
8:13
number that you're at right now bad you
8:15
know Juju with that I just I'll throw it
8:18
out there because I'm not a hooer fan
8:20
but they should be higher right now so
8:23
hopefully as the winds stack up a couple
8:25
more teams drop down Indiana would move
8:27
high enough up in the ranking that even
8:30
if there is a step back or two it would
8:33
still get you guys high enough to be in
8:35
the college football playoffs there's a
8:36
number of things and I I ranted about
8:38
this earlier and it's the fact
8:41
that there are so many factors holding
8:43
Indiana back from having a better
8:45
ranking first of all you're Indiana
8:46
that's part of the factor they assume
8:48
that every win you're getting is because
8:49
the other team is significantly worse
8:51
than you that's the first part second
8:53
thing you don't have that SEC logo on
8:56
your jersey and so you don't have that
8:58
extra brand bump and and really just
9:00
replace the name Indiana with any school
9:03
that has a lick of respect whether it be
9:05
from the SEC or a good conference or not
9:08
they're a top 10 team if they don't have
9:11
the Indiana name next to them absolutely
9:14
bias is real and it's it's negatively
9:17
affecting the hooers right now there's
9:20
there's no doubt about it um don't know
9:22
what to say about it other than I
9:23
totally agree it ticks me off it ticks
9:26
me off as as well so again but there are
9:29
things that can you know fight through
9:32
it uh in that it's such a good story I
9:35
think more and more people will become
9:37
more and more aware and if you keep
9:39
winning you take care of that you know
9:41
like that's the best thing you can say
9:42
is if you keep winning you take care of
9:44
that and uh I do kind of want to move
9:47
into I guess one other thing before I
9:48
get into more big picture stuff but the
9:51
other game that worries me outside of
9:53
Ohio State of course is that other Road
9:56
game that Indiana has to go to at
9:57
Michigan State obviously you're in Iowa
9:59
guy you saw how tough it was against
10:01
Jonathan Smith's team this past weekend
10:04
do you see Michigan State in a couple of
10:06
weeks with the fact that it is in my
10:08
opinion it's Indiana's first true real
10:11
Road environment because you did go on
10:12
the road Northwestern in their weird
10:15
Stadium where you did have a lot of
10:16
Indiana fans there because of Chicago
10:18
and then you played in the Rose Bowl
10:20
which again it's a road environment but
10:22
it's UCLA not they don't have fan
10:24
support but it is again it was a road
10:27
environment but Indiana in two weeks or
10:29
I guess at this point a week and a half
10:31
they're going to face their first real
10:33
road test to me I think it's going to be
10:36
interesting to see you know how that
10:38
works for them if they're able to
10:39
execute they're gonna be rattled at all
10:41
so it's gonna be interesting to see that
10:44
that is a phenomenal Point can I ask you
10:45
a question real quick do we know the the
10:47
game time for that game yet I do not so
10:51
they don't even I think it's either noon
10:53
or 3:30 they haven't decided between the
10:56
two so thankfully it won't be night game
10:58
if you're Indiana with that there you go
11:00
that that is what I was alluding to
11:02
right there uh my podcast partner Jordan
11:04
is a Michigan fan he clued me in on a
11:06
couple things uh that came true which is
11:09
uh Kade mamera has never played well in
11:11
that stadium and that going into the
11:12
woodshed at night is a completely
11:15
different animal than during the day so
11:17
good on the hooers if you're getting
11:18
them at noon or earlier in the day it's
11:20
maybe not quite as loud of an
11:22
environment but with that being said
11:24
until I see a reason to doubt the hooers
11:27
I will keep believing in the
11:30
uh my thing that I'm I'm I'm looking at
11:32
here is you know we've already talked
11:34
about Curtis RoR out Tav Jackson in and
11:38
then it's it's hooers but it should be
11:40
spelled h
11:43
wers because Justice Ellison Tyson lton
11:48
satat Cooper miles price miles cross the
11:51
entire different defense who are these
11:55
guys they all look the same especially
11:57
on offense I I swear they all like like
11:59
I swear they don't even switch the
12:01
numbers I can't tell you know Ellison
12:03
from Miles price you know they they they
12:05
all look like a combination of a running
12:07
back wide receiver you know type of
12:10
thing it's like a whole bunch of Debo
12:12
Samuels that's that's what Illinois
12:14
looks like and like who are these guys
12:16
the hooers that's what I keep thinking
12:17
about with these guys so to me I I have
12:20
so much trust in in the the the whole
12:25
offense and defense as a plan you know I
12:28
just saw one of your guys
12:29
uh get interviewed on the Big 10 Network
12:31
yesterday he did a great job you can
12:33
tell there's just so much belief you
12:35
know with that team so you know sigy's
12:38
got him going I I feel confident on that
12:41
but every team could look a little bit
12:43
different if you get a quarterback
12:44
rattled it would be awesome potentially
12:46
if maybe W could come for that game if
12:49
healthy but we'll see is there any is
12:53
there any true hole that you see with
12:55
Indiana right now and I know that
12:56
they've played very well but if there's
12:58
anything that you can see that team can
12:59
exploit what do you think it
13:01
is that could exploit with the hooers
13:05
yes um gu S I know I'm putting you on
13:08
the spot I didn't
13:10
no it would depend on the team I'll say
13:13
this much I I had seen a couple you know
13:19
leaks know you know gaps in the armor if
13:22
you will
13:24
defensively I'm still wondering if you
13:27
really run into an off offense that's a
13:30
a well-oiled machine I would like to see
13:33
how that looks I I don't know if you've
13:35
faced an offense quite that good you
13:37
know you talked about UCLA they were
13:39
struggling on offense when you met them
13:42
Northwestern has been struggling all
13:44
year so as far as the road games uh
13:47
Michigan state would be a step up
13:49
obviously Ohio state would be a gigantic
13:50
step up with that so that that would be
13:53
the one thing uh but offensively I feel
13:55
like the hooers could score on on darn
13:58
near anyone you don't get this deep in
14:00
the season uh with that being said let's
14:03
hope that Tav Jackson stays healthy you
14:05
know until Curtis roor comes back
14:07
because if you're dipping into the third
14:08
string quarterback in any quarterback
14:11
room you're you're you're probably
14:13
taking a step back offensively at that
14:15
point yeah I wouldn't be surprised that
14:17
as well and looking more ahead to just
14:20
kind of the overall the big picture of
14:21
the big 10 in general there's a lot of
14:23
teams that are kind of vying for a spot
14:25
in the title game right now of course
14:27
the unbeatens Oregon in Indiana Penn
14:29
State and then Ohio State and Illinois
14:31
kind of the other two that are not
14:33
without question to be in that race I
14:36
saw somebody throw a scenario up the
14:37
other day where there's a chance all of
14:39
them in the season with one loss which
14:41
would be yeah absolute pandemonium and I
14:44
mean imagine five teams from the Big 10
14:46
getting into the playoff I don't know if
14:48
the committee would do that but it'd be
14:50
insane if that were the fact or that
14:51
were to in fact happen but what What
14:54
scenario do you kind of see playing out
14:56
at least from this point in the season
14:58
you know funny thing is our friend Jake
15:00
Meyers of the um get back coach podcast
15:03
we have been throwing these scenarios
15:05
out since the summer you know like
15:07
because you know we we weren't getting
15:08
the Big 10 scenario on how these
15:10
breakdowns were and then him looking at
15:13
it from the eyes of a Penn State fan
15:15
he's like okay I'm gonna go ahead and
15:17
assume a loss to Ohio State as a Penn
15:20
State fan but look at the rest of our
15:22
schedule we could be 11- one Oregon
15:24
could be 11-1 Ohio State could be 11-
15:27
one we had been talking about that now
15:30
you add in Illinois and and uh uh
15:33
Indiana to it so there's even more Cooks
15:35
in the kitchen if you will to make this
15:37
crazy it'll come down to tiebreakers
15:39
right um I mean it seems like right now
15:42
Oregon has the leg up on the whole big
15:45
10 but it only takes one slip up for
15:46
them and all of a sudden it's even back
15:49
out you know for the whole conference so
15:52
I don't know like I've been telling
15:53
people this sure seems to be the year
15:55
where we needed
15:57
divisions than any other time where at
15:59
least you would come down to two maybe
16:03
three teams in one division but you
16:05
would have more of a probable round
16:07
robin on how that would go now we've got
16:10
four five six teams that could be up
16:13
there vying for the to get to Indie and
16:16
then the bigger question John that's
16:18
even crazier what would you rather have
16:20
as a Hooser fan wouldn't you rather go
16:23
ahead and be 11 and one sitting firmly
16:27
in the college football playoff rankings
16:30
miss the Big 10 title game and
16:32
essentially assure yourself a spot into
16:35
the college football playoffs that
16:36
question will be had for whatever that
16:39
it'll probably I would guess wind up
16:41
being three teams I would guess like the
16:43
max that we would wind up is is three
16:45
teams at eight- one in the conference
16:48
and probably 11- one overall you would
16:51
have that one team that's held out and
16:53
they might be happy about it and that's
16:55
true because at that point you don't
16:57
have to play that extra game yeah you
16:59
probably wouldn't get as favorable of a
17:02
draw when it comes to seeding just
17:03
because you aren't playing in that title
17:05
game but at the same time your guys are
17:07
sitting out for an extra week getting to
17:09
heal up if you have any major injuries
17:10
that type of thing so there's definitely
17:12
some benefits to being that team that
17:14
ends up getting left out if you do
17:16
indeed end up being 11 11 and one in
17:18
that tiebreaker scenario so I don't know
17:22
I really thought that deeply about it
17:24
John I believe that you and I are both
17:26
glass half full type of dudes you you're
17:29
probably a winner either way you get to
17:31
the Big 10 title game that's historic
17:34
for your team or you get to sit out and
17:35
stay healthy there's not a bad option
17:38
there you know as long as we're assuming
17:40
that that third or fourth team in the
17:43
Big 10 gets into the college football
17:45
playoffs because there is a real chance
17:47
where if Indiana is 11 and one and they
17:49
do make the big 10 Championship there is
17:52
a scenario where you're playing Ohio
17:54
State for the second time in three weeks
17:56
if that ends up being the way that it
17:58
plays out of course which would be a
17:59
very odd scenario to have happen of
18:01
course which could which as people have
18:03
been suggesting is going to be the case
18:05
with Penn State Ohio State Ohio State
18:07
Oregon all along like this is this is
18:10
going to be impossible nearly impossible
18:12
to avoid all that often here's another
18:14
thing scenario I've thrown out as you
18:16
were talking there Indiana hav maybe you
18:19
wind up eighth in the college football
18:21
playoff guess what that means you're
18:23
hosting a college football playoff game
18:26
in Indiana maybe a southern fright team
18:29
has to come into blustery Bloomington
18:32
and Memorial Stadium in in the in the
18:35
middle of December I mean there is just
18:37
some
18:39
realistic but extremely fun things to
18:41
consider if you're a Hooser fan right
18:43
now and it's it's super fun going
18:45
through these scenarios I one thing I've
18:47
been doing every Monday Jeff is that
18:49
I've been going through the cfp
18:51
projections on where they have Indiana
18:53
currently slated depending on who you
18:54
look at and just talking about the
18:56
certain scenarios that could take place
18:58
whether that be hosting a kin dor
19:00
coached Alabama team at Memorial Stadium
19:02
which is sounds like complete Bizarro
19:05
world or you know going down to
19:07
Knoxville and facing Tennessee something
19:09
like that again all of this is yet to
19:11
play out and we're going to see how it
19:13
ends up playing out over the next
19:14
several weeks but right now it's just
19:16
fun to be a part of the ride that you
19:19
probably didn't expect to be on and I
19:21
hope it continues to carry us into into
19:23
deep November we'll
19:25
see like I said these are realistic
19:28
dreams so until somebody tells you
19:30
different keep dreaming it that's that's
19:32
what I'd do if I was you Jeffrey the
19:34
Greek from the eyes on big podcast I
19:36
appreciate your time as always and when
19:39
we chat again I mean it'll it'll be
19:41
towards it'll be the Twilight hours of
19:43
the regular season so I'm looking
19:44
forward to seeing what's happened
19:46
between now and then thanks for having
19:48
me on always a blast to talk to you
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