CrimsonCast

Back for Part 2 of our football check-in, Scott and GC dive into some more listener questions. We discuss the potential stadium expansion and what it should entail, the overall gameday experience at Memorial Stadium, the floor and ceiling of expectations for IU football in the wake of the 2024 season, and whether IU fans will keep coming to games.

Let's talk some football. Taylor Lehman joins the show as we deep-dive into everyone's new favorite sport. We discuss the outcome of the CFP and what we learned from it, go through IU's transfer portal haul and evaluate the positives and the areas that still need improvement. We also talk about the freshman class, the coaching staff, and take some listener questions.

Indiana men’s basketball continued their confusing season with an exciting and unpredictable chapter last night, traveling to Columbus and knocking off Ohio State by a point in overtime. It certainly wasn’t perfect, with IU surrendering a double-digit lead late and allowing OSU to force the extra frame, but strong games from Luke Goode and Oumar Ballo helped propel the Hoosiers to a much-needed victory. Longtime CrimsonCast contributor Allie Sanzenbacher was on the scene to watch the game, and we get her impressions of how the Hoosiers played, how the game went, and even a little Ohio State football talk at the very end.

Indiana men's basketball has some serious issues, most of which were laid bare in the 25-point home loss to Illinois earlier this week. We discuss the difficult situation that the program and the athletic department are in, and the likelihood that things get uncomfortable and unpleasant over the next two months.

Indiana came into Saturday night's game versus Iowa with a ton of momentum --- winners of five straight games, owners of a 4-1 record in the conference, and taking on an Iowa team that had a very casual relationship with good defense. Poised to potentially pick up a big Quad 1 win in Iowa City, the Hoosiers instead reverted back to a depressingly familiar form, getting blown out by 25 and looking incredibly passive while doing so. We talk about the disappointment of yet another underwhelming road performance, and discuss the difficult road ahead for the Hoosiers as they try to stay afloat in a competitive Big Ten for an NCAA tournament berth.

Scott and GC reunite to talk about IU men's basketball's big win at The Palestra on Sunday. We discuss the statistical highlights from the game, and look at some recent trends for Indiana that look positive (albeit in a small sample size). We discuss the impact that the forced lineup change has had on IU, and whether or not what we're seeing is sustainable. We then turn to football, and talk a bit about the Kurtis Rourke ACL news, as well as the importance of IU football being ranked going into the upcoming season.

Part Two delves into Indiana's 10-point win against Rutgers on Thursday. There were some definite positives for IU in this game, particularly their three point shooting and offensive rebounding. There are also some still-worrying signs - including whether or not Indiana's performance at home against Rutgers is repeatable against stronger teams, as well as why the Hoosiers continue to struggle with consistency in games.

Part One of a two-part episode to ring in 2025! This first podcast talks through some of the narratives we saw and heard throughout the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff. Were Indiana fans right to feel aggrieved and picked upon in the process? Why did ESPN (and others) persist in pushing a narrative that has been undone by reality? GC goes solo on this as he talks through some of the key elements of what we've been exposed to over the last couple of months, and discusses the importance of narrative and framing in a sport as nakedly political as college football.

GC is joined by friend of the pod (and occasional contributor) IU Artifacts for a renewal of the Bloomington Food Revue. We tackle some of the big changes and happenings in town, including the sudden closure of Cafe Pizzaria and our memories of the place, the introduction of food at The Upstairs Pub and Heartwork Brewing (sort of), the arrival of Taco Bell Cantina on the east side and the overall dining scene there, and some other random items of interest. Hope you all had a delightful 2024, and may 2024 bring you greater wealth and health.

IU men's basketball finds itself in an uncomfortably familiar spot at the holiday break - as a team that has failed to rack up any tournament-caliber wins, with an advanced statistical profile that does not appear to be March Madness-caliber. We talk about the underwhelming performance of the team over the last couple of weeks, look at some of the key statistical indicators and analyze what they may mean, and ponder what the Hoosiers have to do to get over the ever-present hump.