Eli Halverson

This is simply my opinion and not meant for anything but having it to look back on. Cignetti- who I don’t really like but is a great coach- said simply “we made one more play than Nebraska did”. A few years ago he talked about beating our ass. We HAD to sell out against the run- and I think Aurich is doing great by the way. We had youngsters on Marsh with Marshall dedicated to stopping Becker. Those young guys are going to get bigger, faster, better- oh and the strength of our recruiting class is arguably the group of dbs. We don’t have the money to have 2 NFL ready corners at the moment. I think the young ones we have are a year or two away. A family member and fellow fan texted me and said that this would be the biggest win in two decades. I agree with that. The game against OU, where Crouch caught the reverse throwback, was probably that inflection point. it occurs to me that we made one less play than Indiana. It occurs to me because Cignetti said it -one less play than the defending champs. Maybe one player short that’s maybe $1 million. I don’t know. I don’t know what a corner went for in the winter. We didn’t have it. Has Coach Rhule made mistakes? Sure, absolutely, but the state of this program is so far from where it was during the chaos of the Frost era, the Riley era apathy, and the Polini era was still just nine wins. We had records, multiple record setting losses in games versus Wisconsin in the conference championship game, and then an early November in Madison where they had somebody go off for 400 yards on us. I support Rhule. I think he’s doing great job with this program. I think we need to continue to support Rbule, but again, that’s just my opinion. I will say that there is nobody out there that we’re gonna get to replace him and come in and put us in a better spot. Today was a loss, and there’s no other way to look at it but say it was a loss. However, the program is markedly better than it has been. I would argue since around the conference championship game versus Texas, in 2009 or 10, whatever that was. We have talented hard workingkids, most of them young, a great class coming in, more money than many of the other B1G schools. A coaching staff I think that is finally where Rhule wants it and a fun team to watch. We made one more play than Nebraska did. That’s Cignetti. He said it. That’s it. One play. My opinion is that was not having one senior corner to give our youngsters a year to get bigger and stronger before placing them on an island when we have to commit everybody to the run against the national champs. I’m sad we lost. I really am. I’m also sad that there’s an element of our fan base that looks at Rhule’s tenure through a lens of the last decade as opposed to just on his own. He’s fallible, but he corrects his mistakes. Just look at the staff. Holgerson and Aurich called great games. 10 was unbelievable. Our receivers played great. @Sean_Callahan - The decision to go forward on fourth and 10, I thought, was a good one. Archie had a great day. but so did 10, and I think we put the ball in his hands. Plus a punt takes longer. They’re gonna let the ball roll and more seconds come off the clock. You trust defense to stop Indiana, maybe get a miracle. Didn’t happen today. I really enjoy watching this team play. I really enjoy what @CoachMattRhule has done with the program, but again that is just me. For health reasons, I’m probably sadder than most. I think this program has huge potential over the next coming years. However, arguably my last day could be today, could be tomorrow, just like anybody else, but the odds are my last day is coming sooner than most, so I may not get to experience them winning it all again. I don’t have any doubt that that’s a direction we’re heading though-#GBR .