There is (as expected) an enormous amount of unsold tickets for today. That doesn't mean there won't be a nice walk-up gate on a beautiful day. But, as of now, this is probably projecting to be a 1,200 crowd.
I could care less about the phony announced gates. But, hopefully some humans show up.
I also wish:
IUP doesn't play to the opponent -- meaning play their game.
The game isn't close at the end. We know what will happen.
Tort doesn't start every question this coming Monday with "If we'd have done ...". Just do it.
Jack isn't the RB by halftime. IUP is on that pace.
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Interesting item tomorrow regarding the 'confusion' defense (or whatever the heck it's actually called):
Through (6) games, Seton Hill is giving up just 2.83 points per game in the first quarter.
As teams adjust, that number obviously goes up.
Following the trend, it kind of works out because IUP takes the first quarter off of most games anyway.
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLooking around, Tort was correct that there is still a ray of hope. While most on here don't believe it (or him), I'll play along. After all, I don't think you're officially dead this year until you get that third loss. Up until then, you may still have a faint shot.
Obviously, IUP has to go 4-0.
For blanks and giggles, here's a look at 12 of the teams currently ahead of IUP (some of them have very tough roads ahead):
--Kutztown If there's a team that appears full-proof, it's the Bears SRU It's possible they lose at Cal but not likely. I'd bet they enter the State Game undefeated Charleston Still has Frostburg State and West Virginia State New Haven (1) loss / still has to play at Assumption Assumption (1) loss / still has to play New Haven California SRU this week and IUP next week. Don't forget Edinboro the following. Very tough 3-game stretch for the Vulcans. ESU Sitting on (1) loss. Still has West Chester, LH and Shepherd. Frostburg State Horrendous SOS / perhaps must-win game against Charleston this weekend. Also still has West Virginia State looming. West Virginia State (1) loss ... still has to play Frostburg State and Charleston Findlay Got blasted against only good team its played so far Ashland Has won 4 straight / has 2 losses. IUP has head-to-head Bentley 4-2 ... fairly easy rest of way
Wishful thinking is about all this team has left as of this moment. But, as shown above, a lot of that list is going to take care of itself in the next couple weeks. A lot of those teams are going head-to-head. Tort's team (amazingly) isn't actually dead yet. His playoff season just starts in 48 hours.
This exact scenario has happened here before (with incredible results). Can 'this' team actually catch fire, though, is the question. If Team Timeout can go 4-0 ... they have a shot.
So, no need to que the coach speak. The next game IS the most important game. There's no tomorrow if they mope around and lose Saturday.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post
It's kind of strange to me that Joe is not attuned to the transfer portal because he always did exceptionally well with transfers before the portal.
He also rarely ever had big program transfers (Mathis Keita came from Gonzaga, so he was one example). He hit it big with a ton of lower end D1 players. Guys who were right on the fringe of D1. The ones who worked out, and there were many, were normally great fits.
Joe was actually on a podcast two years ago talking about this. He stated that there were way more D1 guys looking to drop down to D2 because they could play immediately. Now that's not the case anymore. So instead of David Morris transferring from Tennessee State to IUP, he would have just transferred to St. Peters or Niagra. That's just an example. The allure for all of these guys is at the D1 level. So they would rather transfer 3 times and play at 4 different schools to remain a D1 player rather than drop down a level. Not all have that mindset, but plenty do. I don't agree with it, but it's where we are at.
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Looking around, Tort was correct that there is still a ray of hope. While most on here don't believe it (or him), I'll play along. After all, I don't think you're officially dead this year until you get that third loss. Up until then, you may still have a faint shot.
Obviously, IUP has to go 4-0.
For blanks and giggles, here's a look at 12 of the teams currently ahead of IUP (some of them have very tough roads ahead):
--Kutztown If there's a team that appears full-proof, it's the Bears SRU It's possible they lose at Cal but not likely. I'd bet they enter the State Game undefeated Charleston Still has Frostburg State and West Virginia State New Haven (1) loss / still has to play at Assumption Assumption (1) loss / still has to play New Haven California SRU this week and IUP next week. Don't forget Edinboro the following. Very tough 3-game stretch for the Vulcans. ESU Sitting on (1) loss. Still has West Chester, LH and Shepherd. Frostburg State Horrendous SOS / perhaps must-win game against Charleston this weekend. Also still has West Virginia State looming. West Virginia State (1) loss ... still has to play Frostburg State and Charleston Findlay Got blasted against only good team its played so far Ashland Has won 4 straight / has 2 losses. IUP has head-to-head Bentley 4-2 ... fairly easy rest of way
Wishful thinking is about all this team has left as of this moment. But, as shown above, a lot of that list is going to take care of itself in the next couple weeks. A lot of those teams are going head-to-head. Tort's team (amazingly) isn't actually dead yet. His playoff season just starts in 48 hours.
This exact scenario has happened here before (with incredible results). Can 'this' team actually catch fire, though, is the question. If Team Timeout can go 4-0 ... they have a shot.
So, no need to que the coach speak. The next game IS the most important game. There's no tomorrow if they mope around and lose Saturday.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post
It's kind of strange to me that Joe is not attuned to the transfer portal because he always did exceptionally well with transfers before the portal.
I don't think rebuilding yearly is his cup of tea at this stage.
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
Tort (and his pals) will be the official end of the Frank era once he retires. They are the last descendants. Due to service years IUP is spending a lot on this current staff (as a whole).
They will spend on the new HC but his top assistants won't make anywhere near what they are currently paying a couple of them.
I'd assume the new HC will be 'guided' to come in with a whole new staff (at half the price).
That said, I could easily see Tort going another 4-5 years.
IUP is also paying Joe Lombardi a hefty (earned) salary. His tenure is also nearing the end. Health-wise, I think Joe could easily go another 6-7 years. I think he's lost some of his spark, however. I'm not sure he'll want to stay in it all that much longer. As discussed on the basketball board, he's not really geared for this 'portal era' state of the game today. But, it's a lot to walk away from. Getting paid $200,000 to coach D2 basketball is a pretty sweet gig. He's also the closest thing to a 'celebrity' in Indiana, which I think he enjoys.
Regardless, they are both going to be coveted D2 jobs when they open -- whenever that eventually happens.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View PostSince 1982, IUP has always hired very high profile Head Coaches. When they revived the program, they hired George Chaump to be HC. He successfully put the program on a skyrocketing trajectory before he left for Marshall (and later Navy). Then Frank took the reins and went on his legendary run. After the full effects of the IUP Rule were realized, Lou Tepper came riding in on his white horse to uplift the program. And make no mistake, despite all the criticism, Tepper had his own highly visible rep among college football coaches. And then came Curt Cignetti.
When Curt left, I was one of the people who favored going out and hiring another in the line of big time names. IUP chose to go with the insider Tort.
Nothing against Tort but when they made that decision it represented a change in direction for the program. They were no longer chasing elite status. They just wanted to be a strong program. That period between 1982 - 2016 is gone. The coaching decisions will dictate the future of IUP's program.
Tort (and his pals) will be the official end of the Frank era once he retires. They are the last descendants. Due to service years IUP is spending a lot on this current staff (as a whole).
They will spend on the new HC but his top assistants won't make anywhere near what they are currently paying a couple of them.
I'd assume the new HC will be 'guided' to come in with a whole new staff (at half the price).
That said, I could easily see Tort going another 4-5 years.
IUP is also paying Joe Lombardi a hefty (earned) salary. His tenure is also nearing the end. Health-wise, I think Joe could easily go another 6-7 years. I think he's lost some of his spark, however. I'm not sure he'll want to stay in it all that much longer. As discussed on the basketball board, he's not really geared for this 'portal era' state of the game today. But, it's a lot to walk away from. Getting paid $200,000 to coach D2 basketball is a pretty sweet gig. He's also the closest thing to a 'celebrity' in Indiana, which I think he enjoys.
Regardless, they are both going to be coveted D2 jobs when they open -- whenever that eventually happens.
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Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View PostWhile we're talking about compensation...here are the public schools in order of head coach salary.West Virginia is a year behind in reporting, so that Shepherd salary is from the 2023 calendar year.Kutztown Slippery Rock Indiana California West Chester East Stroudsburg Shippensburg Millersville Clarion Shepherd Bloomsburg Lock Haven Edinboro
Seton Hill and Gannon are private, so their employee salaries are private except for what is required by their annual tax filing. The most current filings available are from 2022 and 2023, and neither list any coaches.
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Originally posted by iupgroundhog View PostSince 1982, IUP has always hired very high profile Head Coaches. When they revived the program, they hired George Chaump to be HC. He successfully put the program on a skyrocketing trajectory before he left for Marshall (and later Navy). Then Frank took the reins and went on his legendary run. After the full effects of the IUP Rule were realized, Lou Tepper came riding in on his white horse to uplift the program. And make no mistake, despite all the criticism, Tepper had his own highly visible rep among college football coaches. And then came Curt Cignetti.
When Curt left, I was one of the people who favored going out and hiring another in the line of big time names. IUP chose to go with the insider Tort.
Nothing against Tort but when they made that decision it represented a change in direction for the program. They were no longer chasing elite status. They just wanted to be a strong program. That period between 1982 - 2016 is gone. The coaching decisions will dictate the future of IUP's program.
Leave a comment:
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Since 1982, IUP has always hired very high profile Head Coaches. When they revived the program, they hired George Chaump to be HC. He successfully put the program on a skyrocketing trajectory before he left for Marshall (and later Navy). Then Frank took the reins and went on his legendary run. After the full effects of the IUP Rule were realized, Lou Tepper came riding in on his white horse to uplift the program. And make no mistake, despite all the criticism, Tepper had his own highly visible rep among college football coaches. And then came Curt Cignetti.
When Curt left, I was one of the people who favored going out and hiring another in the line of big time names. IUP chose to go with the insider Tort.
Nothing against Tort but when they made that decision it represented a change in direction for the program. They were no longer chasing elite status. They just wanted to be a strong program. That period between 1982 - 2016 is gone. The coaching decisions will dictate the future of IUP's program.
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Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
In fairness, however, Curt inherited a dumpster fire. Tort inherited a Mercedes.
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Originally posted by IUPalum View Post
Curt inherited the trash Bo Napoleon squad. Curt has moved up the chain extremely fast.
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Excellent article on Curt Cignetti in The Athletic: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti has ignited a fire: ‘This guy is just different’
There is a lot about his decision to go to IUP in the article. Interesting stuff. The article requires you to be a subscriber but I think I only pay $1/month and it’s well worth it.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/584...iers-nebraska/
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