December 16, 2025 • 14 mins
Mike Gastineau joins the show to talk about his Hoosiers and their run to the Big 10 title.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mendoza fay So.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
That's Upana big play here third and six at the
twenty four Mendoza.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Charley d Tyashviudnesday the launch Becker's release against Jermaine Matthews.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
He gets outside and then.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
He is able to put him right.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
On his back hip and the bowl is Outum's run.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'd like to say that was Gus Johnson from the
Indiana Ohios d again, but I couldn't understand the freaking
word he said.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I got no idea, And.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think that's exactly by the way with the gas
man probably sounded like two on that third down play with.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
He was there, man, he was there for the biggest
win in Indiana football history.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And his reward for making the trip is not the
Hoosiers winning the Big Ten. It's not the CFP. It's
coming on this radio show to say hello, you.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Know you hang around long enough and all your dreams come.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I mean, can you imagine a Big ten title and
getting to come on KJR and talk to your fellas
in your old time slot. Well, dude, first of all,
congratulations man number one, thrilled for you. Number two and
number three honestly put this into words. How absurd is
this thirty five thirty one loss to Purdue with the
(01:29):
end of the twenty twenty three season. If I would
have found you that night and said, Mike, it's all right,
you're gonna go twenty four and two, you're gonna have
a Heisman Trophy winner, and you're going to start the
CFP in two years number one in America, your response
is what.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I would have wanted to know. How much you'd had
to drink. You know, there's no way, there's just no
way you could see this coming. And I hate this
right out of the box, but I've got to correct
something you said. I heard you before said gonna have
Mike come on and talk about the resurgence of Indiana,
right it's the surgeons. Yes, you don't have to use
(02:10):
any qualifiers at all when you talk about this story.
You know, up until three weeks ago, Indiana historically had
lost more football games than any school in the country.
For they're the losingest team. All it took us to
get us to be the second losing team was to
win twenty four out of twenty six. That's how bad
(02:32):
we've been over the years. You know, they've they've been
they've been decent for little pockets of time, So I
would have believed that, you know, maybe, I mean just
a few years ago they had back to back to
the Year's Day Bowl games. They were you know, it
looks like Tom Allen was getting them going, and then
that didn't work. Uh, you know, had a young offensive
coordinator named Talen de Boor that really really kind of
set the world on fire with Mike Tennis. They had
(02:54):
a little some stuff going from but sustainia has always
been the issue. And then to think you'd come in
and win the big ten to think for kurtzive Medy
to come in and say, and he wasn't going to
say this obviously, but if he could go seven and five,
everybody would have been like, that's pretty good start, right,
And that's what he said. He was battling when he
got there. They just win seven games and we'll be happy.
(03:15):
And you know, as you can see from his personality,
that wouldn't work. So no qualifiers necessary. It's the most
amazing thing I've ever seen. The only story that I
have any knowledge of that compares to is the ninety
five Maritters who were you know, dead in the water
on August first, and then end up. You know, one
game away from playing for the World Series. You just
a miracle run that no one saw coming. Yeah, that's
(03:38):
what this. That's the only story in my life that
this equates to him.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
My thing, Well, I would, I would challenge you on
the resurgence thing.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Man.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
You were nine to two in nineteen sixty seven under
John Pont and went to the Rose Bull.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, so this is the resurgence.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Well check this out. I'm back home last week in
the game, and I went and visited my a at Carolyn,
who's ninety two and in Great Hell, and he was
talking about as a little girl, she remember going to
see Beau McMillan's teams playing. Now, I know both of
you guys know Beaul McMillan is the only man in
history to coach in Indiana for more than like three
seasons and leave with a winning record.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Wow, Mike, one coach.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
In history left that school with a winning right. And
I was saying that he's gonna do it. But and
that's World War two we're talking, is when Paul McMillan
did this. So it's it's historic, it's epic, and it's
it's the neatest thing ever, because there's no cynicism yet,
there's none of the fan corruption and the people complaining
about everybody's just like it's like sixty thousand kids sitting
(04:41):
around the tree on Christmas morning. No one can believe
how cool it is. And you know, some of that
stuff will creep in if they keep having success, the
cynicism and the demands and the expectations. But right now
it's just a it's a story, just full of great feeling.
And I don't you pay attention to the is that
it feels like we could use the stories with great
(05:02):
feeling right now in the sports business and of all things,
in college football when there's so much crazy stuff going up,
and during this time, India climbs at the top of
the heap. It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Well, and it really started last year Gas. I mean
some people might forget you guys were a top ten
football team at the end of the end of the
season last year, and then you brought this kid in
from Cal to play quarterback. Who really, I mean, he
had okay numbers his first two years at Cal, but
who would have imagined. So what were your expectations going
(05:33):
into this season knowing you had a new quarterback coming
in and you know they only ranked at twentieth to
begin the year, and even though you finished in the
top ten last season.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah. No, it's a great question, Dick, because we could
have done this interview a year ago. They're a bigger
deal now. But I mean, if they were great last
year and they had done stuff last year that you
never would have thought Indiana could do, and then they
get popped in the mouth pretty good by Alio State
and popped in the mouth pretty good bye. But at
the end of the year, everybody's hey, this is great.
Well on the way. My expectations for this year. I
looked at the schedule and I thought, you know what,
(06:04):
it's gonna be tough to win at Oregon, It's gonna
be tough to win at Iowa, it's gonna be tough
to win at Penn State. And Illinois will be tough.
I've they had four tough games. You know, they'll go
two and two in those. Maybe they end up ten
and two on the year, maybe they sneak into the playoffs,
maybe they just go to a good bowl game. That
was my expectation. I'll be honest, I did not see
(06:25):
when I first started thinking this kind of year could happen.
Is when they pulverized Illinois even like sixty three to ten,
because Illinois came in pretty good and in Yana just
decimated him that night. Man never let them think they
were in the game for a second. And after that
they had to go to Iowa. They won a tough
game at Iowa, and after that, I'm like, you know what,
they can win at Oregon. I didn't necessarily think they would,
(06:49):
but when they went in Oregon, I'm like, I'm not,
this is not a game. I think that they're definitely
gonna lose either, and they just kept rolling then and Mendoza.
What a great example of what we all know and
sometimes that's get stuck in our face. Coaching really matters.
And this is not to say that Willcox and his
staff weren't good coaches, but they get but those are Indiana.
So when he's had the same coordinator offensive defensive for
(07:12):
like several seasons now going back to the DNE base,
they were win forever. They're all on the same page.
And I think they really took this this natural talent,
had a lot of ability and just coached it to
an incredible season.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah. Well, my guest to know.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Obviously as our guest, he's all just hopped up on Indiana.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Who's your hysteria?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Man?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Just living the dream? No, not at all, I did.
I mean I told you just a few weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
If you would have told me two years ago that
one of our favorite college football teams would go thirteen
to oh twice over a three year period and have
a Heisman winner, I would have thought it was you,
dub not Indiana, and Indiana's pulled it off.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
But how does this Mike? Honestly?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Because look, man, I know you grew up a big
fan of Who's Your Basketball? They haven't won a championship
and what almost four years now. I think eighty seven
was the last one, so it's been a long time.
A lot of people don't remember that team in eighty seven.
How does this compare on campus around Bloomington you think
to the basketball success if it ever happens again.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I'm kind of taking it aglotally because I've been back
a few times. I'm not having to spend a lot
of time on campus. I talked to a lot of
friends and fans from back there. I think this is
bigger just because again the Arena is bigger. You know,
you're talking about sixty thousand people. It's not a huge
football stadium, but you're not about sixty thousand people as
opposed to seventeen thousand of the basketball game. And you're right,
(08:36):
you know, it's been very disappointing for Indiana that your
basketball hasn't really done much for a lot of years now.
And again some of that, you know, the success was
probably taken for granted for a long time, and you know,
you saw what happened. You know, forget these circumstances. Why
but it guy like Bob Knight cut such a wide
(08:56):
pass as he walks through a situation when he left,
it was impossible to you know, how do you replace that?
How do you find somebody who's going that's taken them
a long time and they're still looking to I think
this is bigger just because you know, football is bigger
than basketball. It's a bigger deal. But I saw him
win three national championships, and I gotta tell you the
(09:17):
state's electric when that's going on. But the end, this
is just more sense. It's such a surprise, and it's
a little recency bias t you know, it's it's easy
to say this is bigger because it's like it's like
you're a little kid and you come down and and
and under the Christmas tree is a playboy bunny. I'm alive,
way really, I'm getting this for Christmas. You know, it's
(09:38):
not surprising. You knock me over with a feathers is
kind of how I feel about.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Well, I guess that just begs the question, then, would
you rather have a national championship or a playboy bunny?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
You can't have both. Mike got to pick one.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
I'm sixty five National Championship. I got more use for that,
to be honest. And it's but just the idea that
you know, I'm gonna go to the Rose excuse me,
the Rose Bull a couple of weeks and see them play.
And I remember saying on my show years ago when
when the min ten had in Penn State and they
(10:12):
had in Nebraska, I'm like, Wendiana is never going to
the Rose Bowl. We're never going to be better than
Lyle State, Michigan, Nebraska all in the same scene. And
that's just never happening. And then you know there's not
even the automatic connection anymore. So, just the serendipity of
the year Indiana has this year that the number one
seed gets fed into the Rose Bowl, and you know
place we haven't been since nineteen sixty eight. LBJ was
(10:35):
president the last time Rose Bowl and the last undeaten
season we had was World War Two was still going on.
So it's it's been a while since they've been this good.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
The gas man joining us, Uh, Mike, let's talk about
the why. I mean, it's it seems a little more
than coincidental that this is happening during the NIL air
and you got a really rich donor in Mark Cuban.
So how much of it is that? How much of
it is just good coaching? What is the why behind this?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
I don't know a lot of them behind the scenes stuff,
but it appears to me, I would appear to everybody obviously, Yeah, Cuban,
They've got a lot of other rich alums. I think
what they did was, and I would assume Cuban was
a part of is they hit the ground running with NIL.
They anticipated it, you know, they saw what was coming
and got their ducks in a row and got things
ready to go. But I think as much of that
(11:23):
it's you know, whether it was luck, whether he was
the first choice whenever I think getting Signetti to come
in and the tact he decided to take where he said,
I'm just I'm not going to be satisfied with just
going to a bowl game. And you look at him,
you know, the whole google me I win thing is
one hundred percent true. He's had one year where he
(11:44):
almost didn't have a winning record. He was six and
five one year in elve. Other than that his season,
you look at his career, ten wins, eleven wins, twelve wins,
nine wins, tens again and again and again. The guy
just wins. I think they found and I'm surprised there
more teams looking for guys like this, these guys that
want to go out and make these bazillion dollar highers,
(12:05):
for guys that are kind of retreats as opposed to
find a hungry coach who's been at the next level
bound and has won everywhere he's gone. Yeah, no guarantees, obviously,
but I think a lot of it just comes back
to the y, comes back to coaching. And you know,
he was the I don't know I think it was
the first, but to bring twelve of his players from
James Madison, you know, you have an ingrained culture. Now
(12:26):
your guys in the locker room believe in you, and
they can get other guys to believe in you. So
there was a little bit of that too.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Well, Gus, Before you go, we talked about the absurdity
of all of this number one team in the country,
Heisman Trophy winner, the whole thing. But I don't think
the story needs to stop there. I mean, you could
very well win the whole damn thing and claim the
national championship. And this is the this is the crazy
part that if this was the old days, you'd have
to win two more games to win the national championship.
(12:54):
If it was the old old days, you'd be twelve
and OHO and have to win one more game before
you find out if to vote is voting number one.
So now you've got to go through Alabama or Oklahoma,
Oregon or Texas Tech and the Peach Bawl get by
maybe Ohio State again.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
What's your what's your gut feel on how far this
run goes?
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Man? It again is you know, I don't believe I'm
saying this, but I think they can do it. Now
it's thinking they can do it and doing it. They've
got like any team at this point in time, you've
got a rough road. You know you're gonna face three
really good teams. If the seating holds, they'd have to
play Oklahoma win that they got to go beat Oregon
for the second time this season, I think Oregan's and
(13:37):
then if if the seating holds in, you're right, Ohio State,
you gotta beat them for a second time. It's it's
a it's it's a daunting task. But right there in
the fights hung it says we're never daunted, So never donted. Man.
I think they can do it. I really, I really do.
And what are the time I want to go and
enjoy New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl. You guys
know what that's like. If i'n't been since the two
(14:00):
games I was a throat was when was when Washington Purdue,
and I'm looking forward to getting back there again and
getting to see something I never thought i'd see.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Well, I gotta tell you, Dick agrees with us. I
know Andrews does too.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Man, we got two favorite college football teams, the Huskies
and whoever the hell's playing Oregon? Man, So if you
play those guys again, take care of go get them, man,
Go knock those bastards back to Eugene, Oregon pals.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
So hey, listen, enjoy this. This is one of the
really cool things.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
About this too, is that now you get to have
the entire month of December almost to soak this up
and really have some fun and enjoy this.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
That's what I love about this.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, it is again kind of a new feeling for me.
I'll point out though, as you will though, Indiana's aren't
eating against Oregon this century.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
That's right, baby, that's right, love, And we're.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Two for two ducks fans, So yeah, okay, we'll seem
in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Go get him man. Hey, have fun with this, enjoy
and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
By you. All right, great to talk to both of you,
extra having me on
Mendoza fay So.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
That's Upana big play here third and six at the
twenty four Mendoza.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Charley d Tyashviudnesday the launch Becker's release against Jermaine Matthews.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
He gets outside and then.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
He is able to put him right.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
On his back hip and the bowl is Outum's run.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'd like to say that was Gus Johnson from the
Indiana Ohios d again, but I couldn't understand the freaking
word he said.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I got no idea, And.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think that's exactly by the way with the gas
man probably sounded like two on that third down play with.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
He was there, man, he was there for the biggest
win in Indiana football history.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And his reward for making the trip is not the
Hoosiers winning the Big Ten. It's not the CFP. It's
coming on this radio show to say hello, you.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Know you hang around long enough and all your dreams come.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I mean, can you imagine a Big ten title and
getting to come on KJR and talk to your fellas
in your old time slot. Well, dude, first of all,
congratulations man number one, thrilled for you. Number two and
number three honestly put this into words. How absurd is
this thirty five thirty one loss to Purdue with the
(01:29):
end of the twenty twenty three season. If I would
have found you that night and said, Mike, it's all right,
you're gonna go twenty four and two, you're gonna have
a Heisman Trophy winner, and you're going to start the
CFP in two years number one in America, your response
is what.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I would have wanted to know. How much you'd had
to drink. You know, there's no way, there's just no
way you could see this coming. And I hate this
right out of the box, but I've got to correct
something you said. I heard you before said gonna have
Mike come on and talk about the resurgence of Indiana,
right it's the surgeons. Yes, you don't have to use
(02:10):
any qualifiers at all when you talk about this story.
You know, up until three weeks ago, Indiana historically had
lost more football games than any school in the country.
For they're the losingest team. All it took us to
get us to be the second losing team was to
win twenty four out of twenty six. That's how bad
(02:32):
we've been over the years. You know, they've they've been
they've been decent for little pockets of time, So I
would have believed that, you know, maybe, I mean just
a few years ago they had back to back to
the Year's Day Bowl games. They were you know, it
looks like Tom Allen was getting them going, and then
that didn't work. Uh, you know, had a young offensive
coordinator named Talen de Boor that really really kind of
set the world on fire with Mike Tennis. They had
(02:54):
a little some stuff going from but sustainia has always
been the issue. And then to think you'd come in
and win the big ten to think for kurtzive Medy
to come in and say, and he wasn't going to
say this obviously, but if he could go seven and five,
everybody would have been like, that's pretty good start, right,
And that's what he said. He was battling when he
got there. They just win seven games and we'll be happy.
(03:15):
And you know, as you can see from his personality,
that wouldn't work. So no qualifiers necessary. It's the most
amazing thing I've ever seen. The only story that I
have any knowledge of that compares to is the ninety
five Maritters who were you know, dead in the water
on August first, and then end up. You know, one
game away from playing for the World Series. You just
a miracle run that no one saw coming. Yeah, that's
(03:38):
what this. That's the only story in my life that
this equates to him.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
My thing, Well, I would, I would challenge you on
the resurgence thing.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Man.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
You were nine to two in nineteen sixty seven under
John Pont and went to the Rose Bull.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, so this is the resurgence.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Well check this out. I'm back home last week in
the game, and I went and visited my a at Carolyn,
who's ninety two and in Great Hell, and he was
talking about as a little girl, she remember going to
see Beau McMillan's teams playing. Now, I know both of
you guys know Beaul McMillan is the only man in
history to coach in Indiana for more than like three
seasons and leave with a winning record.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Wow, Mike, one coach.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
In history left that school with a winning right. And
I was saying that he's gonna do it. But and
that's World War two we're talking, is when Paul McMillan
did this. So it's it's historic, it's epic, and it's
it's the neatest thing ever, because there's no cynicism yet,
there's none of the fan corruption and the people complaining
about everybody's just like it's like sixty thousand kids sitting
(04:41):
around the tree on Christmas morning. No one can believe
how cool it is. And you know, some of that
stuff will creep in if they keep having success, the
cynicism and the demands and the expectations. But right now
it's just a it's a story, just full of great feeling.
And I don't you pay attention to the is that
it feels like we could use the stories with great
(05:02):
feeling right now in the sports business and of all things,
in college football when there's so much crazy stuff going up,
and during this time, India climbs at the top of
the heap. It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Well, and it really started last year Gas. I mean
some people might forget you guys were a top ten
football team at the end of the end of the
season last year, and then you brought this kid in
from Cal to play quarterback. Who really, I mean, he
had okay numbers his first two years at Cal, but
who would have imagined. So what were your expectations going
(05:33):
into this season knowing you had a new quarterback coming
in and you know they only ranked at twentieth to
begin the year, and even though you finished in the
top ten last season.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah. No, it's a great question, Dick, because we could
have done this interview a year ago. They're a bigger
deal now. But I mean, if they were great last
year and they had done stuff last year that you
never would have thought Indiana could do, and then they
get popped in the mouth pretty good by Alio State
and popped in the mouth pretty good bye. But at
the end of the year, everybody's hey, this is great.
Well on the way. My expectations for this year. I
looked at the schedule and I thought, you know what,
(06:04):
it's gonna be tough to win at Oregon, It's gonna
be tough to win at Iowa, it's gonna be tough
to win at Penn State. And Illinois will be tough.
I've they had four tough games. You know, they'll go
two and two in those. Maybe they end up ten
and two on the year, maybe they sneak into the playoffs,
maybe they just go to a good bowl game. That
was my expectation. I'll be honest, I did not see
(06:25):
when I first started thinking this kind of year could happen.
Is when they pulverized Illinois even like sixty three to ten,
because Illinois came in pretty good and in Yana just
decimated him that night. Man never let them think they
were in the game for a second. And after that
they had to go to Iowa. They won a tough
game at Iowa, and after that, I'm like, you know what,
they can win at Oregon. I didn't necessarily think they would,
(06:49):
but when they went in Oregon, I'm like, I'm not,
this is not a game. I think that they're definitely
gonna lose either, and they just kept rolling then and Mendoza.
What a great example of what we all know and
sometimes that's get stuck in our face. Coaching really matters.
And this is not to say that Willcox and his
staff weren't good coaches, but they get but those are Indiana.
So when he's had the same coordinator offensive defensive for
(07:12):
like several seasons now going back to the DNE base,
they were win forever. They're all on the same page.
And I think they really took this this natural talent,
had a lot of ability and just coached it to
an incredible season.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah. Well, my guest to know.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Obviously as our guest, he's all just hopped up on Indiana.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Who's your hysteria?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Man?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Just living the dream? No, not at all, I did.
I mean I told you just a few weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
If you would have told me two years ago that
one of our favorite college football teams would go thirteen
to oh twice over a three year period and have
a Heisman winner, I would have thought it was you,
dub not Indiana, and Indiana's pulled it off.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
But how does this Mike? Honestly?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Because look, man, I know you grew up a big
fan of Who's Your Basketball? They haven't won a championship
and what almost four years now. I think eighty seven
was the last one, so it's been a long time.
A lot of people don't remember that team in eighty seven.
How does this compare on campus around Bloomington you think
to the basketball success if it ever happens again.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I'm kind of taking it aglotally because I've been back
a few times. I'm not having to spend a lot
of time on campus. I talked to a lot of
friends and fans from back there. I think this is
bigger just because again the Arena is bigger. You know,
you're talking about sixty thousand people. It's not a huge
football stadium, but you're not about sixty thousand people as
opposed to seventeen thousand of the basketball game. And you're right,
(08:36):
you know, it's been very disappointing for Indiana that your
basketball hasn't really done much for a lot of years now.
And again some of that, you know, the success was
probably taken for granted for a long time, and you know,
you saw what happened. You know, forget these circumstances. Why
but it guy like Bob Knight cut such a wide
(08:56):
pass as he walks through a situation when he left,
it was impossible to you know, how do you replace that?
How do you find somebody who's going that's taken them
a long time and they're still looking to I think
this is bigger just because you know, football is bigger
than basketball. It's a bigger deal. But I saw him
win three national championships, and I gotta tell you the
(09:17):
state's electric when that's going on. But the end, this
is just more sense. It's such a surprise, and it's
a little recency bias t you know, it's it's easy
to say this is bigger because it's like it's like
you're a little kid and you come down and and
and under the Christmas tree is a playboy bunny. I'm alive,
way really, I'm getting this for Christmas. You know, it's
(09:38):
not surprising. You knock me over with a feathers is
kind of how I feel about.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Well, I guess that just begs the question, then, would
you rather have a national championship or a playboy bunny?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
You can't have both. Mike got to pick one.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
I'm sixty five National Championship. I got more use for that,
to be honest. And it's but just the idea that
you know, I'm gonna go to the Rose excuse me,
the Rose Bull a couple of weeks and see them play.
And I remember saying on my show years ago when
when the min ten had in Penn State and they
(10:12):
had in Nebraska, I'm like, Wendiana is never going to
the Rose Bowl. We're never going to be better than
Lyle State, Michigan, Nebraska all in the same scene. And
that's just never happening. And then you know there's not
even the automatic connection anymore. So, just the serendipity of
the year Indiana has this year that the number one
seed gets fed into the Rose Bowl, and you know
place we haven't been since nineteen sixty eight. LBJ was
(10:35):
president the last time Rose Bowl and the last undeaten
season we had was World War Two was still going on.
So it's it's been a while since they've been this good.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
The gas man joining us, Uh, Mike, let's talk about
the why. I mean, it's it seems a little more
than coincidental that this is happening during the NIL air
and you got a really rich donor in Mark Cuban.
So how much of it is that? How much of
it is just good coaching? What is the why behind this?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
I don't know a lot of them behind the scenes stuff,
but it appears to me, I would appear to everybody obviously, Yeah, Cuban,
They've got a lot of other rich alums. I think
what they did was, and I would assume Cuban was
a part of is they hit the ground running with NIL.
They anticipated it, you know, they saw what was coming
and got their ducks in a row and got things
ready to go. But I think as much of that
(11:23):
it's you know, whether it was luck, whether he was
the first choice whenever I think getting Signetti to come
in and the tact he decided to take where he said,
I'm just I'm not going to be satisfied with just
going to a bowl game. And you look at him,
you know, the whole google me I win thing is
one hundred percent true. He's had one year where he
(11:44):
almost didn't have a winning record. He was six and
five one year in elve. Other than that his season,
you look at his career, ten wins, eleven wins, twelve wins,
nine wins, tens again and again and again. The guy
just wins. I think they found and I'm surprised there
more teams looking for guys like this, these guys that
want to go out and make these bazillion dollar highers,
(12:05):
for guys that are kind of retreats as opposed to
find a hungry coach who's been at the next level
bound and has won everywhere he's gone. Yeah, no guarantees, obviously,
but I think a lot of it just comes back
to the y, comes back to coaching. And you know,
he was the I don't know I think it was
the first, but to bring twelve of his players from
James Madison, you know, you have an ingrained culture. Now
(12:26):
your guys in the locker room believe in you, and
they can get other guys to believe in you. So
there was a little bit of that too.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Well, Gus, Before you go, we talked about the absurdity
of all of this number one team in the country,
Heisman Trophy winner, the whole thing. But I don't think
the story needs to stop there. I mean, you could
very well win the whole damn thing and claim the
national championship. And this is the this is the crazy
part that if this was the old days, you'd have
to win two more games to win the national championship.
(12:54):
If it was the old old days, you'd be twelve
and OHO and have to win one more game before
you find out if to vote is voting number one.
So now you've got to go through Alabama or Oklahoma,
Oregon or Texas Tech and the Peach Bawl get by
maybe Ohio State again.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
What's your what's your gut feel on how far this
run goes?
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Man? It again is you know, I don't believe I'm
saying this, but I think they can do it. Now
it's thinking they can do it and doing it. They've
got like any team at this point in time, you've
got a rough road. You know you're gonna face three
really good teams. If the seating holds, they'd have to
play Oklahoma win that they got to go beat Oregon
for the second time this season, I think Oregan's and
(13:37):
then if if the seating holds in, you're right, Ohio State,
you gotta beat them for a second time. It's it's
a it's it's a daunting task. But right there in
the fights hung it says we're never daunted, So never donted. Man.
I think they can do it. I really, I really do.
And what are the time I want to go and
enjoy New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl. You guys
know what that's like. If i'n't been since the two
(14:00):
games I was a throat was when was when Washington Purdue,
and I'm looking forward to getting back there again and
getting to see something I never thought i'd see.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Well, I gotta tell you, Dick agrees with us. I
know Andrews does too.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Man, we got two favorite college football teams, the Huskies
and whoever the hell's playing Oregon? Man, So if you
play those guys again, take care of go get them, man,
Go knock those bastards back to Eugene, Oregon pals.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
So hey, listen, enjoy this. This is one of the
really cool things.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
About this too, is that now you get to have
the entire month of December almost to soak this up
and really have some fun and enjoy this.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
That's what I love about this.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, it is again kind of a new feeling for me.
I'll point out though, as you will though, Indiana's aren't
eating against Oregon this century.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
That's right, baby, that's right, love, And we're.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Two for two ducks fans, So yeah, okay, we'll seem
in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Go get him man. Hey, have fun with this, enjoy
and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
By you. All right, great to talk to both of you,
extra having me on
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