[Postgame Thread] Indiana Defeats Northwestern 29-23

[u/CFB_Referee]

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Northwestern	0	0	7	16	23
Indiana	2	10	3	14	29

[u/cityofklompton]

David Braun is a star. I think there's a reason NW was very willing to shove a prodigal son out (even without the allegations.)

EDIT: I also find it interesting how so many are calling the clock management brilliant. I remember being a kid watching football, and this was the default end-of-game management when you were behind by two scores that equated to a TD + FG. This was just old school football. Not that it wasn't intelligent, but... like... what happened to football?!

[u/fart_dot_com → u/cityofklompton]

Just got an extension too. Such a great hire for NU, it's just crazy bad luck that it happened the same time Cig was taking over at Indiana.

[u/cityofklompton → u/fart_dot_com]

Not quite. Braun was already at Northwestern in 2023. Cig came to Indiana a year later.

[u/fart_dot_com → u/cityofklompton]

Yeah I remember I'm talking about on the longer-term program trajectories. I don't think Northwestern could have gotten into the title tier like IU but they could definitely get into a legit team that nobody should take for granted. Just unfortunate for them that they have to now fight against an Indiana team in addition to all of the other strong teams.

[u/OwnWalrus1752 → u/fart_dot_com]

I wouldn’t say bad luck when Braun is clearly making waves for Northwestern

[u/SandpaperTeddyBear → u/fart_dot_com]

It’s only a few games in, but it’s good vibes for Fitz at MSU too, so it might work out for everyone.

[u/byte4de → u/fart_dot_com]

He won't last long at NW. Either a blue blood college team or the NFL will come calling QUICK!

[u/ToxicBuddhismFanboy → u/cityofklompton]

Braun hadn't yet actually coached a game as Northwestern's DC when he was suddenly named their interim head coach. He was only an FCS DC before he found himself a Big Ten head coach. Northwestern's administration had no idea who the fuck Braun was, and actually tried to hold onto Fitzgerald until they had to bow to public pressure.

It's actually pretty insane that Braun has proven to be a legitimate Big Ten head coach, and looking like he could have a breakout season this year.

[u/cityofklompton → u/ToxicBuddhismFanboy]

I get where you're coming from, but also, he wasn't a complete nobody. He was DC at NDSU for a while, and anybody who is plugged into college football knows the NDSU program. Braun wasn't an unknown commodity. He was DC of a powerhouse program at the FCS level that produced talent at higher levels with regularity.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/cityofklompton]

He wasn't unknown as a DC, insisting NW shoved Fitz out for a DC making the jump from I-AA to P4 before he ever coached a single game is crazy work.

Reality is they promoted Braun thinking it was a win-win situation; he had zero connection to the previous staff because he was at NDSU, so if he was successful - awesome, and if he struggled and they had a losing season - okay, thanks for the time, he's a check for your trouble, move on to the next head coach.

It just turned out Braun is a stellar head coach.

You're making up fan fiction in your head to fit a situation that you advocated for but didn't exist.

[u/cityofklompton → u/Mother_Frame6669]

I'm not making up fanfic. I can agree that NW lucked into him as HC to some degree, but I also can believe that the whole hazing thing wouldn't have become as big of a story if Northwestern was more willing to sweep it under the rug to protect a beloved HC, namely if Fitz wasn't at his lowest stock while NW had a potential rising star already on staff.

For crying out loud, we've seen way worse scandals that weren't uncovered for way longer periods of time. I think Northwestern was both ready to move on from Fitz and felt they had a budding star already around. Major college sports, especially football, are cut-throat. This isn't exactly a shocking scenario.

[u/Some_Asian_Kid99 → u/cityofklompton]

I mean there’s definitely been way worse scandals, but there was no way something like this could have been swept under the rug at a university like Northwestern. For all the excitement and hype we’ve had as a D1 school (and most of that comes from our women’s teams), the student body and a large chunk of the alumni base were not gonna let that shit slide. Additionally the AD’s office was already in hot water with a lawsuit from the team’s cheerleaders over sexual harassment. I do agree the fact that Fitz’s team was shitting the bed probably helped, but I don’t think he was gonna survive this regardless.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/cityofklompton]

Actually, yes, you are. You're claiming NW forced out Fitz so they could make Braun the new head coach; that is the definition of fan fiction.

Braun was only made the interim because he had zero connection to the program because he just arrived from North Dakota State. Even the most diehard CFB conspiracy theorist would laugh at you if you told them this. You just don't want to admit you're wrong, so you're clinging to this made-up narrative in your head.

[u/elgenie → u/ToxicBuddhismFanboy]

Interestingly that greatly echoes how Fitz found himself as NW head coach. Fitz only had five years of coaching experience and had never been a coordinator but when the head coach position came open unexpectedly he was the leader-in-a-tough time interim pick, at just 31, and nobody expected him to stay in the role long term.

[u/crimson777 → u/cityofklompton]

Yeah people said Fitz had a lifetime gig but a few more seasons of what he was showing and I’m not so sure. Yes, it would take more seasons of stinking than it would for another coach, but he was really shitting the bed in the final few years.

[u/LastWordsWereHuzzah → u/cityofklompton]

That's a huge misread of Fitz's firing. Ironically, if the university had given him a bigger suspension initially instead of a slap on the wrist, he might still be coaching at Northwestern. Instead, they had to do damage control once the severity of the allegations came out, and booted him.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/cityofklompton]

I think there's a reason NW was very willing to shove a prodigal son out (even without the allegations.)

Before he ever coached a game as DC? WTF?

[u/cityofklompton → u/Mother_Frame6669]

Yes. Fitz was on the downswing, and Braun was a young, up-and-coming coach from a powerhouse FCS program known for producing talent (both coaches and players.)

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/cityofklompton]

Yeah, bullshit.

NW fells backasswards into Braun. Good for them and all, but trying to act like they set this up to get rid of Fitz is laughable.

[u/FloatCopper → u/cityofklompton]

With that new stadium and some NIL money and Braun. Northwestern is coming.

With Braun, players will want to go there. Just keep the staff intact.

Cig says he tried to hire Braun a couple time in past years.